Home to Vermont

We arrived home just in time for Halloween. Here are Ava and Griffin dressed up as a Fall Fairy and Charlie Chipmunk. Maia worked for days on these costumes! Oh my, it was great to hug our kids and grandkids again.






The weather has been beautiful, cool and crisp days on the lake with the last of the fall colors sparkeling in the sun. We have been busy with fall chores, cleaning out my gardens and stacking wood.











It is wonderful to sleep in our own bed ....but we were getting pretty good at living out of a suitcase. As we slip back into our normal routines, we find ourselves missing our daily adventures and life in our little Italian village. We will be in Vermont for the next few months hoping to find an Italian language instructor so that next year, when we return, we might even be able to carry on a conversation with our Italain neighbors.

Our next adventure begins in January when we begin our travels west to Utah to spend time with Sarah and her family. Imagine driving west in the middle of winter! We are sure to have many adventures to add to this blog. Then in March, we plan to head south through Arizona, New Mexico, along the Gulf Coast through Texas, Louisiana, and finally end up in the Florida Keys. Our plan is to be back in Vermont around May 1st, just in time to plant my garden. I'm thinking we might become gypsies! So check back towards the end of January when I might be blogging from a snowdrift in South Dakota.

Last blog post from Italy

We are back in Gallarate,near Milan. Tonight we have been invited by Francesco's family to have a typical Piedmontese dinner......wild boar, polenta, and assorted cheeses and cured meats. Monday we fly back to the US. Yesterday in Varenna we hiked up a small mountain/ hill behind Varenna to the local castle. The hike was a steep and winding cobbled path leading up from the village to the 11th century castle. The views of the lake were spectacular looking north and south, clearly an advantage if you were in the business of defending this area of Lake Como. The castle walls are crumbling but we could still see the impossibly steep approach to the castle. Inside the curtain wall was a single tower/ keep accessed by a stairway, leading to a drawbridge. If the enemy were to get inside the wall, it would be quite difficult to enter the keep. There were arrow holes everywhere along the curtain walls and up the walls of the keep. We also noticed holes in the tower that were meant to throw things out of....hot oil, rocks, dead animals etc.
Looking down from the keep to the curtain wall.


Looking up to the castle walls.



The casle boasts a raptor recovery, breeding and training program. Imagine an actual falconer who breeds and trains falcons, hawks and even owls. While we were there, the falconer gave us a wonderful demonstration of a training session. He brought out a beautiful falcon and sent her into the sky....then whistled to bring her soaring back for a yummy treat of.... possibly part of a pigeon. She would soar out over the castle walls, high above Lake Como and swoop back, just skimming the air above our heads.
It was a fascinating treat.







This has been an incredible adventure for us. We have learned so much about the history of Italy, its wonderful people and fascinating culture along with some essentials such as riding local buses, taking the trains and not mixing up the words fico and fica. Fico is a delicious fruit and fica is a.....private part...uummmmm! We are very grateful to our Italian friends who guided us in so many ways, corrected our pitiful Italian, gave us free cooking classes, offered advice and in general wrapped their arms around us. Grazie mille,,,,arrivederci all' anno prossimo !

Mountains Fall to the Lake

Yesterday we arrived in Varenna....a little village perched halfway up the east side of Lake Como. Imagine a lake about the size of Lake Champlain, shaped like a child. The southern part, two legs, the northern part, the body. Varenna is just above where the legs join the body. The cobbled paths run parallel and perpendicular to the lake....steep, steep and very steep, but well
Iit at night. Yesterday was our first rainy day since arriving in September, but a little rain didn't stop us from heading out to explore the village. Today we woke to crisp and sunny conditions. The wind was howling down the lake from the north. It reminded us of home! We spent the morning at the Villa Cipressa Botanical Garden. Terraced paths wind around and down the cliff below the villa. The plantings date back to the early 1800s and include magnolia, wisteria, hisbiscus, bamboo, pomegranate, agave and much more.



