Monday 20th May

Monday 20th May

We were up somewhat later today as Stefania had mandated breakfast at 9.30 a.m. After we had finished eating, she said that she had a plan for the day. We would drive down to Foggia to visit the shrine of Padre Pio which is at San Giovanni Rotondo close to the city of Foggia. This is a trip of over 200 kms and would take some time. So we prepared to leave at 11 a.m. Just before getting into Bruno’s car, we saw a tree in the garden which had a strange fruit. Upon asking, Stefania told us it was a tree with medlar fruit, which we had never heard of (Insert Wikipedia here re fruit and bletting).

From Wikipedia, (for which many thanks):

Quote:

The medlar was introduced to Greece around 700 BC, and to Rome about 200 BC. It was an important fruit plant during Roman and medieval times. By the 17th and 18th centuries, however, it had been superseded by other fruits, and is little cultivated today. M. germanica pomes are one of the few fruits that become edible in winter, making it an important tree for gardeners who wish to have fruit available all year round. M. germanica plants can be grafted on to the rootstock of another species, for example the pear, quince, or hawthorn, to improve their performance in different soils.

Mespilus germanica fruits are hard and acidic, but become edible after being softened, 'bletted', by frost, or naturally in storage given sufficient time. Once softening begins, the skin rapidly takes on a wrinkled texture and turns dark brown, and the inside reduces to the consistency and flavour reminiscent of apple sauce. This process can confuse those new to medlars, as a softened fruit looks as if it has spoiled.

Once bletted, the fruit can be eaten raw and is often eaten as a dessert, or used to make medlar jelly.They are used in "Medlar cheese", which is similar to lemon curd, being made with the fruit pulp, eggs, and butter. So-called medlar tea is usually not made from M. germanica but from wolfberry or goji, which is sometimes called "red medlar".

Cultivars of Mespilus germanica that are grown for their fruit include 'Hollandia', 'Nottingham', and 'Russian', the large-fruited variety 'Dutch' (also known as 'Giant' or 'Monstrous'), 'Royal', 'Breda giant', and 'Large Russian'. 

Interestingly, the medlar hardly known of today has been mentioned often in literature. 

See below. 

Its unfortunate resemblance to a bodily part has rendered it used in rude form.

Also from Wikipedia:

Chaucer

A fruit which is rotten before it is ripe, the medlar is used figuratively in literature as a symbol of prostitution or premature destitution. For example, in the Prologue to The Reeve's Tale, Geoffrey Chaucer's character laments his old age, comparing himself to the medlar, which he names using the slang term "open-arse":

This white top writeth myne olde yeris;

Myn herte is mowled also as myne heris —

But if I fare as dooth an open-ers.

That ilke fruyt is ever lenger the wers,

Til it be roten in mullok or in stree.

We olde men, I drede, so fare we:

Til we be roten, kan we nat be rype;

Shakespeare

In William Shakespeare's Timon of Athens, Apemantus forces an apple upon Timon: "The middle of humanity thou never knewest, but the extremity of both ends. When thou wast in thy gilt and perfume, they mock'd thee for too much curiosity; in thy rags thou know'st none, but art despised for the contrary. There's a medlar for thee; eat it", perhaps including a pun on "meddler", one who meddles in affairs, as well as on rottenness. (IV.iii.300–305).

In Measure for Measure, Lucio excuses his denial of past fornication because "they would else have married me to the rotten medlar." (IV.iii.171).

In As You Like It, Rosalind makes a complicated pun involving grafting her interlocuter with the trees around her which bear love letters and with a medlar: "I'll graff it with you, and then I shall graff it with a medlar. Then it will be the earliest fruit i' th' country; for you'll be rotten ere you be half ripe, and that's the right virtue of the medlar." (III.ii.116–119).

The most famous reference to medlars, often bowdlerized until modern editions accepted it, appears in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, when Mercutio laughs at Romeo's unrequited love for his mistress Rosaline (II, 1, 34–38):

Now will he sit under a medlar tree,

And wish his mistress were that kind of fruit

As maids call medlars, when they laugh alone.

O Romeo, that she were, O that she were

An open-arse and thou a pop'rin pear!

In the 16th and 17th centuries, medlars were bawdily called "open-arses" because of the shape of the fruits, inspiring boisterous or humorously indecent puns in many Elizabethan and Jacobean plays.

In Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quixote the eponymous hero and Sancho Panza "Stretch themselves out in the middle of a field and stuff themselves with acorns or medlars."

Unquote

Stefania drove as Bruno does not like the sensation on the bridges on the autostrada. After getting fuel at Chieti we entered the autostrada southbound towards Bari. The autostrada follows the coast closely and the blue sea was in sight for much of the way. It was a lovely sunny day, perfect for this trip. Following the awful accident with the bridge at Genoa some time ago, almost all the bridges on the autostrada were being inspected for faults.

After about an hours driving we arrived at Termoli where there is a large beach, a medieval castle and church and attractive streets. 

The Belvedere Tower

"Belvedere Tower is one of the eight sightseeing towers on the coast. 

