22 minute read
Buon Valentino! A Valentine’s Dream: The Italian Riviera
BY RICCARDO TARABELSI
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Ifell in love with my wife at a mile-long beach on the North Shore of Massachusetts. I proposed to her in Oak Bluffs, a quaint harbor on the north coast of Martha’s Vineyard. We honeymooned on the tranquil beaches of St. Martin. We have picnicked with baguettes and wine along the River Seine. And now, three children later, we live in Sioux Falls, home of the great waterfall. Needless to say, when I think about my wife, I have vivid memories of the ocean, the sea, the harbor, the river, and just about any form of water. As I look over at her right now, I laugh to myself about the fact that the only body of water that either of us has shared in recent years is the water splashed on us by our dogs as we attempt to give them a bath. At times, when we are being doused by the huge drops of water, I squeeze my wife’s hand, close my eyes, and dream of the ocean mist brushing against my face, and for just a brief moment I am transported to one of the most romantic places in the world: the Italian Riviera.
The winding arc of coastline sweeping quietly from Ventimiglia to La Spezia is the defining mark of Italy’s Liguria region. This narrow strip of mountain-protected coastline can be divided into two quite distinct Rivieras. The western Riviera di Ponente (Riviera of the Setting Sun), which reaches from the French border to Genoa, has protected bays and wide sandy beaches and is generally more developed and commercialized than its counterpart to the east. The Ponente is home to the fanciful seaside resorts of San Remo and Bordighera. Much of the eastward stretch on the Ponente coastline has been developed for the packs of sun worshipers who descend on it in the summer. I can see myself now, basking in the warm sunlight, listening to the gentle whisper of the waves; I can almost feel the warm ocean breeze… then I open my eyes to find that my wife is using her blow dryer and is pointing it at my face. As I gently redirect the dryer towards my wet dog, I continue dreaming…
East of Genoa, spanning the coastline as far as Portovenere, is the Riviera di Levante (Riviera of the Rising Sun). Its miniscule bays and inlets are steeper, sculpted by nature into rocky cliffs. The most dazzling of these awesome occurrences is Portofino, which is one of the most photographed villages in the world. One look is enough to tell you why: if you pull up to it by boat, chances are you’ll max out your memory card before you disembark. Brightly painted houses frame the port in a burst of color that becomes sheer enchantment at sunset. Farther along the coast are the Cinque Terre (“Five Lands”), a collective community of five fishing villages situated on bluffs above the sea. Here are Liguria’s most uncrowded beaches, picturesque village squares, and best views. The only view from my bathroom window is bleak at best, especially this time of year when the snow still covers my grass and the trees have shrunk down to mere skinny branches. Just when reality starts to sink in, the sun pokes through the drab sky and rekindles my visions of tender sunshine and romantic seascapes.
Set in the heart of the Riviera region is Genoa, Italy’s largest commercial port, where majestic Renaissance palaces attest to the
wealth of the city’s seafaring past. Every schoolchild knows Genoa as the birthplace of Christopher Columbus and despite the city’s considerable charm, most visitors to Liguria are more interested in the less-historic waters found along the coast. Another attraction in this area of Italy, like all other regions in the country is, of course, the food! Pesto sauce is made by pounding fresh basil in mortar with garlic and pine nuts (or walnuts), then blending in olive oil and grated Pecorino Sardo and Parmigiano Reggiano in equal parts. The region also has its own pizza dell’Andrea (after the heroic Admiral Andrea Doria) with onions, garlic, tomatoes, black olives, and anchovies, or with sardines. I can almost smell it now, the sweet aroma of onions and the strength of the garlic. Again, I open my eyes to see my wife in the kitchen, trying a new recipe. After helping her and, of course, cleaning up, I try yet again to drift away to that beautiful paradise.
When it comes to wine, the region of Liguria isn’t very well known for its grape-growing areas — it is mostly known for its pastas and fresh seafood. However, when shopping around for a good Italian wine that will accompany, let’s say, a traditional Ligurian meal, then look no further than Venice (another seafaring
Italian city on the opposite coast) where Pinot Grigio is king and is ideal for seafood and wine pairing. But let’s not forget Tuscany, just south of Liguria, where the white grape Vernaccia di San Gimignano is the natural choice when preparing and serving seafood. When my wife and I are drinking white wine, it’s usually a crisp Pinot Grigio. If you close your eyes, you can almost here the gentle roar of the ocean as you swirl your glass…
Would I love to be on the Italian Riviera right now, taking in all of the pleasures and romance that it offers? You bet I would, but for now, I’ll continue dreaming because the truth is, there’s no where else in the world I’d rather be than with my wife, three sons, and, yes, my dogs, on Valentine’s Day. Buon Valentino to everyone!
