Saturday, June 22, 2013 - Home from Rome

Oh, those long flights over the Atlantic. And then the continent,watching the video representation of the airway flight over the great circle. I promise myself  I won't look at it continuously and then, four minutes later I'm sneaking another peek. I don't actually sleep in airplane seats for more than a few moments at a time. I look around or walk along the isle and see many people managing to do it. Lucky them. We were flying on one of those huge air busses that I'm so impressed by. 

                                     

                                 Our guide, Favio demonstrating some important details to us

Wednesday and Thursday, our last two days in Italy, were filled with the wonders of Rome. The tour on Thursday of the Roman Forum and the coliseum were exhausting and hotter than Hades but filled with the revelations provided by our guide, Flavio, a Young history fanatic from Sardinia. Talk about a person being in love with what he does. ...... He was thrilled to share with us every new discovery about these unbelievable ruins, even the somewhat sub-rosa shot he had just recently managed to capture on his cell phone from an excavation that was not yet officially announced. It somehow is pretty impressive to walk on portions or the Roman highway where all the great names - good, bad and otherwise had also walked. It is truly impressive that the original sewer systems are still in use while at the same time, clean, cold water can be had from hundreds of icy water pipes coming from springs and underground water storage. On a day as hot as the last few we had, that's a blessing. 

The size of the Roman leaders' dwellings was excessive to say the least, but one can only be impressed by and even grateful for their beauty and the ingenuity of their builders. That they seemed to make every effort to outdo each other in the creation of grandeur just results in it being all the more unbelievable.

       

                           A very interesting diagram of who could sit where in the Coliseum

When we made our way over to the coliseum the tales of lavish public events moved us into an even more awed state of being. To think of 70,000 people gathering in that one architectural wonder is really a brain strain. Then when you enter the subject of class and gender protocols it becomes all the more fascinating. There's a great diagram on one of the main corridors' walls that demonstrates who was allowed to sit where. Actually, that sort of thing has improved over the centuries to quite by a fair degree. In some areas though, it is difficult not to see some striking similarities to the use of able bodied young men both then and now. What is so different between being a well trained gladiator or army personnel and the well indoctrinated military "volunteer" of today? They are both fodder for exerting influence and maintaining the power and influence of the super wealthy.

                                      

                          Scale becomes the overpowering factor when viewing the Coliseum

                                      

                       There are many fascinating close ups to be found in those huge tapestries

Thursday Averil and Bruce reserved tickets for us to see the Vatican museum and Sistine Chapel. Let's not even go to the subject of trying to stay together in those crowds. But the bottom line most certainly is that we were impressed and thrilled to have seen what we saw. Elaine prodded us ever forward toward seeing tapestries. 

                                       

                                      

And we advanced ever forward until we saw a collection of gigantic tapestries that we'll be discussing for years. Thank you Averil and Elaine. By the time we called it quits we were sore of foot and back to the point of taking a cab to our neighborhood and sitting down to yet another collection of salads and other dishes at a restaurant introduced to us by Holly and Roger which seemed to become our favorite group hangout. We actually returned there that night to have our last dinner together before walking leisurely back to our hotel for final packing and preparations for going our separate ways. This last walk involved, of course, a stop in the three fountain square to indulge in one last gellato at a place that was touted to have the best gellato in the world. I had a sample taste from several generous souls and I think I am willing to go along with the idea that it would be hard to beat what I tasted. 

The trip home via Rome and Munich airports and that nice big Airbus was a classic example of hurry up and wait and culminated in a safe and uneventful landing at SFO, just the way we like it. 

Elaine and I are decompressing at Richmond Harbor before driving to The north coast tomorrow. It was a fantastic trip and yet we both can hardly wait to be in the paradise we call home. 

Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - Hotter than hades at the Forum

Elaine Linda and I had a hot day in Rome today. We started in the morning by buying tickets to the "hop on and off double decker bus." Before that we waited in two wrong places. We finally got a bit more with the program and found the right bus stop. It turned out that the nice lady who sold us our all day 15 euro tickets and ushered us up the windy steps to the outdoor upper level only announced what she considered major landmarks. Somehow I guess we had thought that for such a fee we'd be issued ear phones and have our individual connections.with the lady below. But no, we were blessed with her presence twice ...... Once when she came up and offered to sell us water, which we eagerly agreed to buy. Within a few blocks we were boiling so she had that right.

