ITALY IN AUTUMN INTOXICATING TO SENSES

One of the most unexpected things I saw on a trip to Italy in October was mature oak trees growing on top of a 15th century medieval tower. Since medieval towers are scarce in Carver County I climbed the 229 steps of the 130-ft. tower to take a closer look.

Sure enough, at the top, a half dozen holm oak trees (Quercus ilex) are growing in raised planters. The Guinigi Tower, one of the few towers left standing in the city of Lucca, was built by a prominent family as a symbol of wealth and power. One account claims that roots from the oak trees have grown into the room below. Holm oaks, also called evergreen and holly oaks, are common in southern Europe.

The rolling hills of Tuscany (a region of west-central Italy) are crosshatched as far as the eye can see with olive groves and grape vineyards. The local grape harvest had been completed in September and olive harvest was scheduled to begin in early November.

I had hoped to observe olives being harvested and pressed but the closest I got to understanding the ancient crop was tasting early press extra-virgin oil and discussing the olive industry with a tour guide. She and her husband own 160 olive trees on five acres that produce enough olives to yield 60 liters of oil. They share 30 liters of oil from their crop with the husband’s parents and the couple consumes the other 30 liters themselves in less than 12 months.

We visited more than a half dozen walled towns and cities located at the top of hills, some dating to 400BC. For an American who lives on land that wasn’t even settled 200 years ago, walking through streets that have carried foot traffic for nearly 2,500 years was a mystical experience.

The narrow, cobble-stoned streets of Italy’s hill towns are shaded by stone and brick walls that may date from any one, or many, of the previous 25 centuries. We were told that towns were sited on the top of hills because malaria-spreading mosquitoes were prevalent in the valleys and plains while the windier conditions at hilltop elevations reduced mosquito populations and therefore human disease.

Walking through the maze of streets in a hilltop town is a visual treat. The green and fall-red foliage of vines covers many walls, while trees and flowers in containers brighten corners and outdoor-restaurant patios. The climate in Tuscany compares with southern U.S. cities, with only occasional frost and snow. Fall leaf color of most trees and woody plants tended to be mostly yellow and not as intense as Minnesota’s maple-reds and other fall colors.

As a woodcarver I was drawn to stores displaying walking sticks, wood kitchen utensils and bowls. The wood of choice for carving in Tuscany is olive, a heavy, dense and durable wood with distinctive red pigment. Wood-grain color also ranges in nuances of cream to dark brown, with irregular gray, brown, and black lines. The complex and irregular veins give the carved olive wood the appearance of marble.

Italian restaurant menus offer selections in three categories: antipasti (hors d’oeuvres), primi (soups, pasta or rice) and secondi (meat or fish). Selections in all three categories typically included mushrooms...lots of mushrooms. The Italian word for mushrooms is funghi. The people of Tuscany consider mushrooms a great delicacy.

Many restaurants proudly display freshly picked mushrooms -- sometimes a half dozen or more varieties -- in boxes near the front door. I couldn’t help but think how we cautious Minnesotans are afraid to pick and eat any kind of mushroom except morels. I agree that some caution is warranted since many mushrooms are, indeed, poisonous, but I was impressed with the colorful presentation (and taste!) of Italy’s fresh mushrooms.

The most-distinctive tree in Italy is the Italian Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens). These columnar, evergreen conifers grow up to 80 feet tall and are often planted as windbreaks in fields and along roadsides. Branches grow upright with dark-green, scale-like leaves. It is impossible to scan a horizon and not see cypress trees. In a couple of cases, cypress trees were planted on ridge lines of hills resulting in eye-pleasing “landscape art” when viewed in the setting sun or in silhouette.

The lifespan of an Italian cypress is several centuries or more. In Boboli Gardens in Florence, my wife and I walked down an avenue of cypress trees planted in 1612. The trees still are vigorous and create a majestic walkway in this formal garden developed by the Medici family in the mid-1500s.

A trip to Italy wouldn’t be complete without sampling a little wine. Although most restaurants offered a lengthy wine list, we quickly learned that the “house wine” served in pitchers or carafes was both excellent and inexpensive. I also learned that “Chianti” wine doesn’t always come packaged in a straw-bottomed bottle.