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The Fish, Plants, Food, and Medicines of Nature: Thanksgiving Ode to the Amalfi Coast ~ PART TWO
Updated: Aug 26
Welcome to PART TWO of my series on GRATITUDE in Travel, Nature, and Learning!
Each part of this series shares reflections from my journey to the Amalfi Coast as they relate to the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address. I’m excited you are here to join me! You will experience nature’s beauty and splendor in both words and restorative images.
THE FISH
We turn our minds to all the Fish life in the water. They were instructed to cleanse and purify the water. They also give themselves to us as food. We are grateful that we can still find pure water.
Fish, fisherman, fishing boats, fisherman and women, fishmongers and markets are bountiful on the Amalfi coast. From the sea in the city of Naples to every town, village, and island in between, the fish are life. In Procida, houses are painted in various pastel colors to help returning fisherman see “home” as they approached from the sea. What for us was an artistic watercolor view, I expect for fisherman and their family, a meaning beyond words and thanksgiving for returning home safely.
The fresh fish of the sea came to our tables and nourished our bodies every day. Every plate before us was a feast for our eyes, imagination, and appetite. We were delighted with sea bass, octopus, tuna, swordfish, mussels, clams, anchovies, and many more served hot, cold, in zestful salads, with sauces, olives, tomatoes or pasta. Anyone who has caught and/or prepared fish knows that it takes care, knowledge, experience, and a gentle hand at cooking. Our dishes were prepared with all those things as well as simplicity of ingredients. They were presented to us in the most inviting and astounding way and appealing to the eye, the nose, and our pallets.
THE PLANTS
Now we turn toward the vast fields of Plant life. As far as the eye can see, the Plants grow, working many wonders. Where do I begin to honor the plants, flowers, trees, and shrubs who found their home in rocks, grottos, trellises, rooftops, window boxes, beside doors, on walkways and in pots! The plants were a visual orchestra of color, climbing, and artistry, some of which were random and some thoughtfully planned. Bougainvillea, oleander, capers, figs, mandevilla, lemon and olive trees, surrounded us and greeted us at every pass. We thank you for your beauty, scent, shade, and endless colors! What a surprise to walk under an arbor of green only to see lemons decorating each branch or walking beside a sprawling tree only to glimpse figs!
How many tomatoes gave us joy in such a short time! They burst with flavor, shape, and color. Every bite of bruschetta, caprese, puttanesca, eggplant parmesana, seafood marinara, pizza or focaccia brought red, yellow, green rounds, ovals or roman shapes bursting with flavor and delighting us.
Tradition was brought front and center in the plants as well. Italians don’t waste anything, and the zucchini flowers are no exception. They are the first to burst forth from a zucchini plant, and are a velvet, delicate flower, when battered and fried, sometimes stuffed, is a taste experience that brought me back to my childhood. While plants provided an artistic backdrop to the entire coast and all its walkways, doors, and arbors, they are also essential to the meals we ate. Plants are not side dishes but the main attraction, often roasted, fried, or dressed to nourish and reawaken taste buds you didn’t think you had! I pray we are blessed with plant life for many generations to come.
THE FOOD
With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the food we harvest. Since the beginning of time, the grains, vegetables, beans, and berries have helped the people survive.
Food is love in Italy and if it doesn’t take time, it isn’t worth making….if it isn’t simple, it is incongruent and nonsensical. “Breakfast included” in the United States does not mean the same in Italy.
Breakfast was a greeting and a call to start your day well! Buffets of kiwi, peaches, melon, prunes, berries, and nuts were accompanied by nourishing bread, beans, meats, yogurt, and fresh jams.
Breakfast brings further joy as Italians believe that is the time to indulge in beautiful pastries, cookies and cakes beside strong coffee or steeped tea. The body is awakened and has the fuel for the day as well as much happiness and energy to burn.
A bountiful blessing of abundance and care decorated our minds and awakened our spirits to start the day. It was medicine and sustenance for our bodies and excitement for our spirits. Breakfast calls you to be a child and delight!
The lemon is the true star of the Amalfi coast and the primary color “yellow” is everywhere. We are so thankful for the many types of lemons of Amalfi, the bread lemons of Procida and the edible lemons that our wise local boat captain gave us to hydrate and restore. Lemons were found in many meals and drinks, from ice cold lemon soda to lemon Peroni and in the soft and refreshing delizie al limone or “lemon delight” dessert found on every menu. The Italians honor the earth by using every bit of the lemon – skin, rind, pith, juice – to ferment, season, bake, create jams, jellies, candies, soap and more.
THE MEDICINES OF NATURE
The Haudenosaunee speak of “medicine herbs” of the world that take away sickness. While I can’t speak to “medicine herbs” of Italy and the Amalfi coast, thermal spas, and the waters of the sea washed away tension, stiffness, soreness and blocked energy of body and mind. We were reminded that the simplest and basic things of earth provide all we need to be well.
We were strengthened, restored, healed and energized by time spent at the thermal spas of Ischia called Negumbo hot springs and Poseidon Gardens and thermal spa. The waters, hot, warm, cool, and cold were waters from the earth and in fact healed us and restored our bodies. Plants in these paradises enveloped us, shaded us, and provided breezes and scents to envelop and delight us. The feelings of peace were very good indeed.
Each of these paradises invited oneness with nature and self, the sea, earth, sky, heat, coolness, water, motion, and healthful silent restoration. The culture of Italy reminds us to be kind to ourselves, to take time to rest, and to put two feet down close to the earth and be connect with the heat and coolness, the earth, and its waters. All of these are medicines given to us to take away sickness and allow the body to heal.
In addition to food being medicine, the faith of the Italians was woven into every place, person, and tradition. In the Abbey of St. Michael on the island of Procida, a shrine is offered and decorated by replicas of body parts healed by faith and prayer. The bones of saints and martyrs are buried within churches, crypts, under towns and even at the Herculaneum, a city buried by the lava of Mount Vesuvius. We are closest to whatever God we believe in when we are struggling or in need. Italian faith communities know that and suffer “with” their God and honor the God and saints who help them in their every day.
With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the Food, plants, fish, and nature's medicines of all kinds that nourish and heal us. Now our minds are one.
