Ernest Hemingway's Stresa

Hemingway rowing in front of Hotel des Iles Borromees.

I've started rereading Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. It's been a long, long time since I've read the classic, and that was certainly long before I had ever heard of an Italian city named Stresa, or would know how it would come to figure into my life. It's well known that Stresa is the setting for one portion of the novel; but what isn't as known is how semi-autobiographical the story is, and how Hemingway's own experiences in Stresa shaped those that he wrote about.

In 1918, the 19-year-old Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American Red Cross Volunteer, driving an ambulance in Italy. After being injured at Fossalta di Piave, in July 1918, he was sent to the Red Cross hospital in Milan. There, he had hundreds of pieces of schrapnel removed from his legs, and during his recuperation, he fell in love with his nurse, Agnes von Kurowsky. By September, Ernest was well enough to be given a 10-day pass from the hospital, and decided to go to Stresa to regain his strength in the fresh air of the lake. He wore the ring that Agnes had given to him. He was traveling with another ambulance driver, Johnny Miller, and they stayed in Room 106 at the Hotel des Iles Borromees, a first-floor suite that overlooks the gardens in front of the hotel and looks to the islands in the gulf beyond. He wrote to his parents: "I'm up here at Stresa a little resort on Lake Maggiore one of the most beautiful of the Italian Lakes." While there, young Ernest was known to enjoy martinis at the bar, and to play billiards with Conte Emanuele Greppi. He also became friendly with Bianca Bellia, daughter of Piervincenzo Bellia, who was one of the wealthiest men in Italy at that time. It is known that they took a trip up the Mottorone tram together, to the top of Mt. Mottarone, to take in a view of the lake, the lakes surrounding it, and the Swiss Alps to their north.

It's clear to see the many parallels between this trip of Ernest's and the setting as used in A Farewell to Arms. The major difference, of course, is that while this trip was a pleasant diversion for Ernest, for Frederick Henry the area is gray and cold and muddy, and it marks the beginning of the tragic end to the story of him and the nurse Catherine Barclay.

A Farewell to Arms was published in 1929. Hemingway returned to Stresa fondly, saying that it felt like home to him, and staying always in suite 106. There are many photos of Hemingway in the hotel; at the bar, and in a small fishing boat in the lake among them. The influence on the book is obvious; what is interesting to me is how Hemingway was able to transform the beauty he himself experienced in Stresa into the tragic setting of the story. What I like to remember, however, is how much Hemingway enjoyed it here, for the same reasons that we all do.

This is but one fascinating footnote in Stresa's long history; Perhaps you'll enjoy these others also:

The Story of L'Idrovolante
Isola Bella, Beautiful Island -- A Little Background
Or read through all of the History posts here.

All images courtesy of the Comune di Stresa.

Stresa -- Community of Flowers 2009!

In the summer of 2009, Stresa entered itself into a national contest in Italy, that being for the award of 'Comune Fioriti,' Floral Community... I'm so pleased and proud to report that this past Sunday, when the winners were chosen in a ceremony in Pre-Saint-Didier, in Valle d'Aosta, Stresa was crowned the winner in the category of cities with 3,000 to 20,000 people. And if that isn't accolade enough, during the presentation a special honor was also bestowed upon Stresa. Each year, as part of the competition, two communities are chosen to represent Italy in the larger European "Entente Florale" competition. Stresa was one of the communities chosen for this, the other being Salsomaggiore Terme, in Emilia, which was the winning town in Italy in the touristic category.

This is no small competiton. 'Comune Fioriti' was started ten years ago, and has grown in stature each year, now attracting 25,000 participating cities annually from all over Europe. The goal is two-fold, to both make these cities more beautiful to those who visit, and to give pleasure also to those who live there. I've always known how beautiful Stresa is in the summer, with flowering gardens along the lungolago and windowboxes on so many balconies; now, Stresa has been officially recognized for these efforts and for its beauty.

