tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102448012024-03-07T04:44:17.862-05:00Live Cheap & Make Art.Rosemary & Bob's Italian AdventureRosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.comBlogger1000125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-57670255438899589872022-04-26T13:17:00.003-04:002022-04-26T13:17:21.531-04:00<p><b style="font-family: verdana;">I'm proud to announce that m</b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>y book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Two-Years-Italy-fifty-somethings-retired-ebook/dp/B09YRYH9HZ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=193O0STVL6ZW2&keywords=Two+years+in+Italy&qid=1650992065&sprefix=two+years+in+italy%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-1" target="_blank">"Two Years in Italy"</a> is now LIVE on Amazon.com in paperback and eBook! </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>It's been a long time coming but it is finally here. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">"Two Years in Italy"<br /></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Excerpts from our Blog</i></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In Italy, we kept this blog called Live Cheap & Make Art. The name came from a conversation Bob and I had, just before we started making plans. He asked me what I wanted to do when we retired, and I said: “I just want to live cheap and make art,” meaning, I wanted to live a simple life, devoted to making and appreciating art, focused on experiences, not accumulating a lot of stuff. It became the name of our studio and our life slogan.</span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In this blog, I recorded all of our adventures in great detail, sometimes looking forward, sometimes looking back, but always with excitement, joy, some frustration, and a little heartache.</span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I’ve taken those blog entries and edited them, eliminating some extraneous details, sharpening others, cleaning up my “stream of consciousness writing.” This book tells the story, in diary format, of our “Two Years in Italy.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiFyEyuUEGzpENa9Zme7aNsLNZASUmKEwX9XAjZLDFC-dgeXzVh9uimkCilDEeHlYwilSsW2xy39RgUdwiW-wf6JqysetzhfkdFwGU6EgJtfEqh6QTZx0npYpMHFoskPNXESvBZol_G0m5wZMQsiPgkIeTggJL-xoASMloAsLz1jdfh_gM2M/s2700/Italy%20eBook%20Front%20Cover-final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="551" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiFyEyuUEGzpENa9Zme7aNsLNZASUmKEwX9XAjZLDFC-dgeXzVh9uimkCilDEeHlYwilSsW2xy39RgUdwiW-wf6JqysetzhfkdFwGU6EgJtfEqh6QTZx0npYpMHFoskPNXESvBZol_G0m5wZMQsiPgkIeTggJL-xoASMloAsLz1jdfh_gM2M/w367-h551/Italy%20eBook%20Front%20Cover-final.jpg" width="367" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Front Cover</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeNtJ2WHva0gJVL9QT7OFSL890OEqiwqOzhicLJgxFZxc1w9LQHQnqvMbrkmX4jg4phox_FrbtX4vNG9AWhS5hX5mUyxh0zIM48_uUnfc2JbuKP6QJHIHO4jhOthGBg85t48bILWhW8zmGAqUQakT-OeGVtdixVc1SlGSjVm3CcoPW-RLthk/s2700/Italy%20Book%20eBack%20Cover-Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="549" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeNtJ2WHva0gJVL9QT7OFSL890OEqiwqOzhicLJgxFZxc1w9LQHQnqvMbrkmX4jg4phox_FrbtX4vNG9AWhS5hX5mUyxh0zIM48_uUnfc2JbuKP6QJHIHO4jhOthGBg85t48bILWhW8zmGAqUQakT-OeGVtdixVc1SlGSjVm3CcoPW-RLthk/w365-h549/Italy%20Book%20eBack%20Cover-Final.jpg" width="365" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Back Cover</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Please let me know if you have any questions or comments regarding the publication and availability of my book. Thank you!</span></div><p></p><p><br /></p>Rosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-47657528268837154932007-07-03T12:09:00.001-04:002010-02-27T06:16:13.231-05:00Welcome to our Blog!Here we are in Sorrento, Italy, March 2007<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4Euk3GfBJqqpbuLi2ks8JI-7ke8ZWb392ryhcg2Z0xqUIyJEMLF9iMGlHpPmeYGkvc5_lo238NXDZPFAPGj_5qGQ26qDn9WsKGQn5b79ChkEVD_cqX2aSL6lZMDSBSHQT_kCXQ/s1600-h/BobandRosemary.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4Euk3GfBJqqpbuLi2ks8JI-7ke8ZWb392ryhcg2Z0xqUIyJEMLF9iMGlHpPmeYGkvc5_lo238NXDZPFAPGj_5qGQ26qDn9WsKGQn5b79ChkEVD_cqX2aSL6lZMDSBSHQT_kCXQ/s400/BobandRosemary.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083003585046271874" /></a>Rosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-4980381448221480692007-06-05T09:39:00.011-04:002010-08-03T07:37:10.059-04:00This is Our StoryThis is the story of how two fifty-somethings retired, sold our home, put all our belongings in storage, applied for and were granted the proper Visa and went to live in Italy.<br /><br />We’re not rich. We did it on a firefighter’s pension. We lived cheaply and simply. We didn’t buy and restore a great old villa in the hills of Tuscany. We rented furnished apartments in four different regions. We weren’t fluent in Italian but we studied hard and were able to communicate and make friends.<br /><br />We weren’t just lucky. We worked hard to make it happen. We had a dream and we pursued it. This is our story. Complete with our <a href="http://www.livecheapmakeart.com/coph.html">photographs</a> and <a href="http://www.livecheapmakeart.com/jopapr.html">watercolors</a> of the places we lived and visited and the things we did and how we did it.<br /><br />To jump into the stories, click on one of the archives to the right side of this page. You are welcome to start at the beginning and work your way through or pick a date and see where we were!<br /><br />Here’s a brief index to help you navigate a bit:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://livecheapmakeart.blogspot.com/2005_01_01_archive.html">January 2005</a>:</span> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Planning and Dreaming</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://livecheapmakeart.blogspot.com/2005_03_01_archive.html">March to April 2005</a>:</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Our “Farewell Tour of America”</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://livecheapmakeart.blogspot.com/2005_04_01_archive.html">April to December 2005</a>:</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Perugia</span>, Umbria, Tuscany and central Italy<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://livecheapmakeart.blogspot.com/2005_12_01_archive.html">December 2005 to June 2006</a>:</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Marina di Ragusa</span> and the island of Sicily<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://livecheapmakeart.blogspot.com/2006_06_01_archive.html">June to November 2006</a>:</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Verona</span> and northern Italy<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://livecheapmakeart.blogspot.com/2006_11_01_archive.html">November 2006 to April 2007</a>:</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Vietri sul Mare</span>, Amalfi Coast & the south<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Our Travel Art is for Sale</span><br /><br />We do hope you will take the time to visit our website, but in the meantime, to view some of the watercolors, on this blog, search "watercolors" on the top left corner of this page and scroll. As with the paintings, Bob's photos are sprinkled throughout the pages of this blog, or search "images".<br /><br />Below are some examples of our “<a href="http://www.livecheapmakeart.com/index.html">Live Cheap & Make Art</a>“ travel art - the watercolors, photographs & prints from our adventures. Most of the images posted throughout this blog are available for purchase - Bob's photos and my watercolors – either as originals or as archival, limited edition Giclée prints in different sizes. Some paintings have already been sold! Send us your email address in a comment if you have questions on how to buy anything you see here. We will also be taking part in art shows and festivals in coastal Delaware this year and hope to expand that in the future. For a list of upcoming events, visit our website <a href="http://www.livecheapmakeart.com/">Live Cheap and Make Art Studios</a>. As with our dream of living in Italy, we are putting one foot in front of the other & going where they lead. Thanks for coming along!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Rosemary's Watercolors & Giclée Prints</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.livecheapmakeart.com/rifopeum.html">Ristorante Fontanella di Porta Sole</a>, Via delle Prome, Perugia</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtebTuy0KWM_rK7uWVtwqc6RCEa63InOyN7mEEuDZxeD6Ku00QWMPkCLJorZO-OnynDyjyihVJOSR2v40wc5yARCFDNsHzk35lPHZHGItIEAVaLKKoKCpdNrH0TyMiX3M1wxPUKA/s1600-h/Ristorante+Fontanella_blog.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtebTuy0KWM_rK7uWVtwqc6RCEa63InOyN7mEEuDZxeD6Ku00QWMPkCLJorZO-OnynDyjyihVJOSR2v40wc5yARCFDNsHzk35lPHZHGItIEAVaLKKoKCpdNrH0TyMiX3M1wxPUKA/s400/Ristorante+Fontanella_blog.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170565594479537074" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.livecheapmakeart.com/viacaacsi.html">Via Carmelo, Acate, Sicily</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDhvbUgKWSuYQbnBZWneybAY3R05fqTFMDN4G90PMhjsAulo1BP7xjAkzthH820D6XD1Q7I5YOUqaKzgu5N5fY6Q7ckmTbGmI_5DDmTRZ3y29DUtnDDWSn3xHI-bIlkrEKsgw7Sw/s1600-h/Acate,+Via+Carmelo_blog.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDhvbUgKWSuYQbnBZWneybAY3R05fqTFMDN4G90PMhjsAulo1BP7xjAkzthH820D6XD1Q7I5YOUqaKzgu5N5fY6Q7ckmTbGmI_5DDmTRZ3y29DUtnDDWSn3xHI-bIlkrEKsgw7Sw/s400/Acate,+Via+Carmelo_blog.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170565598774504386" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Bob's Digital Photographic Prints</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.livecheapmakeart.com/linugofren.html">Little Saint, Good Friday, Enna, Sicily</a></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_quUicotRQjuGhEF09KzwrLqfaDqQntFQcFN0HvJ_3dvQURf8YDuSAhcwlmxw5xXe9GiuKi1BrwRTigIYiBKqpGN74KR2DIHdmq93PjqqwKXZfLVfgzjh48qRL23XKPFEiY1jA/s1600-h/Enna,+Little+Nun_blog.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_quUicotRQjuGhEF09KzwrLqfaDqQntFQcFN0HvJ_3dvQURf8YDuSAhcwlmxw5xXe9GiuKi1BrwRTigIYiBKqpGN74KR2DIHdmq93PjqqwKXZfLVfgzjh48qRL23XKPFEiY1jA/s400/Enna,+Little+Nun_blog.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170565598774504402" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.livecheapmakeart.com/screamersicily.html">The Screamer, Scicli, Sicily</a></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQE2EWpLzBDPUkBFRFfN4N2e641M-l77tEJg7zmy3Lg66GyStMnLcg37hxBic1Lb5tIXVOynu4DNYWSpnL09yYOmtIs775jcNQnDFXiR1Vb1ZCmVLZjbt-nSGqo6m3LDRWUNgMeQ/s1600-h/The+Screamer_blog.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQE2EWpLzBDPUkBFRFfN4N2e641M-l77tEJg7zmy3Lg66GyStMnLcg37hxBic1Lb5tIXVOynu4DNYWSpnL09yYOmtIs775jcNQnDFXiR1Vb1ZCmVLZjbt-nSGqo6m3LDRWUNgMeQ/s400/The+Screamer_blog.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170565603069471714" /></a><br /><br /><br />Thanks for visiting!