Light is sweet

ABC Wednesday: G is for...

2012-02-28T20:57:00.000-04:00

G is for God. The amazing, sustaining, astonishing, uplifting, loving, sometimes maddening mystery that is God, whose Spirit flows in and around and through me.

God of grace and light...

whose Spirit joins with my spirit...

infusing my life with joy and passion and awesome wonder...

beating in the rhythm of my heart...beloved...beloved.

Holy Mystery...Wholly Love.

In whom all things are possible...

To you, O God, I sing Hallelujah!!

And because Wednesday this week falls on the rare(ish), once every four years, leap year special day Feb 29th...I'm doing a double post.

(Ok so the double post is really just because I'm indecisive when it comes to choosing themes...
but hey it's my blog so you can't stop me...muahahaha!!!!!!)

G is also for...Goofy!!!

Get yourself over to Mrs. Nesbitt's ABCW website and see what's
Going on in everyone else's blog space this week!

Fun in the library...

2012-02-28T16:49:00.001-04:00

Sign posted by the circulation desk in the AST library...

I love my school! Our librarians rock!

Also we have a hermetically sealed, temperature controlled room with awesome book treasures in it...like this original Geneva Bible from 1584 (ish). One day I was allowed in and got to peek through the pages (wearing white gloves, of course, lest the skin oils on my fingertips damage the aged pages.)

A little closer look at these pages...

Saturday Photohunt: LOUD!!!!

2012-02-25T00:46:00.001-04:00

This week's Saturday Photohunt theme is LOUD. The first thing that came to my mind was thunder. While looking for storm photos, I came across something else - GARAGE BAND!!! Does it get any louder than all those amplified guitars jammed into such a tiny space? I think not...

Here is a local band playing in my friend's garage at a party she threw a few years ago.

My friend and I LOUDly and enthusiastically cheered on the band, and shared more than a few laughs!

The boys take a little refreshment break...check out all the instruments and equipment...kind of boggles the mind, doesn't it?!

During the break, a couple guys picked up guitars and jammed, while we sang LOUDly and no doubt off key a la karaoke night! So much fun...good times in the Maritimes!

Pop on over to the Saturday Photohunt page and see where others have gone with this week's theme!

ABC Wednesday: F is for...

2012-02-21T16:52:00.000-04:00

Fire!!! More specifically...bonfire. It's hard to beat an evening at the camper...just sitting around the bonfire and talking...or not talking...whatever! We are not fair weather campers, we go spring, summer and fall. We don't get out much over the winter, but that has more to do with busy schedules than lack of desire. Gathering around the bonfire is a super fun way to celebrate festive occasions like New Year's Eve and Canada Day!

Click on over to ABC Wednesday and see what other bloggers are all fired up about this week!

Saturday Photohunt: Point

2012-02-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

I suspect I am not very original with my photo for this week's Saturday Photohunt, but I cannot resist...

And now, let me POINT you toward Sandy's Saturday Photohunt page to see what others have come up with for this week's theme!

ABC Wednesday: E is for...

2012-02-14T21:56:00.003-04:00

E is for the EGG...which is the nickname for our cute little Boler trailer.

E is for EASTER, which is when this photo was taken last year. The weather was unusually warm, we are not normally running around outdoors in short sleeves in early April in my neck of the woods! I took the photo while standing on top of our friends' camper (aka glamper)...which is ENORMOUS compared to ours.

E is for ENGAGEMENT!!! These photos were taken immediately our beautiful daughter and her boyfriend got engaged. So EXCITING!!!

E is for EXEGESIS...an activity which has taken over my life lately (which I suppose is to be expected in a Master of Divinity program!)

(From Wikipedia: "Exegesis (from the Greek ἐξήγησις from ἐξηγεῖσθαι 'to lead out') is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible; however, in contemporary usage it has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text, and the term "Biblical exegesis" is used for greater specificity. The goal of Biblical exegesis is to explore the meaning of the text which then leads to discovering its significance or relevance.")

ENCOUNTER more of the letter E over on the ABCWednesday website !!

Happy Val Day!!!

2012-02-14T00:22:00.001-04:00

No, I don't mean Happy Valentine's day...

I mean Happy Birthday, Valerie!

Dear Valerie,

Sister of my heart...
BFF of my inner child,

I pray love and light and laughter for you this day and every day. I hope your day is drenched in grace, and enlivened by the Spirit!!

We really should be sitting by the bonfire celebrating...we need a camper date soon! :)

Love & birthday hugs for you!

Saturday Photohunt: Heart

2012-02-11T00:06:00.000-04:00

I didn't need to search very hard to find a suitable photo for this week's Saturday photohunt theme of HEART...

Today we celebrate the day upon which our younger daughter Moira entered our lives. I never knew my HEART could hold so much love until she and Sara filled it to overflowing! My HEART used to melt when rocking my cuddly baby bundle of joy...my HEART still melts every time I see her smile.

Happy Birthday, beloved girl!!

<3 You make my HEART sing!! <3
xoxoxox

For more heart warming posts, click your way over to Sandi's Saturday Photohunt page!

ABC Wednesday: D is for...

2012-02-07T21:57:00.002-04:00

Daughters! I myself have two darling daughters, both born in February...feel free to check out their individual birthday posts if you are curious about them. Sara's birthday was yesterday (entry already posted) and Moira's is coming up on Saturday (entry done and in the scheduled queue.)

D is also for Diamonds...so my ABCW post this week is about Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara. (Diamanti is Italian for diamonds.) The outer wall of the palazzo is covered in large marble blocks cut to look like diamonds. It is a very unique looking structure! It was built around 1500 and is a striking example of European Renaissance architecture. I believe it was once home to the Este family (what wasn't in that part of the country?!)

My mother and I had hoped to tour the National Art Gallery now housed in this building, but alas it was closed the day we were wandering around this section of the city and we never did make it back during our time in Ferrara. But we got up close and personal with the exterior, and also were able to stroll around the inner courtyard. I would love to visit Ferrara again someday...it is a fascinating city. If (when) I return, I would love to rent a bicycle while there - cycling is "the" mode of transportation around this place.

Here are some photos of the Palazzo dei Diamanti taken last August...

Check out more D-lightful posts on Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC Wednesday website!

Happy Birthday...

2012-02-07T13:17:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to my daughter Sara!

When I was home on maternity leave, I used to carry my sweet baby girl around in my arms, singing Nothing Compares 2U and You are My Sunshine. She is now a beautiful young woman, living out on her own, soon to be married...and she is still my sunshine!

Saturday Photohunt: Flat

2012-02-04T19:17:00.000-04:00

When I saw the theme for this week's Photohunt, my first thought was flat out...those crazy busy, full steam ahead kind of weeks that we all encounter from time to time.

But who wants to hear about that?! :) So instead I will celebrate the wonderful feeling of lying flat out on my back, soaking up the sun or resting in the shade...those marvellous moments of nowhere to go, no one to see, nothing to do but simply be.

On a hot summer day in Rome...it was sheer bliss to stretch out on a bench under a tree in the Pincio gardens...

Soaking up the rays on the shore of Lake Trasimeno, Umbria...after dipping my toes in the water, of course!

Relaxing in the shade in the very lovely back garden of La Palazzina di Marfisi d'Este museum in Ferrara.

I am outside the frame of this photo...lazing in my gravity chair at the camper, while Valerie drowses in the hammock.

Now that you are feeling mellow...why not surf on over to Sandi's Saturday Photohunt page and see what others have done with the theme of FLAT...

ABCW: C is for...

2012-01-31T17:51:00.000-04:00

This week's ABC Wednesday letter is C.

Carved out of an old tree stump in a local park...

Carved into the sand by water flowing into the sea...

Carved on my heart are my two amazing daughters...

Have a wonderful Wednesday!! And have fun exploring what others have done with the letter C on the ABCW website!

Saturday photohunt: Fluffy

2012-01-27T23:17:00.000-04:00

The Saturday Photohunt this week is FLUFFY. Now I could post pics of my uber-fluffy big boy cat Winston...or I could post pics of some fluffy reading material (for which I am kind of thirsting, I must admit, since all I have read in months are textbooks!)

But instead I have decided to post some fluffy flora photos...

Azaleas in Halifax's Public Gardens

Fluffy trees and field near Cetona (sigh...Tuscany...)

Blossoms on a tree in the south end (aka home of the rich and famous, relatively speaking) of Halifax

Look! Fluffy trees! This is a spot in Umbria, somewhere between Montegabbione and Montegiove, that felt like an enchanted forest to Mom and I.

My mom's spectacular rhododendron bush

More plants in the Public Gardens. I really love the texture and shades of this plant...if anyone knows what it is, please share your knowledge by leaving a comment - thanks!

Pop on over to the Saturday Photohunt page

and see what other fluffy photos you can uncover!

ABCW...brought to you today by the letter "B"

2012-01-24T20:44:00.002-04:00

This week's ABC Wednesday letter is B.

Given my crazy schedule this term, I am tempted to say B is for Busy...see you next week!

But I won't! Fortunately I love the path I am on right now, so the busy-ness is not a burden, although it does stretch my organizational and balancing skills! But I digress...my post this week is actually about Bread. In particular, the breaking of bread.

Last term I was on my school's chapel worship committee for one of the weeks when communion (aka Eucharist) was scheduled. We planned a service where we literally gathered at table together. One fellow student was anxious because she was used to a more structured service and she wasn't exactly sure how things were going to flow. We hadn't provided anyone with a service bulletin...we decided to try just being weird Christians together. Hey, the disciples didn't have a bulletin, why should a bunch of divinity students need one?!

This was the first time I had the privilege of breaking the bread and pouring the wine. Which may not sound very exciting to some of you, but as a candidate for ordered ministry, it was an incredible joy for me. Bread of life, cup of salvation...all is ready, praise be to God. (To be clear, an ordained minister was present, who called upon the Holy Spirit to be upon us and upon these gifts, as required for the sacrament of communion in the United Church of Canada.)

The chapel, as students and faculty began to gather...it is a beautiful space, I love the vaulted wooden ceiling and the way the natural light pours in.

Soon everyone was seated, then we sang and prayed and told the stories of our ancestors, recalled Jesus' life, death and resurrection...served each other as we broke bread and shared in the wine and the grapes. Then we also shared some of our own faith stories before heading back to classes.

"C" you next week!! Be sure to check out the other ABCW posts, there are some amazingly creative bloggers participating in this challenge!

Photohunt: Bliss

2012-01-21T23:35:00.000-04:00

Time for another Saturday photohunt!

The theme this time around is Bliss. I have several photos in my collection that reflect moments of bliss, but this one really captures my heart. It is my mother enjoying her morning beverages on the terrace of "our" house in Cetona (the house we rented for our home base in Tuscany last August. We hope to return to this wonderful house and town, and highly recommend it to others. Details in the owner's Homelidays listing # 302226 .)

Mom loved her mornings on the terrace, soaking in the morning sun, gazing over the stunning view of Monte Cetona and across the valley to Citta delle Pieve in Umbria, and the wonderful landscape in between. She would exchange greetings with our neighbours as they went about their morning routines. I snapped this photo from the little balcony off my upstairs room.

We are both so glad that I discovered the SlowTravel website and philosophy a few years ago. Instead of moving all over the place trying to see everything on one trip, the slow travel philosophy is to experience one area deeply. To linger in one place and let the wonder and beauty of the land shimmer before your eyes...to let the people, the culture, the history flow into your soul...is an experience that changes you. It is profoundly rejuvenating to let yourself follow the local rhythm, get to know your neighbours, find amazing hidden corners you would otherwise miss.

Click on over to the Saturday photohunt website and check out more blissful photos!

ABC Wednesday

2012-01-18T12:11:00.003-04:00

My blog friend Annie told me about a meme called ABC Wednesday, in which she and Kathy (another of our blog friends) participate. So I thought I would join them...insofar as I can manage it around the demands of school and student ministry. I gather that the meme is not restricted to photos, but nonetheless, I will start off with a photo collection!

A is for...Arches. Especially old stone archways as found in the streets of towns in Italy. A friend of mine says that I was surely Italian in a previous life, because I am so drawn to this place...it's like the ancestral home of my heart and soul. Here are a few photos I took on my most recent visit, my fourth and hopefully not last, although having recently given up my public service career to follow Jesus into ministry means I am a poor student for the next four years, and have no money for oversea trips (unless, of course, someone wants to "hire" me as a travel planner and tour guide...hint to my mom! lol)

The photos were taken in Cetona, Tuscany; Monteleone, Umbria (I think); Ferrara; Assisi; and a final one of the living room of the house we rented during our two weeks in Cetona. Enjoy!!

I invite you now to settle into a comfy chair and surf on over to Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC Wednesday site, where you will find links to many more fabulous and creative posts!

Italian fauna

2012-01-14T16:03:00.001-04:00

My last post got me thinking about all the cats we saw wandering around in Italy last summer. Cats...and other beautiful creatures!

"You can't see me..." says this cute little bunny hiding under an old piece of farm equipment...

This gorgeous boy playfully lolled around in the shade of a big flower pot...a perfect spot to rest in the heat of the day!

Mom and I are both cow people (you know, like cat people or dog people...only with cows! lol) So we were enchanted to pass this magnificent herd of gentle Chianina cattle on the road between Montichiello and Cetona. This breed is one of the oldest in the world, dating back over 2,000 years.

Cetona is full of surprises...like these roosters who lived in a coop in the old town wall, just down from our rental house.

This friendly old kitty almost blends into the stone steps! He did rouse himself to come and say hello to me, and rub his head against my legs, while I was exploring the immediate neighbour before the church service began.

Frolicking colts in a field beside Abbazia di Spineto. There were lots of adult horses too, but these young ones were adorable!

Driving along the Strada Provinciale di Sarteano toward Radicofani...we came upon this herd of sheep. They were in no hurry to get out of our way either! These mountain sheep were quite different from what I am used to, they were larger and also had tails.

"Hello! May I join you for dinner?"

When we ate at the restaurant in Bagno Vignoni, this sweet kitty sat at my feet almost the entire meal. So cute...but I fear she went away without a morsel off my plate. (Dave has me well trained apparently...NO feeding pets at the table! lol)

Ahhhh...la dolce vita!

Slightly blurry pic of a stunning husky by the castle in Sarteano. He did not make a sound, or really even acknowledge our passing, as we went by, which was most unusual for a dog, I thought.

A gorgeous cat in Sarteano.

This handsome guy was keeping an eye on the grounds of the convent of Scarzuola, near Montegiove, Umbria.

A striking looking cat in Parrano, Umbria. She soon left this perch and gracefully made her way down the wall to find a spot free from tourist cameras...

Feed me...feed me!!!! This little guy went from table to table in the cafe in the Villa Borghese in Rome. He was very lively and cute, but I did not give in to those big brown eyes!

And now I have in my head a fun song we've sung in church a few times, complete with hand puppets and fake animal noises! I think it was written by Bill Staines...

All God's critters have a place in the choir

Some sing low, some sing higher

Some sing out loud on the telephone wire

And some just clap their hands, or paws

Or anything they got.

Good times :)

Photohunt: Circular

2012-01-14T08:14:00.001-04:00

This week's photohunt theme is circular.