The other winners were the village of Fossa, Abruzzo, for communities with fewer than 3,000 residents, Savigliano, Piemonte, for cities of more than 20,000, as well as the previously mentioned Salsomaggiore Terme.

Risotto alla Milanese

The classic. Risotto alla Milanese.

In case you missed it, yesterday's Italian Notebook featured an amusing article about the story behind risotto alla milanese. Whether the tale of the Duomo painting assistant nicknamed Zafferano is true or not, it makes for good reading, and definitely a fun explanation for how the traditional risotto here in the northern regions of Italy came to be made always with saffron. With the winter months coming now, risotto alla milanese will be second only to polenta as the accompaniment of choice to the brasato, stufato (braised beef and stews), and osso buco that are so common, and you can be sure that it will be seen on my plate a lot.

But there are variations on the theme, and risotto is made and found in local restaurants with many other additions beyond the traditional saffron. I remember one in particular, a very special plate of champagne risotto I ate at il Ristorante Arc en Ciel, on Via P. Tomaso in Stresa. I had it as my primo at this meal; for my antipasto there was a refreshing plate of melone e prosciutto crudo. In my mind a perfect summer northern Italian meal. I regret that I didn't take photos that evening, and so you'll need to imagine this champagne risotto, with a good quarter bottle of champagne added before the broth, and vegetable broth used in place of beef broth. The result is creamy, white risotto, rich tasting, with just a hint of tartness from the champagne.

The champagne version. Lighter, whiter, creamier.

Colleague and I have made many pots of risotto. One winner was our prosecco risotto prepared alla versione Marchesi. This is a reference to the great Italian chef Gualtiero Marchesi, who makes risotto with water instead of broth. We tried just this, and created a perfect and light risotto with prosecco, which, per essere onesta, to be honest, I preferred even to the champagne version, as I for one will take prosecco any day over champagne.

The point is, experiment. Learn the basics, as in the recipe presented in Italian Notebook, and then have some fun experimenting with various additions. Here's an earlier post I wrote about another practice, that of adding the ends of parmesan cheese to the risotto. Enjoy...

Here's a link to an Italian site for Ristorante Arc en Ciel: http://www.stresa.org/arcenciel/index.htm
And again to the Italian Notebook note on risotto alla milanese: www.italiannotebook.com/food-wine/legend-risotto-alla-milanese/

First Snows Have Fallen

The first snow has appeared on the tops of the mountains... Here in Stresa there isn't much of a discernible autumn; at least not the kind I'm used to seeing in the northeast United States. No riotous color changes, no knee-deep leaves rustling under feet. But somewhere during the chestnut and porcini season we become aware that we have switched from summer to winter when we first glance up and notice the white caps have returned to the mountaintops. Here, we are looking at the Prealps, behind Verbania.

So polish up those skis, go buy a new scarf in the market, pile up some wood near your fireplace, it's time to get ready for another winter season in Stresa.

The Sempione Pass has already been closed once this season to trucks because of snowfall. Closures can happen a few times each winter, but the roads are quickly opened again. On average, Mottarone tries to be open for skiing by December 7 or 8, as those are both holidays. The 7th is Stresa's own day, the name day of its saint, Sant'Ambrogio, and the 8th is la Festa dell'Immaculata . If you're thinking of skiing in the area this winter take a look at this post from winter 2008 with several links and information about some of the best local ski destinations.

And for information about Mottarone in winter, take a look here.

Louis Vuitton Also Chooses Stresa

In the past there have been planes and ships named after Stresa, and now, another international brand has chosen this appellation for its product, or more accurately, an entire line of products. Louis Vuitton, maker of high-end purses and luggage, has just introduced a collection of travel bags called "Stresa". We here know that Stresa has long been associated with the elite and world-class traveling; now that it joins the Vuitton Manhattan and Beverly collections, certainly this will only increase its fame, and you'll be able to see the Stresa in windows on all the most famous shopping streets in the world! But if you would like to carry around this bit of Stresa with you, do be aware that the price tag on the bag shown above is $1,520. Okay, maybe I'll go for the t-shirt instead...