<br /><br />Rosemary & Bob Connelly<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Milford, Delaware<br />June 2007 (updated February 2008)<br /></span><br />If you'd like to read about our life and travels in America visit our new blog at: <a href="http://www.livecheapmakeartUSA.blogspot.com/">www.livecheapmakeartUSA.blogspot.com</a>Rosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-71585081235213600932007-06-05T09:36:00.002-04:002010-03-09T15:58:31.681-05:00Our Backstory 6.05.07Here’s the “Backstory”:<br /><br />In April of 2005 my husband Bob and I embarked on our great adventure. We sold our home in Phoenix, Arizona and put into storage what remained of our belongings after selling, giving away and tossing what we considered unnecessary, with the goal of simplifying our lives. Bob had retired from the Tempe Fire Department in 1999 after 25 years and for the next 5 years taught photography at Westwood High School in nearby Mesa, Arizona. When he announced he was ready to retire again I jumped at the chance to join him and resigned from my job as senior graphic designer after working in that field for over 20 years. Bob wanted to devote himself to his photography and I longed to develop my watercolor style further and to paint every day. <br /><br />In recent years we had watched too many of our friends and relatives close to our ages succumb to cancer or heart attacks cutting short their lives before they could enjoy retirement or see their children grow to maturity. We dreamed of retiring and traveling while we were still relatively young and healthy. Life was too short we decided, to put off our dreams. The time had come to make it happen. <br /><br />We wanted to live in a foreign country and view the world from another perspective. We wanted to live a simpler life, not filled with stuff, but full of experiences: learning to speak a second language and exploring new places. After vacationing in Europe a few times, Italy won our hearts. Our two or three week vacations never seemed enough time and we always came away wanting more. My grandparents had immigrated to the United States from Sicily and the Naples area at the turn of the 19th century and I longed to search out those roots, walk where they walked, feel connected to my ancestry in a very real way. <br /><br />I should also tell you that we are not wealthy. We have a modest pension from Bob’s years with the fire department and a very small nest egg. I will have a small pension but that won’t kick in for a few years, when we will both be eligible to receive Social Security. We knew we would have to live within a tight budget but after researching quite a bit, talking to expatriates, (www.expatsinitaly.com) and looking at the cost of living in Italy, we decided it was doable. <br /><br />I had started taking Italian language classes a few years earlier, before our 2003 trip to Tuscany and Umbria. We both enrolled in classes and studied in earnest for over a year prior to leaving Phoenix. If I could do anything differently I would start sooner and study harder. Maybe get a private tutor and try to be more fluent before packing up and moving. But we also planned to take classes at the Università per Stranieri, the foreign language school in Perugia and hoped that by having to use what we learned, we would improve. Immersion in the culture made a difference but we also struggled for understanding and would recommend to anyone thinking of doing what we did, to work harder sooner.<br /><br />We spent a good year preparing all the necessary paperwork and applying for a long-stay “elective residency” visa from the Italian consulate. We worked really hard to make this happen but it was absolutely worth it, start to finish.<br /><br />To read about our adventures and see our photos and watercolors, we invite you to peruse the archives at the right side of this page. Thanks for stopping by!<br /><br />Rosemary & BobRosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-1175192794309483272007-03-29T15:11:00.001-04:002010-03-09T15:59:45.883-05:00Our Last Words and Parting Shots from ItalyWe're leaving Vietri sul Mare on Saturday, spending a few days in Rome before heading back to the states on the 5th of April. Our two-year adventure has come to an end. The following is our last photo essay from Italy, followed by a few reminiscences of our favorite people and places. Thanks for reading and following along with us. It's been amazing.<br /><br />Vietri sul Mare, sunset<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/211948/Vietri%20sul%20Mare%20Sunset.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1975/783/400/Vietri%20sul%20Mare%20Sunset.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Salerno's harbor with the Grimaldi ferry and Vietri's torre (tower)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/231587/Grimaldi%20Lines%20and%20Tower.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/953631/Grimaldi%20Lines%20and%20Tower.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Looking down at Vietri, another view of the city<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/751378/Vietri%20down%20hill.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/473665/Vietri%20down%20hill.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Green boat and sea, Marina di Vietri<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/164579/Green%20Boat.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/799624/Green%20Boat.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Zeppole! That famous Napolitano treat (we'll miss these too)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/222055/Zeppola.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/123738/Zeppola.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Rosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-1175191865182070922007-03-29T15:03:00.001-04:002010-03-09T16:00:42.612-05:00Vietri sul Mare & the Bay of SalernoA few more parting shots of Vietri and the surrounding area <br /><br />Vietri sul Mare, after a storm<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/150185/Dome%20in%20Sky.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/551373/Dome%20in%20Sky.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I due Fratelli ("the two brothers" a Vietri landmark)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/170083/Due%20Fratelli.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/400537/Due%20Fratelli.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I know it's corny but we literally came upon these two rocks that are shaped like hearts. We didn't position them here side by side. It felt symbolic to us!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/76840/2%20hearts.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/455579/2%20hearts.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Looking down from Vietri to the beach at Salerno's harbor<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/233171/Beach%20Salerno.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/846347/Beach%20Salerno.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Fig tree in the Garden of Minerva, Salerno<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/771046/Figs%20in%20Sky.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/216191/Figs%20in%20Sky.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Rosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-1175191367185007902007-03-29T15:01:00.001-04:002010-03-09T16:01:27.767-05:00Arrivederci Italia 3/29/07Saturday, March 31st is our last day in Vietri sul Mare. And the last day we can really consider ourselves "living in Italy." On Saturday morning we will board a train in Salerno and spend a few days as tourists in Rome. We want to visit some of our favorite places and maybe find some new favorites. Who knows when we will return again. <br /><br />This is another turning point for us. Another chapter ends and a fresh new one is about to start. For the past two years we have lived simply and cheaply in Italy and had the time of our lives. It has been full and rewarding. There have been challenges and problems along the way but mostly it has been filled with wonderful experiences and incredible people who helped us through many of the rough spots and are responsible for many of the highlights. To each of them we will be forever grateful. I know that a lot of people will ask us "What was your favorite place, your favorite area?" "What was the best?" This is a very difficult question to answer, as each place was special and favorite for different reasons. <br /><br />Perugia, Umbria 1 April to 30 November 2005<br /><br />In Perugia, it was all shiny and new to us. Everything we experienced was a first and we were thrilled just to have accomplished the feat of simply getting here, of making it happen. We loved living in that medieval city and walking its ancient streets. Sitting in the piazzas and listening to free music concerts; the language lessons and all the people we met in that month of study at the Università degli Stranieri; walking out to Il Tempio di Michele Arcangelo, our favorite little round church and stopping to talk with Claudia and Remigio at their shop nearby; our visits to the Internet Point and conversations with Giovanna who helped us navigate many, many issues we had early on, always with a smile (or a chuckle, as we are certain we made her laugh at our silliness!) Massimo the Magnificent who fixed our computer after Bob got caught in the rain with it. <br /><br />Meeting Rita and Sergio, our landlords who also gave us so much help and support we could never thank them enough and Marco and Annalisa, native Napolitani who offered good advice about living in the south and enjoyed hearing our tales over good food and wine; all the neighbors we had the good fortune to meet there, Catherine, who gave us lots of helpful advice, Susan and John who, unfortunately came towards the end when we were so busy with visitors and leaving that we didn't have the time to really get to know each other but enjoyed what little time we had; Giuseppe, the Italian Top Gun who raced us back to our apartment one late night to make his curfew for driving in centro and who invited us to a restaurant where there was belly dancing; Jonathan Haar, the author of "A Civil Action" and "The Lost Painting," who stayed mostly to himself but was very interesting and kind; and especially Doug and Esther, our August neighbors, those talented young sculptors. We will always remember the times we spent in the garden, drinking wine and discussing art and life with them late into the night with the stars overhead. And Esther's beautiful mortar and pestle, custom made just for us.<br /><br />We will always remember meeting Art and Barbara (of Art and Barb Live in Italy) whose blog inspired us when we still lived in Phoenix and whose lives continue to set a standard for how to treat people and extend kindness and help in a most unassuming, yet extremely available way. All the expats like Cristina in Siena, Larry & Shelley in Massa Martana and Janet & Stephen in San Feliciano, whose enthusiasm was contagious and who continue to realize their dreams of living in Italy.<br /><br />We owe a debt of thanks to our Phoenix friends Shawn and Stephen who generously offered us a week at the end of July in Paris and we had the most amazing 10 days in that gorgeous city. Easy to do with one of the little low-cost airlines that Europeans use to jet around the continent. <br /><br />Perugia meant seeing Umbria in all its seasons, arriving just before spring and staying for eight months, with snow on the rooftops before we departed in December. What a joy to see those red tile roofs covered in white! We loved the way the fog would roll around that hilltop city when the weather was wet and rainy, we felt that we lived among the clouds. We loved all the festivals and especially Calendimaggio in Assisi, the festival of the Ceri in Gubbio and the Inferiorate in Spello, arriving with our toothbrushes and finding what we believe was the last available room in the town! All the pizza, all the cappuccinos, all the gelatos, all the walks uphill to our apartment in the highest possible spot in that highest of cities.