Page 146 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL EATING IBERIA

My

’vejustreturnedfrommyannualDecemberjour- knowledge that maybe I'd made a
ney to destinations around the world – still giddy little difference.
after reminiscing with dear friends with whom Miniature clay pots hand-
I've tracked lions in Kenya, wrestled halibut in crafted in the village of Mata Ortiz Around the World
IAlaska, danced till dawn in Madrid. inChihuahua,Mexico,danglefrom
Ididitallinmyownlivingroom,atourChristmas several branches. When I see
tree. Lots of unpacking – but no jet lag. them, I think of the extraordinary
warmth and hospitality of the pot-
Years ago, a close friend and fellow travel junkie that I value -- even more than the Christmas Tree
inspired me to begin collecting ornaments for my ters I've met there. It's their spirit
holiday tree as I traveled. Those ornaments have be-
come magical transporters that whisk me away to exquisite art that's created in the
places and faces that continue to enrich my life. village.
Do-it-yourself ornaments Near the top of the tree, not far from the seed
necklace I purchased from its Maasai maker while on
Most of the ornaments on my tree are makeshift
safari in East Africa, there’s an ornament that breaks
– small items I've found and turned into tree decor
my heart. It’s a paper baggage tag labeled with the
with bits of wire, ribbon or daubs of glue.
name Togo Tanaka, a Japanese-American journalist.
A hole-punch easily turned expired passports Tanaka wore a baggage tag just like it in 1942, when
into holiday tree finery packed with years of memo-
he was forced from his home and confined with more
ries. than10,000others–mostofthemAmericancitizens
Among my favorite repurposed ornaments is a by birth – at Manzanar. The historic site and its Inter-
small doll that I picked up pretive Center, on a
on the island of Pico, in desolate, windblown
the Azores. It's made patch of California's
from corn husks – a Owens Valley, tell
child's toy – like the the stories of World
make-do toys my father War II's Japanese-
hadwhenhewasayoung- American internees
ster growing up on the is- with haunting,
land. heart-wrenching
A delicate Native clarity.
American dream catcher A few branches
brings to mind a week on away, there’s a small
the Blackfeet Indian ceramic pitcher that
Reservation in Montana's brings an immediate
Big Sky Country. It wasn't smile. It’s from
a week for wimps. With Mimmi's Trattoria in Mercatale di Cortona, Tuscany.
Global Volunteers, we pulled an acre of weeds; The restaurant was just a few kilometers from a reno-
sanded,caulkedandpaintedajail;deliveredmealsto vatedstonefarmhousewheremyhusbandandIbased
homebound tribal elders; and built a playground at for two weeks with three other couples who are close
Browning's Head Start Center (where we slept at friends. Mimmi stuffed us with course after course of
night on the preschool floor). Along with the dream homemade pasta and red wine. She fed us fried
catcher, I took home a better understanding of an- chicken and roasted pork, prosciutto and melon, and
other culture, a sense of accomplishment and the thebesttiramisuwehadinItaly.Weatefamilystyle--

146 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE 2020