Reduce, Reuse, but mostly Recycle

I think we've all heard stories about someone being fined 100's of Euro for putting recyclables in their garbage. Or garbage men ripping open bags and leaving everything because things weren't disposed of properly.

I imagine a lot of those are "tall tales", but there are very strict guidelines regarding recycling and waste disposal in Italy. Each town has its own set of rules, but generally they are similar.

This link has a list of most towns that Americans live in and links to the local waste disposal rules. Some of these links are in English, some are not. So it may take a little digging to find out the specifics for your town. It's certainly worth your effort though. Fines can reach up to 600Euro and beyond. Roveredo's fines range from 25Euro to 620Euro. Yikes!

Do I know anyone who's ever been fined? No, I don't.

I am in Maniago, and they seem pretty lax here. If I've run out of yellow garbage sacks for our household garbage and set out white ones, they still take them. Though I try very hard to follow the rules, I know occasionally a yogurt cup or water bottle probably makes its way to the garbage instead of the recycling. And there may be things that I think I'm doing right, but I'm not.

Mostly, I try to get it right because we do live next to Italians and I don't want them to think that I am disrespectful of their laws or of them. I have seen Italians cleaning up after American garbage that was left incorrectly, and they did not look to happy about it. Can you blame them?

I've cleaned up garbage after other Americans because I didn't want them to think it was us. And you know we all get lumped together. I wasn't too happy about it either. Can you blame me?

So, at least try to get it right. Ask an Italian neighbor if you're not sure. I'm sure that they'd be willing to help.

What's for Dinner, Mom?!

Little in Italy is speedy. Particularly dinners out. They're long and relaxing. That doesn't work on a weeknight after school, work, ball practice, dance rehearsal, scout meetings, homework, and on & on. Most restaurants don't open for dinner until it's time for my kiddos to get into their jammies.

So what happens when my menu planning fails me? I grab a rotisserie chicken from the Commissary. I have heard mothers sharing recipes for rotisserie chicken many times while I've been here. And why not? There aren't a lot of quick and healthy options here, so many of us swing by and pick one up on the way home. Throw a salad with it and you've got a great meal.

If you're getting tired of having that same chicken night after night {I'm not judging, ladies!}, here are a few sites I found with recipes dedicate to the beloved, time-saving rotisserie chicken:

Real Simple
Busy Cooks
All Recipes
Yum Sugar

Do you have a favorite recipe that stars the rotisserie chicken? Share it with us. We could all use the help!

All Broken Up!

A little while back I tagged along on a class trip to Spilimbergo. By the way, if you have school-aged little ones, class trips are an awesome way to have cheap, tour-guided trips. There will be a translator and you will learn things that you wouldn't likely have otherwise had the opportunity. Plus you get to spend the day with your wonderful kiddos! I tag along whenever I can.

So back to Spilimbergo...it is actually the next "big town" over from Maniago and I go there all the time to hit up Bricofer. But on this trip I got to explore the local mosaic school, Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli. Each town in Italy is known for doing or having something special...Spilimbergo is the town of mosaics. Gorgeous artwork and spectacular artists! Students from all over Italy {and beyond} come here to become masters in the art of mosaic.

You can take classes too! You have to be fluent in Italian and there is a maximum age limit {If I remember correctly, it was 25-ish. I'm too old!}. And pay the hefty fees...but it is an option if mosaic is your calling. They also have short courses that do not end in certification, but are probably better for the hobbyist.


Level 1 classroom

Level 1 classroom



Level 1 work in progress, 'in corso'

 Our guide explained that the courses are extremely competitive. There are levels 1, 2, and 3 courses. She said that many people drop the course after a week or so if they aren't naturally good at it. Either you got it or you don't!

Level 2

Completed level 2 projects. Look like paintings!

Level 2 work in progress

The school itself is covered in mosaic. Floors, walls, signs, stairs. Inside and outside. Mosaic everywhere. The building is used as practice for the students.

When we entered the Level 3 classrooms, there were students working on a large project. The guide said that the school was closed that day but that students often stayed on well into the evening hours and come in on their off-time to complete projects. They really do want to be the best in their field. No riposo for these dedicated artists!