<br /><br />We must admit we got tired of the student neighbors and how some of them tromped around in high heels in the apartment above us, and of the people who passed on the street near our apartment talking at the tops of their voices at all hours of the night when we were trying to sleep. The apartment tended to be cold at night and the cost of electricity was high. We hated the dog poop and the graffiti in that city (and in Italy in general) and the way the students would trash the beautiful piazza into the wee hours of the morning (but were delighted that it was all cleaned every morning as if nothing had happened.)<br /><br />And of course, no reminiscence about Perugia would be complete without talking about our beautiful garden there. It filled us with such joy. You can't imagine our delight upon arriving to realize that not only was the view I had on my computer, as wallpaper, NEAR where we lived it WAS where we lived. Everyday we had the absolute joy of going out into that garden and looking out over the rooftops of Perugia. I guess the way we feel about Perugia is the way you would feel about your firstborn. You don't love the other kids any less, but there is something special about being the first. And of course the visits from our children, Chris and Jessica and our Phoenix friends Art and Chris. It was a delight to be able to show them all our favorite places. I'm only sorry we hadn't figured out how to make the photos larger on the blog from this time because they don't do it justice. <br /><br />Marina di Ragusa, Sicily 1 December 2005 to 31 May 2006<br /><br />Sicily was a total surprise. We had never been there before and only seen photos in the guidebooks, which absolutely did not prepare us for the beauty of the Ragusa area, which only seems to get a mention but deserves much more. My grandparents were born in Sicily, near Palermo so I already felt a connection to it but the stories I heard growing up were of a harsh place, a difficult place to live, no work, many struggles and my ancestors left to make a better life for themselves and their children. We expected more desolate places and were not prepared fully for the lush interior we found. I worried that we wouldn't be able to communicate with the Sicilians since everyone said they speak so much dialect. They do speak dialect with each other, but so do people in every region of Italy but they also speak standard Italian, like every other region and we had no trouble understanding or being understood. In fact it seemed easer for us there and perhaps it was because there were less English speakers and we had to push ourselves to improve our Italian and we did.<br /> <br />Everyone we spoke to in Perugia, in Umbria, when we said we were going to live in Sicily, got a far-away, dreamy look in their eyes and said "Ahhh bella Sicilia!" It lived up to it. But the best part was the friendship we formed with Elio and Giovanna, our landlords. We cannot say enough about the way these two people welcomed us into their lives and treated us as if we were old and dear friends. They helped us through every crisis we had, with Giovanna holding my hand as my elbow was stitched up following a careless fall and Elio showing up immediately when Bob's car was hit by a "flying avvocato" (a speeding lawyer) and we called him in a panic. He not only helped us find a place to get it repaired, but helped arrange for a loaner car and found us an advocate who made certain we received full payment for getting the car fixed, by proving it was completely 100% her fault and not Bob's. They introduced us to hot ricotta and Buonaiuto's cannoli. They suggested places to visit and festivals to attend that we never would have found on our own and often invited us to tag along with them and their friends on various outings. We had a blast and felt so well cared for always. When my journals were stolen and there really was nothing he could do, Elio showed up and took us out for a gelato in Donnalucata and a walk on the beach to cheer us up.<br /><br />They helped us renew our permessi di soggiorno and introduced us to the Nokia phone that we were able to use as a modem with our laptop for Internet access and later as a GPS navigation system for our car that saved our marriage! They insisted we join them for Christmas dinner and made us feel so welcome always among their family and friends. The "hunt for the wild asparagus" was a day we won't forget as we trudged around the countryside searching for the elusive plant with Elio, his brother and a friend, both called Pippo (Giuseppe). We treasure our friendship with these lovely, lovely people. We will see each other again! We must. They are too important to us.<br /><br />Our days in Marina di Ragusa are among our favorites. We loved being able to walk down the stairs and across the street to the golden sandy beach every single day (except during the rainy times!) and put our feet in the Mediterranean Sea; to stop and chat with Angelo and Giovanni and the other "old guys" in the piazza; to stop and have a cappuccino with Salvatore before heading out on a day's journey; to gaze out our window in all weather and see the changing colors of the sea. These are things we will always hold in our hearts. Bob said at the time that he was happier there than anywhere else he has ever lived in his life and I believe that may still hold true for him.<br /><br />We adored Siracusa and Ortigia and will never forget spending my birthday in the audience of the spellbinding "Trojan Women" in the ancient Greek theatre; standing in the piazza in Catania as fireworks exploded overhead, choreographed to music on the feast of St. Agatha; viewing Caltagirone for the first time as we explored this city in search of ceramics and Presepe at Christmas time. We never got tired of walking through Ragusa Ibla and Modica and gazing at the view of both of those cities' incredible panoramas. We'll always remember the sunsets at Punta Secca and the birds in flight over Siracusa; Scicli and its cave homes that are still occupied made a lasting impression on me and I sat for hours sketching the way these crumbly houses stack one on top of the other, tumbling up and down the hills. We drove from Ragusa to Catania to reach Palermo through some of the most gorgeous scenery in the world, that the guidebooks described as "inhospitable" a term we took huge exception to. So lush and green and expansive, you can forget you are actually on an island, it seems to go on forever. Palermo's chaotic and crumbling beauty, like Napoli a study in extremes of colors, textures and patterns. Our great trip with Jessica to the west with stops in Marsala, Trapani, Erice, that little icy jewel of a town above it, all the Greek temples: Agrigento, Segesta and Selinunte, (where we ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Nutella with a bottle of red wine as we watched the sunset from our little terrace and its view of the temples). Lovely Taormina and Cefalu, and the elusive volcano, Mt. Etna that would often disappear among the clouds and reappear like a vision.<br /><br />We had a great visit with the Bivettos, my brother and cousins and their wives when they visited in April, in spite of our car accident happening on the day of their arrival and in spite of all my worries about how they would react to the place we found for them. They seemed to really enjoy being in Sicily and were as blown away as we were by its beauty and took pride in our family connection to it.<br /><br />We found complaint with the trash on the beach and I took to going down often with a couple of empty trash bags and picking up the litter hoping the locals might pitch in too but they never did. Surprisingly there often seemed to be piles of trash just around the corner or next to a heartbreakingly beautiful place and we just couldn't understand how this could happen. The traffic could be crazy in the small towns and the habit the Sicilians have of pulling into a parking space, leaving their rear ends sticking out in the road, regardless of how narrow, was always a point of frustration for Bob, the driver. In spite of all this, we adored Sicily and hope to return some day when the weather is warm and we can swim every day in the beautiful blue sea.<br /><br />Borgo Roma, Verona, Veneto 1 June to 31 October 2006<br /><br />Verona was fabulous because the cities of the north are fabulous! We admit we didn't enjoy the pollution up there and it was not good for Bob's asthma. But Verona itself was a joy and we loved the city. The River Adige that winds through it, the Renaissance and medieval architecture, the church towers and the beautiful windows and doors, the bridges and the castle; in fact there are so many castles in this area we could not visit them all; all of it was a delight to us. Being able to return again and again to Venice, to Lake Garda, to visit the lovely cities of Padua and Mantua, Brescia, Bolzano and Trento, the living chess tournament in Marostica; driving through the Veneto, Alto Adige, Trentino and other regions of the north that seem so close to each other because of the excellent autostrada system up there; seeing the Dolomites for the first time! <br /><br />It was amazing too to be able to drive to Germany with our daughter Jessica and her husband Nick, for our friends' Andrea and Vincent's wedding, ending with a visit to Regensburg to see our old friends Helmut and Ingrid and to Switzerland to see Helena and meet her family with a lovely detour into the south of France to stay at the farm of Vincent's family there. It was fun also to drive down to Cortona to meet Shawn and Stephen, who invited us to hang out with them in the Villa they had rented there with some friends and we jumped at the chance to spend time with them again. We really enjoyed showing them around Perugia and all of our favorite little spots that most tourists wouldn't know about or be able to find on their own. It was a very hectic summer and we were constantly on the go.<br /><br />With its modern shopping malls, autostradas and giant grocery stores, life in the north of Italy was the closest thing to living in the suburbs of America and there were McDonalds in many places and even a Burger King or two. Fortunately no Pizza Hut or Starbucks yet! The people in the north were more reserved than we had experienced in Sicily and that was a bit of a disappointment. As we lived in a "real neighborhood" we expected to be able to meet local people but it really never happened. Few seemed interested and many would go in and out of our apartment building with barely a nod. Thank goodness for Giorgio and Laura, our landlords, who more than made up for it with their warmth, love and attention.<br /><br />In Verona we lived just 5 minutes drive outside centro in a lovely apartment, with a really well equipped kitchen (we even had a diswasher!) and while I admit I would have preferred to have been right IN the old city, the best part of living in Verona was meeting Laura and Giorgio, our landlords who also became our treasured friends. Giorgio did everything he could to make our stay memorable and we had many outings with him and Laura and their families that made our experience so much richer. We will forever be grateful to them both and we'll never forget their kindness. Several times Giorgio called us to ask if we were at home and what we were doing and offered to pick us up and take us to meet this friend or that, who were always involved in some interesting endeavor, like Flavio who creates exact reproductions of medieval, antique weapons and also native American Indian tools and weaponry and even presented us with one of the knives he made entirely by hand. We loved every minute of it, and him for taking such good care of us. I'll always treasure the evening Laura and I spent at the Roman Anfiteatro at a thrilling performance of Madama Butterfly while Bob and Giorgio shared a beer and a pizza in town. Even Giorgio's sister Mirella invited us to collect chestnuts in the countryside, showing us a whole other side of Verona we would not have seen on our own. The day's outing on the Po Delta with all of them is among our fondest memories. Driving away from Verona Bob and I were both crying in the car, listening to the beautiful tape Laura gave us of her singing that completely blew us away, so talented is she. We will see each other again! We have to.