The Morning After.... We are pleased to announce that all the ankle and knee braces, bandaids and treasure trove of over the counter meds, with the exception of a couple of Benadryl, have been squirreled away for the next trip! Bravo!!
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Arrivederci..... Sophia Loren, 81, once said, "There is a fountain of youth: It is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age." Those are truly wise words. Of course, the beautiful Sophia can afford to be a bit more blasé about aging than, let's say, Janet Reno. But, I take these words to heart. We watch the youth, with their bella figura as they make the passagiata through the streets and at cafes, and we admire their beauty and style. But eventually there will be a chapter two for them also....if they are lucky. We have been living in the jewel box that is Florence for three weeks. Around every corner there is a treasure. Last night, strolling back from the restaurant, I looked up and noticed this beautiful facade on one of the buildings. I have been on this street more times than I can count and this was the first time I had noticed
Winding down..... Yesterday was our last day of class so Rigmor and I are officially graduated. Actually I think what we received was more a certificate of perfect attendance, but we took it. After lunch and shopping with a colleague who needed some navigation advice around the mercato , we gladly returned home to rest. It was in the upper nineties today. A farewell dinner was scheduled at Perseus, a brisk ten minute walk away, but Simona was absent. Her mother had fallen, again, and was taken to the ospedale. This is certainly a familiar theme to many of us with aged relatives so we can sympathize. We had something of an odd dinner with vegetables in a rather thick tempura, cheese which we didn't need and meat filled squash blossoms to start. This was followed by very rare sliced steak over arugula and some leaden roasted potatoes. Many of the diners could not abide the very rare meat so they started their diet early! Cantucci, biscotti in America, dunked into h
Divorce Italian Style........ We had a free morning which we spent packing. This has been nagging at us as we are returning with a lot more stuff than we brought. Paolo would have been proud of me and my bubble wrap. I am so glad I brought it. Now we think we have a handle on things. We wrote our thank-you notes to Simona, tallied our cash and sent the last postcards. After a very light lunch we went to class at 2:30. Post grammar, everyone gathered in the larger classroom to watch a movie. It was Fellini's Divorcio a la Italiano , starring Marcello Mastroianni. Of course, we watched in Italian with English subtitles. I had never seen it before and thought it was very amusing and charming. Filmed in 1961 before divorce was legal, it must have been controversial in its day although is was very tame by today's standards. Marcello conspires to rid himself of his needy mustachioed wife of twelve years because he has fallen in love with his seventeen year old cousin
The Pitti Mosaici……. Italian teacher Giuseppe was still sick today so we combined the classes this morning. The other class joined us around our large table and we had an enjoyable session. The Italian Life section called for a trip to the Pitti Mosaici workshop and showroom across from the Pitti Palace. Our instructors and Eleanor, the store manager, accompanied us there. We enter passing deep shelving filled with large chunks of marble and semi-precious stones. When Eleanora spritzes water on one dull purplish block it immediately becomes apparent that it is lapis lazuli. There are numerous examples of marble in colors ranging from red to yellow, green, black and other mottled examples. Richly green malachite occupies an entire section. There are only three artisans, artiginali, at work. The owner, who is a master, is in California. Gabrielle is busy tracing leaf patterns cut from adhesive paper traced from the master design. He apprenticed to the sho
Sunday at Forte di Belvedere........ We missed yesterday's impromptu excursion so after sleeping in and having a leisurely breakfast we head out for Forti di Belvedere. Our group took two buses yesterday but Rigmor and I are convinced we can walk. The whole day is free so we amble around looking in windows. If you are a six year old girl in our family you each got a very cute top today. Before we begin the climb we must first cross the Ponte Vecchio, the street of gold. Every shop window is filled with beautiful jewelry, unique pieces wrought from precious metal and stones. We just keep on walking...... A little entertainment The climb is very steep and we understand why the bus was a good idea yesterday. But we have become veritable mountain goats this trip and we plug along enjoying the church bells on a Sunday morning. This fortification served to defend Florence from external threats, but also to
Pisa..... We were up early today waiting for that magic moment when Luca and Michaela open the doors to COFFEE! In America we are accustomed to our brew shortly after our feet hit the floor. Our oversized mugs and stainless steel Yeti travelers are filled to the brim with aromatic, restorative coffee. Not so here. While they brew a passably strong urn of coffee in the breakfast room, the cups are small. Once I found slightly larger ones on a cart by the kitchen and when I arrived at the table with my coffee everyone wanted to know where I found that cup! Of course, Luca plies his ladies with scratch cappuccino, but one cappuccino does not a lively Susan make. We are scheduled to leave at 7:45 and breakfast opens at 7:00 so that does not give much time for ladies of my vintage to consume and then recycle much coffee...so only two little cups this morning. Our driver is Patrizio and he pulls up at the appointed hour in an eight passenger Mercedes mini van. He is trim and
To San Gimignano and Chianti.... We left early this morning for our excursion to San Gimignano and the Chianti region. It is amazing how close together everything is. In only forty minutes we leave the autostrada and see the towered town high above us. We have a lovely day, breezy and cool. San Gimignano sits high upon a ridge and is walled with 14 towers rising upward. It is now a UNESCO sight because of its beauty, medieval history, and artistic and architectural importance as an example of a commune. At one time it had 72 towers. Per usual, we leave the bus and hike into town. It's a small town with narrow streets and a couple of squares. Rita, our specialty guide used in Siena, met us and shepherded us around showing us the medieval, gothic, Renaissance and Romanesque architecture while pointing out the best viewpoints. The patchwork of Tuscany lies at our feet. This little piggy went to mark