Belvedere Tower is situated near the entrance to the old village. What makes the tower interesting, as well as its history, is the splendid and evocative view of the sea. Municipality of Termoli, with a memorial plaque, has dedicated the tower to Carlo Cappella: painter, poet and historian of Termoli. He managed also Historical Archive, which was right in this Norman tower. The tower is of municipal property, but all the material that was present inside was of Carlo Cappella property. The documentation relating to the years 1687-1939 was, however, reorganized and invented in the 1980s by Cooperative S.Co.R.A. (Cooperative Society for Reorganization of Archives of Molise) on a project of Archivist Superintendence for Abruzzo and Molise in collaboration with State Archive of Campobasso. During recent work, it was found, in the bottom of Belvedere Tower, a gunboat probably to secure the western wall covering. When Svevo Castlel ost its defensive function, the embrasures became windows.

The old village has two entrances: one on north side, to the foot of Svevo Castle, and other one on side of port, near an arc door and Belvedere Tower, from which it is possible to admire the view of Port and South Beach of Termoli."

South Beach of Termoli

We walked around the mostly deserted but attractive town which has large pedestrian-only areas and eventually found a restaurant which had a very unassuming entrance but seemed to be open. 

On entering we were met by a very genial owner who sat us down and told us about the fish which he served as his specialty, this town being a fishing center. Stefania asked him whether he also had artichokes as we had missed out on them at Prezza. The owner promised to prepare an antipasto which contained artichokes and we ordered a fried fish medley with Bruno going for a whole grilled dorade. This was washed down with a very pleasant white wine. The whole experience was just so typical of eating in Italy. The meal included a conversation with the owner which discussed ‘inter alia’, the history of the town and the famous artist including a Sr. Carlo Cappella

The artist and historian Carlo Cappella

(an unmarked statue of whom sat in the town, much to this restaurateur's regret) who lived there, the best way to get to Foggia  including the roadworks situation and which was the best exit from the autostrada, the best olives in the area, information about his family (his wife hails from Rochester NY!!), more places we should see on the way to Foggia and much other conversation. The social aspect of the meal being almost as enjoyable as the great food. At the end of the meal in an unseemly race to pay, I managed to get in front of Bruno and pay for the meal which was a very reasonable euro 100. The owner said that he would also throw in coffee and a digestif without charge and did so with some of his homemade ‘mandarincello’ liqueur. 

We started to leave the restaurant but the conversation continued and then our host’s wife arrived home and we were introduced. She works at a local dentist and told us she moved to Italy when she was 14 years old. Her daughter had just celebrated her 18th birthday and the balloons and decorations were still up in the restaurant. She asked us to say a prayer for the restaurant when we visited the shrine at San Giovanni Rotondo. This was a really enjoyable lunch!!

We returned to the car and rejoined the autostrada towards Foggia. On the way we stopped at the convent of San Matteo in Lamis, high on a hill overlooking the large plain at the foot of the mountain and which was open and contained a beautiful church. In the sanctuary is also a molar tooth which is said to be a relic of St Matthew which was given by the cathedral of Salerno and is from the Saint to whom the convent is dedicated. Maybe we have come full circle after visiting Buddha’s tooth at the temple in Sri Lanka!

The convent of San Matteo in Lamis and the dramatic surrounding countryside.

After touring the church, we drove onward towards San Giovanni Rotondo. Arriving there we parked and walked the short distance to the enormous Renzo Piano designed church dedicated to the saint. This church is huge and very well designed so that all of the large congregation can see the statute of the saint which is prominent behind the altar. There is a soaring ceiling, huge cloth panels depicting religious events and the light blonde wood of the pews which give the whole space a light yet respectful air. There is a huge organ to the left of the altar.

Down below there is a smaller church and here lies the body of Saint Pio preserved in a glass tomb. We entered the church where a very well-attended mass was being held and waited until this was complete, the congregation had taken communion and the church was opened up to allow people to file past the body of Padre Pio. The crowds were so large and despite the exhortation to keep moving, many people seemed to want to say a prayer next to the body so we looked from a distance and could clearly see the white hair and beard of the saint who inspired and till inspires great emotions amongst the faithful and also, even among those who are skeptics about other facets of religion, this man seems to resonate. Graham Greene, the author and an unbeliever, carried photos of Padre Pio in his wallet and said that meeting the Padre had undermined his disbelief. Quite an achievement for someone with such humble origins.

The remarkable Renzo Piano designed church at San Giovanni Rotondo which is dedicated to Padre Pio

Then is was back in the car for the long drive home. Most of it was on the autostrada but Bruno became anxious later on in the drive and Stefania took to the Strada Statiale, or smaller roads but this proved very trying in the strong setting sun which seemed to conspire to dazzle her at difficult moments. We did stop briefly and had a very delicious coffee gelato and bought some water.

As the time passed 8.30 p.m. Bruno wanted to stop somewhere for dinner of fish at one of the coastal towns, ignoring the axiom that ‘one should NEVER eat fish on Mondays’. In the event, all restaurants in the places we went through such as Ortona were closed, anyway so Stefania who must have been very tired at this time pressed on homeward and told us that she had mozzarella and tomatoes for a quick dinner. This was fine with us as we too were tired after a long and simply amazing day.

We arrived home and in minutes, Stefania had plates of mozzarella and tomatoes on the table, with wine and bread. A delicious, quick, simple and simply excellent meal for the time of night.

We soon cleared the table and bade everyone goodnight and were off to bed.

This had been a marvelous day and something we probably would not have done on our own. San Giovanni Rotondo is beyond impressive and obviously is designed to serve many, many worshippers and pilgrims with both indoor and outdoor areas. Nearby there is also a huge hospital where the doctors work for free and also nearby and still under construction, a home for elderly priests and a welcome center for visiting clergy. The complex appears to be continuing to expand.