When mom and I stayed in Cetona (in southern Tuscany) last August, we came across this content little (or rather not so little!) kitty curled up in a basket that was tucked inside a doorway off Piazza Garibaldi. There were lots of cats in Cetona, many were wild...sort of. Francesco (one of the owners of the house we rented) would wander down to a particular spot each day by the old town wall and set out food. One of the cats even wandered into our house from time to time! I'll post a few more Cetona cat pics later :)

Photohunt: Bling

2012-01-07T16:57:00.000-04:00

It's photohunt time again! This week's theme is *BLING*!!

This is my bling...

The twist tie with which my husband proposed almost 25 years ago! Yes, I still have it. Yes, we're still married! (Married with children, in fact...although fortunately Dave is nothing like Al Bundy and I have yet to start wearing leopard print leggings a la Peg Bundy! lol)

Photohunt: Gather

2011-12-31T22:46:00.001-04:00

Hi all, this is my first photohunt post, although I have long enjoyed the photos posted by others each week!

My entry for this week's theme - Gather - is of the "dearly beloved, we are gathered" variety. This is a wedding party gathered in the sanctuary of All Saint's Anglican Cathedral, just as the ceremony got started. Our friends' daughter invited us to share in her recent wedding, which we were all too delighted to do! She was a gorgeous bride, it was a beautiful and moving ceremony, and a wonderful gathering of family and friends followed afterward.

Our final day in Ferrara...

2011-08-20T10:20:00.001-03:00

(August 17) How can it be our last day in Ferrara, we just got here! However, day four it is and we leave tomorrow for Milan. I started the day with a quiet half hour or so in Piazza Repubblica...just me and the street cleaners!

I returned to the hotel to have breakfast with mom, and then go for a walk about. I have been so charmed by the colours and architectural features of the buildings in Ferrara. Not to mention the beautiful flowery shrubs and greenery cascading down walls.

We found ourselves over by Palazzo Schifanoia. No interior photos allowed, but the museum contains the collections of the Musei Civici d'Arte Antica, so lots of "old stuff"! lol I'm sure I would have been more engaged if it hadn't been sooo hot inside the palazzo, stiflingly hot. I did take time to look at the gorgeous illuminated manuscripts, including the Charterhouse Bible commissioned by Borse d'Este. And some carved ivories, which were amazingly detailed.

But I was relieved to escape outside into the back garden and rest under the incredibly thick canopy of leaves of one of the trees...

Wandering along on our way, we stopped into the church of San Francesco. It was lovely and peaceful and not nearly as overwhelmingly ornate as the cathedral.

I liked this 13th century madonna and baby, their faces so sweetly cheek to cheek!

And this 17c annunciation was also lovely, I thought.

There was also a gorgeous model of the adoration of the magi (which was also slightly bizarre, because apparently it was animated...for a price - if only I'd had a one euro coin to see this spectacle in action!)

We carried on with our exploration...coming to Palazzina Marfisa d'Este. The beauty of Palazzos Schifanoia and Marfisa is that the admission was covered with the combo ticket we bought for the castle...so we could stroll through, enjoy what we liked and not worry about missing something, because by this day, it felt like they were free! Palazzina Marfisa has some really beautiful period furniture, including some great huge wardrobes. But the section we enjoyed most was the exterior - the Grotta and the Loggia degli Aranci (orange trees). The Grotta was in a building with a long porch, and had one of those wonderful wooden ceilings with the recessed, painted panels.

We lingered as long as possible in the Loggia degli Aranci...I stretched out in the grass, where it was wonderfully shady and peaceful! One of the women on staff came out to apologize for having to make us leave, but they were closing for the afternoon...

When we came back outside, I saw this long row of bicycles and had to take a photo...seems so typical of Ferrara!

Since we were so close to the city walls, we decided to step outside the city gates and go for a stroll along the ramparts...making our way along the section called Rampari di San Rocco.

We then turned back in toward our hotel, stopping at Piazza Ariostea for deliciously refreshing gelato...and an unfortunate pigeon encounter. (I had gotten bird droppings on my arm in Rome, apparently it was Mom's turn in Ferrara!) Oh well, what are you going to do but brush it off, have a laugh, and carry on our merry way! It was time to return to the hotel for a siesta anyway, so mom was able to rinse out her blouse before the pigeon poo left a permanent stain. :) She had less success getting the chocolate gelato rinsed out...I believe she will always have that as a reminder of our trip!

Three (ish) hours later, we went for our final sojourn around Ferrara. While wandering, I spotted this super cool street that seemed to be arch after arch after arch...so cool!! (Afterward I discovered it is called Via Volte - Street of Arches, maybe? And is one of the attractions on the tourist map, so apparently I am not alone in thinking it is worth seeing!)

We decided to return to Leon d'Oro for our final meal in Ferrara. Partly because we really like the food, the service and the setting...partly because there was not much choice, we passed bar after ristorante after pizzeria with "closed for holidays" signs! Ferrara, like many Italian cities, empties out in August, as the inhabitants head for the coast. And there didn't really seem to be a lot of other tourists around either. It worked for us, we felt like we practically had the place to ourselves! I thought that Mom needed to have at least one spritz before we left Italy, so ordered up a couple as an aperitif. Delicious!

After supper, we had a very short stroll, heading down the street tucked down along the left side of the cathedral. Apparently this is the bar scene in town! Bars lined the street on one side, with the cathedral wall on the other - including a great ledge for people to perch with their drinks. Very cool!

As we walked, I glanced up and spied a wooden ceiling very much like the one in Palazzina Marfisa...seems so amazing to think of such treasures being in random homes, but considering the age of the buildings, and that probably many former palazzos have been converted into condos or apartments, I suppose it makes sense!

And so ends our stay in Ferrara. I'm so glad we decided to visit this city. It is a bit off the tourist trail (ok not really, but it is less of a tourist destination than Rome, Venice and Florence!) But well worth a visit, it is full of things to do and see...and wonderful to just amble around and soak up the atmosphere, especially later in the day when the air cools and everyone comes out on their bicycles for the equivalent of an evening stroll. It feels like it would be a wonderful place to live.

An awestruck kind o' day in Ferrara...

2011-08-17T18:53:00.000-03:00

Monday morning brought thoughts of Wow, can it be our third day in Ferrara already?? I popped out early for a short stroll around the castle, then returned to the hotel to rejoin Mom. We had breakfast - the hotel buffet is quite decent, including whatever form of coffee you want (espresso for me every time!), cereals and fresh pastries (Sara will be jealous of my chocolate pastry for breakfast!), yogourts, cheese and ham slices, boiled eggs, juice, milk.

After breakfast, we headed out to explore more of this lovely city. We walked up to Palazzo dei Diamante (forgive my spelling and/or wrong names in these blog entries...I haven't kept notes while out strolling, but hopefully won't mix anything up!) This palace is one with great huge pyramid stonework covering the outside...the theory being that this shape would channel positive energy of the universe to the family inside. However...this being Italy on a Monday (and a holiday at that), most of the museums were closed, so all we could do was pop into the courtyard, use the washroom (conveniently open!) and head back out.

Just beside the diamond palace was a museum of some sort, seemed mostly related to war paraphenalia, so we didn't go inside, but the courtyard had the most exquisite roses...

We were going to investigate the Botantical gardens, but those too were closed. However, this much larger public park was open. What a delightfully refreshing green space filled with big, colourful trees of many varieties. Just inside the front entrance were two massive old trees with plaques that said cedro del libano, which mom and I assume means cedar of lebanon. They were so old that their massive branches needed to be held by a kind of mechanical sling.

After our promenade around the park, we moved back out onto the streets, coming across Chiesa di Gesu. We'd read about a statue collection, so went in to check it out. It reminded me of a big diorama! But the figures were well done, very expressive faces and gestures. My favourite piece of art in the church though, was a brilliantly colourful annunciation. It was a restful place though, with piped in music quietly playing in the background.

As we continued our random wanderings, a building caught my eye and I went to see what it was all about...Piazzete Sant'Anna - clearly I was meant to find this place, it is named for me! LOL

As I checked out the outside, I discovered a wrought iron door that was ajar...obviously I had to go in! I beckoned to Mom, who had parked herself on the stone bench that ran along the piazzetta and in we went. What a gorgeous cloister...

I was entranced by the peaceful beauty of this quiet spot. I threw my arms in the air, unexpectedly moved to raise my face to the sun and sing thanks to God for this day, for this trip, for calling me to walk a new path, for all that I have been blessed with in my life. A song by a group called The Message came to mind, "I am awestruck, overcome...razzle dazzled, come undone...I am awestruck, overcome, by you...my God, by you!"

Outside in the piazzeta again, we noticed this strip of grates with water bubbling up through...we were mystified by the purpose of this, but a couple of pigeons seemed to find it a great spot for drinking and bathing!

Carrying on, we passed a (closed) exhibit of some sort with this peculiar display outside. The other side of the egg had a scene with a caption that mentioned Croatia. We never did figure out what was all about, but it was most intriguing.

When we started out for the day, we had thought to check out Palazzo Schiafoni (sp) but never did get there (at least not this day.) This day we kept getting sidetracked! (Which is really the best way to travel anyway, don't you think?!) One of the attention grabbers we passed was Casa Romei, which looked quite appealing, so in we went. I snapped a pic of this lovely fresco fragment just as a woman came to tell us there were no photos allowed inside.

We were allowed to take a few photos in the outside area though, so here I am on the second floor. Definitely worth a visit, this is a charming little museum, with a number of interesting fragments of sculpture and fresco, and offers a glimpse into the life of Renaissance middle class (the house was that of a banker, not nobility).

Back out into the streets...which are absolutely gorgeous in the sunlight. The colours remind me very much of Pisa, lots of gold and reddish shades glowing in the sun.

We stopped at one of the little spots along the cathedral piazza for lunch and people watching! The figure on the bike with the billowing white robes was a nun in full regalia, cycling along on her way to wherever. Everyone here gets around by bicycle, it is so cool!

On the way back for a siesta, we passed the familiar Savonarola statue - which fascinated us, as always!

And then through the gates, and across the cobblestone piazza to our hotel. While Mom had a rest, I came out and sat in the piazza and caught up on a couple blog entries! When the air cooled, we went for an evening passagiata, or stroll, around the city. Heading off in a new direction, we found ourselves in a bit of a seedy (but not at all unsafe feeling) part of town. I'm not sure what this building was, but the barracks-look, barbed wire and proximity to the old ghetto section had me wondering if it wasn't some kind of prison camp...certainly had an unsettling atmosphere.

After a while, we found ourselves out by the city walls, although weren't up for a walk along them at this point.

We were starting to feel quite hungry, so decided to head up via San Romano and back to familiar territory for supper.

We would have been open to eat in unfamiliar territory, mind you, but this being the height of August holidays, there isn't much open by way of eating establishments, except around the castle and cathedral. We have decided, however, that Leon d'Oro is our "go to" place. Delicious food, great prices, friendly service and full of life. This particular evening, I had no idea what I wanted to eat. While browsing the menu, I saw something that sounded like chef's special so I asked our waitress what it was. She said it is a surprise, different every time. I thought she meant different every day, so asked what was it this day? But no, she meant literally different every time! It truly is a surprise, the chef puts a little of this, a little of that, on a plate, whatever strikes her fancy. Well...my curiosity was piqued so that is what I ordered. And it was absolutely delicious. A bit of speck (spiced meat) on a bed of lettuce, a slice of polenta topped with various mushrooms, a slice of cheese topped with arugula, a piece of bread with melted cheese and cooked spinach, and a piece of what I think was a souffle of some sort - whatever it was, I loved it. We also had a bottle of prosecco. Mom had a spinach lasagna with meat and bechamel sauce.

We lingered quite a while over our meal, but finally was time to call it a night...of course we ended our evening with a stroll around the castle!

Day two in Ferrrara :)

2011-08-16T18:04:00.000-03:00

On our second day in Ferrara, we decided to tour the castle. It is fabulous! We saw the great kitchen, with a long row of ovens, over which the cooks of the day would prepare huge cauldrons of food to be served at various feasts. We descended into the dungeons...and were exceedingly grateful to be mere visitors! The cells for the ordinary prisoners were especially grim, dank and dark and no doubt terrifying.

The floors were very worn, making one wonder just how many prisoners walked these passageways.

Get us back up into the sun!

Of course, the duchess didn't spend her time down there, she would be more likely found in her orange garden.

The castle had its own private chapel (of course) with a beautifully frescoed (or painted?) ceiling.

Of course we climbed the Lion's Tower. It is "only" 122 stairs, no problem! Fabulous views of the city and the castle itself.

Inside the castle are several rooms with elaborately decorated ceilings...these have great huge mirrors in which you can view the art without straining your neck. How thoughtful!

After the castle, we strolled around to the cathedral museum. No photos allowed inside, so our only visual reminders are photos of the cloister.

We also decided to head along to the train station, having forgotten the day before to purchase our tickets to Milan. All ended well for our trip from Cetona to Ferrara, but we had no desire to encounter sold out trains again, so thought best to buy tickets in advance this time! Lovely stroll down Viale Cavour, which is lined with trees and so quite shaded.

On the way back, we stopped for gelato, or rather granite - flavoured ice - in my case. I had a super refreshing mix of green apple, blood orange and blackberry flavours, while mom enjoyed a limone gelato. Then we had a siesta until the most intense heat of the day passed. Mom had a nap, while I played around with my photos, and caught up on my blog entries (writing them up, to be posted when I got online again). The wifi here is a bit of a pain. I can get only an hour free wifi at a time from the hotel...is not a problem to get these hours, but I have to keep asking for another ticket each time and logging in with a new username. My alternative is to sign up for the city's free 90 minutes a day, available in various public spaces around the city, including around the castle, so just a few steps from the hotel. Which is a great thing for the city to do, but means I have to take my netbook outside to be online. Hence writing up a bunch of blog entries and posting them all at once!

After our siesta, we went for another stroll. Walking down one street, I saw this open door...it lead into a small side chapel and then opened up into a lovely church. It was quiet and peaceful and we sat for a while, until we realized they were about to start mass so we slipped out and continued on our way. This is the facade of the church, which we found out is Chiesa S. Maria della pieta e S. Gaetano dei Padri Teatini.

We made our way back to the general area of the cathedral and castle, close to home, to settle in for supper. The streets and piazzas were once again alive with people of all ages. We found a restaurant called Leon d'Oro and enjoyed a wonderful, leisurely supper while our hearts were warmed and lightened by the sights and sounds around us...

Moving on to Ferrara

2011-08-16T11:57:00.000-03:00

Oh, we were sad to leave Cetona on the 13th. What a fabulous time we'd had here and highly recommend it as a base from which to explore Southern Tuscany and parts of Umbria. I cannot speak highly enough of our wonderful hosts, Alessandra and Francesco! Remember that parking ticket we got in Montalcino? Well...not being sure what to do with it, I asked Alessandra. From there, all we needed to do was hand her the ticket, the 39 euro and she took care of the rest! She offered to pay it at the post office AND take the receipt to show them at the Hertz office to ensure they don't try to double bill us. The day before we left, Francesco brought us a bottle of white wine as a gift. They both came in the morning to help us get on our way. Francesco brought the car up, loaded in our bags, and took it back to the parking lot (this was much appreciated - I certainly wasn't going to attempt driving the car up, or backing down, that particular hill!)