Villa Ponti

In this aerial view you can see the proximity of Villa Ponti to both the lake and the statue 'Carlone'.

Villa Ponti is a splendid 18th century villa of historical importance, located in the center of Arona, near to the shore of Lago Maggiore and just a few steps from the large statue of San Carlo Borromeo. For the past 10 years it has also been a world-class art museum, hosting exhibitions displaying masterpieces by many of the greatest painters in the world. To date over 300,000 have already had the pleasure of visiting. But before its second life as a museum, Villa Ponti already had an impressive story to tell. This fine villa was built in 1760 on the ramparts of the fortress La Rocca by Bartolomeo Pertossi, a rich Flemish merchant and a supporter of Napoleon I, who was guest there after the Egyptian campaign. Years later, the villa was renamed after the engineer Gian Giacomo Ponti, who was an assistant to Thomas Edison, and who was born in this house on December 28th, 1878.

The tower at Villa Ponti.

Although there were many renovations and alterations during the 19th century, the villa still retains a good part of its original core. Today, visitors enter through the baroque front, which is characterized by a monumental entrance flanked by small wrought iron balconies and windows embellished by metal gratings. The lookout tower, which was really built to hold the water tanks, is prominently visible. Inside the villa one is first greeted by a coffee bar, created out of a former arcade. The various halls now used for the exhibitions and concerts branch off from this main entrance. Some recent shows have featured the works of Raphael and Rembrandt, Picasso, Andy Warhol, and Renoir.

A Villa Ponti ad from last year's Picasso exhibit.

Outside, the building is surrounded by a large park with ancient beeches, silver cedars, magnolias, azaleas, and rhododendrons. The gardens date back as far as the villa itself, and last underwent a major redesign at the beginning of the 1900s.

Phone for further information and reservations for exhibits and concerts:
Via San Carlo, 63 - 28041 Arona (No)
Tel. +39.0322.44629

Hours: Monday to Friday 10:00 am to 12 noon, and 2:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Saturday, Sunday, and holidays 10:00 am to 12:30 pm, and 2:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Entrance fee: 6 euro

With the weather starting to turn colder, and the days shorter and darker, it's a good time to discover some of the regions splendid museums. Apart from Villa Ponti here are a few others that have already been mentioned in Stresa Sights:

Museo dell'Ombrello e del Parasole
Museo del Paesaggio - Museum of the Landscape
The Egyptian Museum - Torino

photos courtesy of il lago maggiore.com

Marron Glace

Should you, somehow, get tired of hot, roasted chestnuts during the autumn season, maybe once in a while try a marron glace instead. These delectable and unbelievably sweet treats, shown above, are being made and sold at Jolly Bar in these days, and they are another example of a primarily Piemontese use of the season's abundance of castagne. Of course, like many things in this northern region of Italy so close to France, the origins of this dessert is disputed between the two countries. Sometimes even the Swiss claim that they invented them. What's undisputed though is the recipe, which has remained unchanged for more than 300 years.

Marron, by the way, are a specific type of chestnut. It's a little larger, and in addition, the membrane surrounding the nut is easier to remove. These factors make the marron more ideally suited for these candies, but certainly normal chestnuts are used as well.

Most marron glace are still produced the old fashioned way, just cooking and drying by hand.

Most marron glace are still made by hand, but even when automated, making the candies is a long process, expensive to do and requiring several days of cooking and drying. While cooking, the chestnuts will absorb their weight in sugar syrup, becoming supersaturated. They are then dried, during which time the chestnuts become crystallized, making them chewy, and incredibly sweet. Italians sometimes then use these candies for other recipes. They can be chopped into tiny bits and used as a topping for cakes or gelato, or folded directly into a pound cake along with chocolate pieces. But first... try the original. It's a way to have your chestnuts, and eat dessert too!

