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!
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?
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!!
“Meet me at 5pm and we’ll go over the music selections (said in rapid fire Italian).”
I show up and mass is happening. Sit, stand, kneel through mass and he has 5 minutes (maybe), and off he goes back to the monastery at St. A’ntimo for Vespers.
If I knew what to do, I would be a lot less nervous for all the services scheduled this Holy Week. Mind you, playing antique organs in ancient churches in a foreign language on their special days is an honor this protestant/anglo doesn’t want to pass up. Amen
Short for Bambino, long for trial and treat as KC ,Jonathan, and baby Carson are with us enjoying the laidback lifestyle of Tuscany.
He doesn’t like his carseat so he SCREAMS until we reach our destination. And then we can’t walk down an Italian street without being mobbed by folk of all ages who want to squeeze cheeks and offer little kisses.
We have him in every picture, so when he asks if he can go Europe when he is older we can prove he already did Italy! Here KC and Carson are enjoying a “tasting”!
Two years ago, dear friends let me in on their hobby (Geocaching.com). It is basically treasure hunting anywhere in the world. It takes a GPS and downloads coordinates from the computer (longitude and latitude) and off we go looking for what someone has hid,registered and maintains.
There are nearly 1.4 million caches worldwide and 4 million treasure hunters like me! So as someone could be walking down the street and be oblivious,I can zero in and find a cache. I sign the log inside it and go back to the computer and record my find!! Andy says this is for “old people”, but pffft, I think it’s fun! There are 50 or so in R.B. alone!?
A jug of wine, a loaf of ..oh forget it! A jug of wine works for us! We check into our apartment on a hill, #13 Matteotti, and within the hour we moved funiture, unpacked, threw open the shutters and sash, and had christened a jug of tavelo- sangiovese grosso – nectar of the (italian) gods.
And like a puzzle piece looking for it’s fit, we are sooooo there. Only wish the folk from 2 years ago who visited were sharing this moment. But then, they are on our hearts as we gaze across the Val d’Orcia: Ron, Mary, Tom, Alice, Carolyn, Jeff, Jeane, Kathie, Lisa and Andy….here’s to you, Cin cin!
The town on the mesa built on porous rock and over 1000 caves underneath served as our prelude to Montalcino. I think their Duomo (cathedral) is my 2nd favorite after Sienna (no 3rd if you count the incredible Vatican).
We had thought Spoleto would be our stop (“Living in a Foreign Language” by Michael Tucker of LA Law fame is where he lives) but driving the narrow roads frazzled us and we got outta dodge.
A lovely back road drive along Lago Alviano soothed our jangled nerves and we fell back on Rick Steves for our hotel and dinner suggestions in Orvieto. Both worked well- especially dinner in an open courtyard on a balmy night with Ossobuco and Risotto di Faro. And oh, gelato on the way back to the room (and Orvieto Classico…a fine white wine).
We arrived a couple of hours ago in Pisa. It feels good to be back on Italian soil. Tomorrow we head to San Gimigiano, Thursday to Assisi and Saturday to Montalcino. Can’t wait to see everyone.
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.
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.
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. 
“Meet me at 5pm and we’ll go over the music selections (said in rapid fire Italian).”
Short for Bambino, long for trial and treat as KC ,Jonathan, and baby Carson are with us enjoying the laidback lifestyle of Tuscany.
The town on the mesa built on porous rock and over 1000 caves underneath served as our prelude to Montalcino. I think their Duomo (cathedral) is my 2nd favorite after Sienna (no 3rd if you count the incredible Vatican).