Mid day we bought some salami, bread and cookies and hopped the fast ferry to the northern most part of the lake.... a little town called Colico. The town has had a rough time surviving.....a crossroads for invading armies, and often decimated by malaria or the plague. Now it is a great place to camp, hike and sail. The views from the ferry were nothing less than spectacular. Here we are looking into Switzerland.




Later in the day we met a very interesting couple from Western Australia. They have been traveling for a few months....they began in North America and then in Europe. They are spending three weeks in Varenna....so very lucky. We, of course, exchanged emails and addresses....just in case we ever get to Australia...... Here is a picture of Varenna from the water.


And the high speed ferry.....



Did I mention that this is the place to see beautiful villas? Tomorrow we are taking the ferry to Bellagio......famous home of the rich and famous. We are also hoping to hike the mountain behind Varenna to visit the village castle where they raise and train raptors. We are hoping to be there for the flight demonstration late in the day.

Location:Varenna, Italy

Breathless at 11000 feet

We passed through the Sea of Clouds at 2,600 meters and continued our journey to the top of the gondola lift...Punta Helbronner, at 3,462 meters or 11000 feet above sea level. We were all a little dizzy as we walked around the viewing platform but the view was spectacular. The sky...the bluest of blues. The sun...bright and sparkling off the summits. To the north, a glacier descending into Chamonix, France. To the east, the summits of Monte Bianco and to the south, Gran Paradiso in Italy. Half of the paltform was in Italy and the other half in France. Skiers and riders left from here to ski down to La Palud at the bottom of the gondola or down the glacier into Chamonix. Mountaineers left from here to make the ascent to the summit of Monto Bianco. Sarah Colombo's boyfriend, Francesco and his brother made the ascent to the summit just last year. It was literally breathtaking! In the Valle d' Aosta area, there is along history of mountain climbing. From the gondola platform we could see tne Matterhorn or Cervino as well as Monta Rosa, which is second to Monte Bianco.









It's difficult to imagine the magnitude of these peaks but down in the village of Courmayeur, the mountains seemed to surround us.




This beautiful valley is long and narrow, vineyards stretch up the sides and the steep slopes are heavily wooded with many fir and balsam trees. Most houses are made of wood with flat, roocks on the roofs....all very quaint and picturesque.




With castles situated at strategic points throughout the valley.








We spent the night in a beautiful, little B&B and the next day headed back to Novara to watch a series A, professional soccer match....Novara vs. Bologna. The security was tight but the passion was palpable. The Bologna fans kept up the chanting, shouting and singing for the entire game. The hometown Novara fans shouted insults at the Bologna fans and pleaded with their team. What a fun experience ! Next stop.....Lake Como.

Location:Valle d' Aosta, Monte Bianco, Courmayeur, and Aosta

Adventure Waits in the North

Tomorrow we are off to Aosta, Courmayer and Monto Bianco. Last night we flew from Sardegna to Milan......bbbbrrrrrrrrrr....it was cold when we stepped off the plane. Tomorrow I will be wearing jeans, wool socks and a warm fleece. It was 80 when we left Sardegna and about 45 when we arrived in Milan. We are staying with Sarah Colombo and her mother in Gallarate, outside of Milan. Today we visited a collection of contempory art housed in a beautiful, old villa in Varese. Most of the artists were Americans with pieces from the mid 1900s to the turn of the century. The most interesting medium was the use of neon lights.......joined in a variety of ways and colors, each in its own room. More on our adventure when we return.




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Ancient Roads and Ancient Rocks

We have come to appreciate the word ancient, while traveling around Sardegna(Sardinia).. This island was formed 500 million years ago when two tectonic plates crashed into each other. The island of Sardegna as well as the island of Corsica were pushed up out of the sea. The island is very mountainous and rocky. Most of the rocks are granite and over the millions of years have been shaped by the wind and salt water. We passed by the "Elephant" on our way south and the "Orso" or bear is here in Palau.




