Yoga Retreat, Umbria Style

In mid-May I flew to Bologna to meet up with Azzurra (after four years!) for a yoga retreat in Umbria.  I got to spend a night in Bologna on either end, which was filled with nostalgia and gelato.  

Lemon granita in Piazza Maggiore

Our Airbnb was right at the foot of the Due Torri 

Aperitivo in Piazza Santo Stefano

The golden porticos of Bologna

We met up with Francesco and his girlfriend for dinner and then went for my second gelato of the day.

Castiglione!  If you know you know.

A big theme of the evening, other than nostalgia, was feeling hella old.  Upon arrival, I went to Osteria dell'Orsa, an old university hangout, and realized that the last time I'd eaten there my waitress had been in kindergarten.  We walked down Via Zamboni, realized we're now sit-in-bars not drink-in-piazzas people, and confirmed Bombo Crepe is still in business.  I found the city to still be incredibly vibrant, artistic, and political.  And young.

Pasticceria D'Azeglio for breakfast the next morning

Friday we met up with a couple also headed to the retreat who gave us a lift, Andrea and Michele.  I felt so charmed to be in a car full of Italians, driving through the country, on my way to a relaxing weekend of yoga and food and new friends.  There were such good people at the retreat, and I thoroughly enjoyed chatting and laughing and sharing life with all of them.  The location, Le Torterelle, was exactly what you're likely imagining in your head: a traditional agriturismo, serving local wines on the honor system and homemade pasta in a restored farmhouse, surrounded by hills and olive trees, with a pool and a yoga studio.

Our room was the bottom left

Our room: Forza

Our car buddies!

Inevitably, the second of third question an Italian asks me is always this one: Come mai parli cosi bene l'Italiano?"  And it was fun having this question answered by Azzurra instead of me: "Thanks to me!"  She said that me speaking Italian is one of the greatest prides/accomplishments of her life.  And it's true!  I truly owe my fluency to her.  

Lucy put together such a thoughtful retreat for us - her first!  We practiced yoga in the mornings and evenings for two hours each, focusing on inversions like head- and handstands.  Not only was she lovely at building up to the poses and building us up, but she also pushed us to grow and everyone was amazed at some point by their own personal breakthrough.  I was sore for almost a week after.  

Yoga in Italian was a first for me and presented an added challenge, but I really enjoyed being so immersed.  Halfway through the weekend I was already thinking and talking to myself in that language.  Goodness how I'd missed it - just speaking isn't enough.  Being there brings out the proper Italian discussion topics and an unabashed usage of hand signs.

Azzurra achieving her final pose!

The daytime hours we spent lunching, hiking, or pooling.  

After yoga in the evenings, I had one thing on my mind: pasta!  Boy, had we earned carbs and wine.  Dusk was always the most beautiful time of day, slowly stretching and merging all the colors into one.  I could've sat there with a glass of wine forever.  

Toastmaster General

Yummmm

The whole gang: Italians from all over the country,

a Russian, and me!

After 48 hours of yoga retreat bliss, and after bidding my new friends and Azzurra arrivederci at the station in Bologna, a profound sadness swept over me.  My plans for the evening had fallen through and it was such a let down to come off the community-filled retreat and find myself alone in one of my favorite cities with no plans.  Plus all the good restaurants seemed closed!  So what does one do when despair creeps in?  One goes outside.

And then one feels immensely better.

I happened upon an artisanal market, chatted with some people, and one suggested a great restaurant that was actually open!

Then I discovered the bar at Teatro Arena del Sole

And finally enjoyed two courses of pasta, one being

Tortelloni burro e salvia, at Passatello di Bologna

Oh, Italy, and especially Bologna, you will always own such a large portion of my heart.  

Veilinggebouw de Zwaan

Part I: The Discovery

While strolling the canals with Letizia, we noticed a building in a residential area that seemed to be entirely commercial, rather than being a shop downstairs and residential on the upper floors.  We decided to wander in, putting in motion a whole series of events and experiences.  

May I introduce, Veilinggebouw de Zwaan

(Auctioneers the Swan)

This place was cool as all get out.  They do auction rounds several times a year, filling the many-floored building with treasures that people can come to view and touch and determine on which items they want to bid.  It was basically a touchable museum in a gorgeous, expansive canal house.

You too can have a piece of the Ming Dynasty

Treasures everywhere!  

This was our favorite room of them.

The item I was most interested in, Dutch ceramic houses

View from the top

We took a rest on the top floor, which was mostly filled with African art.  Sitting in chairs that were also up for auction, she sketched a small corner of the room while I flipped through the catalog.  Suddenly there was a crashing sound and as I ducked, an African wooden plate grazed my head on the way down.  No one, absolutely no one, was concerned about my head - only the wooden plate that had lost a small shard on impact (with the floor, not my head).  I was fine, mostly flustered, but couldn't help comparing how differently such an episode would have transpired in the states.