We dropped the car off at the Hertz office in Chiusi - couldn't have been easier, it is right across from the train station. The man came out, had a quick look, said ok you are all set, ciao. And that was that! (We'd rented through Autoeurope.ca and had full insurance coverage with zero deductible so I wasn't worried about any post rental inspection.) Our only glitch of the journey to Ferrara was when we went to buy our train tickets. Oops, the train we wanted was sold out and the next direct train didn't leave until after 5 pm. Hmmm...well after few minutes of hemming and hawing, we decided we'd brave a change of trains in Bologna. If worse came to worse, we figured we'd just spend a night in Bologna (as Jerry commented on fb, there are worse places to be stranded!) So we bought tickets for the train leaving immediately, rushed along the platform and jumped on with just a minute to spare. It was a style of train I'd never been on before, had just seen in movies - the kind with the narrow corridor along one side and compartments along the other. It was very full, but finally I spied an empty seat in one of the compartments. Permisso? I asked, catching eye contact with the people in the compartment, pointing at the empty seat and then at Mom. A young man got up, rapidly spoke with his girlfriend, got her moved to the inside seat, waved Mom into the girlfriend's now vacant seat by the door, and also waved me into his own seat. He then sat on one of the pull down seats in the aisle the whole way to Bologna. How kind and generous was that?? We had no trouble making the connection in Bologna, although was a pain dragging our luggage up and down the stairs, going underground to get from one platform to another. An uneventful and short second train ride brought us to Ferrara, where we took a taxi to Hotel Touring. Lovely hotel, although hard to go from our three story restored tower into a small hotel room! We have a great view of Castello d'Estense, and the tree lined Viale Cavour.

After getting settled, our first order of business was lunch - I had pizza Caprese (at least, I think that was the name), a plain tomato pizza with tons of buffalo mozzarella.

Then we wandered around for a while, experiencing culture shock coming from Cetona to Ferrara. Cetona is very small hill town...Ferrara is not huge, but definitely a city and one with a grand European feel to me, wide sweeping streets and magnificent buildings abound. Although there is also the medieval section with winding, narrow streets too. But for the first half day, I was wondering what on earth possessed us to choose this as our base, I felt very much like I was missing something. The cathedral is rather too ornate for my taste...it was hard to know where to focus, there is so much baroque detail covering every inch of space! Although there were a couple paintings I liked very much.

We also checked out the courtyard and exterior of the massive Castello d'Estense (saving the inside for another day). The moat is filled with great huge carp and whiskered catfish (the latter being 3 or 4 feet long) , which drift around in the murky water, popping up to the top to snatch a piece of food.

Feeling tired and draggy as the day went on, we came back to the hotel for a late afternoon siesta. When we went back out in the evening...ahhh, Ferrara in late afternoon when the air is soft and cool, and then later under a full moon, worked its magic! What a charming city in the evening - the streets are golden and full of life! Children laughing and running around, people of all ages riding bicycles through the streets, friends strolling arm in arm.

The scene is slightly marred by the McDonald's right across the street from the cathedral, although at least it is tucked back in the arches and not quite in-your-face!

The full moon and the bell tower...

Piazza Savonarola...and a close up of the statue. Not sure who the sculptor is, but he/she captured the malevolence and charisma of this historic figure! We wondered what on earth a statue of Savonarola was doing here, associating him with Florence in the time of the Medici, until we found out he was born in Ferrara! Home town boy turned monk then gone mad, it would seem!

Our first evening ended with a stroll past the castle, with the full moon overhead and the lights beautifully reflected in the moat...yes, we feel we can happily settle in here for few days!

A day in Orvieto

2011-08-16T03:55:00.001-03:00

One of our daytrips was to Orvieto. We had read a lot about this town (city?) and wanted to see it for ourselves. Mind you, we went on Monday so the museums were closed, but the magnificent Duomo was open, and that was the main attraction for us anyway. When we arrived, we found the free parking lot at the bottom of the hill by the train station, and rode the funicular up to the top. (People can diss Rick Steves all they want, but his guidebooks are a fantastic resource for things like parking, public washrooms and information points!)

A walk up through the town brought us to the Duomo - wow, is it huge! Impossible to fit into one photo, given the tight quarters (it sits in smallish piazza surrounded by buildings, so you really can't get back far enough to get a photo from any distance). I could barely squeeze the facade in, nevermind the rest of the church, which stretches out behind in black and white striped marble. Very reminiscent of the Siena Duomo, which I hadn't realized. I snapped several shots of the details, such as the old rose window, some of the mosaics and bas relief on the facade. I don't seem to have any interior photos...must not have been allowed!

After our cultural hit, we were ready for some food! But weren't in the mood for anything fancy. This little cafeteria struck our fancy, and it did not disappoint. I had a fantastic veggie pizza with tomato, zucchini, eggplant, mushroom, potato and carrots on a crispy thin crust. Mom was very pleased with her pizza as well. We also "split" a half litre of red wine...the split being half a glass for me, the rest for Mom! (I was driving so obviously was being careful not to consume any quantity of alcohol.) I had been joking that I would need a detox period after this trip, but now Mom joked that because of being the designated driver, perhaps I would escape that fate but that she might need double!

We wandered into the church of San Andreas after lunch. It had some lovely fresco fragments, an eye catching ceiling, and some other interesting features.

We left through a side door, and on one of the buildings just outside, we came across an odd piece of art, I think it is a scene from Pinicchio but have no idea why it might have been on a tiny small side street in Orvieto!

When we made our way back to the funicular, we came across a park where Mom found a great shady bench on which to have a rest. I wandered about the small park for a few minutes, then we had to move because...I discovered a castle tower! With people on it, so clearly accessible - I must go there!

Fantastic views of the city walls and surrounding countryside, plus inside was a wonderful shady park with a pretty fountain.

Finally we returned to Cetona, to have a quiet supper at 'home'. I made meat and potatoes and veggies...which tasted much more mouthwatering than when I make such a basic meal at home! I also made a stew for the following night (and it turned out there was enough stew for another meal as well, and it tasted even better the second time!)

This particular day happened to be August 8, which was Dave's and my 24th anniversary. So I toasted him, and us, with my wine and wished he was here too!

Naturally the meal ended with dolce...in this case cafe gelato, made by Baci of Perugia, very tasty!

A tour around Lake Trasimeno

2011-08-15T13:45:00.001-03:00

One of the things Francesco (and others) had recommended to us was a visit to Lake Trasimeno. I wasn't entirely sure if I felt drawn to the idea at first, thinking meh, waterfront resort towns and ferry ride...why spend my Italian vacation time doing things I can do at home? But - this being Italy - of course a lake experience is an entirely unique one! We set out to circle the lake and stop at a few towns along the way. First stop was Panicale, a town I first learned about when Dave and I brought the girls over in 2007. I was quite taken with this lovely town, based on what I could find online, and we nearly rented an apartment here. However at the time, we weren't ready for driving in Italy, so abandoned the idea in favour of renting in Florence and Venice so we could easily travel around by train. So it was fun for me to visit it now. I can see why it is very popular with British tourists (or so I have heard.)

How picturesque is this little shed, perched on the hill just below the street?

And this gorgeous brick house

There are parks and pathways all over the place over here, I've noticed, and Panicale is no exception!

We parked and walked to the main piazza (whose name I forget!) but is through the Perugia Gate. The fountain is from 1473, and used to be the town's main well.

Of course we had to check out the church of St Michael the Archangel, dating from the 11th century. We were quite taken with the 14th century annunciation fresco, having read that it was accidentally discovered under some plaster during a renovation and is attributed to Tommasino Fini called Masolino.

And the adoration of the shepherd painting from 1519, by Gianbattista Caporali, a student of Il Perugino.

We were ready for gelato by this point...lo and behold, here is a cart promising the best home made ice cream in Umbria. Who are we to argue?! I had a combo of limone and pescarancia (sp? peach/orange), and it certainly was tasty!

After this refreshing treat, we wandered around a bit, then headed along to Castilione del Lago, right on the shore of Lake Trasimeno. We found ourselves on the beach lined road running along the lake...hmm, we better check this out and stick our toes into the water! We found a stretch with a dock running out into the lake and very few other people around, so we made ourselves comfy...a heavenly hour of lying in the hot Umbrian sun with the cooling lake breeze dancing over our skin.

Eventually the other plans of the day beckoned and we roused ourselves and carried on our way. A church (I know, how predicable am I?!) was our next stop. I especially liked this bas relief of the woman washing Jesus' feet...I have never actually seen this bible story depicted in sculpture or painting before, so was intrigued to find it here.

I also thought these choir gowns were beautiful, and I imagined a big choir filling the place with joyful song. I'm a bit puzzled that the gowns all had clergy collars on them, at least that's what they looked like...a choir consisting solely of priests, perhaps? Probably a mystery that will remain forever unresolved for me!

Then we walked along to the castle and the adjoining museum. I didn't seem to be particularly interested in the museum, so I left Mom to finish checking it out, while I went outside and sat on a stone wall overlooking the lake and the castle. A moment of bliss. When Mom joined me, into the castle we went. To get there, we had to make our way through a loooong narrow passageway. (Although it wasn't nearly as dark as the passageway I took to get up into the tower in Rocca Maggiore in Assisi!)

You can walk all around the ramparts of this castle, with an optional climb to the top of the highest point. I'm sure you won't be surprised to know that I made this climb! Mom opted to find a perch on the wall and wait for me, lest she put undue stress on her knees. I bounded up the stairs, fidgeting impatiently as I neared the top and got stuck behind a family puffing and panting their way up. ( Apparently they have not been doing as much climbing as I have lately...this particular climb felt like a walk in the park to me!) And it was worth it - wow! I thought I was high up when we were on the first tower! Stunning views of the sweeping lakefront and of the town. The cathedral really looms high over the other rooftops!

Down I came, gathered up Mom, and away we went to continue our tour around the lake. We stopped at Passagnano sur Trasimeno to check out a painting we'd read was in the church there...but we never found it! We did find lithium batteries for the camera (an item which had thus far eluded us on our trip!), and wandered around a bit, so it was still a worthwhile stop. In the photo below, the shadowed doorway on the right lead to a tiny staired passageway to the street above...so cool!

Mom parked herself on some steps while I climbed up to the fortress at the top of the town. I didn't explore inside it though. I was more intrigued with the nooks and crannies of this neat place.

Alas, the afternoon was drawing to a close, so we called it a day and headed back to Cetona for supper. This is a beautiful area...and we barely scratched the surface in our day of wandering!

Cena in Piazza (dinner in the square)

2011-08-12T04:36:00.001-03:00

Associazione Corsa della Brocche Cetona hosted a big supper in Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi last Saturday night. with the following menu (with apologies for my spelling!):

Antipasto del Viandante

Zuppa del Priore

Umbrichelli di Braccio da Montone

Filleto di Porco con Verdure

Dolci

25 euro pp

Not to mention unlimited red table wine and water (sparkling or still)! For those (like me) whose Italian is near non-existent, the meal consisted of:

Appetizer plate of crostini (little toasted bread slices) - one with a kind of liverwurst, one with cooked cabbage, one with just olive oil, salt and garlic (that was my fave - YUM!!), plus a scoop of cold chick pea salad.

Soup, a really thick soup named for the Bishop (Priore) of Toscana, and made of faro, beans, dried porcini mushrooms, seasonings.

Pasta with a white meat sauce...I found out that montone translates as ram, so not sure if that means the meat was ram, or if this is just a special dish originating in Montone! Either way it was very delicious and intensely flavoured!

Pork slices with cooked greens on the side. The pork was very tender and had a divine sauce poured over it.

Dessert was a plate of grapes with toffee drizzled over them and a sweet roll same shape as our doughnuts, but more of a bread consistency.

By the time we got to dessert, I was basically bursting at the seams. Mom and I walked back to our house, and I popped on facebook for a few minutes to say goodnight to Dave and the girls and tell them that I ate myself into a coma and had to go sleep it off!

What a fabulous evening!! We also enjoyed a pageant of people in medieval costume, who sat at the head table, and also made the rounds at the tables, stopping to talk with the diners throughout the evening. And the festivities were topped off by fire breathing entertainers, also dressed in medieval costume. Seated around us at our section of the table, were folks from Cetona, a couple from France who had recently bought a new build house just outside the town walls (her father had lived about 5km from Cetona, and had turned the family home into an agriturismo, so she has been visiting the area for years and decided it was time to have a place of her own), and a family from Holland who also own a house close by and come here as often as possible, this was their 4th time of attending the Cena in Piazza.

I took what photos I could, but only had my cell phone and it doesn't do well in the absence of light...but I think these will give a sense of the evening...

Under the Tuscan Sun...

2011-08-11T17:31:00.001-03:00

Cliche as it is, the lure of Under the Tuscan Sun was just too much for us! Saturday found us in Cortona...a place that rises so steeply up the hill, you ride not one but two escalators just to get to Piazza Garibaldi from the parking area down below (and from Piazza Garibaldi, you go uphill some more to the historic centre!) Here is mom on the first of these escalators, maybe halfway up when I snapped the pic. Oh and we had already climbed some stairs as well...

Surprise! Saturday was market day...just like in the movie, when Frances arrives in Cortona on her gay tour of Tuscany! And yes, the sights, the sounds, the smells really all were delicious...one could drink them in for hours...or at least until the hordes of fellow tourists got too much and a quiet corner was needed! On the left is the stall where I bought matching (duh!) table cloths for me and Valerie (who could resist a 100% cotton, brightly patterned, 8 foot long, made in Italy, table cloth for 9 euro??)

Here is the cloth, up close and personal (I took this pic after we got back to our house in Cetona). There were other patterns and colours, some of them very lovely, but I got stuck on this one. I think it is so vibrant and cheery and full of life!

We also stopped into Il Girasoli, a beautiful Etruscan gift shop. I was going to introduce myself to Alessandra Federici, who is also member of the Slow Travel community, as am I. Unfortunately, she was not in the shop at the time. But mom bought a gorgeous pair of earrings, and a souvenir that a certain someone will be delighted with, I am sure!

We wandered along to the Duomo...unfortunately closed. But the Diocesan Museum across the piazza was open, so we toured it. Well, this was an astonishing surprise and feast for the eyes! This museum contains some amazing paintings, including Fra Angelica's Annunciation (although I still prefer his frescoed Annunciation in San Marco in Florence) and three masterpieces by Luca Signorelli (the hometown artist). After drinking in the art, we decided we needed to drink in some wine! So along we went to find a ristorante, trattoria or whatever other food establishment we came across. While we were strolling, we saw a movie being filmed. I can't for the life of me recall the (American?) actress's name, although I have seen her in several movies. We saw her a few times around the town, seemingly on a break, or perhaps filming had been wrapped up for the day. At one point, she was standing just outside the restaurant where we were having lunch, and Mom snapped a couple photos...if anyone knows her name, let me know!

After our very late lunch, we ambled around a while, soaking in the scenery, marvelling at the narrow streets and taking photos (as always!) One of the many steep streets...