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On our way through the central part of Sardegna we stopped to spend the night at a B&B in the little village of Santu Lussurgiu. This little village seemed to hang precariously from the side of a mountain. As we entered the village, we could look down on the red tile rooftops of the house. After that, every street seemed to go straight down and around blind corners. Our car was, at times, scraping against the walls of the houses. These were ancient streets and ancient walls. The B&B was a typical village house...renovated and modernized to an extent....but the vaulted, stone ceilings as well as the stone walls and floors were all original. It was a lovely experience.




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Location:Sardegna

Into the Wild.....of Sardegna

Paolo informed us this morning that he is taking us to all of places he loves in Sardegna. We have seen the most spectacular coastline, beautiful aqua water and lovely villages perched on cliffs. Sardegna is a rugged, mountainous island with an incredible assortment of environments.. From steep rocky mountains, fertile valleys, beautiful harbors and even vast wetlands.





Today though, we went into a truely wild area. If you have a map of Sardegna, look for a town on the east side called Tortoli. Then look north for a headland called Capo di M. Santu. The adventure really began north of a little village nearby called Baunei. We drove up a winding, switchback road until we saw a breathtaking view of the sea far below. We picniced in the yard of a little church called Chiesa de Santo Pietro, next to ancient olive trees. Take a look at our companions.




After lunch, the real fun began. Our goal......15 kilometers or 10 miles down a washed out road.....to a beautiful bay called Cala Sisine. This was off road travel at its finest, steep and winding switchbacks, ancient olive and oak trees, as well as surprising bursts of oleander bushes, wild pigs, donkeys and goats grazing along side the road. The top edges of the canyon seemed to touch the sky and we could see many caves and holes worn into the cliffs. Trees grew seemingly out of the steep cliffsides and we even saw a wild mooton or mountain goat. The track crossed back and forth over a dry streambed and we kept going. No cell service in this place for sure ! Finally the road ended and we parked our suv alongside 2 other off road rigs. We hiked the rest of the way, perhaps 3 kilometers along the streambed. A falcon soared overhead and the canyon disappeared around the next bend. Then, around the next corner, the sea appeared, beautifully blue and inviting.











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Sardegna Paradiso

Monday was a challenging day.....catch a bus to San Remo..then a train to Genova.....a taxi to the porto and then a 6pm overnight ferry to Sardegna. There is something exciting and romantic about an overnight boat to... anywhere. This ferry was enormous....more than 400 cabins, 3 restaurants, a movie room, a huge bar/ bistro and multiple decks. We had a great dinner and spent a few hours on the deck watching the stars and just walking. In the mornin we awoke to this...


Our first glimpse of Sardegna.....We landed in Olbia at 9 am. My dear, old friend Paolo was there to meet us. He squeezed our luggage into the back of his car and we headed straight to Porto Pozzo. Do you mind if we join some friends for a special day to celebrate the end of the season? Paolo and Enza had planned a day long meander through the Maddalena Islands, north of Palau for their employees, to celebrate the end of the tourist season. Take a look at this old fishing boat....a perfect boat for a celebration, big and comfy.





We headed out to explore several bays and little beaches. Just imagine aqua blue water......clear, warm and free of sharks, jelly fish and sting rays. We dropped anchor off a lovely island with pink sand beaches. The water was about 15 ft deep and clear to the bottom. For me that is an invitaion to jump ! The water is salty and quite buoyant.. All you have to do is lie back and relax. The owner and captain is an old friend of Paolo's... He not only is the captain, but a certified scuba guy and a fabuous cook. While we were swimming, he was cooking a three course lunch; pasta with delicious fresh seafood in a tomato sauce, then huge bowls of steamed mussels and finally big pieces of fresh grilled fish. Later in the afternoon, we motored to a different beach and spent some time swimming and sunbathing. Here we are looking a bit overwelmed and very happy.






Now we are on our way.....driving around the entire perimeter of Sardegna.
More tomorrow!