Level 3 students, hard at work

Breaking the tiles

Level 3 work in progress

Level 3 classroom

Don't you want to dive into these colors!

It seems the world is covered with mosaics from this school as well. If you are ever at a monument or special site and see a mosaic, look for "SMF" either in the mosaic itself or on a plaque nearby. If you see it, students from this small school in Spilimbergo created it. The 9/11 memorial in NYC has a mosaic from the school. If you've been and have pictures of it, I'd love to see them!

The mosaic on this wall shows a bit of a memorial to the NYC memorial, as well as some of their other artwork at important sites around the world.

There is a gift shop as well. I was hoping to pick up a couple bits and bobs to send out to our families. Hopes were dashed when I saw there was nothing under 100Euro, and plenty well beyond that. You can also order custom pieces to be created for you.

Items for sale

If you're interested in visiting the school or taking any of the classes, you can contact the school through their site. If you do take any classes, I'd love to hear about them!

Aviano 411

Have you heard of this site?!

http://www.basebulletinboard.com/aviano411/

Why didn't you tell me?

It lists information about shops, restaurants, employment opportunities, and a heck of a lot more. Seems like a great resource for us. And if you have information, email the folks and ask them to add it to the list.

Awesome!

Al Naturale

By far the best way to avoid all of the germy bugs flying around during the cold and flu season is to stay healthy. An ounce of prevention, right? Well, eating healthfully is definitely at the top of any "get healthy" list.

While in the US, I was careful to feed my family a lot of organic, healthy foods. Here though, since most of my grocery shopping is done at the Commissary, I have fewer organic and all-natural options. The Commissary's organic, natural, and allergen-free food lines are definitely leaps and bounds beyond what they were just a few years ago though. And, just to get on my soapbox for a sec, we can all vote with our pocketbooks by buying the products that they do have in order to keep them rolling in. Supply and demand!

But...I have really missed the health food stores that I had grown used to having in the good ole US of A. Packed with brands that I loved and trusted, I felt confident that I was putting good things into my babies' tummies.

We do have a good option not too far from the gate here. NaturaSi in Pordenone is on SS-13, in the EuroSpar strip before you get to the McD. It is a small health food store, but it is packed with all kinds of organic, natural, hormone-free, and allergy-specific items.

And the owner is so helpful and knowledgeable! I spoke with him for a while. He speaks perfect English, having lived in the Midwest for a few years. He said that while he was there he loved shopping at places like Whole Foods {Who doesn't?!}. When he came back home, he wanted to bring a little of that back with him. After some research, he was discouraged from going as big as Whole Foods because he didn't believe that it would work in the area. So he set up home with NaturaSi {which is a chain in Italy} in Pordenone.

He takes a lot of pride in his shop and it really shows! He's not just sitting behind his desk. Anytime I go in, he's answering customers' questions, stocking items, and working hard to make it a great place.

  
In addition to shelves of great products, the store offers monthly speakers who are experts in areas of health and natural living. Unfortunately, the speakers are almost exclusively Italian, so he's been actively seeking English-speaking health professionals to encourage a wider variety of customers. If you know someone, please do a little matchmaking and get them to NaturaSi!

And as a nice bonus....if you are stationed at Aviano, you will receive a 5% discount on all purchases!! Yippee! I was not aware of the discount, but the cashier heard my children speaking English and asked, "Are you from the base?". "Yes," I say. And there's my discount. Didn't even ask for an ID. Love that!

 If you have allergy concerns or just prefer to purchase items that are a little easier on the earth and your body, stop by and check this little gem out. You can get anything from fresh, organic produce {new shipments on Sat}, hormone and antibiotic-free meats, organic wines, and even healthy "junk food".

A good selection of natural body products and cleaners too.

Most of the larger supermarkets also carry organic products. Look for Vive Verde products at Coop stores or the word "biologico" on the products that you are purchasing.

Excuses Excuses

Well, I've been gone a while. Sorry about that. Lately things have been a little....