Pasticceria Jolly Bar is on Via P. Tomaso, 17. We've mentioned it here before as a nice spot for a sit-down cappuccino, rather than the hit-and-run variety.

Festival For Il Vino Novello

Stresa seems to be recognizing more and more the appeal that the foods of the area have, to both tourists and residents, and is, as a consequence, planning a greater number of events centered around the regional and seasonal Piemontese specialities. The next upcoming rassegna enogastronomica, that is, a food and wine festival, will be on Sunday, November 10, and it will celebrate the release of this year's new wines, which are first allowed to be sold on this Sunday. Last year was the first time Stresa organized a festival for the vino novello, the new wines, and having been a great success, the festival will be expanded upon this year.

Centered in Piazza Cadorna, beginning at 10 am, a menu will be served of polpette di pesce gardon, patate fritte and riso Orto Mari e Monti. Polpette di pesce are like meatballs, but made with fish. They are served with patate fritte, french fries. Riso Orto Mari e Monti is a casserole-type of rice dish in which rice is cooked in the oven with other foods, foods from the sea and the mountains, mari e monti. Here, they will cook the rice with fish and local vegetables. In another area of the piazza there will be a castagnata, chestnuts roasting. And at the same time, restaurants and bars all around town will prepare menus around the same theme, and make the new wines available for the first time. Not wanting to be left out, shops all around Stresa will move wares outside into the streets for a sidewalk sale, and Via Garibaldi will be transformed for the day into the "Via Garibaldi Street Festival."

festival hours: 10 am to 6 pm.

Stresa Sights One Year Anniversary!!

A little more than a year ago, while visiting in Stresa, this American girl had the idea to start a blog about the city. I wasn't sure what I intended for it to be, but I gave it its first breath, posting the first post one year ago today. Then I let it grow, I let it evolve, and slowly, over the months it began to take on a life of its own. People stopped by to read it. Some left me comments and others wrote e-mails. Their thoughts let me know what was needed to add to the blog. More people came, and they began asking questions and advice about Stresa. I discovered I knew the answers. I discovered they had no other reliable place to go to ask an English-speaking person about the city. Some people wrote several times, also after their trips, to let me know how everything worked out. A few I've even gotten to meet in Stresa. Eventually even some Stresiani became curious about Stresa Sights. Who was this crazy Americana, and why was she doing this? Some got to know me, and others asked me to help promote events. One year later, Stresa Sights has become, I feel safe in saying, a resource, a guide, and a friendly English corner in this wonderful little Italian town. Basically, consider us your friend in Stresa before you even arrive here.

One year, almost 200 posts, dozens of comments, questions, and mails. We're going to keep doing what we're doing. After all, I promised that there are at least 1000 things to appreciate about Stresa, so we still have so much to talk about. I'd like to thank everyone who has stopped by, those of you who have become regular followers, those who have written for advice, and most of all, those of you who have actually visited Stresa and gotten to know it. After all, that's what I'm here for, sono qui per questo...

Grazie, grazie, grazie, to everyone for a wonderful year! I'm having so much fun doing this!

Gratitude Friday -- Perspective

For Gratitude Friday, thanks to my friend Joel who sends out daily emails with jokes, links, and cartoons. He recently sent this parable on perspective:

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"
"It was great, Dad."
"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.
"Oh yeah, " said the son.
"So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.
The son answered. "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."
The boy's father was speechless.
Then his son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."

Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all were grateful for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have.

Joel has been sending out his collections for many years without ever missing a day, even when he's taking 10,000 mile cross-country motorcycle trips or working as a photographer. There are hundreds of people on his mailing list; if you'd like to sign up and see if you like what he sends just drop him a note asking to be added to the list at: joelperlish@aol.com.

To read other bloggers Gratitude Friday posts link to them from Diana at Creative Structures. Be sure to read also Diana's beautiful and wise guest post on Middle-Aged Diva, Part 1 and Part 2. And have a great (and grateful) weekend...