Laundry, Nonni and Bread

Here in this little seaside village of 2400 people, we have been able to enjoy the lovely pastime of people watching. This is a multi generational town and with our little bit of experience, we think that it is quite typical of most Italian towns. In the US we expect that our children will move far away, following their careers or friends. For us, it is quite rare to live, as an adult, in the town where you were raised. Across Italy, most adults live within walking distance of their parents and often, grandparents. As we walk through the village, during the day,we see little children being cared for by their Nonni, children delivered to school by their Nonni and in the evening we watch whole families, Nonni, parents and children enjoying the time together. These are families who live and share life together. At the risk of being trite....it takes a village to raise a child and it is lovely to watch.
Below is a picture of the little village of Santo Stefano al Mare.








A fresh baguette for 60 cents.....you have got to be kidding! The village is filled with little shops. There is a veggie and fruit shop, 2 small general grocery shops, a bread and pastry shop, a wine shop, 4 butcher shops where you can buy fresh meat or delicious dried and preserved meats, a fish shop, along with real estate offices, a town office and several restaurants. Bars in Italy are actually what we might call bistros. You can buy coffee, tea, cold drinks, sandwiches as well as beer and wine. There are a few of these in town as well. Everything we need is right here and all in about the same space as a small Vermont town. The buildings are quite close together with walking alleys connecting different areas of town. I love walking through these alleys. They are very clean and inviting. Looking up you see fresh laundry hanging from compact clothlines that are attached to the balconies. You see blue sky (300 days of sun a year here) and lovely overflowing window boxes. You hear people talking and calling to one another from window to window and you can smell the delicious aromas of cooking. You hear children laughing and music playing. Everyone greets you as you pass....Buon Giorno, in the morning, or Buona Sera in the late afternoon. On Monday we will take the overnight ferry from Genoa to Sardenia. Another adventure awaits..

Qui......qua. And much more..

We have just returned from another adventure filled with many "firsts". We traveled by train from San Remo to Torino by way of Cuneo following the same path as we did by car the previous week. This time John was able to see all of the magnificent views. Honestly we were a bit nervous.....we really weren't exactly sure that we were on the right train. We bought first class tickets but couldn't find the first class cars....so we made ourselves comfortable in second class. As usual our ears were open and listening to the many conversations around us....qui....blah,blah blah.....qua....blah etc. We watched....we listened....and both words seemed to be used quite frequently. And so, as usual we looked in our well worn Italian/English dictionary.....alora! They both mean ...here....umm. Very interesting.. we were determined to get to the bottom of this conundrum. We spent the weekend with two lovely families, old, dear friends from my childhood...exchange students from my teen years. They are both soulmates actually, you know those very special friends, the kind of friends who after many years of separation, begin conversations as if you had just spoken yesterday. Both families wrapped their arms around us. How incredibly lucky we felt. Torino is a beautiful city with very historic, Baroque buildings as well as buildings built many centuries earlier....the original Roman gates. We toured the Veneria Reale, one of the thirteen palaces built by the Savoy kings. This one was a palace outside of Torino used for hunting and enjoying the country life. It was astounding to see the beauty of the construction, the rooms, the various apartments for visitors and royal family, all filled with important works of art but no furniture. There were several multi media performances showing the various characters and life at court. The formal gardens covered about 20 acres and at one time included a man made lake with an island and smaller palace dedicated to Diana. We had a completely different experience the following day when we visited Canelli, a small town south of Asti. My friend, Carla's father was born here in the early 1900s. Carla and Alberrto had arranged for us to visit a small, organic vineyard to meet some of their friends. This vineyard had been in their family since the 1700s. Three generations lived in a large cascina or farmhouse perched on a hillside overlooking the family vineyard. Papa and Mama in their 80s, still active participants in the making of wine. They had just finished havesting all of the grapes. Everyone pitched in to help, along with 14 Bulgarian harvesters. This family makes three different kinds of wines, Barbera which is a wonderful red table wine, Moscato which is a sweet, bubbly after dinner wine and a blend of whites(i can't remember the name). The next generation is taking on the work now, a daughter and son both in their 40s. They travel all over Europe and the US selling their wines. They just won a prestigious Italian Slow Food award for their Moscato. The family works side by side to produce the wine, get the children to school, cook, take care of the land, bottle and sell the wine etc. We had a lovely time touring the vineyard and wine making rooms, lingering over a delightful lunch all afternoon and of course tasting their wines.














