Restoration

Last of Bergamo

This will be the last post featuring pictures of Bergamo.  I don’t have much more to add to the description from two days ago but these will show more pictures of the enactors and their camps.  There is the obvious spattering of castle pictures but it is difficult to properly portray how amazing that building was.  The last few are from around Bergamo including pictures of both its main Cathedral and the smaller ancient one immediately next to it.  The final picture is simply a random house but we thought it was interesting how strong the colors and patterns were on a normal house.

Brescia

After our failed trip to Lago di Garda, we decided to stop in Brescia instead of continuing directly back to Cremona.  This was surprisingly one of the most successful legs of our journey and Brescia turned out to be beautiful.  We set out toward the castle because a friend of mine spoke particularly high of it.  I thought the town got progressively nicer the further we were from the train station and the closer we were to the castle.

We stopped to eat near the castle and almost decided not to go to see it because I thought there was a political rally taking place there.  Just before going back to the train station we went to see what all the noise was about and found a full renaissance reenactment taking place.  The entire castle of Brescia, which is one of the most impressive castles I’ve ever seen, was covered with medieval camps and had well over 100 enactors including knights, men-at-arms, squires, and women.  After a mock battle, they all returned to their camps where they ate and drank; there was also a faire where we could buy medieval food and drink or crafts.  The combination of the amazing castle with the enactors really made this trip something special.

Lago di Garda

Of all the places Ryan and I visited during our trip, we found Lago di Garda to be the most disappointing.  The pictures you find on the internet, or even the  pictures above that I took, make the lake seem beautiful and it was for that reason that we visited.  We took a train to Desenzano del Garda and intended to got to Sirmione, the town on the nearby peninsula, by foot.  DO NOT DO THIS.  On google maps this seems a manageable distance but it is neither nearby nor a beautiful walk.  We spent about two hours walking with, direct sun, high humidity, and bothersome bugs before we gave up and returned to the train station.  If you want to visit Simione I suggest taking a bus, car, or bikes at very least.

Later in hour trip we made an hour long stop at Peschiera del Garda and I found it to be much more appealing than Desenzano but not nearly as nice as Como for instance.  My advice for anyone visiting northern Italy is to skip Lago di Garda and visit some of the other great lakes.

Bass Bar and a Close Call

I had the closest call to a serious injury when I literally took a piece out of my thumb this year.  I had just finished sharpening my knife up to a razor edge (I test the sharpness by shaving hair off my arm) and was adjusting the leather handle I made for it when I did some crazy movement and ended up with blood.  Strangely enough the first worry was for my violin top because a blood stain would not come out.  I later realized how lucky I was that I only skimmed off the top surface instead of cutting down; all I needed was a band aid instead of a hospital visit and stitches.

The other four pictures are all of the making of my bass bar.  The bass bar is glued into the underside of the violin top and serves to reinforce the top while adding the least amount of weight possible.  There are a number of theories based on the shape and measurements of the bass bar and an equal number focusing on the tension applied to the bar.  The bass bar is fitted in such a way that the ends do not touch wood without bending the top up to meet them.  Simply shaping the bar to the inside curve of the top is one of the more difficult stages of construction and I chose to use chalk to help ensure a good fit.

Last of Bergamo

Here are the last set of pictures from our time in Bergamo.  I didn’t mention in the last blog that at the highest point of Bergamo there are the remains of the castle that once stood guard over the town.  We made it to the top just as the weather began to change and had to wait out some rain under an ancient rose bush for a little while.  While we were at the castle my brother found some graffiti that he is certain was done by Banksy however there is no way to be completely sure.

We walked our way down instead of using a bus or cable car and found a number of secluded stairways and ramps that were nice because they kept us off the main road and away from traffic.  Like I said in the last blog on Bergamo; this is one of my favorite towns for a day trip or two in all of northern Italy and highly suggest making it a stop to anyone who has the chance.

High Time for More Food

One of my favorite differences in food between Italy and the States is how much more seasonal Italy is.  I feel that the availability of fruits and vegetable we buy come and go with the seasons much more than Stateside.  My favorite restaurant in Cremona (Osteria il Foppone) does not have a set menu like I’m used, but instead frequently prints a new one based on the products in season.

