The ISLE of CAPRI
CARTHUSIAN PERFUME & COLOGNE
Legend has it that in 1380 the father prior of the Carthusian Monastery of St. Giacomo was taken unaware by the news of the arrival in Capri of Queen Giovanna d’Angiò and so made a flower arrangement with the most beautiful flowers of the island. The water was not changed for three days and, when the flowers were thrown away, the prior noticed that the water had acquired a fragrance unknown to him. He went to the father alchemist who traced the origin of this scent back to the “Garofilum silvestre caprese”. That water became the first perfume of Capri.
History, on the other hand, relates that in 1948 the prior of the Monastery discovered the old formulas of the perfumes and, with by permission from the Pope, revealed them to a chemist from Turin, who created the smallest laboratory in the world and called it “Carthusia”, i.e. Certosa.
The tradition is now being continued and the limited production means being able to use the same methods as the Carthusian monks. All the preparations are made from genuine products of high quality and even the end product is handwrapped. The essence derived from rosemary picked on Monte Solaro is used in men’s products, while the essence of the Capri wild carnation is used in women’s fragrances.
HEMINGWAY
Yes, it was the great Ernest Hemingway who inspired me to write. And it wasn't just his great writings but the man and the life he led. For Hemingway was the ultimate Man's Man as they say. He was rough and tumble and didn't take crap from know one. A lady's man Ernest Hemingway was, a hunter, adventurer, traveler, writer, and mercenary. The man's life was even more interesting than the characters in his books.
The first book I read by Ernest Hemingway was a required read in High School English Class when we were assigned to read and study The Old Man & The Seas, Hemingway's great classic novel of the old Cuban fisherman Santiago in Havana, Cuba and his fight and struggles to fight a great fish, a fight that mimics the struggles of life.
I read just about everything Hemingway I could get my hands on; all his novels, his short stories, and biography's and articles written on the great writer of prose. I read a Farewell to Arms, The Sun Also Rises (my favorite), the complete short stories, magazine articles, and the bibliography "Papa Hemingway" by close friend and biographer A.E. Hotchner.
I traveled in the footsteps of Hemingway, going to his homes in Key West and Havana, Cuba. I bought a book called Hemingway;s Paris, and I followed in the footsteps of the great writer, going to all his favorite restaurants and cafes. I ate Choucroute at Brasserie Lipp on the Boulevard Saint Michel in Paris, I had drinks at Cafe Select and Closerie des Lilas, both on the Boulevard Montparnasse. I strolled the Luxenbourg Gardens, and at escargots and drank Beaujolais at Polidor, just like Ernest did. Yes I wanted to be Hemingway, I tried and tried, but I would never come anywhere near close to being the writer that Ernest Hemingway was. I could write nice little short stories, but a novel? No way. I have become a writer, I know, not a great one, not by a long shot, but a writer never-the-less, and a published and Best Selling Author at that, no less, but no Hemingway. But my writings do serve a purpose, and many do like (even love) my writings (books). I write about Italian Food, Italy, and the Italian, and Italian-American lifestyle and culture. I write little stories about Italian Food, Italian-Americans, Italy, and Italians, and people seem to like them.
Hemingway helped teach me to write, and I taught myself to write with the help of the great Ernest Hemingway and other writers. I't go to my favorite cafe in Greenwich Village, Caffe Dante, and I'd write. I'd write and write and practice as much as I could. I'd read and write, trying to hone my craft, the craft of writing. I dreamed of writing a great novel as all writers do. This would not happen. Who knows, maybe it will one day, but don't count on it. I don't, but you never know, someday my writing skills may one day develop enough to do so, "one never knows."
Before I ever started writing, I'd never known that I'd be able to write and have a book published, did I? I now have seven books published and three of them have become best sellers and I am a Best Selling Author, but not of novels. I wish I could write a great screenplay, that would be made into a successful movie, but as of now? No way, but I have had some good success and I'm quite happy the way things have developed. I make some money at it, I'm not rich, and I still have my day job, but I love what I do, and I am quite happy doing all this. Going to the cafe, just about every day, and I write, I promote, and I learn, all thanks to Hemingway, the man who inspired me. To write.
Basta.
Ernest Hemingway
When you have your theme, you need to make an outline with topics and sub-topics that pertain to the main theme of the book. So with my book Sunday Sauce I had an outline that included such topics as Meatballs, the Pork Store, Pasta and other topics that pertained to Sunday Sauce, how to make it, the rituals around it. as well as stories and antidotes that tied into this main theme of the book.
Taking the topic of pasta, several sub-topics to pasta in my book Sunday Sauce were; Spaghetti Vongole (Clam Sauce), Spaghetti Meatballs, Tomato Sauce and other topics. Once I had my outline, I'd write one-by-one on each topic in the outline. Each topic was a chapter in the book and I'd knock them off one at a time. It was easy. Now I've had a lot of different experiences as far as Italian Food and cooking go. I have a great repertoire of recipes that are in my books, so I tell stories about the food, the dishes, I have my recipes that are included in the book, and my books are a collection of Italian recipes as stories of all the different dishes in the great repertoire of Italian Cuisine. And a large part of all this is to inspired people to cook wonderful Italian dishes, and to bring friends and family together at the dinner table. This is what it's all about; cooking tasty Italian Food, eating with friends and family, and having wonderful times around the table. This is my passion, and that's a Key element . in all of this. if you have a passion, write about it, and it all should come together easily. And so this is how I do it all. This is how I've had seven books published, and I keep doing it. I enjoy it. I love it, and hope you will to. Good Luck.