Source

Source

And way more of this than I felt like was our fair share...

We've taken some necessary un-fun trips, some fun unnecessary trips; had guests come and go; birthdays, holidays, and many things that I've probably already forgotten by now.

Lucky for you, though, I've made a resolution to keep up with this little blog better...and drink more water. I don't know how my drinking more water will help you, but hopefully I can become more dedicated to a regular blog schedule. Though blogging will always be at the bottom of a pile of other much higher priorities, I think a little organization will get me back on track.

So if anyone out there is still reading Surviving Aviano....tell me, what information would you like to know about Aviano? Are you curious about housing? School information? Shopping? Food? What do you want to read about?

Thank You

If you served one year or thirty years, if you did it with honor, thank you.

Thank you for hurrying up just to wait.

Thank you for dealing with the stress and the heartburn.

Thank you for the endless inspections and exercises.

Thank you for the Real World too.

Thank you for all the TDYs, PSCs, ORIs, PT, & BS.

Thank you for the blood and sweat.

And thank you for the tears.

Yours, your spouse's, your parents', your children's.

Thank you.

Hey, Cullligan Man!

In the past, the Aviano area has had problems with the Culligan delivery service. It was very unreliable, to put it kindly. Because of that, many customers dropped the service, and newcomers heard about the poor service so they didn't sign up.

If you are interested in having delivery service, you'll be happy to hear that we have a new Culligan Man! The new guy, Robert, is very reliable. He has not missed one of our scheduled deliveries and answers emails and concerns promptly. What a relief!

So if you were turned off by the spotty delivery and iffy service, give them another look. It really has improved tremendously in the past few months.

The Exchange site has the prices for the service and answers most any question you might have. Prices for cooler rental range from about $12-15 per month. Or you can purchase one at the Area 1 Shopette. Or they show up on the Aviano Classifieds all the time. The five-gallon jugs are $7.95 each {fluoridated or not, your choice}. There is a $5 deposit on each delivered jug, but you get that back with each jug you return. So as long as you are doing a 1-for-1 trade, it's irrelevant. They also deliver cases of water bottles in a variety of sizes.

For us, it's one less errand in our busy week. And now that it's reliable, it is such a relief. If you're tired of lugging bottles of water from base to your home every week, Culligan is definitely worth checking out.

{I am of no importance to anyone at Culligan or AAFES. This is solely based on my experience with said service. Take it for what you will.}

Ah Darn It!

These don't work here.

Save yourself the trouble and take my word for it.

{Source}

At least not on the walls...it scrubs off the "paint". I say "paint" because I don't think the walls are really painted. It seems to be more of a wash over the stone. In any event, these things take it right off, which is really too bad. If your walls have been painted with regular semi-gloss type paint then I'm sure they'll still work just fine for you.

I have used them in small doses, dabbing here and there for small fingerprints and smudges. But if I end up with a large spot, say a footprint on the wall, I don't know how I'm going to deal with that!



Alice in Wonderland

Tonight at 1900, several of the children from Aviano will be performing Alice in Wonderland at the Elementary School MPR. Tickets are sold at the door for $6/child and $10/adult. Family and student discounts are available also.

If you can't make it to opening night, no worries! It will be performed on Thur and Fri at 1900, with a matinee on Sat 1400.

Don't miss it!

{Look for the handsome Doorknob on Friday night!}

Aviano Blogs

I began this blog because it was difficult to get good information about the area before {and even after} we got here. I wanted it to be a place for advice and information about the base and area. After several PCS's over the years, this has been a real tough one for a variety of reasons. I have heard many people express frustration about the base, the area, housing, and Italians! I feel like being well-informed makes everything a little easier. So I thought throwing a little information out there might help.

Fortunately, I have made a couple of local bloggy friends who felt the same way. There are 2 other lovely ladies who also run blogs here at Aviano. The funny thing is I think we could all write about the same thing and you'd get 3 completely different takes on it!