Carla and Alberto passed us on to the next family and the adventure continued. Fabrizio and his lovely family live on the very same street where he lived a a boy. It runs parallel to the Po River and is quite close to the centro citta....center of the city. He is a wealth of historical and factual information about art, artists, important battles, ruling families, and an amazing sense of the flow of time over many centuries. He has a wonderful sense of humor and adventure. After all, here is a man who as a boy spent an entire summer living with my family.....6 wild children and 2 busy parents. And he lived to tell about it... Here is also a couple who spent their honeymoon driving from California to Massachusetts. Both daughters speak several languages fluently and have lived in various countries. We had lovely and relaxed conversations and deliciously simple meals around their kitchen table. They were all consumate and gentle teachers....helping us with several phrases and finally solving the mystery of qui and ......qua. When we asked the difference, they looked at each other in surprise and said....no difference at all.

Traveling in the Torino area

Hello everyone, I must apologize for not posting anything lately but we are staying with friends in the Torino area.....they are wining and dining us as well as keeping us busy with all day visits to castelli and chiusi. When we return to our homebase in Santo Stefano, I will spend time adding a few posts to my blog. In the meantime, we are learning a lot about the Baroque period, regional Piedmontese food and wine...what could be better!


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Adventure into the Piedmontese region

We began this four day adventure by taking the bus to San Remo and renting a car...an adventure in itself! Heading north into the Piedmontese region, we actually had to travel through part of France along the western border of Italy. If you are following on your maps, we left Ventimiglia and traveled north through Cuneo to the city of Bra. We planned to meet friends and experience a famous slow food cheese fesival. The state road we traveled on climbed higher and higher into the Alpi Maritime. The roads were unbelievable as was the view back down the valley....switchbacks and steep ravines. We had a wonderful time with our friends in Bra. Imagine streets lined with booths full of different kinds of cheeses and salamis from all over the region. Buono profumo! ...and the place was packed with people. Too many in fact to enjoy the cheeses. Our dear friend and his wife took us on a walk to various churches and buildings. This man knows his architecture and history and so we learned quite a lot. The churches were beautifully ornate inside and out. We spent the next two days with them, staying at country homes of their friends. How lucky we feel to have stayed with Italian families...lovely and gracious hosts..and wonderful conversations in a combination of our primitive italian and their primitive english. The Piedmonte region of Italy in a large region in the northwest, bordered on the west by the Alps and on the east by mountains called Mon Ferrato. In the middle lies the valley of the Po River where the land is flat and productive. All kinds of grains, fruit and vegetables grow here and so, there are many farms. We saw an amazing variety of fruit such as peaches,pears, apples, figs and kiwi. The Mon Ferrato area is similar to Tuscany with rolling hills like Vermont and it seems a castle,church and small village at the top of every steep hill. For many hundreds of years, Italy consisted of many small fiefdoms each controlled by a ruling family. And so these castles and villages were quite well fortified.

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On the third night we stayed at a wonderful little agriturista B&B...actually a working organic lavender farm in the little town of Ponti which is southwest of Alba. The state highway from Alba to Acqui Terme is a fabulous motorcycle road, curvey and full of switchbacks, descending steeply into a river valley. We stopped in the city of Acqui Terme which is famous for its hot springs. This was a popular place for Romans to come to enjoy the mineral baths. We discovered that there are several grand hotels dating from the 1800s where anyone can stop in to have a spa experience. In the middle of town there is a piazza where the hot..and I mean hot, water comes bubbling up into a fountain. Our stay at the lavender farm was a delightful experience. The woman who runs the farm grew up in Milan and bought this place about 9 years ago. It is way up on a hillside with beautiful vistas all around. Can you see the lavender in the pic below? Imagine the hillside in bloom!