And another...this one cuts across Cortona's one and only flat street Via Nazionale so you can get a good perspective of how long a climb it would be from one end to the other. Here is this smaller street looking up from Via Nazionale:

And looking down:

The view from the lovely terrace encircling Piazza Garibaldi.

Even though the terrace is at the lower end of the town, you still have that on top of the world feeling!

And then we drove out of town the back way, because we couldn't resist trying to catch a glimpse of Bramasole...alas, we never found it. But we did find some very charming little roads, like the one below. We very much enjoyed our day in Cortona!

High on a mountaintop

2011-08-10T17:52:00.001-03:00

This past Sunday, I went to worship at Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo, here in Cetona. What a wonderful, uplifting service! Not being Roman Catholic or Italian, much of the mass was a mystery to me (although various phrases like Padre e Figlio e Spirito Santo and mia colpa, mia colpa, mia grandissima colpa and Credo in un solo Dio, Padre onnipotente, creatore del cielo e della terra are pretty self evident!) But my lack of familiarity with the language and liturgy didn't matter one iota. I felt welcome, even though nobody greeted me...actually, in this place, I felt more welcome than if someone had specifically greeted me, if that makes sense. A few nods of the head in my direction felt like ok, you belong here, no need to make a fuss about it. And the music, oh how uplifting it was!! The joyful noise of the small praise band filled me with joy too! Especially when they sang a tune familiar to me (Seek ye first the kingdom of God) and I was able to add my voice to the alleluia chorus.

I was unexpectedly touched by the passing of the peace as well. I have never truly understood the intent of this practice. That is, I know what is about intellectually but , for me, with any spiritual practice, I need to feel the Spirit move before I can gain understanding...and I had never felt that with the passing of the peace, until now. At home, it is usually treated as a social occasion, a meet and greet kind of affair...or else a responsive "peace be with you" - "and also with you" routine that strikes me as forced and awkward.

But here in Italy, I have discovered that everyone simply says "pace" (pronounced PAH-chay, Italian for peace) with deep intention, there is no conversation involved. An old man, elegant with the grace and beauty that comes with age, turned to me, smiled the kindest smile in the history of smiles, looked in my eyes and said pace with his voice, his heart, his soul...and then turned to someone else to offer the same. How could my own soul not respond to such a gift and share it in return? I was indeed flooded with the peace of God...now I understand what this act of passing the peace is all about! I give thanks for encountering the Christ in this wonderful man, who opened my heart to a new understanding of a very old spiritual practice.

After this awesome worship experience, I walked back to our house to rejoin Mom, and we set out for an afternoon of driving around Val d'Orcia. We stopped into Abbazia di Spineto, an old abbey which has been converted into a conference centre - now this is a place to hold a retreat!! And they seemed to have lots of horses, or perhaps they rent out their fields. It was a beautiful spot.

We then carried on our way, moving south toward Radicofani. This is an old town perched way up the mountains...780 meters above sea level. Radicofani will forever be memorable to me as my only really bad driving moment of the trip! I was driving along a street and, for no apparent reason, suddenly we came upon a barricade and the street was temporarily blocked off. No problem, I thought, I'll just turn around in this little road to the left, so I pulled in a ways, intending to back up and onto the street. Big mistake. The little road to the left was such a steep incline that our little car quite literally could not back out of it. Ok...I'll just drive down into this other driveway, turn around, and then drive out. Except the street was such a steep incline that our little car could not start away in first gear either (and mom can attest that it was not that I cannot drive a standard on a hill! I've started away on some doozies over here, but in this case, I just couldn't get the car do more than lurch a couple inches before it stalled out.) Ok...so now I am facing uphill, unable to go forward, no choice but to back down this incredible narrow and steep street, with motorcycles parked inches away on the right, and cars parked inches away on the left. But I managed it somehow, and came to a fairly level dead end side street, where I stopped and collected myself. I was having a slight panic attack, thinking oh shit, I've got this rental car and Mom stuck down a little hell hole of a road in a remote hill town in southern Tuscany...and I'll never get them back out!! After a couple minutes, I decided the only thing to do was to get a run on out of this level side street, gun it up the hill straight out onto to the road at the top, and pray for no oncoming traffic. (Seriously...I was not stopping for anyone!) As evidenced by the fact that I am writing this entry, we obviously made it out alive! lol But then I was in no mood to visit Radicofani's amazing looking fortress...I just wanted to get out of this place, so back on the road we went. Mom remained relatively unphased during this fiasco, having figured that if I was unable to get the car out, we'd enlist the help of some local men to push, pull or otherwise extract us from our predicament!

Leaving Radicofani, we turned back north toward Contignano. The road we took ran along the top of the mountain ridge and was breathtaking, stunning, windswept, remote...awesome...awe-some. Photos do not begin to do it justice. My soul soared on this mountaintop. And we also encountered sheep, very peculiar sheep with tails...we'd never seen the like! Of course, even without the tails, we would have been entranced by a random herd of sheep wandering the mountain road with no shepherd or farms in sight!

Atop the highest section of the ridge was a knoll where the power lines ran...naturally I had to climb up! It was spectacular, the wind was warm and strong, the grasses a gorgeous golden shade, the landscape below contained such variety of colour and texture. I texted Valerie to say I was high on a mountaintop! Reluctantly coming down from the mountain, we drove up to Abbazia di Sant'Antimo, a 12th century (former Benedictine) abbey renowned for its Gregorian chant.

Alas, hearing the chant was not in the cards for us. We did not feel like hanging around for a couple hours, so thought perhaps we'd go and get a bite to eat, then return for the next service, 6:30 vespers. Finding a restaurant open at 5 pm in semi-rural Italy is considerably easier said than done! Twas a task that proved impossible for us, so we abandoned that plan and carried on our way. We thought Montalcino might be a good place to stop for supper. It is very picturesque from a distance...

But left a sour taste in our mouths. We pulled into one of the little pay parking lots and walked over to the ticket machine to get a receipt to put in the dashboard. We were away from the car for a brief couple minutes and only went about 15 feet away...but when we returned to put this receipt on our dash, there was a parking violation ticket for 39 euro on our windshield and not a soul in sight! It was like the parking police were waiting to swoop in as soon as someone left a car unattended for two seconds and then vanish whence they came. Truly it was bizarre. (We haven't paid it yet...Alessandra, owner of our rental house, said she will check into it when she returns to Cetona on Friday, including calling Montalcino for more information. But I suspect we will end up paying, just to avoid the exorbitant processing fees to be incurred if we don't - because we are driving a rental car, and the rental agency will charge us if the ticket ends up going to them for payment.) I advise anyone who visits Montalcino to be very wary of leaving the car unattended for even a couple minutes. And did I mention that we ourselves will never be returning to Montalcino? Once was enough, we have no wish to repeat such a distasteful experience!

And so our tourist dollars were spent instead in the lovely spa town of Bagno Vignoni. We had a very tasty meal at La Terrazza restaurant, overlooking this town "square" of water. Mom had a melt-in-the-mouth piece of beef on a bed of greens, while I had the veal slices with roasted potatoes. Pricey, but yummy!!

After our meal, we headed home. It would have been nice to have strolled around a little, but it was getting late and we were an hour away from home in a strange land, driving on strange (and curvy!) roads, so we thought best to get on our way as soon as we'd eaten. Actually took close to an hour and a half to get home. I discovered night time driving on the steep winding roads requires a great deal more concentration and energy than driving them by day! Those hairpin corners loom suddenly out of the dark, even though there is an excellent system of reflective markers. Also, the signs are really hard to read in the dark! So everytime we encountered a signpost, I had to slow down and peer at the signs to see which way to go. Ok, so I could have turned on the GPS, but where's the challenge in that?? (I actually find the GPS rather annoying, much prefer to navigate on my own, although is comforting to know we have a back up plan in case of emergency.) Plus this way I get to feel really impressed with my driving skills!! lol

By the way, next entry will be our visit to Cortona (which, I just realized, happened the day before the above adventures, but apparently I have lost all track of time over here in this ageless paradise!

Pienza, Montepulciano and Monticchiello

2011-08-09T05:16:00.002-03:00

I am loving Cetona so much that it is hard to summon up the motivation to go anywhere else! However...other towns and the countryside also beckon, so we went on a little roadtrip around southern Tuscany. August 4th was off to an absolutely breathtaking start, with a glorious sunburst of heavenly rays lighting up the sky and the beautiful scenery below our home. We had breakfast and then headed out in the car for Pienza and then Montepulciano.

Here I am in Pienza, lounging on the wall that runs the length of the panoramic terrace. We thought "this must be the best view ever!!" (Until we got back in the car, and every bend in the road brought a delightful new feast for the eyes!)

The Duomo in Pienza contained some gorgeous paintings. I especially liked this one by Giovanni di Paolo, called Madonna con Bambino e i Santi Bernadano, Sabina, Francesco e Antonio abate (1463). There is a serenity about the Sienese style that appeals to me.

Close to the Duomo is a small Francescan church, quite plain and very peaceful. There were several fresco fragments on the wall, some quite deteriorated, others in excellent condition.

This is one of my favourite photos. I was standing behind the massive stone altar, ready to snap a photo looking down through the church, and this man limped in. Love the silhouette against the light blazing through the doorway.

We left Pienza and headed along to Montepulciano, where we had lunch. And a tasty lunch it was! Mom had beef stew with mushrooms, and I had wild boar in wine sauce...washed down with wine, of course! (Although the downside of being the driver is that I can only have one glass when we're out touring around...so maybe I won't need that post-trip detox period after all! lol)

A random street in Montepulciano...I thought the greenery was lovely. We are constantly remarking on how every inch of space is utilized over here. A tiny garden here, a fruit tree there. Very ingenuous sometimes.

Inside the cathedral of Montepulciano, what did my wandering eyes land upon? A wonderful glazed terracotta piece by Andrea della Robbia. How beautiful!

After wandering around Montepulciano, we stopped in the Temple of San Biagio, at the bottom of the hill. The light was just streaming through the windows, and I couldn't resist getting Mom to snap a photo of me standing in the light!

San Biagio perched below Montepulciano...a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture.

Once we left Montepulciano, we decided to drive through the countryside instead of taking one of the larger roads home. So we veered down one of the white gravel roads and came to Monticchielo. A delightful little town. Mom found a shady bench on which to relax, while I wandered along the old town walls.

I had such a pleasant stroll...just me and the trees and this wonderful vista below. I am so grateful for this amazing experience. My soul felt at peace leaning against the massive stone wall, listening to the wind in the trees, watching the light dancing through the olive leaves.

Back on the road again...
How stunningly beautiful is the drive through Val d'Orcia. One runs out of adjectives to describe it! Mile after mile of rolling golden hills, cypress lined roads, shady groves overhung with branches of huge old birches or pines, beautiful stone towns atop the hills...

And the wonderful Chianina cattle! I love cows in the first place, and these big white ones are magnificent. We pulled over beside a farm to check them out up close and personal. This beauty gazed at us for a bit, then ambled over to join the rest of the herd by the watering hole.

Eventually we headed for home...leaving behind these gorgeous fields, at least for this day. This daytrip was on Aug 4, and we are here until the 13th, so we'll see these fields again, I'm sure!

Tuscany before it was "Tuscany"

2011-08-03T19:07:00.002-03:00

Aside from simply wandering around, exploring the nooks and crannies of Cetona streets...we also visited the Civic Museum, conveniently located a few minutes from our house. Here we toured exhibits of neolithicm, bronze age, and Etruscan artifacts. We didn't learn a huge amount because the commentaries were all Italian only! But we gleaned what we could, and enjoyed looking at everything. Lots of artifacts from periods prior to the Etruscan period...I wonder what, if anything, the land was called before it was named after the Etruscans!

This is venere di Savignano...appeared to be an ancient fertility statue

Bowls from the neolithic period, 4000ish years ago. What really struck me was the decoration...I just hadn't thought of prehistoric people as being that refined. Cavedwellers...not just hairy men with clubs after all! lol

This is a pot called a bollitoio per h. latte which was used to boil milk to kill harmful bacteria when making cheese. The triangular piece is full of holes, and goes on top. The milk is poured into the jug, the jug is heated, and the boiling milk flows through the porous part. Again, I am entirely surprised that prehistoric people were so advanced!

After our visit to the museum, we had lunch and then drove over to the Belverde archaeological site. We had a guided tour, along with a few other people. The tour was in Italian (the guide also spoke French, but no English!) But they gave us a leaflet with all the basic information in English, so we were able to follow along nicely. This is the stone age hut. These people used looms to weave cloth, and forges for metallurgy, etc. Clearly I did not pay enough attention in history class, as this level of advancement just kept on astonishing me the whole day!

Down into the grotto we went. This was a cave, thought to have been an actual dwelling place. The settlement was recreated, complete with the firepit at the entrance to keep out animals, to the place for the dead to be laid to rest at the back of the cave. I took a photo down inside, but it came out too blurry to post, so I'll just post this one of the stairs down into the grotto.

The walk through the park to the specific points of interest was just lovely! This was a great place to be on a hot summer day - the temp was around 30c today, although truly didn't feel that hot in Cetona, presumably because of the elevation plus all the tall stone buildings provide lots of shade. I also had lots of fun driving up and down the mountains! Have I mentioned that I want me one o' these excellent little Fiat 500s?? Really takes those hairpin corners well!

A morning of wandering around Cetona...

2011-08-03T17:51:00.001-03:00

Mom wanted to explore Cetona today, which suited me just fine! We walked around the town, climbing up and circling round the castle at the top of the hill, although unable to go inside as it is now privately owned. This is the castle seen from the street below:

The chimneys are really interesting here, especially this twisty one:

The next two pics are of a super cute kitty with a full belly (or so we gathered from the nearby pile of feathers), just rolling around and playing in the sun:

This is a view from the Belverde*, which runs just below the Rocca (the name of the castle):

(*not to be confused with Belverde archaeological site, a couple miles from Cetona, which we also visited today.

Here I am gazing out over the gorgeous rooftops, admiring the view:

A shrine up in the walls of the castle:

I got Mom to snap a pic of me standing in a doorway in the castle wall:

Love these rooftops! The open space on the left is one end of Piazza Garibaldi:

One of the side streets we walked up, for no particular reason other than it appealed to us:

Mom on one of the streets up around the castle:

These cute little lizards are all over the place here, including some that live in the vines on the wall of our terrace:

This is Cantina La Frasca, where we get our wine and cheese and spiced meats. Thanks to Alessandra and Francesco introducing us to the owner, we are able to enjoy the local option of returning our empty flask as often as we like to be refilled with farm wine (for 2.50 euro), rather than having to buy bottled wine. (No doubt I have already mentioned this, but I just can't get over paying a mere 2.50 euro for a really drinkable table wine!)

Osteria Vecchio, where we stopped for lunch today. I had tagliatelle nonna (translated on the menu as "handcut noodles by grandma"), mom had ravioli with ricotta and spinach, and we shared a piece of chocolate torte and a piece of warm pear and apple pie. All very tasty, bill was 42 euro, including a small bottle of house wine, a bottle of sparkling water, and an espresso each.

The little yellow sign down to the left of the tower is the entrance to Il Merlo, where I had such tasty steak strips the other night (can't recall if posted a pic here, or just on facebook?)