The crash corner

I commented to Leti that there was probably a Rembrandt lining the walls that we were oblivious to - and there was.  An etching for which the bidding would start at 12,000 euro (this was the most expensive item I could find in the catalog).

I decided to set up an account, and they recommended 

I return for the live auction two weeks later, which I did.

Part II: The Live Auction

I showed up expecting the place be packed, but it was just me and about a dozen Dutch people.  Maybe this had to do with it being a Wednesday morning at 10am.  I'd been given my bidding number and the direction to "not move too much" lest I accidentally bid on something.  There were screens all around the hall (zaal) showcasing the item currently up for bid, with photos, a description, and the bidding status (all in Dutch).  I had my numbers written down for the three items I desired: an ebony and ivory mirror, my blue Dutch houses, and an antique camera for Letizia.  

When my first item came around, I had to boldly clear my throat and call out, "English please!"  Everyone in the zaal turned to stare at me, but the auctioneer swiftly switched to bilingual bidding and we got going.  I raised my number once, but the mirror was quite popular and I lost it.  But it was good practice for the lots to come!

Next up, the camera.  Letizia gave me a 300 euro limit, and I went back and forth with someone until he bid 260 and then me 280, which topped me out.  Silence until: "Going once, going twice, sold - to the lady in the zaal."  I got it!  Letizia squealed when she found out.  

Finally, my Dutch houses.  At this point, as much as I loved the houses, I mostly wanted a souvenir of my auction experience.  So I was pretty willing to fight and win.  I had put in online bids, which is incredibly stupid if you're also coming in person, because you might end up bidding against yourself, which is exactly what I did.  She started at 100 euro with an online bid, and then I raised my number (hoping she would put it together and keep me from double bidding).  She realized it, and said, "Um, you seem to be bidding against yourself."  I replied, "I don't want to do that!" at which point everyone chuckled good-naturedly.  So in an unusual and gracious move, she started the lot over again at 80 euro.  At this point, though, someone else in the zaal started bidding, and we went back and forth, me cringing every time and the auctioneer having to nudge me to bid or give up.  Finally, she hit the gavel again and said those satisfying words: "Sold to the lady in the zaal!"

I said to Letizia, we won!

And she said, you mean we get to buy them.

No, no, I said - we won.

Celebration drinks...

...at the best spot at Cafe de Jaren

Part III: The Collection

A few days later, after figuring out payment with Letizia, I returned for the collection of our collection.

What I thought would be a perfunctory errand again turned into much more in this magical building.  There was a film crew on site and I ended up being an extra in the background of a Dutch documentary series about the actor Ramsey Nasr and his art collection.  A Dutch friend later said, "Oh wow...yes...he is a very famous and good actor!"  So there you go.

Ramsey Nasr

Nasr with the auctioneer

Just collecting his items, like me

And that is my Amsterdam auction house story!  It was such a welcoming, accessible place - nothing like I would've imagined beforehand.  I'm so please that Letizia and I now have these items that will always carry this fun memory along with them.

Letizia in AMS

My second weekend in Amsterdam, Letizia took the train from Paris to stay the weekend with me.  Here's a photo download of some of our adventures!

Croquets, fries, and beer at Saloon

At my window seat at home,

taken by my professional photographer

We're almost always eating.

This is herring and eel!

At the Huis Marseille, Museum for Photography;

would recommend for the canal house, not the exhibit!

Swimming in tulips at Voldelpark

Indonesian rice table:

The Dutch colonized Indonesia, and like Indian food

in London, there is much Indonesian cuisine here

One of many photos of Leti pointing at things

A favorite, taken by Leti

I mean.

Quiet Dutch mornings at home

At Albert Cuyp market: 

Poffertjes, my new obsession

Brunch at Little Collins in De Pijp

Letizia's watercolor of me would've 

been much better without a face

Another sweet treat: fresh stroopwafels from Rudi's

#yolo

Drinks and snacks at Café de Sluyswacht

Food was eh, but the beer and view, to die for

Seeing Downton Abbey at the historic, art deco 

Pathé Tuschinski 

View from our loveseat

Another sweet pancake treat, 

during brunch at New Dutch Amsterdam in Joordan

The inspiration of this photo was simply: 

Leti liked my blue wall

One small anecdote I'll share is that Letizia and I primarily speak Italian together.  Once, a shopkeeper, when we switched from Italian to English, complimented me on my accent.  I haven't gotten over that comment - I mean, I have been practicing for going on 35 years!

Perhaps our favorite adventure was discovering an auction house.  That deserves its own post, to come!