Paola and her husband produce all kinds of lavender products from medicinal to cosmetic and some just for beauty. When we were there she was busy feeding her small menagerie of several sheep, 3 donkeys,a horse, 4 dogs and 5 cats. The buildings had a beautiful country feel to them and our room was filled with the scent of what else ? ...lavender. We'll return for sure !

Getting Around in Italy

We have become quite familiar with le autobus, la bicicletta and a piedi in other words, riding the public bus, bicycling and walking. Most Italians do all of the above and then some... We sincerely believe that every Italian kid over the age of 14 rides his or her own motorscooter. Today at noon we saw kids heading home for lunch on their motorscooters wearing nothing but flip flops, shorts and tank tops....and they move right along. We spend quite a bit of time riding motorcycles and would not even think of getting on without being all geared up. Picture this though.. A woman coming home from the beach riding her motorscooter with her small dog riding snugly between her feet..or a young mother riding with her small daughter standing between her legs. It's nothing to see people on motorscooters or motorcyles passing cars, buses or trucks on straightaways and even on turns. The streets are narrow and winding and you might wonder, as we did, if there are many accidents. Here's another interesting phenomenon......the drivers are extremely considerate and polite. As soon as someone steps into the street, cars, motorscooters etc. Slow to a halt. It all seems very controlled....no honking, no shouting, just a continuous flow of traffic. Now we can't say if this is true in Rome or Naples but here in Liguria people on machines are very polite and careful. We have also noticed another interesting fact.....cars here are petite and it seems, especially made for this market. We see, in addition to the expected Fiats, Opels, Citroens and Peuguots.... Hondas, Toyotas and Fords all made to use diesel and in addition, the models are much smaller than the models made for US. Obviously all of these modes of transportation are more fuel efficient than big American vehicles and can we learn something from this? Gas and diesel average about $ 7.85 per gal. Exploring and learning about different cultures.....it is all part of expanding our understanding of people around the world. Bella Italia!



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Speaking the language

This is exactly what we were hoping for...to be in a quiet village, learning another language,conversing with our Italian neighbors and shopkeepers. Each day we study and practice what we know. We are adding expressions and verbs to our ever increasing list of "knowns". Italian is quite tricky because the vowels are significant and you must pronounce each one. Take for example the following words... key: chiave, close: chiuso, church: chiesa. These exact pronunciations might not be that critical, you might think. But here are three words that are: penna: pen, penis: pene, penne: a type of pasta. Needless to say, I have warned John,who is having a difficult time pronouncing the vowels distinctly,.....never to utter these words. We are each at diiferent levels of competency in our understanding and usuage. I guess you could call this differentiated immersion. ( for all you teacher friends). Another important lesson that I have learned is to let John do all of his own ordering. Of course, I thought that I was being helpful...John might call it "controlling". Ordering lunch in San Remo last week, two bottles of acqua con gas( carbonated water) arrived at the table and yesterday in
Imperia, two plates of fresh fish arrived at our table instead of one. Of course we managed to enjoy these extra dishes ! John did a solo shopping this morning and survived. He walked down to the local veggie and fruit market to buy frsh peaches, bananas and zucchini. We had a great adventure yesterday when we took the bus to Imperia, the closest train station. From our research we knew that Imperia is actually two cities that sit on opposite sides of the Imperia River. A century or two ago, they were rivals controlled by two important ruling familes. Both have lovely ports, active marinas and lovely little restaurants along the water. We investigated how to buy train tickets and figured out the train schedule for our trip to Torino next weekend. It was a lesson in asking for directions....and actually being able to understand the spoken directions, and finding our way around each city center. Large towns and cities have turistica informazione, look for the "i" sign. These are often hard to find. We asked several people and finally found the office. Yipeee! We have quite a collection of city and town maps. Arrivederci mi amici...




