Last day

Images from Gagliano Anterno Cemetery

We have indulged in all our favorite Italy foods, well not all, or we would burst. We have had two caffes today, chocolate croissant, gelato and that is just between meals. I will miss the way this house always smells of whatever fruit or herbs we have in the kitchen.
Earlier today we trudged around Gagliano working on our map. At least we have more of a grip now. It was too hard to figure out from the photos we took. Now we know where everything is on paper and we can use the photos for embellishments. There is already one person signed up for my workshop starting Sept 3 next year. I am doing it through the gallery, because she can advertise to 800 Danes. Americans can come, too and stay with me. More details to follow. We finally went to the cemetery in Gagliano. We never found the one in Castelvecchio. At one time there were extremely wealthy people in Gagliano. The mausoleums are huge and ornate. All of the graves, from typical to outrageous, have porcelain portraits of the people on the front. I felt I should give respect to each one, but It would take days. It was hot this morning. We went on up to Secinaro. We had looked at one house there, but in the winter, when we were looking, it did not seem like a good idea. It is higher, colder and it was a long walk to the house.

This afternoon the clouds built up as usual, but unusually produced a down pour. The sky is so big here that it is never raining everywhere. The sun will be shinning while the lightening cracks and thunder roars. Brilliant white clouds on the horizon pose as snow capped mountains while giant icebergs float overhead. As I write the clouds are passing away from this part of the valley and in moments I will be baking in sunshine. Blog devotees may remember that the day we arrived a band was playing for us. Now Italy cries to see us go. We would cry, too, except we are consumed with travel jitters. If you looked at my paintings you have seen some with rays of light coming down in hallelujahs from the sky. It is doing it again with Gagliano in the spotlight. Maybe from there, they see me in the spotlight.

I have many more things to tell you about Italy so this blog will not stop on a dime, but until I get to Vermont this will be my last post. It has been so fun and thanks for reading.