So without further ado, allow me to introduce the adorably funny Ms. Tessa at Ciao, Blogga. A new military spouse who cracks me up with her funny pictures and stories. She definitely has a unique and fresh perspective on the military life and life at Aviano!

The other Aviano blog that you simply must check out is Aviano Dolce Vita. Ah, the sweet life! This blog has links for just about anything in and around our area. She is great at posting all of the local festivals. And there are a LOT of those! A great source to reference for just about any local information.

Do you have an Aviano blog that I could add to my blog roll? Or do you visit another site that has tons of great Aviano info? If so, let me know about it!

Festa dell Zucca

It's time for the annual Pumpkin Festival in Venzone!

October 22-23

Italians have festivals celebrating everything from saints to mushrooms. But there are a few real standout ones that are not to be missed. The Pumpkin Festival in Venzone is one of them! It seems like a great way to kick of all of the celebrations from autumn through winter.

Venzone is about an hour and half north of Aviano. It was established around 900 A.D. and still has the Medieval walls and towers surrounding it. It is really interesting to see with or without the festival.

The festival includes Medieval reenactments, costumes, musicians, and anything you could think to cook with pumpkin! Pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, pumpkin grappa...{I'm channeling my inner Bubba.}

You can easily drive there from our area, but parking really looked to be a mess. The train stop drops you within a 5 minute walk from the festival entrance. Normally, we purchase tickets one way at a time while traveling here, but since this is just a stop, not a station, we had to hunt down a bar in town that sold tickets to get back home. Then, not knowing the times for the returning trains, we had a long chilly wait at the platform. I'd still take the train again to avoid parking there. Just this time maybe I'd shoot for a little better planning. 

ITT also has a trip planned if you'd rather take a bus. Check out the ITT flier for a little more information on the history of the town and festival.

However you get there, you will be sure to have a good time!

Fin!

Disneyland Paris

Who doesn't love that mouse?

Disneyland Paris was a little taste of America in Europe. Definitely a nice break after being here for a year and a half. Admittedly, Disneyland Paris does not hold a candle to Walt Disney World in Orlando. But it was still a good time.

I read somewhere that DLP is much more colorful and detailed than the other Disney parks because the skies in France are usually grey so they needed to add a little more to make it stand out against the dull atmosphere. In true Disney fashion, every detail was spectacularly beautiful.

The first day we were there it poured and poured...and poured. After we were completely drenched, I ducked into a shop and bought 4 ponchos. We put them on outside, getting even wetter, and walked around the corner to see the parade ropes were being put out so we stopped to watch. And the sun came out!

Along with that beautiful rainbow!

The Mister insists that the rain dried up the second I bought ponchos, but it looks to me like Mickey brought the sun and the rainbow around the corner with him!

Disneyland Paris is made up of two parks {Disneyland and Walt Disney Studio Parks}, and Disney Village. Many of the rides at DLP are the same as at other Disney parks around the world, including Hollywood Tower of Terror, Aerosmith's Rockin Roller Coaster, Flying Dumbo, Phantom Manor, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and, of course, It's a Small World.

Disney Village is modeled after Downtown Disney in Orlando. You do not need tickets to enter. It is full of restaurants, shops, and hotels.

One stop I think is a must at DLP is Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. This is a dinner show and you should plan to make reservations because the show times are limited and it fills up pretty fast. Admittedly, this is a bit pricey, but I felt like it was worth every penny.

If you've ever been to a Medieval Times, it's similar to that but with Cowboys and Indians. The meal was chili, cornbread, potatoes, and various meats. I suppose everything they think we, Americans, eat. Or would have eaten "on the range".

There were horses, buffalo, and a rifle shooting competition...that the Boy won! {I'm pretty sure it was set up but don't tell him that. Shhh!}  "Annie Oakley" had to help him hold the rifle up because it was too heavy. Mickey and Minnie came out and gave him a badge. He was pretty sure that he was awesome that night!

As a Disney fan, I felt like Disneyland Paris was a "must see" on our Paris excursion. It may or may not be your thing, but I doubt you'd be disappointed if you spent a day of your Paris vacation there.

It's hard not to enjoy yourself at Disney!