The second time she visited us was soon after I had remarked to my fellow travelers that I thought we were revisiting some familiar territory and perhaps going in a cork screw kind of direction. Then, in a quiet sort of neighborhood the bus pulled over to the curb. We began looking around to see what might be of such special interest. One building across the street had a lovely set if stained glass windows and we began speculating about the purpose of the building .... Maybe a convent or a girls school or .... What? When our lady from below finally blessed us with another visit, we immediately  pounced on her with our question. But sadly she said she had been wondering about that building too.  So, we could now see that we were all in this together and we probably wouldn't be around when the  answer arrived. What she had really come up to tell us was that the driver seemed to not be feeling well. In fact, he was probably quite sick and they would be expecting another driver to replace him sometime soon along the way. 

Then she left us and after some minutes we took bravely to the road again. Yes, I was saying to myself. We've passed by here just a short time ago. At the next major stoplight we pulled over into an official bus stop. Almost immediately we were being yelled at by some men with hats for sale. That was  of course as timely as the water had been because it was getting hotter by the minute. Our driver soon appeared outside the bus right next to the hat vendors and we wondered what was going to happen next. He didn't look well and seemed to be rather frantically looking up and down the street, probably for someone to come and rescue him. Meanwhile I began taking an interest in the hats and asked the vendor how much they were. He said 3 euros and that seemed like such a good price that I began pointing to the one  I might want. He misread my lips and threw up a white one and I threw it back. This went on until I had one that would work and began groping in my purse for the money. I threw him the three euros and he said I hadn't given him enough. We all three defended our cause, saying emphatically that he had said three, not five. As the bus was pulling away, all the vendors were calling up to us and we were answering back like a chorus. The bus took off and I put on my new sun protector. At the next stop Linda and Elaine did commerce with two different parasol sellers. That was almost as fraught with angst as well as comedy because they kept throwing up the wrong color for Elaine. Then the bus was about to take off so one of the men actually boarded and made a quick leap up the stairs to get his money. Some recriminations took place as he exited and we were off and running again.

Our lady came up one last time to tell us that our stated destination at the Forum had been reached and we were quickly ushered down the stairs and off the bus right between the Forum and the coliseum. What a thrill! 

                               Our first close-up look at the Roman Forum ruins

Well, I've used up a lot of space telling you about the only ride we had on a bus the whole day. And I'm too sleepy to continue for now. I'll try to get back to the fabulous time we had at the Forum and the Coliseum in the afternoon as soon as I can. We're being picked up at 8:30 tomorrow morning by Averil and Bruce who've arranged to show us the Vatican and all that it entails. Who knows when I'll get caught up with this saga? It's enough to say that we're having a wonderful time and thinking about getting back to California at the same time. Elaine and I both send greetings to our friends at PacificTextile Arts as well as the Senior Center. See you all soon.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - Rome is a hot box

The ride by very nice bus from Sulmona to Rome took about two hours  and was super comfortable with lovely scenery all the way. But of course the minute the door to the bus opened it was like stepping into an oven. It certainly does make Abruzzo seem ideal by comparison. Part of our group who didn't take the class will be joining us late this evening after a side trip to Naples and Pompey. At least the won't be arriving to greet.the noon day sun. Tomorrow Averil and Bruce from Amore Tours will also be joining us for a tour of the Vatican. really do hope it cools down for that adventure.

It's almost 5:00 so I think I'll venture out to see what I can see. Back later, dear ones. 

