Archive for the ‘Italy’ Category
Friday, May 6th, 2011
Well the food is awesome, the wine is the best , and there are some pretty amazing sights, but it’s the people who have opened their homes and hearts to us that makes us want to return and spend so much time here.
This last week we have been in the home of Enirco and Angela and their sons Alberto and Davide (26 and 19). Sharing meals, sightseeing and just practicing their English to our Italian over lively discussions at the dinner table (or looking blank).
So now we are about to embark on our last leg. Milan to Tel Aviv via Athens where we will be part of 100 or so coming from Rancho Bernardo on a 10 day tour of Israel. This is our 40th anniversary present to each other.
We get to Tel Aviv at 4am and get to enjoy the airport until the crowd arrives at 4pm and we can all get on the BUS!
Tags: alberto, angela, athens, davide, enirco, milan, rancho bernardo, tel aviv
Posted in Greece, Israel, Italy, Russia Israel Euro 2011 | 9 Comments »
Friday, May 6th, 2011
Should smell as sweet!
Got to see Verona and of course Romeo and Juliet are what its all about. So the pretty little balcony in a quaint courtyard immortalized by Shakespeare (and “Letters to Juliet”…there are really mailboxes) is lovely and filled with about 250 tourists, mostly kids on fieldtrips.
Soooo, if you’re in the area,I recommend you pass on it and go see the movie and save yourself a lot of stress 
Tags: letters to juliet, romeo and juliet, shakespeare, verona
Posted in Italy, Russia Israel Euro 2011 | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, May 4th, 2011
What a paradise!! This island in the middle of Lake Maggiore is such a garden of Eden. Many go to Lake Como (because of Clooney and Hollywood) but WOW these beautiful islands are amazing and nearby to our current base in Pavia.
Everything is in bloom, including the peacocks. AND, if you are related to the Borromeo family (who have owned this area forover 400 years) you can still live there.
We had such a beautiful day, photos do not to it justice!
Tags: borromeo, eden, george clooney, hollywood, lake como, lake maggiore, pavia
Posted in Italy, Russia Israel Euro 2011 | 1 Comment »
Saturday, April 30th, 2011
Well, if I had a bucket list, this would definitely be on it — seeing Da Vinci’s Last Supper in Milan!!! 25 people at a time are allowed in for 15 minutes (wish I could have stayed longer ) and, we booked this 3 months ago in order to get a slot!
It is larger and higher on the wall and a little more deteriorated than I imagined, but I swear it glowed with such power! Sorry, no photos were allowed 
Tags: da vinci, last supper, milan
Posted in Italy, Russia Israel Euro 2011 | 1 Comment »
Saturday, April 30th, 2011
What’s better than being in Italy? Being in Italy with a fun friend who speaks fluent Italian!!! Now all the folk in Montalcino know more of my heart cauz she can translate for me! I can tell them how special they are to me and what a pleasure it is to be in their country again.
Carol visits Italy twice a year (6-8 weeks each time). We met at an Italian class in SD’s Little Italy, but she lives in RB and plays a mean game of golf . She leaves hubby at home cauz he’s been there, done that. But Italy gives her life such dimension (and it’s her heritage), that it’s like coming home to her. She has spent time with us in Tuscany and now we are on a 5 hour train to enjoy Pavia and Milano with her. God is so good to bring us together!
Tags: carol, little italy, milan, montalcino, pavia, rancho bernardo
Posted in Friends, Italy, Russia Israel Euro 2011 | 3 Comments »
Saturday, April 30th, 2011
Last time in Italy, Steve went 3 months between haircuts and we re-discovered his curly locks. Still keeping with this European style, we booked him an appointment with a true Italiano stylista.
Good by Goldilocks, ciao Romeo.
Tags: curls, haircut, steve
Posted in Italy, Russia Israel Euro 2011 | 4 Comments »
Saturday, April 30th, 2011
Little Easter, also known as “day of the angels” (they should get a day,I work mine overtime!) And another way to get an extra day off of school and work. It coincided with dia de Libertad, or Resistance Day.
So I played a mass, wreaths were laid, speeches, small parade, a farmers’ market of Tuscans delacacies. Who could be bored?
Tags: easter, mass, montalcino, pasquetta, resistance day
Posted in Italy, Russia Israel Euro 2011 | 1 Comment »
Friday, April 29th, 2011
Carson Is A Natural Traveller
After a couple weeks of touring Italy and laying back with us in Montalcino, KC, Jonathan and Bimbo Carson headed back to the US of A via Pisa.
They were fortunate to rendezvous with Heather and Heinz who came down from Switzerland to visit for a few hours.
Unfortunately for the Wilts, their 7 am flight was canceled, and the rescheduling put them 7 hours later in SD, and picked up by Andy.
When Steve dropped them off in Pisa, He also dropped our rental car off and took a couple trains and even hitchhiked!
Tags: carson, heather, heinz, jonathan, k.c, montalcino, pisa, san diego, steve, wilts
Posted in Italy, Russia Israel Euro 2011, Switzerland | 2 Comments »
Friday, April 29th, 2011
2 Sundays, 1 Holy Thursday(feet washing), 2 Easter Services, 1 Pasquetta (little Easter monday), working with Father Piernino, Giovani, altar boys, Miranda, me….hey I thought this was vacation!!!???
These were my commitments at the organ and those are the dear folk that were the TEAM that would put it all together for the worshippers of Montalcino. Flowers, candles, bowls of fire, blessing of the eggs, chants, hymns, nods to start my playing, and always the swinging of the Incense Canister. My contact lenses are killing me!!
Tags: don giovani, easter, giovani, maundy thursday, miranda, montalcino, pasquetta, piernino
Posted in Italy, Russia Israel Euro 2011 | 2 Comments »
Monte Oliveto Maggiore, awesome discovery and very moving!