The lantern outside our tower, above our door. The flag is that of our contrade - Porte Lateri - which won the recent Cetona palio, held the day we arrived, although all we saw of it was a few people walking around in period costume.

Vicolo del Sole...the street below us, which I have yet to wander down...one of these days!

A visit to Citta della Pieve

2011-08-03T03:54:00.000-03:00

I slept in until well after 9 o'clock this morning...but then again, I didn't get to sleep until after well after midnight. Mom had been up for a little while, just enjoying our terrace. I had a leisurely breakfast...bread and cheese and honey, yogurt, espresso, juice and a peach. I managed to stuff most of it into me, but ended up saving the peach for later.

We decided to go for a drive to Citta della Pieve to see the paintings by Il Perugino. Citta della Pieve is a hill top town in Umbria that we can see from our windows, and also a place Francesco recommended to us. What a beautiful drive!! I kept looking for places to pull over so we could take photos! The is a house and sunflower field close to Cetona.

In Citta della Pieve, we first went to the tourist office and got a map of the town and oodles more information - the girl was so friendly and helpful that we couldn't say no to all the brochures she kept helpfully piling on! Then our first stop was the cathedral.

The painting over the altar is by Il Perugino. Alas my close ups are a bit blurry, and I don't have photo editing on my netbook so can't crop this one to show you a better view. It really is quite gorgeous!!

The organ was quite stunning, set high up in the back wall. I imagine the sound is very rich.

I thought this chapel wall was marble until I got a closer look at the adjoining wall and saw that it is really fresco (or something similar) that was peeling off in a few places. I love the colours and the pattern.

Il Perugino's Baptism of Christ. This is an painting both Mom and I have seen many times in reproductions, so it was pretty thrilling to see the orginal in person!

Since we were in the neighbourhood...
We couldn't resist popping along to Vicolo Baciadonne. The girl at the tourist office said it is the narrowest street in Italy, and is so named (Baciadonne = kiss the woman) because it is so narrow that when a man and a woman approach from opposite directions, they have to kiss as they pass because it is just that narrow. Obviously we took the legend with a grain of salt, but nonetheless, we had to see it for ourselves!

Here I am standing in the narrowest part...as you can see, it would be pretty difficult for two people to pass through here! Mind you if, say, George Clooney was passing through, am thinking I'd be ok with the close quarters... ;) lol!!!

One of the beautiful curved streets in Citta della Pieve, lined with colourful red brick buildings. Cetona is mostly stone, or that plaster stuff used on restored buildings. Whereas C della P is mostly red brick. So the two towns look quite different.

A construction site! We had to squeeze around the worker's truck to get by. I assume the yellow chute is for cleaning debris out of the upper floor. I just thought this was a fun shot of every day life. Medieval hill towns...they aren't just there for tourists, real life goes on too!

What is a day in Italy without gelato?? Actually we had two this day! This second time we also had a pastry...lemon for Mom, chocolate for me! We both had limone gelato and it was incredible, so tangy and refreshing. The old man at the counter was far less brusque the second time we stopped in, perhaps we had gained status as repeat customers!

The next few photos are just random images taken along the drive back to Cetona from Citta della Pieve. I wish I had thought to snap a photo of the plunging dirt road that our GPS tried to send us down! It was a paved road, then became gravel, but was in good shape so I figured ok, we'll keep going. Until we came around a corner and literally the road just disappeared - it was just that steep of a drop! Not being at all interested in pursuing that particular route, I backed up, turned around and headed in another direction. The turning around was...interesting, considering the steepness of the bank on one side and an embankment looming above us on the other side. My driving skills are up for the Italian experience though. Actually am finding it quite fun zipping around in our tiny Fiat 500. That thing almost literally turns on a dime. I want one of my very own!

How beautiful is the colour and texture of these grapes, hanging in the sun...

This is a view of Cetona from up the road. Not a particularly good photo, mind you, but I like the shot anyway, with the corn field in the foreground. The various shades of green and yellow that we are seeing everywhere are so eye catching and gorgeous.

Random house...or actually I think it was an agriturismo place. Seemed newly built, and the cypress trees are so small, I assumed they are fairly recently planted.

Not sure what struck my eye in this scene, but I really like it...the rolling hills of dirt looked like clay.

"Just" another pretty villa...across the road from the last photo. This are up a random gravel road.

As we meandered around, we came upon a town up on a hill (where else?!) called Le Piazze. We thought it was a good spot to stretch our legs, so we sat in a little park/playground and ate our peaches (leftover from breakfast). There were little tiny lizards skittering around, the same as the ones who live in the vines on the wall above the terrace in our rental house.

Eventually we made our way home, where a glass of wine was in order! We can get the one litre flask refilled with a very drinkable "farm wine" for 2.50 euro. (From the shop where we had the wine tasting our first night - already we are benefitting from being introduced around to the locals by Alessandra and Francesco!) I cooked pici for supper (local pasta made with just flour and water), and sauteed some veggies (carrots, zucchini, eggplant, onions, sweet pepper, swiss chard, celery) and added a plain tomato sauce. We had it with grated (fresh) parmesan and asiago cheeses on top...molto bene!

Cetona...a dream come true

2011-08-02T14:27:00.001-03:00

For those who haven't seen the photos of our rental house in Cetona on facebook...here are a few shots of where Mom and I are staying this week and next:

We drove from Assisi to Cetona, mostly using the GPS, with a couple of glitches. The only one that was problematic was that the GPS tried to direct me onto Piazza Garibaldi, which is a ZTL (limited traffic zone), and obviously I was not in the mood for a traffic violation ticket, so turned around, dug out my netbook and pulled up the map our host had emailed to me a few days ago. Lovin the netbook, so handy when travelling!! I parked in the lot at the bottom of the hill and we walked up the steep street...

...to find Alessandra just coming down the street to meet us. The is the door to our house, which is actually a restored 14th century tower, one of the towers in the medieval wall around the historic centre of Cetona.

If you walk a few steps up past the door and turn around, this is the view. Taking the left fork will bring you to the back door of the house, on the third floor. The bottom door in the above photos enters into the first floor. Yes, yes we really are staying in a three story medieval tower in a hilltop town in southern Tuscany...does it get anymore fairytale-ish than this? I think not!

View from in front of the tower...if I had panned the camera to the left a bit more, you might be able to make out Citta della Pieve perched on a hill in the distance. (Citta della Pieve is a nearby town in Umbria. Cetona is near the corner where the regions of Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio meet.)

Walk in the entrance and be entranced by this sight. Dining table to the left, living area (the orange chairs are in front of a fireplace, although obviously we have no need of a fire since it is around 30c here!) At the end of the photo is a plexiglass door that blocks off the unfinished part of the tower (more about that in another post.) Before the living area, on the right is the kitchen, shown in the next photo.

The kitchen is well stocked with essentials, such as olive oil, balsamic, coffee, spices, dishes...really everything we need to make our own meals, once we pick up the main ingredients.

Up the stairs is the door to the terrace (with a pocket in the wall that Francesco has made into a jacuzzi, so one can relax in the jacuzzi and also soak in the gorgeous view.) Then comes the second floor, which will be Mom's quarters, and then the top floor is all mine!

The jacuzzi room....

Mom`s bedroom, with full ensuite bathroom.

My seating area...

My bedroom area. I also have a tiny terrace off the seating area, and the washing machine is up here, plus my own separate entrance, should I need to escape out the back door! lol

Francesco and Alessandra, who are SO friendly, welcoming and helpful. They took us for an orientation tour to see what shops are available. And offered to take us to wine farm, for wine tasting and lunch, if we want. They have provided sightseeing suggestions. And also introduced us to around (i.e to the owner of Il Merlo restaurant, and the owner of the wine/cheese shop) because relationships very important in Italy, says Alessandra. Important for the owners to know who we are, and who we know. Francesco restored this house himself, by the way. He is from Rome but came and fell in love with Cetona. Alessandra is from Rimini, and has studied a year in Barcelona, which city seems to have stolen her heart! Francesco also has an APE (one of the tiny 3 wheel trucks)...when they asked if I wanted to take it for a test drive, I said YES!!! I am hoping they were not joking, it would be so cool to drive one of those! As if everything else wasn`t enough...they also too us for a sampling at wine/cheese store (I will share the name when I remember it), where we had basically an unlimited tasting of the "farm wine" (which we can get for for 2.50 euro if we bring back the empty flask each time, or 4 euro if need a bottle), fresh, aged, and crudo cheeses, bread w olive oil, lightly sauteed garlic cloves, spiced meat and a taste of a 2006 sangenovese. Naturally we went back in the morning and bought some of these goodies!

Then they bid us good-night, showed us where they live, gave us numbers and said call if we need anything. And then Mom and I went for a stroll around the town. We were not hungry after all the taste testing so had no need of supper! This is the fountain in Piazza Garibaldi. The piazza, as expected, is the hub of the town, and all the shops can be found on it. I am pretty sure I have died and gone to heaven...

Our one night stand in Assisi...

2011-08-01T17:09:00.000-03:00

Saturday morning arrived and we said arrivederci Roma! The drive out of Rome was way less stressful than I anticipated. Although can see how it would not be for everyone (including my dear hubby!) The tricky bit was getting out of Villa Borghese (we rented from Hertz on via Galappatoio. The woman at the counter gave us good directions, but it was a fast series of split second decisions getting on the right track, and then basically smooth sailing all the way to Assisi. I took a few wrong turns - the GPS gives WAY too much notice of upcoming turns and so I turned too soon. No problem, another route is quickly calculated. Twice we were told: "Calculating. Impossible. Make an authorized u-turn and prepare to turn left". (This was true approaching Assisi as I'd turned off into a dead end...but when I took a "wrong" turn going through Chiusi, I ignored the GPS and simply followed the road signs to Cetona...so clearly the impossible route WAS possible after all!)

Anyway, the result of my wrong turn on the approach to Assisi meant that we ended up arriving from a different direction, along a very quiet country road, and had this beautiful view of the basilica...

I found the driving in Assisi rather more challenging than driving in Rome, although not in a bad way. It was actually kind of fun, and I was so pleased with myself for manoevering around those tiny steep streets! Especially the part where I had to back up this ever so narrow street and back into a postage stamp parking spot. And all of this in an unfamiliar standard transmission rental car. Before we left home, I had planned to take Valerie's car for a couple days since I haven't driven a standard since our Vibe was written off in Nov, but never got around to it. But it didn't matter.

We had some difficulty finding Hotel Fortezza. Turns out Vicolo della Fortezza 19B is out of sight down around the corner of a set of stairs. I left a comment that a sign up top would be most helpful. Otherwise it was a lovely hotel, only negative was the really hard bed (and I am used to a firm mattress, so this is not an idle statement!) The staff was very friendly and helpful, one man took us up to the private parking area and carried our luggage back down. Here is Mom in the upstairs bar, where guests can have breakfast in the morning, plus coffee and pastries in the afternoon (included in room cost).

We had lunch in one of those places on the piazza that cater to tourists, just because it was so hot and we wanted just to sit and have a cold drink (no, not wine...it was beer this time! lol) When I got in the car to drive up to the hotel's parking area, the car read 37 degrees Celsius! But I think a few degrees were from the radiation of heat off the stones.

After lunch, we decided to go see Rocca Maggiore and found an "off the beaten path" path up the hill...a nearly deserted walking trail up along the old wall. Very peaceful, shaded, gorgeous views. Highly recommend this route on a hot summer day! Mom and I both remembered seeing Rocca Maggiore from the other side of town when we were in Assisi in 2006, but we hadn't gotten to it.

It is really very interesting and great to explore, and not really expensive, only 5 euro for me and 3.50 for mom (after a seniors' discount). My favourite part of the castle was the long corridor ending in a narrow winding set of stairs up to the top of the end tower. So cool!

Mom stayed behind in the other tower, fearing the stairs might be too much for her knees, and I would say that was a good move on her part. The stairs were not only steep, but very worn and uneven and taxing on the legs. And evidently scary to those with claustrophobia - there is a warning sign before you pay the entrance fee that those with claustrophobia or vertigo should not enter the castle. When I was about to climb back down, I could hear a family coming up, with a child making fearful noises. A man emerged saying "Ahh, that was so scary!" I thought it was too narrow to try to descend with someone else ascending, if I had a choice. So I said something about waiting for the others. "No, there is no one else, just me." Oops, no family, no crying child...it was the man who had been whimpering. Poor guy, hope he made out ok on the way back out.

We walked back through the town centre, stopping in San Rufino briefly. I was not as drawn by Assisi this time as I was in March 2006, no doubt because of the heat and the crowds. But still found it enchanting and loved the steep staircases (aka streets) all over the place! For our supper, we dined at Ristorante Fortezza, adjoining our hotel. I had a delicious meal of red wine, fresh vegetable soup, cinghiale (wild boar) in red wine and onion sauce, tiramisu, and espresso. The cinghiale was so tender and tasty. I'd never had it before, and am glad I tried it.

When we came out, we discovered there was a free concert underway in Piazza del Comune. A band called Oskuri Figuri covering songs by David Bowie, Elton John, Van Morrison, the Clash, etc plus a few contemporary bands whose names escape me. We watched for an hour or so, it was great fun! At one point they played Dancing in the Moonlight, and the place was packed with people doing what else? Dancing in the moonlight. Cool.

In the morning, we had a light breakfast on little terrace then went to mass at the Basilica. Not being Roman Catholic or Italian, I had no idea what was being said, and only knew when to sit, stand, kneel by watching the people around me. But I was moved by the resonance of so many voices chanting in unison at various times during the service. There was a wonderful choir, and a huge group of young people who were filled with joy and spirit and I gave thanks for their presence and energy!

After mass, we had a quick look at the Giotto frescos, but it was just too crowded. So we spent the rest of the morning just strolling around, admiring the view. We stopped in Il Duomo (I think) and had a great pizza for lunch. Mom had frutti di mare, I had a vegetable pizza with a mystery vegetable. Wish I had written down the name, the girl didn't know what it was in English. Am thinking maybe some kind of mushroom, but not sure.

After lunch, we headed along to Cetona. Driving out of Assisi was just as challenging as the drive in! I stopped at one point and took this photo, just to show how narrow the streets are - Mom and I could literally each stick our hand out the window and touch the walls on either side. I had no trouble getting around though!

High on Rome

2011-07-29T17:56:00.002-03:00

Today brought humidity and a lag to our steps. No wonder we were dragging just a bit though, we really have been on the go this week, even with our rests in the park and siestas in the apartment. But it was our last full day in Rome and we had a couple things we still wanted to do, if we could. So back to St. Peter's we went this morning, to climb the cupola. 320 stairs to the top...and that was after the elevator part way up (shaving off more than 200 more steps - well worth the extra 2 euro, I figure!) Surprisingly, the climb was considerably less arduous than we anticipated, at least at the time. Our legs were feeling it later in the day though. But it wasn't as hard as climbing the Duomo in Florence. What a view from up there!!

The interior of St. Peter's looks so far down and how small the people are. You can get a sense of just how incredibly HUGE this basilica is when gazing down from up here. And the photo below in only one of the short (transepts?)

The letters in the gold ring around the top are about ten feet high...they appear only inches big when looking up from the floor.

Once at the top, you can circle around the outside of the cupola to stare in amazement at the view! This is looking down over the facade of the church, at the piazza designed by Bernini.