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Torre di Barbaresco

We have been exploring the area by bus and with our bicycles. However, walking is the primary mode of transportation in this little village. Our apartment is up the hill toward the mountains and really just a short walk to the center of town. We can look at the sea from both our front and back balconies. It is a beautiful sight wherever we look. Pleasure boats and smaller fishing boats ply the waters off the village. The weather has been glorious, sunny and dry ..wonderful for bicycling or going to the beach. This is a vacation town and very close to San Remo, Monaco and the French Riviera. This week school begins for all the children. There is a lovely
Iittle Primary school that I am going to attempt to visit next week. We will see if my pathetic Italian gets me through the door. This region of Liguria was at one time a prime target for pirates. Here, I have heard them called Barabaresco and Sarcerans. In each little town you can still see a tower(torre) along the water. Long ago these towers were manned by watchmen to warn the inhabitants about approaching pirates. Women and children were captured and sold as slaves to other areas in the Meditteranean. The men of course were killed. The watchman would sound the alarm and the inhabitants would race back into the interior where the mountains are steep and the valleys are narrow. Many of the little villages high in the mountains are extremely fortified against such attacks. Today these little mountain villages are losing their young people to the modern world.


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View from the back balcony

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Can you believe this view?

Today we are solo...going it alone. We have walked everywhere in this little village through arched alleyways, past shops and outdoor cafes, along the sea and past gardens bursting with pommodori, zucchini, olive, limoni and meloni. The Alpi roll down to the sea and the rivers have, over the centuries,carved steep valleys. The primary industry in this area has been growing flowers. The hills are covered with many, many greenhouses.This area used to supply all of Europe with flowers but now the market has been taken over by Holland and the greenhouses are being replaced by summer homes. The house and apartments in Santo Stefano are clustered together in the area along the sea. The buildings have been built close together and are connected with beautiful arched alleyways and pedestrian paths. Everywhere is perfectly designed for the walker. Two east/west roads run through the town connecting it to the other towns along the coast, one is similar to our state roads and the other (Lungomare) goes along the water and is quieter. There is also a bike path connecting most of the towns as well. Motor scooters are very popular as are motorcycles and cars. But to get around the town for shopping or exploring, it is best to walk. Every extra bit of land is planted with flowers,vegetables, olive trees and citrus trees. The hillsides are steeply terraced and planted as well. It is an amazing lesson in the careful usage of space. The picture you see is the view from our back balcony looking toward the village and the sea. Ciao,ciao....we must go to buy a few things for our dinner tonight.


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Location:La Nostra Casa

From the balcony

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Location:Santo Stefano del Mare

Arrivata !

We have finally arrived in the small seaside village where we will spend the next 4 weeks. Summer is winding down here and soon the tourists will return to their homes. School begins around the 10th of September. Our dear exchange student Sarah Colombo and her friend Francesco drove us from Milano to the apartment here in Santo Stefano. As you can see from the picture, the balcony overlooks the sea. From the balcony we can look over the center of the village and distinguish the oldest part of the village from the new. The coastal road is called Via Aurelia referring to the Emperor Aurelius dating from the Roman Empire. A beautiful bike path follows this road and you can ride from village to village along the sea. In the evening it is the custom to stroll along the walkway and so at this time you can really get a sense of the community. Last night after cena (dinner), we walked along the path to a grotto dating back to the 12 century and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Napoleon's army came this way to invade Italy in the late 1700s ( not sure of the date) Our hosts have been explaining, guiding and teaching us important locations, skills and words so that hopefully we will able to survive a few weeks alone. Our brains are requiring us to work double time...which quite frankly we have not had to do in many years. We are right at that point when learning new information that can be a little frightening and thrilling at the same time. Last night we went to sleep feeling perfectly happy and quite "fried". Meals are quite different than we are accustomed to in the states. For breakfast, caffe e un biscotti, for lunch a prepared meal in la casa and for dinner(typically beginning at 8 pm) a prepared meal in la casa. Needless to say the food is delicious! Today we will drive to San Remo to investigate car rentals and to visit a supermecato to buy caffe and meusli. Tomorrow, Franca ( Sarah's mother) will return and we will begin our solo adventure.....wish us luck.


