Everyone tells me

to take lots of pictures while I am here.  Here are some screen savers I am collecting.

Cinque Terra

Monte Solaro

Villa Calvi

Villa Orlando on Lake Como

Amazing flower!



Bike ride in San Gimanggano

Vinyard

Church pillar - St Ambrosia Milano

Rome

Castle

Chiaravalle Abbey

Rome

Chiaravalle Cemetary:
Trying to describe the peace I feel here; easy to take deep breaths that feel calming on the inside. Quiet mind, settled thoughts that rest back with nothing pressing. I can just sit and notice the cool breeze, the quietness of birds and an occasional car. Inside is a feeling radiating out from my heart, an effervescence  that releases all tension, muscles slacken. My eyes open, my brain sits up to the edge of its seat to hear.  Love is manifest, it resides here in the stone.

Santa Ambrosia Church:
The Italians have amazing churches pretty much around any corner that we come take pictures of. I sit in the very seats they sit and pray, pour out their hearts to God among bright flashes of light and beeps of digitalness.

This place is where people come to remember Christ and reach out to him through prayer, ritual, sacraments, confession. They come when they are sad and hurting, for happy occasions, and for death. They come for obligation or routine.  They drop a coin and light a candle, make a sign, bend the knee. They repeat special prayers and sayings. There is music and readings from the scriptures. They baptise their children. They ponder, they sigh, they kneel, they cry.  I can access God here too and feel that radiating peace from the cemetary. I rest my headache. I light a candle.

A marvolous day.

Summatime

It finally feels like summer. Hot, sticky, humid. The place that feels the best is floating in the sea. Which is only 1 1/2 hours away.  A quick weekend trip leaves me nicely toasted and crossing my fingers that my foot was not broken when the sea kayak smashed it against the dock. I can walk so I think I am fine. Although it might be interesting to see how social medicine works.  They could also check out my eye which has burst some blood vessels (maybe from having too much fun, it is freaky looking) and my little cough/congestion I have developed. 

On another note, I have a new happy place to go to when I need it...floating on the back of the kayak in the cool water while my chauffeur paddles me around.  I love when I get material for my happy places! 

Girl Style

This trip is appropriately named by Beyah and accompanied with a soundtrack.

 June 12-21, Jamie, Beyah and Ina join me in Italy! 

We went to the Seaside (Borgio Varezzi) in Savona

Our bungalow

Dinner time view

We visited caves, beached it for two days, savored wonderful food at Ristorante Da Casetta, where everything is homemade, from locally grown veggies, olive oil, noodles, and pesto sauce, to fresh fish from the sea.  For two that like to travel cheep, we splurged on this meal and loved every bite. Our waiter was good a practicing English on us and flirting with the girls.  The gellato?  Well the very best so far, they had Nutella that was irresistible, even after trying to have some self discipline!  We were trying to figure if it was straight Nutella or if they added some creme to it.  Well either way...

Anjelica (the other woman I met in St. Louis) invited us to her Villa in the countryside.   We took the train back to Carimate (we concentrated hard on that stop so we wouldn't end up in Switzerland).  Jamie wore a backpack and pushed Ina in a stroller, I pulled my bag and held Beyah's hand who was in charge of the electronics bag.  We managed the Metro, stone streets, train cars, stairs, and a too small elevator very well. 

Stop in Milan to pose

Villa Calvi in Monte Solaro Village

 So here we are trying to picture  what life was like in the 1600's. On our morning run we imagined ourselves riding in a carriage down the pathway to the view above, all dressed fancy for the ball. "Jamie's hair was like so cute and her dress was brand new!"

Went to Bellagio, on Lake Como. Had a fantastic fish lunch,  toured Angelica's brothers summer house and jumped in the lake.

Our special friend Chitra

 Last night of girl style!         

Castello Sforzesco - Milano

I like this place, it has an enormous park behind it.

 

Teresa's one-handed cartwheel

   This pic was taken by the 2nd guy who tried to take me out, notice my face and his finger in the lens at the top. The first guy? Well within 2 minutes of trying to talk to me in Italian, he went for the language of love...put his arm around me, tried to kiss me, was holding my hand...yikes! He was from Egypt, and I hear those are ones to watch out for, they say Italians are more classy.  I did go home with a rose and no intention of calling George (2nd guy).