Looking down the opposite side..."someone" apparently has beautiful gardens in which to stroll around in Vatican City...can't imagine who that could be!

At the top, feeling quite pleased with ourselves!

Mom on the way down...a couple of the spiral staircases were quite narrow and steep. At one point, a woman behind me kept talking about feeling claustrophobic. I didn't mind it at all, but can see how it might bother others. There were also places where the walls and stairs were curved, which was pretty discombobulating to climb!

Part way down, you can walk out over the roof of the facade and, if feeling inspired to part with your money, you can buy something at the gift shop (we were not so inspired!)

We worked up quite an appetite with all this climbing, so next on the agenda was lunch. I can't recall the name of the place - possibly San Marco, which sounds right since it had a pic of Venice on the wall. It was a couple blocks from Lepanto metro station. We had pizza...and lots of water! I had a pizza with buffalo mozza, a particular variety of tomato which name I can't recall, prosciutto and basil on a thin crust. It was good, but not as good as the smoked salmon delight from last night. Mom tried one with a thicker crust, which had some type of greens on it (didn't quite seem to be spinach, but not sure.)

Mom had read about the museum in Palazzo Barbarini and was intrigued, so after lunch we hopped on the metro and were there in no time! A rather imposing structure it is, I must say.

They were so strict about their no photo rule that you have to check all cameras, bags, purses, backpacks, etc at the door (in a locker, you pay a euro deposit for the key). The first floor was closed, but the upper two were open. The man at the desk assured us that their masterpieces were on the second floor. Raphael's Fornarina (sp) is there, as is Caravaggio's Judith beheading Holofernes (the crone on the right is mesmerizing, her face has such an intense expression!) and a Hans Holbein painting of Henry VIII, among other works. A most impressive collection. After making the rounds of the many rooms on the second floor...we looked at the staircase, looked at each other, and agreed we were saturated with art and quite possibly our brains would explode if we tried to fit more in.

So we left. When we came out the doors, we noticed a fountain so of course I had to play in it...

And I just loved the glow of these buildings in the afternoon sun...

And this fountain in Piazza Barberini...

By now it was around four or five o'clock. We considered having a rest in the apartment for a couple hours and then having an evening stroll (since we hadn't yet experienced the streets of Rome at night) but we got lazy and decided to spend our last evening in the apartment. Dining on the little terrace and just enjoying the view of the umbrella pines, watching the crazy traffic (we have a rush hour outside our window around 7-8pm when the traffic swells to 3 lanes, with motorcycles and scooters weaving in and out...it is most entertaining!) Tomorrow we head to Assisi...wish me luck driving out of Rome!!! We're picking up our rental car at the Hertz in the Villa Borghese. This will be quite an adventure, I'm sure.

Paintings and parks and big giant body parts

2011-07-28T20:21:00.001-03:00

Hard to believe this is our fifth day in Rome, feels like we just arrived yesterday...or was it last month? One's sense of time is pretty skewed here...and when renting an apartment, it doesn't take long to feel a sense of belonging. What a great day we had! And now I'm tired...it's late...I've more than a little wine...and so it's bedtime. But here is a quick recap...

First we took the metro to Piazza del Popolo...what a great huge open space, complete with one of those obelisks, which are one of the things Mom is "collecting" in a way on this trip. Photos of the obelisks we come across. Of the two twin churches, only Santa Maria dei Miracoli was open. I loved the size, the shape and the acoustics...the ornate decor, not so much. But still a wonderful church to visit. Then into Santa Maria del Popolo to view the stunning Caravaggio painting "The Conversion of Saul". Wow, powerful stuff. The lighting effects in the painting were amazing, as was the realism of the figures. Caravaggio's "Crucifixion of St. Peter" was there as well, and equally brilliant as far as the artistry, but I was not so inclined to sit and gaze upon someone's horrible death - much preferred to view a moment of transformation. The no photo policy in this side chapel was strictly enforced so you'll have to make do with googling the images! There were also a couple of gorgeous Pinturicchio (sp) frescos (one shown below). I love his work, such vibrant colours, although these were not as sumptuous as his Piccilomini room in Siena. There were also a few really bizarre images, like the embodiment of Death (also shown below)...not quite sure what that is about, but couldn't resist a photo!

After we left the church, we headed up the hill to Pincio. Lovely walk up through the treed pathways, stopping at a fountain to dip our hands and sprinkle some water down over our arms - so refreshing! And the water in the fountains is inevitably crystal clear here. The gardens (Pincio and Borghese) were a shady reprieve from the hot sun, although it hasn't been unbearable here as far as the heat goes...high twenties with a touch of humidity. When standing in the full sun, it feels hotter than home, but so far there has been a nice breeze and/or shady places to rest (aka lie down on a park bench!)

We had lunch at the Cafe Rosa (or something like that) in Villa Borghese, and then went along to check out the Capitoline Hill and museums. We took the tiny electric bus (#116 that through the medieval part of the city, getting off near Piazza Venezia. Someone (Tony Roma maybe) on SlowTrav had recommended approaching Capitoline from the side, as opposed to the big sweeping main steps. So we thought we'd give that a try. As we wandered through the streets, looking for the right route, we came upon the excavation of Portico d'Ottavia. Have to say, it is awesome to encounter such a site, it felt like history unfolding before our eyes. There was a building that looked remarkably like a smaller version of the Colosseum (although still a huge structure as you can see below in the photos - one of Mom standing in one of the arches and the other photo is the whole building), plus three columns resembling those in the Foro Romano.

Once we made our way through - literally because you are allowed to go right down into the excavation site - we crossed the road and started up a hill that I figured would lead to the Capitoline but wasn't sure. Eventually we came upon two older uniformed Italian men so I asked dove Capitoline? They had no idea what I was talking about...until I remembered it was called Campidoglio on my map. Ah si, si, Campidoglio!! They beckoned us forward and led us along to the site, showed us how to find the washrooms, the terrace, the piazza. They were so friendly and helpful! My Italian being essentially non-existent, all I could do was say an enthusiastic mille grazie and smile! We decided to visit the church first - Santa Maria Aracoeli. It is quite spectacular, but have to say the thing I most remember is the Chapel of the Holy Infant...and sad to say, my memory is one of giggle fits. My apologies to any who might be offended, but the baby Jesus doll outfitted in gold and wearing a crown just struck my funny bone.

When we left the church, we went up to the terrace behind the Victor Emmanual monument...the view of ancient Rome from up here is incredible!! I didn't get a great shot on my cell phone, but here is one that shows the Colosseum in the distance, and some of the Forum in the foreground.

Eventually we moved on to the museum itself...I really wanted to see the remnants of the colossus statue (of Constantine, I believe). You know, that big giant head, hand and foot that is seen so often in various ads (including Ristorante a Mano in Halifax!) Naturally I couldn't resist holding my own hand up in the same pose...

Also in the museum is the statue of the She-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus (the orphaned twins who founded Rome, according to the legends.) Mom read that the statue is from 5th century BC or thereabouts...I believe it is Etruscan, but am not positive. Pretty cool to see it in person though.

After admiring many more statues, including the original bronze Marcus Aurelius on his horse, around which Michelangelo designed the piazza, we were tired and headed away for supper and home. We left the hill by the main steps. At the bottom, I looked up the stairs leading to the church, and while standing there a rather fancy car pulled up (a Bentley perhaps). And a wedding party soon followed...so I joined the bunch of tourists snapping photos, because well the bride and groom just looked incredible in their fancy wedding clothes!

After photo-crashing the wedding party, we caught a bus back to our neighbourhood. We stopped into the apt for a glass of wine while waiting for Raf restaurant to open (closed until 7:30) and then went along for supper. I had the most intensely flavoured smoked salmon and porcini mushroom pizza...so incredibly delicious, it was heavenly!! And now am done for the day so good-night!

Four score...

2011-07-28T05:05:00.001-03:00

...is about how many years you'd need to stay in Rome to even begin to see all there is to see in the Eternal City. Churches, piazzas, museums...oh my! I must confess Rome doesn't capture my heart and soul the way Florence does, but I still find it fascinating and could easily spend months here. We had a time trying to decide what to do today! There are sooo many options, it gets easy to overdo it. Which is something we want to avoid. We decided to check out San Giovanni in Laterano and Santa Maria Maggiore, since both are close to metro stations on the same line as the station near our apartment. We had bought Roma passes, so our fare was covered. Such a convenient way to travel! We don't have subways in Nova Scotia, so it is a bit of a treat for me (a sometimes crowded, loud, smelly, pushy experience, but...still a treat!)

Mom and I were both awed by San Giovanni. Well first we were awed by the old city walls and then by the church itself.

The bronze front doors were massive. I think Mom read that they are only opened in Jubilee years. This church is the seat of the Pope when he is in Bishop of Rome mode, so the jubilee thing makes sense, as the big doors in honour of the Pope at the Vatican are also only opened in Jubiless years. I couldn't resist getting mom to snap a photo of me knocking on the door...

The mosaics were spectacular, so intricate and they glowed wherever the light hit them (the natural light from the windows...there were no artificial lights on.) For some reason, I found myself fascinated with the marble patterns of the floor. They were also very intricate and beautiful. Plus one was pretty weird...you'll know the one of which I speak as you scroll down, I'm sure!

We also visited the cloister, although disappointed that it was under restoration so it didn't have that serene place of refuge atmosphere of other cloisters I have been visited. It did have a beautiful sketch - Raphael's Alba Madonna - as well as some lovely tapestries (some not so lovely...like the one depicting St. John the Evangelist being boiled alive. Yikes, gruesome stuff!

When we left San Giovanni, it began to rain...no matter, we hopped on the bus and rode down the the Colosseum area to have lunch. There is no hope of getting the full Colosseum in one photo, so I didn't even try! But I like this shot...

We wanted to revisit a trattoria we ate at regularly when last in Rome, but it was closed so we went to Divin Ostilia Enoteca instead. My ravioli ricotta e spinaci in salsa rosa was uber tasty, as was Mom's lasagna al ragu bolognese. A half bottle of Cesanese del Piglio (their red house wine), followed by an espresso, rounded out our meal.

Playing with the camera and my wine glass! What better time to be silly than when sitting in a wine bar in Rome on a rainy afternoon...

Here I am wearing my new piece of jewelry. I have never seen a fish necklace in silver...have seen any number and style of crosses and doves, but never a fish. I saw it. I wanted it. I bought it! I LOVE IT!! :) Put it right on my chain with the little silver cross Dave gave me years ago, not too long after I started going to church.

After lunch, we rode the Metro over to see Santa Maria Maggiore. Similar to Santa Maria in Trastevere and Santissima Annunziata in Florence, the piazza had a worn and sketchy feel, but I still loved the atmosphere.

The mosaics here were incredible. How incredible were they? you ask. So incredible that I paid to light them up for a photo op! Alas you do not get the benefit of this glorious sight, because the good pics are on Mom's camera and so I cannot yet share them on my blog. The business of charging to light up the apse or side chapels in Italy was a practice that used to seem so petty and cheesy to me, until...I got thinking about the staggering volume of tourists passing through these places and the fact that most don't leave an offering or otherwise contribute to the upkeep of the churches and well, someone has to pay for the lights to be on! I know the Roman Catholic church as a corporate body is wealthy beyond imagining, but I don't necessarily think that wealth trickles down to individual parishes. I am sure those face the same economic realities as the rest of us. Also, lighting these treasures really is only for the purposes of photo ops...anyone is welcome to come into the church for free and just enjoy the space, or sit in a quiet side chapel and pray. San Giovanni had one chapel closed off with glass doors and a big sign indicating "silence, no photos" where people can go to pray in peace and quiet. As tourists, I think we often forget that these are, in fact, active churches with parishioners who come to worship and pray, and not just gawk at the art! When I was in the side chapel praying, I also tried to imagine how it would feel to have great masses of tourist chatting all around me, snapping photos etc, in my home church...I think it would be difficult to get into a prayerful state of being in the midst of all that hustle and bustle.

And after viewing these two magnificent churches today, we were ready for something that didn't engage our brains so much...so we rode the metro over to Spagna and joined the horde on the steps for a little while. It was great to see S. Trinita a Monte (or something like that) at the top of the steps...last time we were in Rome, it was covered in scaffolding. What a beautiful church! Eventually we gathered ourselves up and returned to the apartment, stopping into the Bila to pick up a tub of gelato for our dessert - a chocolate and hazelnut concoction made by Baci of Perugia - delicious!

Our evening was also filled with connections with loved ones back home. I popped onto facebook as we were sipping a glass of Prosecco and Valerie happened to pop on at same time, so we switched over to skype and had a wonderful conversation! Although hopefully she will get her video working for next time - she could see us, but we couldn't see her. Almost as soon as we hung up from Val, Sara came on skype, so we had a great chat with her too - and her video was working, so it truly was a face to face conversation. (And we got to say hi to Jake, and also see the kittens!) Dave came on an hour or so later, so we were able to catch up as well. I love skype! Not sure how Bell etc manage to maintain any business when they charge such exorbitant rates for international phone calls...who would pay their rates when you can skype for free? Not me! Then a bit later, Lynn was on Facebook so I got to have a chat with her too! And hinted strongly that she needs to get skype so we can have a face to face next week when Mom and I are in Cetona! :) What are the odds of (almost) all my people being online the same evening as we were online from Rome - what a marvellous coincidence!!! Now if only I could manage to connect with my baby girl, Moira, all would be perfect! We've texted a bit, but haven't been online at the same time yet. Soon though, I'm sure.

Third day's a charm!

2011-07-27T18:30:00.000-03:00

Our third day began with a morning of lounging around the apartment. We lingered over breakfast of yogourt (which is so much better than what we have back home), a handful of crunchy cereal, an orange and some juice...and were just generally slow to get moving. Not surprising since neither of us slept well! But then we headed out to Castel Sant'Angelo to tour its bastians and learn of its history. Well not so much learning on my part, am afraid! I found it fascinating, but mostly in a "look, something shiny" kind of way...my eye being caught by the texture of the rooftops, the patterns on the doors, the amazing views of the city...

We had an okay lunch in Il Bar Restaurant Le Terrazze near the top of the Castel. Great views...mediocre restaurant. I have no idea why we were presented with a several page menu...because it turned out they had only three pasta selections available, or a couple of sandwich choices. Not being in the mood for carbonara or hot and spicy pasta, and not being a huge fan of clams, I opted for a sandwich...tuna to be specific. (My other choices were ham and cheese, or tomato and cheese). Dry, dry sandwich without a lot of filling...my suggestion? Give their tuna sandwich a pass!! In fact, I would say go here ONLY for an espresso (or capuccino etc) and to enjoy the view in a shady and breezy locale.

Next we rode the bus to the Vatican museums. We accidentally went through the (empty) line up for group tours - seriously, we didn't do it on purpose - and were quickly inside to purchase our tickets. The place was (duh) jam-packed with other tourists. We basically zipped straight on through the first few rooms, since were mainly interested in seeing the Raphael rooms and the Sistine Chapel. Raphael's School of Athens fresco was just as stunning as we'd remembered.