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Location:Santo Stefano del Mare

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Just a few more days

Our guest bed is piled high with clothes, gifts, important papers and toiletries. We are confirming dates to visit friends in Torino, and Sardenia. I've been cleaning out squash, beans and cucumbers from my garden. There are so many things to take care of before leaving. In the middle of the night I think of things I'll miss .....Ava's first day of Kindergarten, Griffin's saucy grin, the leaves turning a brilliant orange. But then again, I think of what we will see, the adventures we will have, and the friends we will visit. How lucky we feel!
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Location:North Hero

Can you teach an aging woman new skills or an old dog new tricks...

In preparation for our plans to immerse ourselves in Italian culture, I have been studying Italian using the famous "Rosetta Stone" computer program. I must say that I have learned a lot of useful phrases and can now say things such as I am hungry, I need ....., and innumerable essential words. During the day, I listen to an audio companion to the program that I have loaded into my iPod. Frankly, I'd rather be listening to my music but I feel compelled to cram as much vocabulary into my head as possible before our departure date on September 1st. For the past month I have woken up at my usual 2 am only to be muttering some Italian word or phrase. The language is at times incredibly beautiful with words such as ascoltare...to listen (remember to pronounce every letter). At other times the words seem perfect for the occasion. For example, puzzo which translates into... A foul odor or really stinky in American. For all the practicing though, I have to acknowledge that I still really couldn't carry on a real conversation with an honest to goodness Italian. At the age of 62, I survive by writing important reminders on little notes and taping them to the visor in my car or above my sink. Retention is not my strength these days so I am beginning to have nightmares about arriving in Italy and not remembering a single word. Maybe I should write important words on the palm of my hands like I used to do for my 10th grade Latin tests.

Some might wonder...

Some might wonder....why Italy?  When I was 14, I was a typical, surly American teen growing up in the 60s. Then one summer, my parents hosted 2 Italian boy scouts and my world shifted. They settled into our household of 6 kids, 2 dogs and various cats not knowing much English and we knew absolutely no Italian. These boys opened our eyes to different customs, expressions and ideas. My Mom's idea of pasta was mac and cheese. It must have been a horrible culture shock for them. We ate white bread and peanut butter. They longed for fresh fungi, risotto and real cheese. It was a summer of wonders for us as well as them. O.K....so I had a massive crush on one of them.  Summer ended and they returned to Italy. My sisters and I found that we missed that beautiful language. We missed the deep converstaions about the state of the world or the whys and wherefores of particular customs. Each summer we again hosted 2 to 3 Italian boy scouts and we looked forward to hearing that wonderful, musical language in our home. We wrote back and forth to a few of these boys but it was that first boy that I continued to write to every few months. Time went by and one summer several years later,I spent a few months living with his family in Torino getting to know his sister. It was a turning point in my life. I was smitten with Italy....the beauty, the people, the ancient feeling of so many people who came before, and always the language. Forty seven years later. .. I convinced my husband to go back with me. And while exploring Italy,we fell in love all over again.

At the Edge

We are about to embark on an adventure. After working for so many years, raising two daughters, paying for college and weddings, building three houses and growing together, we are looking forward to living in a small Ligurian town and learning to speak Italian. Believe me, it is right on the edge of our comfort zone. We leave in 3 weeks and already I am getting that "feeling" in my stomach....but on the other hand I am very excited and looking forward to having to communicate in a different language, meet new people, experience a new culture and immerse myself in the Italian countryside. This weekend I have spent both days in our small office getting my files organized and all the mundane paperwork in place. I would much rather be outside. The weather this summer has been glorious !