<br /><br />Vietri sul Mare, Amalfi Coast, Campania 1 November to 31 March 2007<br /> <br />Living on the Amalfi Coast has been really amazing. I am sorry to say that the most negative interactions have been in this last place but it doesn't change our feelings about having lived in this gorgeous region of Italy. For years I have wanted to visit Naples. When we passed through this area on our "Grand Tour" of Italy several years ago we did not make it to Naples and we both wanted to explore this old city with such a reputation for extremes and to eat a pizza in its birthplace and walk its streets, to see the laundry hanging across the streets and feel its energy. My great-grandfather on my mother's side came from this area, in the mountains near Benevento and as with Sicily, I have always felt a connection to it. We love the old Napolitano songs and food, and the people are among the warmest and friendliest we have ever met. Lord knows Naples is a city of contrasts and the warnings we got from everyone made us bit wary of going, but I found it fabulous and interesting and in places absolutely gorgeous - like the walk along the seaside, its lovely castles and parks, the views out onto the harbor from Vomero hill and the incredible diversity that exists there.<br /><br />The garbage was an issue in Napoli as the garbage companies go on strike from time to time and we aren't sure why, except we heard that there is not enough room in the garbage dumps and they just stop collecting it. We think there must be some organized crime power game going on but it does take ones breath away (and not in a good way) to see half a block filled with bags of trash, piled in heaps. Not a pretty sight. Shameful in fact and one we hope they can get a grip on and do something about. There were some stories on TV about shootings in the city and the Camorra seems more active at this time than the Mafia in Sicily. But we personally never witnessed even any petty crimes when we were there and never felt in danger. We think a lot of the warnings are overstated but the fact remains that in any big city you must be careful and not flaunt your things and hold onto your wallets and purses. I had my bag stolen in Paris while sitting at an outdoor café and you will all remember how my backpack was taken out of our locked car at a nature reserve in Sicily. We were a lot more cautious after that, but sort of like shutting the barn door after the cows get out (or something like that I guess!)<br /><br />Traffic, and I hate to say it but it's true, especially in the south, was horrendous! And, I believe in this area, it was worst of all. We call it "Traffic Anarchy." There was hardly ever any police presence at the craziest intersections and no one obeys any of the traffic signals anyway. It is very much a "you go, I go" mentality, except that you and I are going literally in every direction with him and her and everyone else wanting to go first! I have huge admiration for my husband who navigated his way through it but I know he is ready to get home and looks forward to people driving in one lane, not straddling two to keep their options open, using turn signals and not coming at him from the opposite direction, in his lane. Passing is done on blind curves, tailgating is common on the twistiest roads and the look of utter amazement on the faces of the other drivers as he passes them and gives them his best "what the hell are you doing" expression (using the fingers touching thumb symbol emphatically) is nothing short of hilarious, but that's just to me. Bob might disagree with that assessment. <br /><br />In spite of the crazy drivers however, we loved the views along the Amalfi Coast and stopping for a caffe in Cetara and spending time in Ravello, our two absolute favorite cities here. The cliffs and towers, the colors of the sea, the orange and lemon trees in their terrace gardens, the flowers and plants and yes, even the sight of laundry hanging everywhere, delighted us to no end. And, in this last place, here in Vietri sul Mare, we really felt as if we lived here. The neighbors welcomed us from the first and it has been so much fun to share "buon giorno" with them from out on our terrace (often with me still in my pajamas) and have mundane discussions about the weather or our families and children, as my mother and her neighbors did when I was growing up in Brooklyn. Rosaria next door has been our weather barometer: if she puts out laundry we figure we are safe. She always seems to know when or for how long it is going to rain and we trust her more than the weather channel. We've been invited to family dinners including Christmas in Cetara with Nunzia and Antonio's family and December 8, the "Immacolata" all fresh fish (caught by Piero himself) dinner upstairs with Martine and Piero's lovely family that grew by one since we arrived, with the birth of little Danielle in December. We asked advice and were helped through the sale of our car, finding a hairdresser, a place for car service and where the best pizza is, and even felt brave enough to make my baked ziti for the family upstairs and my chicken parmegiano for Nunzia and Antonio and both were well received (or they were just being kind!) just to name a few instances of the friendships we've experienced. Meeting Emma has proved to be a wonderful experience as well. Her advice and good common sense about so many things was quite refreshing and most appreciated.<br /><br />Being able to take our time and visit all the archeological sights in this area has been incredible and seeing Mt Vesuvius in all its different colors, from a distance, on the road and up close, looking into its mouth. Just amazing. I felt ready enough to do my watercolor journaling again and have filled a few of those "Moleskin" journals with lots of quick sketches and washes done on the run, sometimes in the car, sometimes walking through a city. It was a hoot to share all of what we had found with Jessica who came to visit again and took advantage of the opportunity. She loves "touching old stuff" as she once said and we loved her excitement over everything she saw. We were just sorry Chris was not able to come again also, but being a daddy has had to take precedence over traveling and I'm sure he wouldn't trade this time with his little Kyla for anything outside of their own world right now. We can't wait to get home and see them both and become more active grandparents. <br /><br />Vietri with its many ceramica shops is like a big candy box, its colors and patterns literally jumping out at you as you pass. At first we thought we might tire of seeing all these ceramics but I never did. I had a difficult time deciding what to bring home, there were just too many choices for me! Finally we decided on a set of dishes with the typical Vietri pattern and a dessert set, with coffee cups and saucers that is based on an antique pattern. We spent too much but it was the biggest splurge of our "live cheap" lifestyle and, we hope will be heirlooms for our children. It was difficult because I loved almost everything I saw. Vietri turned out to be a great location for touring both the very winding Amalfi Coast and other parts of the area. It is the first city on the Amalfi Coast so it was easy for us to head towards Amalfi and Positano, (both gorgeous viewed also at night with all the lights twinkling!) and easier from here than the other Amalfi Coast towns, to take the autostrada north towards Naples, Pompei and the volcano, south and east to Salerno and the Cilento Coast or inland towards Benevento and even further east into Basilicata and beyond. We did it all. Our trip to Puglia to see the Trulli was amazing and fulfilled yet another dream of ours, to tour this unique region. We barely scratched the surface though and would love to return.<br /><br />Our landlords here have not made much of an effort to make friends and in fact, we had to do some searching to even found out who they were, and we've had some less than favorable experiences with the British agent we used, based in Salerno and the Amalfi Coast (according to his website he is the only English speaking agent working in this area) who says he is going to give us back our deposit but so far has not and we don't have high hopes of this happening. The landlords say it's not their problem and we considered reporting the lot of them to the Guardia Finanza, the “tax police.” It was difficult to find an apartment here over the Internet as we had done in each of the other areas and working with an agent seemed a way to accomplish it. We made a bad decision in choosing this particular agent in the first place but that must just be chalked up to being part of the experience and hindsight is always 20/20. <br /><br />But it's been so much fun living here, to run upstairs to borrow an egg or ask advice of Martine or Nunzia or Carmela. We love to go up and play with little Manuel, now about 18 months old. Cute! To stop and chat with Antonio in the feramenta, with Ferdinando at the Locanda Restaurant and Emma at Apicella's ceramics shop where we bought our dishes. I gave Martine's young granddaughter some of my watercolor paints and paper and she just beamed with delight. By now our language skills have improved enough that we can hold our own and we don't get quite as tongue tied as in the beginning. This week I even gave Nunzia a lesson in making my chocolate cake (transferring it to her metric measurements as we worked) and showed her how we color Easter eggs! In return, she has given me an Italian cookbook and countless family recipes that I can't wait to try. We've learned so much, both of the language and the culture of Italy and its food and history that I don't believe we will even realize until later, when we get home and have a little distance from it all. We loved our ceramics lessons with Andrea and Lucia and hope we can figure out how to come back again in the future and study further with them. We loved looking out at the beautiful Bay of Salerno every day and watching the big ferries coming and going guided by tiny pilot boats and the sea dotted with small craft of the local fishermen.<br /><br />Bob will be bringing home thousands of photos and I've done a good bit of painting. We know we will spend a lot time when we return organizing and sorting and figuring out what to do with all of this stuff we have accumulated and hope that some of it is worth something to someone! It will take time to digest it all. We only know it's been amazing and we are fortunate to have been able to experience this dream of ours and to carry it through to its completion. After two years in Italy we have to admit that we are kind of tired now and ready to go home. Not that we are really ready to leave Italy! We hope to continue studying the language and return to visit many of our friends and favorite places here. We'll just see how it goes. It's a big world and life is short. There are more adventures ahead. We hope our friends will come to the states to see us too.