After we pulled ourselves out of the Sistine Chapel (no photos...the guards were just too darn omnipresent!), we exited the Museums through a different route than we'd taken when there a few years ago. We went through several rooms of modern art (or at least art from a more modern time period, no clue what style or movement or whatever it was.) A few pieces caught my eye, including a wooden relief of Jesus in a boat. Along one of the corridors, there were some old marble tables, which were gorgeously intricate.

Eventually we found ourselves at the spiral ramp/staircase and exited the building...this staircase is really cool. I had seen pictures long ago and remember being disappointed not to see it last time (I know...how greedy am I? Seeing the Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel weren't enough for me apparently, I wanted to see a staircase as well! lol) In my defence...hey, this staircase is really cool!! When we got out to the street, I looked down the sidewalk, jammed with people, and thought man, that sun has got to be baking hot beating off the wall of Vatican City (the sidewalk ran along the wall, which is HUGE.) So Mom and I crossed over to the shady side, all the while pitying those wilting in the heat on the sunny side. We came upon one of Rome's ubiquitous and oh-so-refreshing fountains so we stopped to splash ourselves and have a drink (the spouts have a hole a few inches from the end, so when you plug the end with your finger, a stream of water shoots up to form a drinking fountain...how clever is that?!) We also stopped for gelato, also refreshing, especially limone...such a tangy burst of yummy!! We had thought to climb the cupola of St. Peter's but we missed it by thaaat much. Closed just minutes before we got there.

So we hopped bus instead ,wound our way up and over Gianicolo hill and found ourselves in Trastevere. I asked Mom if she was okay with a visit to the Santa Maria in Trastevere...indeed she was. After mildly losing our way, we came upon this old church, one of the oldest in Rome. The piazza reminded me a bit of Santa Annunciata in Florence...sketchy but full of life and pretty cool in a down to earth kind of way.

The church is beautiful, but my interior shots are not really worth posting (only had my cell phone camera with me, which takes fantastic pics, but not so good in dimly lit church buildings or when close ups are in order.)

After this unexpected delight, it was time to head 'home'. We made our way across the river (after again mildly losing our way!), then caught a bus back to via Crescenzio. The Tiber was lovely this evening, still as glass and reflecting the clouds.

We ate in, once again winding down by relaxing with a glass of wine on our terrace, admiring the parasol pines and the warm night air...ahhhh, heaven!

Day 2 in Rome

2011-07-26T19:47:00.001-03:00

First order of business on our second day in Rome was heading to the tourist information centre for a map and a Roma pass, and then to the grocery store. We knew we wouldn't want to eat out all the time, especially for breakfast. The owner of our rental apartment left a great information package, including map of the area with places of interest marked - including supermarkets, restaurants, "ice creams" and hospitals. We headed off to the Bila on via Cola di Reinzo. If I had read the instructions instead of simply glancing at the map, we would have known that there is no entrance to Bila straight off the street. Instead (as a street vendor kindly told us), one must enter a store called Coin, and then proceed to the basement level, which is - surprise - the Bila! A grocery store in the basement of what appeared to be a cosmetic store...who'd a thunk. Rome's strange ways amuse me! I remembered that we needed to put on plastic gloves before handling produce, but forgot that we had to weigh it and get a price tag before proceeding to the checkout...much to the annoyance of the Italians in line up behind us when I was sent by the cashier back to weigh the produce and obtain said price tag. We had fun choosing wine. I am jealous of the wine prices, and that spirits can be bought in the grocery store. $4 for a very tasty bottle of wine is kind of mind boggling to me...but in a good way! I will need a detox period when I get home, no doubt! lol

After picking up our groceries - including, let's be honest, 3 bottles of wine...we went for a wander. We strolled somewhat aimlessly around...admiring the buildings in our neighbourhood, near Castel Sant'Angelo...

The walk along the river is really lovely...the trees overhanging the sidewalk offered a shady reprieve from the sun. Although we haven't yet minded the heat...it has been hot, but there always seems to be a nice breeze, or a spot in the shade.

For some reason, this dilapidated looking houseboat fascinated me...I want to live in a houseboat on an Italian river! How cool would that be?? Ok so the Tiber doesn't actually look like it smells so great when one is up close and personal, but...minor details, am sure it would be an amazing adventure to float around on a houseboat.

After a midday siesta and lunch at Il Baci (non descript pizza joint on via Crescenzio, not recommended for anything other than "we're really hungry and are ok with so-so food" kind of moments!)

Mom wanted to see Piazza Navona again, so over to the historic centre we went. We stopped into a tiny little church that apparently exists in honour of St. Nicholas. It was quite lovely, so small and quiet and pretty inside.

Then along to Piazza Navona. Not sure what the church is that fronts on this piazza, but it was gorgeous with the sun overhead...

Bernini's four rivers fountain...don't ask me what are the four rivers, I can never remember! But the sculpture is pretty awesome!

We also both wanted to revisit the Pantheon because...well duh, it's the Pantheon! Such an awesome place to be.

Once again the acoustics wowed me...that odd echoey hush, although it was much noisier this time than it was a few years ago in off season (March). There were pews set up for services, so we sat down for a while and let the atmosphere of the ancients wash over us. I tried to capture the feel of the oculus and dome, but it is too big for my camera phone and this is the best I could do!

After tearing ourselves away from the Pantheon...we wandered along to the Trevi Fountain. Stopping first in this random courtyard. I think it was a private residence of apartments, but...hey, the doors were open and nobody stopped us from going in!

Trevi was, as you might expect in July, a mob scene. An absolute crush of people in every corner, nook and cranny. Needless to say we did not stick around for long...a longing gaze at the lovely fountain itself and then out of the madding crowd.

There is a nice little church just above Trevi, Chiesa SS Vicenzo e Anastastio...hardly anyone inside, despite the hundreds of people milling about outside. One of the side chapels held a fresco fragment of a 14th c Virgin of the Graces. The flashy burst around it doesn't do much for me, but the fresco itself was...well, graceful!

We also viewed what I believe was Marcus Aurelius' victory column (a la Trajan's columnm, which is what we thought it might be at first, but then realized the writing appeared to say Aurelius, not Trajan.) Had a gelato (yum!!) and eventually made our way back to our apartment. We stayed in for the evening, and enjoyed a light supper on our little terrace...salad, cheese and bread with balsamic vinegar and olive oil for dipping. Oh and wine...of course!

PS...this really should be about day 3 but I am a day behind in my blogging...will try to catch up at some point!

Rome-ward bound!

2011-07-24T17:30:00.002-03:00

We made it - Mom and I are now in Rome - wooohooo!!! I can hardly believe it, but no, it's not a dream, we really are here in the Eternal City for a glorious week of being drenched in history and gorgeous Roman culture.

This will not be a very detailed entry, I fear...no sleep Friday night (too excited plus had to fill out a bursary application before I left cause an extra $1000 to this now poor student would be an awesome bonus and deadline is July 29 - wish me luck!)...no sleep Saturday night (rested fairly well on the plane, but never lost consciousness). Which adds up to me about to crash and burn for the night!

As many of my real life and facebook friends know, I left my packing until last minute Saturday. I have never packed in advance, why start now? Everything I needed got in my suitcase in plenty of time, with only minimal "ahhh, what should I bring?" issues. And no weight issues this time. (Last trip, I packed, repacked and repacked my bag, trying to bring it down to the 23 lb limit...except it was really a 23 kg limit so I had oodles of room the whole time...obviously I will never live this down!)

The flight was pretty uneventful...although after setting off the metal detector in the Halifax airport, I now know that my sandels have metal shanks in the soles! We arrived slightly early in Frankfurt for a 3 hour layover, where we had our first cup of espresso - yum!! Upon landing in Rome, we had to sit out in the airplane for about 20 minutes because another plane was in our landing space. But finally we disembarked, collected our baggage (which seemed to take forever, am sure ours were the last bags to be offloaded!) then we just walked out (having already gone through passport control in Frankfurt), found the driver holding the sign with my name on it, and away to the apartment we went! The owner Elena met us on the street and showed us the ropes. We are still getting used to having no keys, just coded access panels on the doors. Elena rattled off the numbers so fast we had to get her to slow down and repeat them a couple times - our brains were in no shape to be remembering access codes!

Our apartment is wonderful - everything we expected and the view is stunning!! It is on via Crescenzia (or something like that), a stone's throw from Castel Sant'Angelo. The historic centre of Rome is just across the river, and we can see St. Peter's dome from our small balcony. Here are some pics:

After settling in, we wandered around and had gelato (mix of limon sorbet, mango sorbet, coconut for mom, mix of nocciola, caffe, strachiatella for me - double yum!) Then found ourselves by St. Peter's, so we went in...

And then, feet still swollen from the plane and jet lag kicking in...we came back to the apartment for a rest and a glass of wine (owners left a bottle for us), before going along to a nearby restaurant (Raf on via Plinio) for pizza and house wine. I had margharita (sp) con bufalo - a deliciously messy pile of tomato sauce and buffalo cheese on a fabulous thin crust. First piece with knife and fork, then once it cooled enough to handle, it was a hands on free for all! lol I had been re-reading Eat, Pray, Love just before my trip and have been craving this basic pizza because of Liz's description of eating it in Naples. Mom had cappriciosa (or a word something like that...also very tasty and much more filling since had many toppings.)

And finally...back to the apartment to end off the first day of our trip by sitting on our tiny balcony, enjoying our beautiful view, and basking in the glow of being in Rome...

Who knows what tomorrow will bring?!!

Flowers for me :)

2011-07-19T15:53:00.000-03:00

Hard to believe tomorrow is my very last day at work - I can't wait to leave behind the world of accounting!!! There are many wonderful people I will miss...but I won't miss the job itself - unless I miss it in the sense of wishing myself back in the land of comfort zone some future day when I find myself overwhelmed by ministry and clueless as to what to do next! But no...not even then will I miss accounting! :)

This morning I had a forecast meeting with my Director (Marianne) and Deputy Minister (Kevin). At the end of the meeting, Kevin thanked me for all I've done for the department, and let me know how much he has enjoyed working with me. He said he didn't think I was really going to leave - at which point Marianne interjected with "I've been telling you that for six months!" Kevin replied that he's been in denial, and kept thinking I was going to change my mind. He also said I had made it hard for him to gripe about my leaving...said something along the lines of "you're going to do God's work, I can't be giving you grief." I laughed and told him I'd come back and smite him if he gave me a hard time! He had more lovely things to say, how I have always risen to the challenge every time they have asked me to step into an acting role or whatever, and what a great job I did with the United Way campaign, and that my departure is a big loss to our department. But also that he understands that I need to go where I am called to be, and he knows I will be wonderful in ministry. And then he gave me a gorgeous bouquet of flowers, and a hug, and said "now get out of here before I cry."

I was very touched and delighted by all of this, as you can imagine! :) It really is great to hear that you've made a positive impact in your job, and in the lives of those with whom you've worked. I said to Valerie recently that I need to leave places more often, because it is good for my ego! I have been surprised and deeply moved by some of the conversations I've had lately...people are expressing their goodbyes with the loveliest of comments. Apparently I smile a lot and have a presence which lifts people's spirits, and that seems to be what people are going to miss most about me...which is a pretty awesome and empowering thing to know about oneself. I'm not even going to pretend I'm not tickled pink to be seeing myself through all these eyes!!

Here I am with my pretty flowers...

Cheesecake!!

2011-07-09T17:32:00.000-03:00

It's strawberry season in Nova Scotia, and there has been a bumper crop of large succulent berries! Yummy!!! Or om nom nom as my Sara would put it!

But this post is not about strawberries. It's about Dave's birthday cake. There are no strawberries involved in the making of this cake. Dave is not a strawberry fan. His birthday falling in the midst of Nova Scotia's strawberry season, he grew up having no choice but strawberry shortcake on his birthday. As an adult, given his druthers, he will have nothing further to do with said dessert. Ever. So...what to make Dave for his birthday cake? His favourite, of course - cheesecake! I pulled The Joy of Cheesecake from my cupboard. Which book I, ahem, "borrowed" from my friend Kelly some 20 odd years ago and seem to have made a permanent addition to my cookbook collection. In my defence, I'm pretty sure she once said I could keep it...at least that's my story. She can jump in and correct me if my memory is flawed! :) I flipped through the book and decided daiquiri cheesecake would be delightful on a July afternoon! Also seem to recall Dave really liked it last time I made it, years ago.

Here is the list of ingredients:

And the recipe itself:

I had not remembered it being quite so labour intensive. But I actually had fun making it. While at the same time chatting on facebook with Sara, texting back and forth with Valerie, preparing lasagna, having brunch...multi-tasking anyone?! I grated a bit more lime and lemon zest on top to add some colour, and it appears to have turned out great:

I'll have to report back tomorrow on whether or not it turned out tastewise. We're not actually having Dave's birthday supper until tomorrow, so Sara, Jake, Mark and Valerie can join us. Although I'm not sure how we will manage to keep our forks out of it until then...

I also made lasagna, my version of which my family seems to believe is the best EVER and who am I to argue with my entire family?! :) Maybe it's because I make it with a mix of hot Italian sausage and lean ground beef. Or maybe it's because I simmer my sauce for at least a couple hours to reduce it down to a nice thick ragu. Whatever the secret is, it usually turns out delicious! And that appears to be the case again this time:

And to round out our meal, we'll have caesar salad. And wine. And lots of love and laughter...of course!!

Happy Birthday to Dave!!!!

The joys of June

2011-07-04T21:53:00.013-03:00

This is a farm I pass on the way to the camper. It is a gorgeous scene at all times, but especially so when the fields are aglow with dandelions. I know dandelions are the bane of many people's existence, but frankly I love them! So bright and sunny (well not so much when they go to seed, but then they are fun, fluffy balls, so they are still ok in my books!

One day, coming home from the camper, I got stuck behind the Rawdon Days parade. I puttered along, feeling irritated at the slow pace and wishing the parade would pull over and let the very long line of traffic go past. But then I came alongside these horses, who were circling round and round in their pasture...and my spirits were lifted by their grace and beauty!

Happy face in my grilled cheese sandwich...made for me with love by Dave. How cute is that?!

The delicate beauty of a lady's slipper. A type of orchid, these gorgeous flowers are apparently very rare in Nova Scotia, to the point where it is illegal to pick them, but I stumble across them from time to time. I had my camera with me when I spotted this patch, so was thrilled to take some photos.

Fun and foolishness on the links during our annual staff day (which is the only time I golf, although turns out I'm not half bad at it!)

A young man who works on my floor gave me these "wish you well in your future journey" flowers. I was quite touched by this sweet gesture.

Valerie and I spent a wonderful day touring around the Valley. We stopped into the Just Us fair trade coffee museum, and the Grand Pre winery (where I am standing in the photo.) Also had a fantastic lunch at Rosie's in Wolfville (chicken quesadilla and salad, greek for me, spinach for Val, both were yummy!!) We wound up back at the camper for a night of conversation and laughter around the bonfire.

Biggest moment of the month: being received as a Candidate for (ordained) Ministry in the United Church of Canada - whoooohooo!!!

It was pretty awesome having my soul sister preside over the service! :) I'm glad we were able to have it before she leaves. (Valerie accepted a call to another church beginning in Sept. Will be odd not to worship together every Sunday. Of course, we wouldn't be sharing worship much longer anyway since I'll soon have a student field placement. We'll continue to share our lives, of course, just not our church!)