June 17, 2013 - On the road again tomorrow morning

This has been one of the most magical weeks I have ever experienced. This farm / conference center, family owned restaurant is populated and run by singularly warm and welcoming people. Gloria is an artist. She paints and works in clay. She does anything and everything from serving in the dining room as well as helping to plan the extraordinary meals we've been eating. Eugeni is Gloria's husband. He runs all the garden tools, controls the watering, oversees the care of the large donkey population, conducts therapy sessions, plays classic Italan music on the accordion for appreciative diners. Gloria and Eugeni are the owners of this beautifully situated operation. Gloria also commutes to Rome once or twice a week to teach art. Eugeni also maintains a psychiatric practice and oversees the therapy activities for challenged young people using the donkeys.

Pino is a world class chef who feeds us, gives us cooking lessons and does many other amazing things.

Sandra is Gloria's sister who oversees all kind of things, she is also one of the funniest human beings I've ever met. She brings Italian hand movements and gesturing to a whole new level.

Needless to say, I'm excited to think of seeing Rome tomorrow, but I'm going to miss this beautiful area and extraordinary people.

They, along with Averil and Bruce will be sorely missed by this little group from Northern California.

Sunday, June 16, 2013 - Only two more nights in Abruzzi

I'm still.struggling with trying to understand the working of the IPad with the blog tools. But I think I may have reached a breakthrough tonight. I just managed to add three pictures to my posting of June 13. I haven't figured out how to add captions yet but I'll give it a try. In the meantime, the pics just added to that post are of one of the sweet donkeys all saddled up for each of two sisters to take a little ride. The second is of our class with Holly and the third is of the lovely pond with it's many plants, frogs and trees.

        

                                  Jackie enjoying a day of working with her hands

The class is going well and the three of us are learning lots of good new aspects of transferring images to fabric as well as gleaning many good tips toward working with collage composition. One more full day of class and then Tuesday we're off to Rome for heading back to SFO on Friday. I want to say how sorry I am that I've been such a clutz trying to post entries in my usual fashion. When I decided to leave my little Mac Air home and give the IPad a try I had no idea the two devices were so different to work with. When I make the trip across Canada I'll definitely take the Mac, though I hope that by August I'll have a better handle on this little guy.

Friday we visited Averil Stuart Head's studio and home. She and her husband, Bruce, are the owners of Amore Tours, the tour company that sponsors Holly's class and the great tour we've been on. Averil and Bruce live part of the year in a small village several miles from the farm/conference center where we're staying. They have made a beautiful home in a small, two story building, brilliantly located on a small street that connects two large squares. Averil's studio space fills the first floor and their charming living space is upstairs. It's worth Googling Averil Stuart Head to see her work.

                                   

                                    

                                                              Averil in her studio

                         

                                        

                                             Holly having a great time looking at Averil's work

Yesterday we went to the big outdoor market in Sulmona. Very few non-locals and full of regional and Italian specialties. There is a dried and salted fish called Bacalla. I saw big piles of them and I hope I'll be able to find it in the Bay Area. On Morano Island, where the wondrous Venitian glass is produced, we were served a delicious spread for crackers or bread that was made with this dried white fish, milk and olive oil. If I find it, I'll make this for you at Taurus party time.

I must say that good Italian design was evident in this market at every turn. Some of the "stalls" were filled with tempting "Made in Italy" items, and the prices were amazingly reasonable. We bought  delicious cooked chicken, pork and the makings for salad and had a lovely lunch in the conference center garden here.

All of a sudden I'm very sleepy. So I'm off to bed, Love to all, Jackie

Finally a good connection!

We're in Abruzzo, near the town of Sulmona. this is where Holly's class is being taught. We began the class under the charming roof of the garden studio surrounded by lawn and trees. Near to us is a lovely pond beyond which live a large number of a special type of donkeys. These charming critters are owned by the psychiatrist owner of this property which is used for classes such as ours as well as by families who bring their challenged children for therapeutic activities involving the donkeys and conversations with Eugeni, the  psychiatrist. Sulmona is located in a high valley and nestled just below craggy mountains. Do you remember the recent film about the man who was chosen to be the Pope but who, after holding the office for only three months, resigned in order to be closer to ordinary people? Well, this was his home and we visited the basilica where his home throne sits and where he lies in a crypt. Along with Francis of Asissi, this is one of the two Catholic heroes I can relate to.