<br /><br />We've spent the last few days packing in earnest and had to go and buy another suitcase, in addition to sending home quite a few boxes that will arrive after we do. We're practically on a first name basis with the woman at the Post Office who I'm sure must think we are insane with all the boxes we've sent home! It will be like Christmas, getting back and looking at what we have collected in these two years and going through the things that have been in storage all this time, seeing what we kept and probably wondering why and looking for things we did not! It should be very interesting indeed and keep us busy for a while sorting it all out!<br /><br />In the beginning, and for the longest time, we were concerned that not too many people were reading our blog since we didn't receive many comments. Finally, in August 2006 we put a counter on the page and at this writing there have been well over 5,000 hits. That is really rewarding and the fun thing is that the readers come from literally all over the world. Imagine someone in Seoul, Korea and Lisbon, Portugal, Montenegro, Paris, Beijing, or New South Wales, Australia for example, caring about and reading what we have to say and to show. Amazing! And we thank all of you for coming along and following this great adventure of ours. We hope you have enjoyed what we have put out there and that perhaps it will encourage you to live out your dreams. I can't say it was easy. It wasn't just dumb luck. We worked really hard to get here. There were many challenges. But it was absolutely worth it. We started this adventure saying to ourselves "Now is the time. Life is short. You never know what tomorrow will bring." So now we'd like to say, if you have a dream, go for it. It's doable. Put one foot in front of the other and before you know it, your dream becomes a reality. We are living proof!<br /><br />Arrivederci,<br />Bob and RosemaryRosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-1175144138683278992007-03-29T01:47:00.000-04:002007-03-29T01:55:38.686-04:00More of Jessica's visit to NapoliA view of Naples from Castel St. Elmo<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/315078/Napoli%20from%20Castle%20S%20Elmo.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/873999/Napoli%20from%20Castle%20S%20Elmo.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Ladybug over Napoli<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/330928/Ladybug%20over%20Napoli.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/777802/Ladybug%20over%20Napoli.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Ladybug Lovers, at the top of the Castle<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/134196/Ladybug%20orgy.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/946471/Ladybug%20orgy.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Jessica and Rosemary, in heavenly light<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/656488/In%20Church%20light.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/171471/In%20Church%20light.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Rosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-1175026812372142202007-03-27T16:57:00.000-04:002007-03-29T02:01:34.423-04:00Pozzuoli: Anfiteatro Puteolano a.k.a. Teatro FlavioThis is the third largest Roman Theater in Italy. Construction began in 70AD under the rule of Nero. It had a seating capacity of 40,000 and a large underground area to house caged animals and a lift system to bring them up to the arena.<br /><br />Jessica in the Theater<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/991029/Jessica%20at%20Teatro%20Puteolano%20%28Flavio%29.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/775772/Jessica%20at%20Teatro%20Puteolano%20%28Flavio%29.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The underground area (in black and white)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/872986/Teatro%20underground%20B%26W.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/709789/Teatro%20underground%20B%26W.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Here you can see the immensity of the theater<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/822812/R%26J%20at%20Teatro.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/697018/R%26J%20at%20Teatro.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The marble columns are scattered throughout the underground area<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/496018/Under%20Teatro%20with%20cloumns.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/492633/Under%20Teatro%20with%20cloumns.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />For Jessica this was like a trip to Disney Land. As a professional Stage Manager it must have been quite an experience to walk in such an historic place.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/800608/Jessica%20under%20the%20teatro.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/220377/Jessica%20under%20the%20teatro.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Rosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-1175025384176567372007-03-27T16:45:00.000-04:002007-03-27T16:56:24.200-04:00Cumae an 8th century B.C. Greek colonyJessica at the Temple of Jove (Jupiter) She just loves touching "old stuff"<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1975/783/1600/Jess%20at%20Temple%20of%20Jove.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/301437/Jess%20at%20Temple%20of%20Jove.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Sibyl's Grotto: A trapozoidal tufa passageway used as tunnels for the military (probably)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/564713/Sybils%20Grotto%20Cumae.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/786813/Sybils%20Grotto%20Cumae.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Rosemary at one of the openings along Sibyl's Grotto<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/930848/Side%20view%20Sibyl.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/642708/Side%20view%20Sibyl.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Rosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-1174930794123916332007-03-26T14:36:00.000-04:002007-03-26T14:47:22.446-04:00Jessica and the island of ProcidaProcida's harbor<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/852026/Procida%20harbor.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/178783/Procida%20harbor.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The blazing sunset viewed from our seats in the ferry <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/131542/Sunset%20from%20the%20ferry.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/984092/Sunset%20from%20the%20ferry.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The colorful houses of Procida<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/652634/Colorful%20houses%20in%20Procida.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/55326/Colorful%20houses%20in%20Procida.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Rosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-1174930542214042662007-03-26T14:15:00.000-04:002007-03-26T15:01:43.143-04:00Jessica and the island of IschiaPassing the island of Procida going to Ischia, the Abbey of San Michele<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/467304/Aragonese%20Castle.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/965646/Aragonese%20Castle.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Boats in Ischia's harbor with a view of the castle<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/992474/Ischia%20boats%20and%20castle.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1975/783/400/Ischia%20boats%20and%20castle.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />View of Ischia from the top of the castle<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/902775/Ischia%20from%20the%20Aragonese%20Castle.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/136483/Ischia%20from%20the%20Aragonese%20Castle.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Jessica at the top of the castle<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/850540/Jess%20at%20the%20castle.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/349013/Jess%20at%20the%20castle.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Jessica pretending to be a dead nun. In the 1700s, the nuns of the convent in the castle put the bodies of the dead sisters on these chairs where the bodily fluids drained and they were left to decompose. Later the bones were collected, dried & buried all together. Gory, but true. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/308745/Dead%20Nun.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/212232/Dead%20Nun.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Rosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-1174815073508566422007-03-25T06:20:00.000-04:002007-03-25T06:58:22.446-04:00Villa Gelso, Elio & Giovanna's country house, RagusaWe stayed in the country house of our friends Elio and Giovanna, in Ragusa, Sicily for a few days last week, to say goodbye and see Bella Sicilia one more time. Here are some views of this peaceful place set in the Ragusa countryside. Here's a link to Elio's website if you want to find out more about pricing and availability etc: <a href="http://www.affittocasa.net/sicily-italy/index.html">http://www.affittocasa.net/sicily-italy/index.html</a><br /><br />Sicilian "mandorini" in the kitchen window<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/296276/Windows.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/864025/Windows.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Back door and picnic table on side veranda<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/544834/Veranda%20table%20and%20bench.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/920372/Veranda%20table%20and%20bench.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Gate to the veranda from the stone courtyard<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/41614/Veranda%20Gate.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/664484/Veranda%20Gate.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The veranda, a shady spot with cozy benches<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/71448/Veranda%20to%20Shed.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/358164/Veranda%20to%20Shed.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Rosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-1174814419090966492007-03-25T06:12:00.000-04:002007-03-25T06:47:15.163-04:00Views of the Villa Gelso, RagusaBeautiful pottery on a china cabinet in the kitchen<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/268262/Pot%20and%20Bowl.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/901389/Pot%20and%20Bowl.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Looking back towards the Villa Gelso, from the road, stormy skies<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/193328/House%20from%20farm.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/3311/House%20from%20farm.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Two bedrooms are upstairs with a roomy terrace<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/588976/Stairs.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/698636/Stairs.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Living Room (soggiorno) & freestanding fireplace (note typical "pece" floor)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/975212/Living%20Room%20Chair.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/463859/Living%20Room%20Chair.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Looking into the soggiorno from the kitchen<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/652136/Kitchen%20to%20Living%20Room.