The different sweets for each holiday pertains to the pictures I’ve included today.  Most holidays have a special cake or dessert that is only available around the time of its given holiday.  The first three pictures are all of sweets made only for the two weeks before carnival (fat tuesday and the start of lent.)  This limited availability makes them that much better when we can finally eat them each year.  Likewise, but not pictured, there is a special cake called a panettone for Christmas and a different cake called a colomba.  I feel like we have a few specific meals here in the States but not nearly as specific as Italy.

The last three pictures I’ve included are of one of the common street fair/markets that come around in the spring.  Stands like this one featuring Sicilian food make it possible to taste the different regional specialties.  I always like when we are coming into the season that these markets visit Cremona.

Cutting F-Holes

Planned

One cut

Two Cut

Unfortunately I don’t have many pictures of the work-in-progress part of cutting the ‘ff’ holes but even if I did the changes would be difficult to see in the pictures.  The ‘ff’ holes are one of the most stressful steps of violin construction in my opinion.  It’s cutting a hole in the violin plate that you just spent so much time making… worse actually: it’s cutting two holes that are supposed to be symmetrical.

Everything begins by cutting out the basic shape with a jigsaw.  The hole is then slowly enlarged using a knife and perhaps files until it reaches a few specific minimum measurements and has an aesthetic line appealing to the maker.  The process is then repeated on the opposite side and in a perfect world symmetry is achieved easily.  If not, like what happened to me, work must be done to the first ‘ff’ hole to achieve the lost symmetry.  If this does not go according to plan, we must return to the second ‘ff’ hole once again.  As you can see this process can continue to detrimental results.  Thankfully mine achieved an acceptable relationship before they had grown overly large.

Bergamo

Bergamo really was like discovering a gem considering how close it is to Cremona.  I’ve only ever known it for its airport that I use annually when I fly to Germany; a traveling experience that while not horrible is less than enjoyable (I always need to sleep on the floor because there are no trains that will bring to me there early enough for departure.)  It was one of my favorite day trips that Ryan and I made from our whole trip.

This was another instance in which the daylong regional transportation of Lombardy was put to good use.  We used it for the trains to and from and then took advantage of the bus system.  The town is divided into two parts: the high city and the low city.  The high city is built into the foothills of the nearby mountains and is from medieval times whereas the low city has since grown out from there.  It is possible to walk from the train station to the high city but I would suggest saving the time and energy and using a bus like we did.

We got off the bus about three quarters of the way up the hill the town is built into and walked the rest.  The ancient walls along the road give way to parklike areas with beautiful panoramic views.  The old town is full of tall, narrow alleys and I love trying to get to the highest point of any place I visit.  There is a main street through the high town that is full of interesting shops and a number of bakeries that sell delicious bread or focaccia like what we bought for lunch (the second to last picture.)

After a long day we decide to descend using stairways and ramps which brought us further and further from the train station.  For a short while we were somewhat lost and things got a little tense but in the end I asked a passing woman and she kindly pointed us in the correct direction.  Even the people were nice 🙂

Last of Cremona

These will be the last pictures of the city of Cremona that I’ll be posting for a while and were taken throughout the entire month that Ryan stayed with me.  Generally we would spend about three days traveling before taking a day of rest in Cremona.  This turned out to be a really nice way of remaining fresh throughout the entire stay.  It also saved us a lot of money in both hotel/hostel fees and the price of food.  We also were able to decide where we were traveling to based on the most current weather forecast.

The first two pictures show the market that comes to Cremona’s Piazza Stradivari and Piazza Duomo every Wednesday and Saturday.  My housemates and I buy most of our produce, cheese, salami, eggs, and honey from the local vendors that come from around Cremona.  I’ve come to realize that the price of food and produce in particular is very much lower than the prices we have here in the States.  For shoppers, the market is a good place to find discount clothes or any number of other oddments at great prices.

The following pictures are from the Tarazzo of the Cathedral of Cremona.  For only five euros you can climb the stairs to the very top for a great view of the surrounding area.  On especially clear days you can easily see the mountains.  The last two pictures of the second row are actually of my house.

Finally, I included two pictures from a sushi buffet (named Hayashi) that we went to with some friends.  For a very reasonable 12 euros you can order as much food from a menu as you like and it is brought to the table freshly made.  I like this restaurant model and wish I could find a place like it here in the States.