We spent the morning touring this very old town with it's pre-Roman ruins and still standing aqueducts, defensive walls and city gates. What a fascinating contrast to the Tucson area where we began this visit to Italy. Just to give a quick backup, we began our trip with four days in Venice, which still rates at the top of the list for me. But everything that followed Venice has been outstanding in more than one way or another. I'm only sorry that I couldn't tell you about it on the spot because of one weak or hopeless wi-fi situation after another. At some point I'll try to back up and share some details though I'm better at sharing the current moment than trying to remember the yesterdays. From Venice we traveled to Florence where we spent three wonderful days both in and outside of the city. One day we toured the Tucson country side, which included lavish wine tasting at a large vineyard, a visit to Pisa and it's leaning tower, several walled hilltop fortress villages and finished the day with a lovely walking tour of Siena. One day was devoted to visiting museums, paying our respects to  David,  the Birth of Venus and others. Our last dinner in Florence was spent at a restaurant just beyond the Pont de Vecchio, overlooking the Arno river and culminating in the most artful fireworks display I have ever witnessed.

We moved on to Cortona for several delightful days which included a wonderful and most informative tour of Assisi by a first class leader who is an American married to an Italian and who has been living in Italy for forty years. She  led us to a private garden belonging to close friends of hers for a classic Italian lunch of grilled vegetables, open topped crostini, meat and vegetable barbecued brochettes.
From Cortona we drove yesterday to Orvieto, a walled town only several hours from Abruzzo and our     current location, minutes from Sulmona.

This afternoon at 4:30 we were treated to a cooking lesson by the resident chef, Pino. He is world class and shared with us the making of basic ravioli with cheese filling, Hard work beginning with his scooping out a 100 gram hill of flour and our making a hole in it for one egg to be mixed by our not so skillful hands. Hard work! Much was learned and time passed quickly. We ate delicious ravioli filled by our newly skilled hands and were joined by Eugeni, the congenial host who played the accordion for us as the evening progressed.  Much singing, dancing and hilarity.

Tomorrow the workshop continues all day, to be followed by a farewell dinner for the members of our tour who are not taking the workshop and are moving on to Rome Saturday,

I'm sure my light is beginning to prevent Elaine from entering deep sleep mode, so I'll say goodnight and nod off to rest up for another big day. Goodnight to all, including Bobby, who Sandra says likes to  visit the Rialta for naps when she opens the door for him. He's getting ready for the big trip to Canada I think.

At last I have a clue!

The Arno, where we ate our last dinner in Florence

I'm so sorry you haven't heard from me before now. It's been a combination of my needing to be shown how to navigate this thing called IPad and there being a very shaky excuse for Internet access while we were in Venice. Don't get me wrong! I fell in love with Venice from the moment I arrived. In fact, you'll probably never hear me stop talking about Venice for who knows how long. But, as the days went by, I became more and more depressed that I couldn't make this little machine do ANYTHING for me. We are in Florence now and last night I was ready to throw in the towel. I stayed up until midnight trying everything I could think of to make something work but I couldn't get on the Internet and then when it looked like I finally did, I absolutely couldn't get onto Safari or Google. Even though I'm a stubborn Taurus, I finally had to call it quits because we had a 6:15 wake up call this morning to leave for our all day trip into Tuscany. I guess it made me feel a little better when I heard at breakfast that the system had been on overload last night and even most of the IPad pros couldn't log on.

So, dear ones, you finally know that I'm alive and having a grand time. it is bound to take a few days for me to get used to typing on this non-keyboard and to learn to navigate the blog tools as they are provided on the Ipad, but I have confidence now that I'll grow into it. I have to thank Teryl a million times for helping to get me over the hump after returning at 9:00 from a fabulous but exhausting day. She looked like she couldn't stay awake another minute when she finished helping me figure out how to get onto this site. Sleep well Teryl. I might even someday get to like this little device. Who knows?

I just tried to add a picture from a few I took with this thing in Venice and I failed. So we'll have to leave that until the near future. Love you all, and I promise to return.  Xox Jackie