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1975/783/400/Kitchen%20to%20Living%20Room.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Rosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-1174813913543343052007-03-25T05:57:00.000-04:002007-03-25T06:55:00.836-04:00Villa Gelso, RagusaA big country kitchen with door to the side veranda<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/5338/Door%20to%20veranda.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/574663/Door%20to%20veranda.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />A bench on the veranda and a view of the countryside<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/909815/Bench%20.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/650401/Bench%20.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The courtyard and one of the friendly cats<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/890091/Back%20Patio%20with%20Cat.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/942777/Back%20Patio%20with%20Cat.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Wildflowers, low stone walls, rustic country farms and cows on the rolling green hills surround the tranquil Villa Gelso<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/19610/Flowers%20and%20cows.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/711360/Flowers%20and%20cows.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The wood burning oven in the typical Sicilian country kitchen<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/110414/Forno%20Legno.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/203873/Forno%20Legno.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Rosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-1174813024710389302007-03-25T05:53:00.000-04:002007-03-25T05:57:04.713-04:00Eating Cannoli in ModicaThe incomparable cannoli of Buonaiuto's, Modica<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/621986/Cannoli.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/570385/Cannoli.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Eating a cannolo on the steps of the church (how decadent!)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/406468/Eating%20a%20Canolo.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/379203/Eating%20a%20Canolo.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Rosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-1174812634343162632007-03-25T05:32:00.000-04:002007-03-25T05:50:34.490-04:00In Ragusa again with friendsIl Duomo San Giorgio, Ragusa Ibla, restored!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/859966/San%20Giorgio.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/756092/San%20Giorgio.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />A view of Ragusa Ibla<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/618129/Ibla.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1975/783/400/Ibla.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Chicken roasting in Ragusa<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/719603/Chicken.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/832914/Chicken.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Our Last Supper in Ragusa at the Timino farm, where we enjoyed, among other things, hot ricotta, wonderful cheeses and olives and a scrumptious assortment of grilled meats<br /><br />Le Donne (the women) - our Sicilian women friends, left to right: Marinella, Signora Tumino (restaurant owner), Giovanna, Lucia, Rosalba, Assunta and me, Rosemary, seated in front<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/83731/Donne.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/579562/Donne.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Gli Uomini (the men) - our Sicilian men friends, left to right: Salvatore, Elio, Pippo (the three brothers) and Rino and Bob, with Gianfranco in front<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/908052/Uomini.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/831339/Uomini.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Rosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-1174811473223869462007-03-25T05:26:00.000-04:002007-03-25T06:51:14.556-04:00Sicilian cart and Sicilian friendsThe horse that came before the cart on San Giuseppe day<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/423854/Horse.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/494585/Horse.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />A very wonderful example of a hand-painted Sicilian cart<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/175007/Cart%20back.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/139352/Cart%20back.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />With Elio and Giovanna at Punto Braccetto, Sicily<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/905550/Ro%20with%20E%26G.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/702478/Ro%20with%20E%26G.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Angelo, our favorite from the older men we knew in Marina di Ragusa<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/241302/Angelo%20%26%20Rosemary.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/139762/Angelo%20%26%20Rosemary.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Rosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-1174811166546453132007-03-25T05:15:00.000-04:002007-03-25T12:12:38.993-04:00Cena San Giuseppe, Santa Croce CamerinaThe "Cena" - an incredible feast prepared for this special day<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/771179/Green%20Cake.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/647300/Green%20Cake.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The group representing the Holy Family. We were surprised that they were not dressed as you expect for the Holy Family but this is the way it is done here.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/802301/Holy%20Family.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/220751/Holy%20Family.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Giuseppe (Joseph) knocks three times asking to be allowed inside. When at last he answers "Joseph, Mary and the Baby Jesus" the door is opened and they are fed from the Cena.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/101786/Knocking.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/482514/Knocking.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The special, fancy bread that is typical of the feast of San Giuseppe <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/376402/Bread.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/914666/Bread.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Giant pot of pasta, cooked outside & served to those allowed in<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/811510/Pasta%20pot.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/934611/Pasta%20pot.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Rosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-1174742002123828602007-03-24T10:12:00.000-04:002007-03-24T10:21:00.133-04:00Torniamo a Casa (Home from Sicily) 3.20.07We were awakened this morning by the sound of thunder, deep, rolling thunder and the sound of rain hitting against the outside shutters of our apartment here in Vietri sul Mare. It was pouring rain as we got on the bus yesterday in Ragusa, hugging our friends Elio and Giovanna, our dear friends. Giovanna said the sky was crying at our leaving and so were we. We have come to love these people who befriended us from the very first, when we arrived like the bumpkins we were, in Ragusa, with our limited language skills and our wide-eyed enthusiasm for everything we saw and did. Elio literally took us under his wing and helped us through every little crisis we had from our technology problems to the car accident to renewing our permesso with such a generosity of spirit, time and energy, it will ever remain a benchmark for how to treat the people who come into our lives. They introduced us to their circle of friends, their families, invited us into their homes, shared their knowledge of Sicily and their love for the southeastern part in particular and took us places and showed us things we would never have found on our own. There are no words to describe the gratitude we owe them and we only hope they will let us repay even a tiny bit by coming to visit us in the states in the future when their very busy lives allow.<br /><br />Jessica went home on the 14th and we took the bus home to Vietri and napped and rested that day, getting our things together for our quick trip to Sicily. This was not something we had expected to do before leaving Italy, but if you have read this blog recently you know that when we were in Ostuni we received an invitation to return to Ragusa, to stay in one of the properties of our friends Elio and Giovanna for the chance to see them and Sicily one more time before we returned to the states. We jumped at the chance, although we knew we had just a few short weeks to get our things together for the move back home and a bit stressed out to tell you the truth with everything we have to do to prepare for our trip back home to the states.<br /><br />Nevertheless, it was something we wanted to do very much and they just made it easy for us, letting us stay in their beautiful country house "in campagna" (in the country) just outside Ragusa, as their guests. <br /><br />Our flight left Naples at around 4:45 and in about an hour we were touching down in Catania, just in time to catch the 6pm bus to Ragusa. By 8 we were embracing Elio and Giovanna at the bus station and picking up a few things to make a light dinner at their lovely apartment. They had framed the little watercolor I had presented them with, of their country house, before we left in May, now part of the art collection on the walls of their home. I was flattered. They liked the little gift we brought them from Vietri, a set of limoncello glasses with decanter and a tray to match, not nearly enough to truly thank them, but they appreciated the thought and even scolded us for bringing anything at all!<br /><br />Staying at the Villa Gelso<br /><br />The Villa Gelso is a lovely old two-story Sicilian farmhouse that Elio and Giovanna have lovingly restored and filled with antiques and traditional Sicilian ceramics, furniture and treasures. It is part of a small borgo, with another house owned by their friends Lucia and Rino and a third by a gentleman who is retired but maintains a small farm and a herd of sheep who can be seen every day clamoring out of his fenced yard and down the country lane, to munch on grasses in a nearby field. There is a family of cats who also inhabit this property, cavort and play with each other, living quite a peaceful existence, keeping away the mice and amusing themselves as only cats can.<br /><br />A bright blue front door welcomed us into the soggiorno, a combination living room and dining area, with cozy furniture and freestanding stove (fireplace). A pile of wood was stored in a corner of the room and all the necessary accoutrements for starting a fire. So cozy! The floors are made of a traditional Sicilian tile called "pece" in shades of dark browns and carmel colors that reminded us a bit of the stained concrete floors we had in Phoenix, but more browns than rusts in color. There is a large country kitchen with doors that open to the terraces on both sides and lots of trees and potted plants and enough cozy corners to relax in and enjoy the rolling green hills, wildflowers and low stone walls that characterize this part of Sicily, that we enjoyed so much when we lived here last year. Its location is close enough to Ragusa and the other sights in the area as to be a very convenient base for touring as well.