Riccardo and his wife Marybeth are the owners of R Wine Bar on the East Bank of Downtown Sioux Falls. They love entertaining guests for dinner, hosting private events, live music nights, and wine tastings. Riccardo lives in Sioux Falls with his wife, Marybeth (his valentine of almost 26 years,) their three boys, Dante, Berent, Jaxon, and their dogs, Hershey and Palfrey.
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I read the first couple entries, dated 1984 and signed “Love, Jamie.” I could tell from the handwriting that in 1984, Jamie was in early elementary school. However, that was about all I could tell because there was no last name.
A Love Story
& A DIARY BY LURA ROTI
Walking hand-and-in-hand. That’s how I will always remember our neighbors Maggie and Lou Barnett. At least once a week, I’d see my 90-something neighbors walking handin-hand or arm-in-arm around the block, and it always made me think, “that’s how I want to be with Shon when we’re old…still in love.”
The Barnetts lived in a beautiful home in the Cathedral Historic District on the corner of Prairie and 9th. Built by the owner of
Loonan Lumber Company in 1907, the historic mansion is lovely on the exterior. But the real treat is the interior woodwork. I was fortunate enough to receive a tour from Maggie and Lou a few years ago, when they invited us over one evening.
The main floor woodwork is ornate and quite elaborate. The bedrooms all feature a different type of woodwork. One room is birds-eye-maple. The floors, door and all the trim in that room are birds-eye-maple. Another room is oak. Again, the floors, door and
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trim are oak…and so on.
After the tour was complete, they showed us their player piano. Sitting together on the bench, they began to sing along as it played Barney Google. They were a couple who you knew loved each other and loved being together. So, it’s not too surprising that when Maggie peacefully passed away fall 2017, Lou peacefully followed her a week later. A few months earlier they had celebrated 70 years together.
I got to thinking about Maggie and Lou recently when I ran across a diary Maggie gave me about five years ago. She called me up one day and said that she’d found a diary in a bag of items she’d purchased at a rummage sale. And because I was a journalist, and I was probably about the same age as its author, she thought I’d be a good person to figure out who its author was so we could return the diary to its owner.
I read the first couple entries, dated 1984 and signed “Love, Jamie.” I could tell from the handwriting that in 1984, Jamie was in early elementary school. However, that was about all
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I could tell because there was no last name. I quickly gave up, set the diary in the wire basket on my desk and forgot about it.
A year or so later, when I was cleaning out the wire basket, I nearly tossed the diary. But I just couldn’t bring myself to throw it away. It was someone’s diary. A relic from their childhood. I’m sentimental. Plus, I know how good it feels to have something treasured returned. You see, a few years after college, I received a phone call from a Brookings police officer. She had found a bin of items that belonged to me.
Living in a very small apartment, I told her that I hadn’t missed the bin, so feel free to throw it away. She said, “you don’t want me to throw these things away, they are photo albums and scrapbooks.”
I hadn’t missed them. I’d left them in a closet in a house I rented with friends a few years before and completely forgot about them. But when I was reunited with my high school and college scrapbooks, I was so grateful someone took the time to track me down. So many precious memories were in that tub.
Instead of tossing the diary, I put it in the bottom drawer of a dresser I keep craft and sewing supplies in and again forgot about. Then, this January, I ran across it. Again, I was
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tempted to throw it away. But this time I couldn’t toss it because of Maggie. She had entrusted me with the task of finding its owner. So, I decided to give it one more try. This time I skimmed more than half of the entries looking for a mention of a school or friend’s last name.
Jamie’s handwriting matured the further I got into the diary. She was growing up and her friend group had begun to expand – more names were included, but still no last names. I did see the name Patrick Henry, and realized it was the local Junior High School. I kept skimming until finally there were a few names of friends listed that did include last names.
I did a quick Facebook search of two of the names, and discovered that one of Jamie’s friends, still lived in Sioux Falls and was Facebook friends with a friend of mine. Yes, we live in South Dakota!
I reached out to my friend and sent her a short text listing what I knew about eighth-grade-Jamie. In 1992, she played softball. She was in Girl Scouts. I also shared the names of the three girls she spent a lot of time with. Within minutes my friend called me with Jamie’s last name.
I reached out to a college acquaintance of mine who has the same last name and she reached out to her cousins. Two days later I had the address for Jamie’s mom. I mailed the diary a few days later. Mystery solved. I’m glad I stuck with it. And I’m glad Jamie and her diary are reunited.
I reached out and shared this story with Maggie’s daughterin-law. She is a wonderful person, who also happens to be my neighbor. She and I both agree, Maggie would be pleased.
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Valentine Retreat
Gift cards available in store or online for any service or dollar denomination. www.radiance-dayspa.com ohmycupcakes.com Enjoy our Decadent Soothing Soul Retreat this Valentines Day!