And I even got presents! :) Valerie gave me a student minister survival kit: a bucket (for when the storms of life are raging and my boat begins to sink!) filled with a variety of helpful items. I especially like the Polly Pocket kit for me to play with when my inner child needs tending to, the finger tip laser lights for when I've burned the candle out at both ends, and made-in-Italy pasta to remind me of the place that makes my heart sing!! Oh and the puppy hand puppet says "I love you...I love you", to remind me that I am surrounded by the love of my faith family wherever I go.

And those were some of the highlights of my June - along with the engagement of my beautiful Sara (which news I shared a couple entries ago) and my darling Moira's most excellent final marks (such as 94 on her final math exam, my kid is a brainiac!!)

July will bring my last day at work, as I leave behind a 20 odd year accounting career that has begun to suck the life out of my soul. (To be honest, my heart and mind have already left the building, just waiting for my body to exit as well!) Shortly thereafter I head off to bella Italia with my mom, a perfect break between the old life and my new beginning!!

A walk in the park...

2011-06-19T21:10:00.000-03:00

The flowers and foliage in Halifax's Public Gardens were spectacular last week!!

I took the above photos while out for a lunch time walk with my sister, Lynn:

My baby is engaged!!

2011-06-04T19:45:00.002-03:00

Much excitement at our house this evening!! Sara and her boyfriend Jake (now fiancé!) came home for the evening. They've been contemplating the idea of getting engaged for a while and have been looking at rings and pondering wedding plans, but hadn't made it official. Unbeknownst to Sara, Jake had gone out and bought the ring she liked, and he gave it to her after supper. We are THRILLED!!! I feel blessed to have Jake become part of our family.

Here are some photos - aren't they beautiful together??! :)

Flash Mob...and I was there!

2011-06-01T09:57:00.002-03:00

I was involved with Intermediates at Conference this past weekend, and will write an entry about it soon, but in the meantime, enjoy this video!!

This flash mob happened one day in the cafeteria. We were upstairs with the Intermediates (12-15 yr olds) when Youth Forum (15-19ish yr olds) down below broke out into the song "Praise". My daughter Moira and Val's daughters Kaleigh and Sarah were with Youth Forum, and are part of the mob. It was an amazing and uplifting and exuberant few moments!!

Edited to add the link to Youth Forum's facebook page if you'd prefer to watch it in HD:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=669791953&sk=info#!/video/video.php?v=10150643637355006

Italy trip update

2011-03-20T22:36:00.014-03:00

Our trip is beginning to feel more real now that we have the rest of our accomodations booked - hooray!!

We'll spend our first six nights in Rome. We have booked an apartment beside Castel Sant'Angelo. It looks marvelous!! Bright and (relatively) spacious, with a beautiful view of those soaring umbrella pines that we love. It has A/C, dishwasher, washing machine, internet, little balcony, two double beds, kitchen, etc. And I read good comments from previous renters (I checked it out on a couple different websites), so feel pretty confident about booking it. I also like that only have to pay 20% upfront, and the rest on arrival. The owner has arranged for a private car to pick us up from the airport and take us to the apartment - same price as a taxi, but is more welcoming to have someone holding a sign with our names on it.

We are really delighted to have found this apartment. Seems like it will be a fantastic location for us. I checked on google maps and it seems to be only a 15-20 minute walk to the Pantheon and Piazza Navonna area, and to the Vatican Museums. And only 40 minute walk to places like the Borghese Museum and the Colosseum. Of course, we can always hop on a bus, or ride the metro - the Lepanto and Ottaviano stations each look to be about a 10 minute walk away at most.

At the end of our first week, we will say goodbye to Rome and head on to Cetona, Tuscany for two weeks - as mentioned in my last entry, Mom and I have booked this cool looking house for our base - and then the final leg of our journey will be spent in Ferrara and Milan. We've booked a room in the Touring Hotel (and got a 25% discount for booking more than 40 days in advance!) The place has good reviews on Venere and Tripadvisor, and is just a block from Castello Estense and a couple blocks from the Cathedral San Giorgio. We're spending 4 nights in Ferrara. We plan two daytrips, one to Padua to see the Giotto frescos in the Scrovegni Chapel (finally!!) and another to Ravenna to see some of those stunning 5th-6th century mosaics for which the city is famous. Of course we are looking forward to exploring Ferrara for a couple days as well.

We'll wrap up our trip with 2 nights in Milan, as we fly home from Linate airport. When I first looked at hotels on Venere, I narrowed it down to the "centro storico" area...and began to see rooms in the 300+ euro per night range - a few of them were over 500 euro a night. (Sidebar - who stays in a room that costs 594 euro PER NIGHT??? The big spenders of the fashion industry, I suppose. Is beyond my comprehension, have to say.) Anyway, I thought to myself: guess we're not staying in the historic centre. But wait, what is this? The Canada Hotel - what a neat coincidence for two Canadian travellers! They have lovely looking rooms for only 100 euro per night, and are within a 10-15 minute walk to the Duomo.

So we are all set, except for one night between Rome and Cetona (due to the fact that the car rental agency in Chiusi is not open on Sunday but picking up the car in Rome is out of the question since I refuse to tackle that city as a newbie driver in Italy! So we are going to Chiusi on Saturday, picking up our car, spending the night in an as yet to be determined location, then we can settle into our Cetona house on Sunday.

All I have left to say right now is...is it July YET???????

Italy, here I come again!!!

2011-03-07T23:43:00.006-04:00

Just a quick note for my blog friends who don't yet know this...I've booked a trip to Italy this summer with my Mom! We fly over to Rome (3hr layover in Frankfurt) and fly home from Milan (3hr layover in Frankfurt). Four weeks in bella Italia, be still my amore-struck heart!!

We'll stay in Rome the first week, exploring the city and perhaps taking a daytrip or two to places like Tivoli or Ostia Antica. I haven't booked accomodations yet, am waiting for that "this is the place" feeling. Which exact feeling struck me as soon as I came across the ad for our home base in Tuscany for the second and third weeks of our trip.

I've reserved a fantastic house in Cetona (click here to see the ad on Homelidays). The owner's blurb is this:

"We have a completely renovated and tastefully decorated 3 level home, built on the remains of a 16th Century tower in the Tuscan hill town of Cetona. The house sleeps 4 people and is situated near the village centre on a panoramic street just a minute away from the central square with markets, shops and restaurants. Our house has 2 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, a kitchen-dining room with a quite large dining table, 2 living rooms with fireplaces, study and balcony on the top floor.Outdoor terrace garden with climbing roses, herbs and potted plants. We have also a large vegetable garden in a with a lots of olive, apricot, fig and apple trees. A gazebo with a big barbecue is - on request - at you disposal."

And the photos and testimonials seem to back that description up. I am delighted at the thought of staying in a place built on the remains of a 16th century tower - how cool is that??

(Public domain photo of Cetona from Wikipedia)

The medieval hill town of Cetona also sounds wonderful! As does the surrounding area, lots of places to explore. Cetona is a short drive from Chiusi, so we can take some daytrips by train, if I don't feel like driving everywhere. Although I am looking forward to tooling around in our rental car, stopping wherever strikes our fancy, with no particular plans in mind. Sheer bliss!

Our final week will be spent...somewhere... We haven't decided yet, although will spend our last couple nights in Milan since we'd like to see the Duomo, and perhaps da Vinci's Last Supper painting, plus we are flying out of Milan when we return home. And my daughters have placed their orders for their souvenirs to be purchased in Milan. They don't care what I bring home for them, just that it must come from the fashion capital of the world, funny girls! :) But I don't think we want to spend the whole week there, it's not a big draw for either of us. More likely we'll stay the majority of the week in Bologna or perhaps Verona...or perhaps Mantova...however will we decide?!!? (But what a happy decision it is!)

One more step along the world I go...

2011-03-02T00:38:00.002-04:00

Hooray!! My Discernment Committee has officially recommended me as a Candidate for Ordained Ministry in the United Church of Canada!! Whoot!!!!! I'm so excited!!!

I was almost positive they were going to, but it feels grrrreat to have the paperwork signed off. They filled out their Report and Recommendation, which we all signed. I filled out my Application to be Received as a Candidate for the Order of Ministry, and attached the required "1,500 word" narrative of my faith journey (which ended up being 2,226 words - oops), and resumè. Those documents now go to my church council (aka session) And here is how things go from here (copied from the Process booklet):

Concluding the Discernment Process

Session
1. The session receives the discernment committee’s recommendations and the inquirer’s application and makes a decision.
2. The session completes CAN 203: Action by Session and Presbytery/District Regarding Inquirers, page 1, and sends it with the original of DIS 202(a) and the application CAN 202(b) to the Presbytery/District E&S Committee.

Presbytery/District Education and Students Committee
1. If the inquirer is applying for candidacy for ordered ministry, the Presbytery/District E&S Committee completes CAN 203, page 2 top, and sends it to the Conference Interview Board (CIB) with DIS 202(a) and the application from the inquirer.
2. The CIB meets with the inquirer. Following the interview, the CIB fills out CAN 203, page 2 bottom, and returns it to the E&S Committee with the CIB’s recommendation.
3. The E&S Committee interviews the inquirer and makes its recommendation to the presbytery/district regarding candidacy.
4. Two members of the E&S Committee sign CAN 203, page 3, “Police Records Check.”
5. Then they send CAN 203, DIS 202(a), and CAN 202(b) to the presbytery/district secretary.
6. The E&S Committee also makes recommendations on educational programs using CAN 204: Initial Certification to School or Program.
7. The presbytery/district secretary completes and signs CAN 203 (page 3) and distributes it as indicated on that page.

Yup...bureacracy is alive and kicking in the church just as it is in government! But the end is nigh, and much of the remaining steps happen in the background from my perspective. I just need to show up for the interviews and wait for paperwork to be completed by the various parties involved. Not to downplay it all, am sure the interviews will be stressful, as interviews tend to be! But hopefully they will go well, and everyone concerned will agree I am called to ordained ministry. :) And in the meantime, I am applying to the Atlantic School of Theology to be accepted into their Master of Divinity program starting in September.

We closed tonight's meeting, our last as a Discernment Committee, with the following prayer...which I wrote straight out of my head in a couple minutes before heading out the door to the meeting. I wrote it in advance because I knew I would be expected to do the closing prayer, and am not yet comfortable doing so spontaneously. Not sure why I still feel awkward about sharing my prayer straight from heart to lips, fear of being mocked, I suppose. (Say grace, anyone?) And yet if I write the words of my heart down, even in an unedited stream of consciousness kind of way, I can share them without hesitation. Very strange. I don't doubt that one day prayers will roll off my tongue as comfortably as they roll out of my fingertips...I just need to practice cutting out the written step and trusting that God will put spontaneous words in my mouth. But I digress...here is the prayer with which I closed off our discernment period...

Dear God, we give thanks for your wisdom and guidance this past year, as we discerned together your call. When we listen for your voice, we are able to find our own voice and find the strength and courage to sing our song of faith for the whole world to hear.

It is with deep joy and blessedness that we feel your Spirit moving among us. We have gathered as people of the light, seeking to know your will, to understand how we can shine our own light in this glorious yet often broken world of ours. I personally give thanks for the people around this table [names edited out for privacy] who have given so generously of their time and thoughtfulness to help me discern where you are calling me. We go out now, empowered by our relationship with you, O Holy One, and by our relationship with Jesus. In following his example, we are strengthened and enlightened to embrace our own divinity and step out in risk in order to serve others. We journey with a sense of hope, of surprise, of expectation that we can make a difference.

As we all move forward from this time of formal discernment, I pray that we will continue to hold within our hearts the sense of wonder, and of possibility, that we have found here together. And continue always to answer your call to an abundant, extravagant, astonishing life beyond our imagination! In Jesus name, we pray. Amen

And then I broke into spontaneous song (one of my fave hymns from Voices United):

♫ ♪ ♫ I'm gonna live so (live so) God can use me
Anywhere Lord, anytime (anytime)
I'm gonna live so (live so) God can use me
Anywhere my Lord, anytime!!! ♪ ♫ ♫

Visio Divina

2011-02-02T22:22:00.008-04:00

I came across a spiritual practice called Visio Divina recently. It's a method of praying with art or other images. What is interesting to me is that I very naturally find myself in prayerful reflection when contemplating works of art, I simply hadn't known it was a formal spiritual practice. I recall a particularly profound insight striking me a couple years ago, while I was on my solo pilgrimage to beloved Florence, Italy. I had done a lot of wandering around, in an aimless, but not meaningless kind of way. One day, I randomly decided to visit the Brancacci Chapel in the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine. Here is what I wrote in my blog at the time, along with a couple of the photos I took while there:

"I thought I would check out the Brancacci Chapel to see the highly anticipated Masaccio frescos. I arrived at the church of Santa Maria del Carmine late morning ... WOW this chapel is stunning to say the least! The oft publicized panel of the Expulsion of Adam and Eve is the one that my eyes keep straying back to. How well Masaccio captured their pain, their shame, their despair...it is painful to look at this image.

And disturbing because I think who IS this God that would cause such pain...I'm not sure I want to know a God that boots the children out of the house for making a mistake. I'm thinking where is your forgiveness now, oh Lord?! (Admittedly the forgiveness part might follow closely after this biblical passage, but not having read much of the bible, the details of Adam and Eve in their post-expulsion state are rather fuzzy to me.) Not wanting to feel negative about God today, I decide that maybe the whole expulsion story is a metaphor for how we cast ourselves out when we feel ashamed...maybe these two felt so shamed by what they themselves had done that they distanced themselves from God, and not the other way around...heaven knows that in real life, we are very prone to avoiding people when we feel ashamed by our actions. It is hard to face those we have wronged, hard to ask forgiveness and really mean it in our hearts. Much easier to distance ourselves, to turn away."

When I re-read that blog entry, I thought yikes, my biblical knowledge is still woefully lacking more than two years later! But then again, I could reflect on our sacred story every day from now until the breath leaves my physical body and still only have scratched the surface of understanding. How marvellous that these stories can hold so many layers of meaning and metaphor...to be peeled back one by one, depending on our need at the time of reading.

Oh Masaccio, I thank you for sharing your vision of this Genesis passage! In the presence of your incredible image, I opened my heart and came closer to God. God who loves me no matter what, from whom I need never turn away in shame. I think that when I cast myself out, God just waits patiently for me to return and allow myself to be cradled in the healing arms of unconditional love. God knows I have bytimes acted in ways that hurt someone else - I am far from perfect! But God also knows I try...to love as I am loved...to let my light shine as brightly as possible...to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. I'm not sure any of us ever truly feel like we are doing enough, but I think we just need to step out and do the best we can. And when we take those steps, we walk toward, not away from, God.

As I move along in my journey toward ministry, I find myself eagerly awaiting the day when I can combine wonderful art with insightful preaching - I shall be in heaven! Naturally, I couldn't resist a quick search of the Lectionary to see when Genesis 3 will be one of the weekly scripture readings and here it is! Hmm, I wonder if I know anyone in whose church I might preach on June 10, 2012 so I can share my reflections from the Brancacci Chapel...