Is This Garden a True Improvement?

This historic, central and hidden corner of the city looks so lovely, doesn't it? Unfortunately it's fake.

Fake in that the grass is plastic while the flowers and bushes are real. Yet that one important element of grass being fake compromises the whole beauty of the arrangement.

This is a picture of the courtyard behind Palazzo di Ezzelino, which dates back to the 12th century and is located off Via Santa Lucia. The courtyard is nestled behind the old palazzo and between several up-scale shops.

When I first came to Padua and discovered this little haven, it had a couple of marble benches and a wall full of spray-painted missives dedicated to lovers and local graffiti artists. The teenage population used its secluded nature to romantically sit together, kiss and make out.

I remember one May day in 2008 when a local artist, Sonia Furiato, decided to dedicate an art installation to the unique space for a roving exhibition I was curating, Libri d'artista per il centro di Padova (Artists' Books around the Center of Padua) . She laid dozens of white origami birds around the courtyard and something magical happened that afternoon. Kids and shoppers were drawn to the space and her action within it. They stopped in their tracks. Their faces lit up. (Unfortunately the shopkeepers didn't understand what was happening and seemed upset at the performance, as they came out and scolded her.)

Then fairly recently I walked through the space again and found it cleaned up (from the spray paint), landscaped and fake. It doesn't invite anyone to stay in the space anymore. The benches are gone. The garden looks great but lacks heart. There isn't any meaning to any of this, especially if it doesn't even have real grass.

I'm sure the shopkeepers splurged on the landscaping but don't want the hassle of cutting grass. Plus, glass needs to be weeded and no one wants to do that either. Solution: spruce it up with flowers and plastic! Such a gorgeous way to kill the spirit of a place.

Where is a city allowed to not be pristine? Only in the outskirts and under overpasses? We as humans often have an underbelly of our public persona, which is not always perfect. I believe our cities should be allowed to have similar "alternative" spaces, especially if they bring meaning to those who live there. The former version of this courtyard respected that loved, hidden and cruder part of ourselves.

Where do the teenagers have to go now to catch that minute of privacy, I ask?

Padua in Bloom

Recently this tower was in full bloom. I took this picture in Arcella, the part of Padua north of the train station.

This area of the city usually gets a bad wrap because some neighborhoods have been infested with dubious characters and some desperate immigrants in recent years. However, one look at this marvelous house covered is such buxom blossoms would make anyone want to move here in a flash.

Can't you just imagine having Sunday lunch on the terrace at the top of this turret with lilacs dripping from the canopy? Lovely, yes.

Buona primavera!

Happy Spring!

The Mystery Flower at My Front Door

About a month ago, I noticed an odd hole in the ground in front of my door, at the edge where the lawn meets the pavement. I even asked my husband what he thought it was. We had not made it and it was obvious the dog hadn't either because it was too small for his normal "paw"-work.

Then after last week's snow melted, this plant sprouted.



Yesterday, it bloomed!
It turns out to be a lovely, small daffodil.

Buona Primavera!


I still can't figure out what animal decided to plant the flower here. If I were in the US, I would have said a squirrel, but they don't live in Padua. Any guesses?

A Teacher's Perk

As you can tell from my dwindling blog posts, my work schedule beefed up in the last two weeks.

All my courses are in full swing now and between the planning, transportation, invoicing, correcting and teaching, I feel swamped. On top of this, I just got a cold to ring in the new season that brought especially cold weather after an exceptionally long and hot summer season. The temperature shock affected my immune system. But on the bright side, calling in sick today has allowed me to spend a few minutes with you!

From the above picture, you can see one of my teacher's perks. I was given this lovely plant a couple of weeks ago by a sister-duo who are clients. I was able to help both of them pass their tests at the high school and university level, respectively, with flying colors. As the plant's buds continue to bloom, it is becoming more and more of a festival of color for me to enjoy as I invite other students into my house for their lessons.

Here is a close-up of the two-toned blooms, one color for each sister.


I periodically receive flowers from my students. In the past, I was given a great bouquet before leaving for 2 months in the US. It helps bring the sometimes frustrating job into perspective. I am somehow making a difference for them. Since so many schools and clients never tell me how their test results come out after my assistance, it is nice to have this kind of pleasant surprise and real recognition of my effort.

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And by the way, once I feel comfortable in my new schedule, I will be posting more faithfully, although not everyday like I sometimes could this past summer.