<br /><br />Upstairs are the two double bedrooms (with a fold out bed downstairs too) and second bath (there is another downstairs). Casement windows open to views of the countryside and a large terrace with an almost 360 degree view of the surrounding countryside, all the way to the sea on a clear day. On Friday morning we enjoyed the sunshine and our breakfast there.<br /><br />Visiting Marina di Ragusa and Angelo<br /><br />Not only did they let us stay in the country house, but they also gave us the use of Giovanna's car during our stay so that we could visit some of our favorite places. On Friday, of course, our first stop was to Marina di Ragusa, to say hello to Salvatore at the coffee bar we frequented, only to learn that he doesn't work there any more (only in the summer is what we understood) and to walk along the Lungomare. We stopped at the home of Angelo, a favorite of ours among the older guys who hung out in the piazza. He had not been well when we left and we worried about him. I had sent him a post card and a note and had not heard back so we were concerned something dire had happened. But when we rang his doorbell and he came to the door and recognized us, he got tears in his eyes and welcomed us warmly into his home, offering coffee, a drink, some biscotti? We learned that after we left he had had a serious car accident that landed him in the hospital in a coma for ten days and that he was only now recovering. To tell you the truth, he still didn't look very good to us so we will continue to worry about him. We didn't stay very long, as we were meeting Elio and Giovanna later that evening and didn't want to tire him out either. He gave us the email address of his son and asked us to keep in touch with him. We promised we would. Angelo had given us his address when we left last year, telling us that whenever we went back to Marina we should come and see him and his buddy Giovanni had teased him about it at the time (probably thinking we never would do it.) so I think it gave him great pleasure to see us standing at his doorstep a year later! It did our hearts good too.<br /><br />Pizza in Donnalucata<br /><br />Friday night we met Giovanna and Elio in Marina and drove together to Donnalucata, a nearby town (where we used to buy fresh fish at the market) for a gathering of their friends. Almost every town in the area was celebrating the feast of St. Joseph (March 19th is his feast day) with some sort of festival, parade, or other celebration. There was a street fair/market going on and we wandered around admiring all the wares, after a pizza dinner in a local restaurant. The men insisted on sitting at one end of the table with the women at the other and the women (all modern women with professions and every bit their partners' equals) gave them a hard time about it and a lot of teasing back and forth ensued. It was all in good fun and both Bob and I were thrilled that we were able to follow a good deal of the conversation and even share in the teasing and story telling. They all noticed that our language skills had improved since we saw them last and gave us lots of positive pats on the back for it.<br /><br />Ragusa Ibla and the Duomo<br /><br />On Saturday we spent some time in Ragusa Ibla and saw that the restoration of the Duomo is finished, no more scaffolding. The Ragusani are apparently unhappy though because they hadn't anticipated that the restoration would mean bringing back the dark stone details on the façade that had faded over time. The overall appearance of the Duomo, although in dire need of a good cleaning before, was that of light colored tufa stone. Now it is accented on the columns and around the massive doors with very dark, almost black stone that really stands out in a very contrasting way. We thought if you had never seen it the other way, that you might find it very beautiful anyway, but Giovanna felt that with the dark iron gates around it, the lower part of the church is now too heavy and dark. For us, we were just happy to see this lovely piazza, with its palm trees and shops surrounding it, free of scaffolding and open to the light.<br /><br />Unfortunately while we were in Sicily, the father of a dear friend of Elio and Giovanna's died and they needed to tend to the needs of their friend. We shared a simple late lunch of roasted chicken and veggies (yummm) picked up at the local rosticceria. We were on our own on Saturday evening and spent some quiet time in front of the fire, with a simple dinner. Not that we minded, it was very relaxing for us after our busy couple of weeks. <br /><br />Sunday, "in giro" and the Cena di San Giuseppe<br /><br />Sunday was a day "in giro" (traveling around) with them. They picked us up around noon and we went to a nearby town - Santa Croce Camerina - for a celebration of the feast of San Giuseppe. Last year I was lucky enough to tag along with Elio's brother Salvatore and his wife Marinella and witness for the first time the "cena" - a private home where the people who live there and their friends and families prepare an incredible feast, spread out on a huge table and invite the Holy Family to partake. This is acted out by local people representing Joseph, Mary and the Baby Jesus, who come to knock on their door, asking to be let in. This is in memory of the days before Mary gave birth, when she and Joseph went to Bethlehem and "there was no room for them at the inn". Joseph (Giuseppe) knocks three times at the door. First when the matriarch of the family asks "Chi è?" (Who is it?) he says "Joseph" and there is no response. Then he knocks again and at the same questions responds "Joseph and Mary." The third time is the charm and when he responds "Joseph, Mary and the Baby Jesus" the door is opened and they enter, wash their hands and take their seats at the table and are served from the "cena" (dinner) spread before them. (Last year they were served spaghetti, but this time it was a little of everything on the table.)<br /><br />Giovanna, charming as she is, with her beautiful sparkling green eyes, asked the woman of the house if we could stay and watch since we were not members of the family or close friends. She explained that we were visiting and it would be a great thing for us to be able to see firsthand what they did. This is a very religious event. This particular family had some health issues that were resolved in a positive way and they wanted to express their thanks to God for delivering them from their burdens (This is the way it was explained to me and I hope I have recounted it properly and respectfully.) First we all walked to the church, they said their prayers and were accompanied back to the home by a marching band and only the immediate family went inside as the Holy Family approached and began the knocking ritual. <br /><br />Afterwards we were invited to share a bowl of pasta that was prepared in a giant pot and mixed with a simple tomato sauce. Bob felt a bit uncomfortable, as if he were intruding on a very private event but Giovanna assured him that the people were very happy to have us join them and witness this unique festival.<br /><br />The day ended with a drive to the sea, to Punta Braccetto, one of the most southerly points on the coast of Sicily, a little snack of the focaccia sandwiches typical of this area, accompanied by some juicy oranges. Elio really wanted to take us for some granita too, but we were all too tired and convinced him it was OK to go home without it. (Elio tries his best to accommodate us and if he thought we wanted to do something, he would try his darndest to make it happen!)<br /><br />Modica and a Last Supper<br /><br />Monday we spent in Modica. We wanted to just stand at the overlook with the panoramic view of the city and to walk through its lovely streets one more time. We bought a few pieces of Sicilian ceramica, imitations of pieces from the 18th century, a Sicilian cookbook (I was sorry hadn't bought one of these when we lived here and took the chance to do it now.), some Modica chocolate and of course, cannoli from Buonaiuto's shop. We sat on the steps of the church, munching happily, delighted to have had the chance to eat just one more!<br /><br />Monday night we joined Elio, Giovanna, Elio's brothers Salvatore and Pippo, their wives Rosalba and Marinella, friends Rino & Lucia and Assunta & Gianfranco for another "Last Supper" at the Masseria "Tumino" - a large working farm that offers typical Ragusana fare, cheeses and olives, with the centerpiece of the meal (as far as we were concerned) a steaming bowl of fresh, just made, hot ricotta! If you ever get the chance (and have not yet) to try this, it is, in our opinion, out of this world. Afterwards they served a variety of grilled meats: veal, pork and beef that were sliced thin and dripping with the most delicious sauce, that was probably the simple, tried and true Italian concoction of "aglio, olio, pepperoncino and sale (lots of sale!) It was completely finger-licking buono, buono, buono.<br /><br />All of this was followed by a fresh-made, from their fresh ricotta, more cannoli! Everyone else had the good sense to share one, while Bob and I hadn't understood the pinky gesture that meant they would each have half. We talked and laughed so much that night. We learned about other gestures and what they mean. Giovanna explained a term we had heard that meant something like "Who is this guy??" or "What do you want??" that sounds something like "Chi (hard "c") stu ca?" that I remembered hearing my uncle say, so I know it is Sicilian but she laughed and wanted to know where I had heard that and said it's not really a nice thing (not obscene or anything) but not a friendly thing. I got that it was accompanied by the typical Italian gesture of touching all your fingertips together with the thumb and shaking it back and forth. <br /><br />We had the waiter take a photo of the whole group and then one of all the men and all the women. These people have been friends since childhood and it is one of the things I envy and enjoy about being around them. They have a familiarity and a devotedness to each other that can only be achieved from a lifetime of experience. In this gypsy lifestyle of ours we have met many people and many whom we consider lifelong friends, but know we sacrifice something by not staying in one place, the trade-off to having many experiences I suppose and one we have to be content with, so rich have these experiences been.<br /><br />Pranzo (lunch) with Lucia and goodbyes<br /><br />On Tuesday, we got our things together to leave, took a walk around the countryside and were invited to have lunch prepared by Lucia, next door. She is a surgical nurse and is studying English, with the desire to visit America and her relatives in Australia. It was lovely to spend some quiet time with her and hear all about her plans and dreams and get to know her a little better. We learned that she and her husband Rino are building another house and trying to sell this one. It's a wonderful two bedroom and a den upstairs and very spacious downstairs with big kitchen and open living space below. They are asking 300,000 euros and we wish we could afford to buy it! If you are at all interested, let us know and we'll put you in touch with Lucia. It would definitely be a turn-key situation as they have lovingly restored it and it looks gorgeous. <br /><br />We promised to keep in touch, sharing email and street addresses and a warm hug as we hurried off to meet Elio and Giovanna, drop off their car and take the bus back to Catania. There was not a lot of time for a lengthy goodbye but we hugged and kissed each other warmly and with the rain pouring down on us, hurried onto the bus, crying our eyes out as it pulled away and I saw Giovanna blow us a kiss from their car. Hoping our paths will cross again, knowing it will take an effort on both our parts, as long distance relationships are hard and it takes a real effort to maintain a friendship when there are many miles in between. We will do our best though and we know they will too. We will see each other again. Promise.<br /><br />Per Elio e Giovanna, vogliamo dire: Grazie tantissimi, i nostri amici! Non vi dimenticheremmo, mai. State bene, sempre. Starete nel nostri cuori per sempre. Benvenuti in America a casa nostra quando potete venire. Baci, baci, baci. <br /><br />Now the thunder is still pounding around us. We've seen some hail hitting the terrace and rain has been constant all day. The electricity has gone in and out and we wonder about the strength of the connections out there. The forecast for tomorrow is for more of the same and then we hope the sun will come out. We promised ourselves we would swim in this sea before we leave here on the 31st and we hope we can keep that promise!<br /><br />Buona giornata, wherever you are,<br />Rosemary & BobRosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-1174741913352494152007-03-24T10:11:00.000-04:002007-03-24T10:11:53.376-04:00Getting ready to leave 3.21.07We arrived home last night from Sicily and now it is time to prepare in earnest for our trip back to the states. It is not going to be easy to leave; this experience has been the most amazing thing we've done so far in our lives (besides our children of course!)<br /><br />We headed for Sicily on the 15th a bit tired from Jessica's visit and a bit stressed out over another issue. We were having a little problem retrieving the deposit we paid to our "agent" when we arrived here in Vietri. It's part of a longer story, but to try to summarize, we stopped working with our "agent" (a Brit, not an Italian) when we discovered that he was skimming a bit of our rent money off the top to keep for himself, unbeknownst to us at the time. The fact was apparently news to our landlords too because in January, when they discovered this little scheme he was perpetrating, together with a local guy, they put the kabosh on their plans and told us we would in the future, pay them directly, reducing our rent. We confronted said "agent" and after a few unpleasant email communications, he stopped writing. The landlady said she had the deposit, misunderstanding that we were not talking about the last month's rent, which we also paid up front, but an additional month, as "desosit." <br /><br />At the beginning of March when we asked her about it she denied having any further monies and thus began our very stressful attempt to get them back. We are at the moment expecting the agent to transfer our deposit to a PayPal account, which our son Chris will then withdraw and hold for us. We are hoping we can trust this guy to follow through, but to tell you the truth we are not so confident about it. We'll see. We hope that he proves us wrong and does what he said he would do and we can leave with all well that ends well. This has unfortunately caused us a bit of grief and been the only really negative experience we have had in Italy, with dishonest people. <br /><br />We have been spending a good deal of time also, arranging for our return to the states, having started several weeks before Jessica's arrival. The sale of the car went more smoothly than we ever could have anticipated, thanks to the help of our neighbors, Martine, Piero and their son Herve. We have already sent a few more boxes home, due to arrive after our return. We have arranged for our things from storage to be delivered to our new home in Milford, Delaware and for the cleaning of our carpets and touch up to the paint on the walls, as needed. We've researched phone companies and Internet providers and arranged for a car to pick us up at the airport in Philadelphia and deposit us at a hotel where we will spend our first night home in the U.S. We plan to rent a car in Milford until we can purchase one. Shirley, the agent who has managed the rental of our home there has kindly offered to lend us a portable mattress so that we can actually move into our own place and not have to stay in a hotel beyond that first night, until our things arrive anywhere from the 7th to the 11th of April. We figure we can just use paper plates etc and eat take out for a few days, rather than spending a lot of money on a hotel room. (the "live cheap" attitude must continue!)<br /><br />We anticipate these next ten days to be very full indeed as we decide what we can fit in our suitcases, what we will ship and what we will need to leave behind or give to our neighbors or charity. Bob started getting a bad cold in Sicily and I have insisted he take some time to completely rest and not worry about doing any packing or preparing until he feels better. I'm slamming down vitamins and drinking juice and trying not to catch what he has! <br /><br />We still hope we can make it to a few more ceramics lessons before we go home and I still want to buy a few more pieces of ceramica as mementos of our time here in Vietri. You would think I would have done this by now but I always have trouble shopping when there are too many choices and with Vietri chock full of ceramics shops, I just couldn't decide before now what I wanted to get. Whatever we buy will be shipped home since there will not be room in our suitcases, limited as we are now by reduced maximum luggage weights permitted on airplanes.<br /><br />I hope to write again before we leave, just to say arrivederci and summarize things. If that doesn't happen, I will certainly do it when we get back to the states. We have so much on our minds now as this departure date looms in front of us. We have so many mixed emotions about leaving. It has been incredible to be here. We've had so many wonderful experiences and a few not so wonderful but all in all we are thrilled that we did this. That we had a dream and made it happen. We have learned more than I believe we even realize in this moment. It is a time we will always treasure and be proud of for as long as we live.<br /><br />For now, we are still here,<br />Rosemary & RobertRosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-1174732355008443002007-03-24T07:23:00.000-04:002007-03-24T07:38:09.020-04:00Jessica takes Napoli!Teatro San Carlo. Jessica enjoyed seeing them in preparation for a show.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/379330/Teatro%20Napoli.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/406129/Teatro%20Napoli.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Galleria Umberto's impressive glass and iron roof<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/463192/La%20Galleria.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/969067/La%20Galleria.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Villa Communale, public gardens in Napoli<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/810120/Villa%20Comunale%20Napoli.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/440388/Villa%20Comunale%20Napoli.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Jessica's lovely shot of the stairs, Palazzo Reale. She has a good eye.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/970528/Piazza%20Reale%20stairs.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/444589/Piazza%20Reale%20stairs.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Rosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-1174731764091645432007-03-24T06:51:00.000-04:002007-03-24T07:22:44.123-04:00Jessica in NaplesNapoli skyline<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/321460/Napoli%20skyline.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/297178/Napoli%20skyline.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Our Non-religious daughter!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/817688/Non%20Religious%20Jessica%20Napoli.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/124984/Non%20Religious%20Jessica%20Napoli.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The King's writing table, Palazzo Reale<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/584989/Kings%20writing%20table%20P%20Reale.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/505415/Kings%20writing%20table%20P%20Reale.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Palazzo Reale steps<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/136415/Palazzo%20Real%20Steps.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/246171/Palazzo%20Real%20Steps.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Rosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-1174729879568128582007-03-24T06:40:00.000-04:002007-03-24T06:51:19.596-04:00Jessica's visit to NapoliOur beautiful daughter Jessica at Piazza Plebiscito<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/459358/Jess%20in%20Napoli.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/410661/Jess%20in%20Napoli.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Ceiling, Chiesa San Francesco di Paolo<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/511520/Church%20ceiling.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/924452/Church%20ceiling.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Castel Dell'Ovo<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/7140/Castel%20Dell%27Ovo%20view%20Napoli.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/193656/Castel%20Dell%27Ovo%20view%20Napoli.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Galleria Umberto exterior<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/206894/Galleria%20Umberto%20Napoli.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/691592/Galleria%20Umberto%20Napoli.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Castel Nuovo<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/929880/Castel%20Nuovo.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/509410/Castel%20Nuovo.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Rosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10244801.post-1174729231617064412007-03-24T06:07:00.000-04:002007-03-24T07:36:12.186-04:00Jessica's visit to Pompei & HerculaneumOne of the black and white mosaic floors in a villa<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/896099/Pompei%20floor.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/746446/Pompei%20floor.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Mosaic shrine in an outside courtyard<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/674548/Pompei%20Mosaic%20Shrine.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/797895/Pompei%20Mosaic%20Shrine.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Plaster cast from a victim found among the ruins<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/175686/Pompei%20Victim.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1975/783/400/Pompei%20Victim.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />One of the theatres<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/610595/Pompei%20Teatro.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/948906/Pompei%20Teatro.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Overview of the city of Pompei<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/1600/775150/Outside%20view%20of%20Pompei.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1975/783/400/597967/Outside%20view%20of%20Pompei.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Rosemaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01806053810163306948noreply@blogger.com0