Oh gentle reader so woefully neglected by your blogger because she has company. Well, I mean to rectify the situation right now.
First if you are reading my blog then please send me an email. Sometimes it seems I am a lone wolf crying in the wilderness of cyber space.
Yesterday Ned, Lise, Jim and I did more of that Italian stuff. We went to the market in Raino. It is about the only shopping opportunity on Sundays. Although a difference this year is that the shops in town are also open. We had Gelato as a mid-morning snack after buying too much fruit in the market. After we headed down the steep road into Gole Venancia. This is an amazing place where the Aterno river has cut away deep into the earth. There was much more water than last year and the lush vegetation, the roar of the river and the threatening clouds above reveal it as the ancient place it is. We did stick our feet in the water, but a swim did not seem like a real plan. Jim went in the furthest, but this way he doesn’t have to take a bath. High on the cliffs are caves that are either natural or dug out by the monks. Their monastery was not isolated enough, they had to scale the shear cliffs to get some “me” time. How they did this in long robes is a wonder. Now the cliffs have equally amazing nets spread to catch rocks that tumble down the shear incline. I bet those guys didn’t wear robes.
A gentle sprinkle of rain started and we started back toward the car. Soon it was a full out rain. The question of swimming was moot as we were now quite wet. We took a different way down and found another ancient building built into the cliff. This one was actually open. We peaked in and found it was the home for three recycling bins and a lot of graffiti. The road down was lined with those trees you always see in pictures of Tuscany.
After lunch and a nap it was 5:15. How did that happen. We leapt up and started day 2 of Sunday. This involved a trip to Castel di Irie. We drove because of the threatening skies and because we had a car. This arduous journey was rewarded by a caffe at d’Lisas Bar and Resturante. Castel di Irie was the only thing left on our agenda so we took our time wandering around to the top where, surprisingly, there was a shopping opportunity. We only spent 50 E, but we got great stuff. Lise bough myself and her olive wood mortar and pestles. They are beautiful. I love mine so much. If she had not gotten it for me it is the kind of thing I would have thought of wistfully for the rest of my life. We also got some ancient grains and a beautiful strawberry tart. The woman through in a bag of cookies as a present. (Did you remember this about Italy? You almost always get a gift when you buy something,)
There was a show of antique radios. From the posters, I had thought it was some kind of Garrison Keiler thing, but it was an actual display of long distance communication from it’s beginning. Ned was happy. The man who owns the radios met us at the door and started a description of every thing on display, in Italian, of course. We did great! Between Ned’s technical expertise and Lise and my great Italian we understood almost every thing. It helps to have a visual of what you talking about instead of just random communication. It was molto interesting. The show was held in a room under the church. At first I though the room was going to be the best thing, but the radios were the best. Did you know that their were two Ducati brothers? One made motorcycles and the other worked in electronics. His radios were beautiful. Sleek and well designed. Wish you had been here, but, dang you weren’t.
Jim made an amazing dinner. No news there. We did it Italian style starting after 8:30 and eating until after 10:30. The night was beautiful and while I was brushing my teeth for three minutes those guys saw the moon set and a shooting star. This is the result of personal hygiene.
Buano notte!
First if you are reading my blog then please send me an email. Sometimes it seems I am a lone wolf crying in the wilderness of cyber space.
Yesterday Ned, Lise, Jim and I did more of that Italian stuff. We went to the market in Raino. It is about the only shopping opportunity on Sundays. Although a difference this year is that the shops in town are also open. We had Gelato as a mid-morning snack after buying too much fruit in the market. After we headed down the steep road into Gole Venancia. This is an amazing place where the Aterno river has cut away deep into the earth. There was much more water than last year and the lush vegetation, the roar of the river and the threatening clouds above reveal it as the ancient place it is. We did stick our feet in the water, but a swim did not seem like a real plan. Jim went in the furthest, but this way he doesn’t have to take a bath. High on the cliffs are caves that are either natural or dug out by the monks. Their monastery was not isolated enough, they had to scale the shear cliffs to get some “me” time. How they did this in long robes is a wonder. Now the cliffs have equally amazing nets spread to catch rocks that tumble down the shear incline. I bet those guys didn’t wear robes.
A gentle sprinkle of rain started and we started back toward the car. Soon it was a full out rain. The question of swimming was moot as we were now quite wet. We took a different way down and found another ancient building built into the cliff. This one was actually open. We peaked in and found it was the home for three recycling bins and a lot of graffiti. The road down was lined with those trees you always see in pictures of Tuscany.
After lunch and a nap it was 5:15. How did that happen. We leapt up and started day 2 of Sunday. This involved a trip to Castel di Irie. We drove because of the threatening skies and because we had a car. This arduous journey was rewarded by a caffe at d’Lisas Bar and Resturante. Castel di Irie was the only thing left on our agenda so we took our time wandering around to the top where, surprisingly, there was a shopping opportunity. We only spent 50 E, but we got great stuff. Lise bough myself and her olive wood mortar and pestles. They are beautiful. I love mine so much. If she had not gotten it for me it is the kind of thing I would have thought of wistfully for the rest of my life. We also got some ancient grains and a beautiful strawberry tart. The woman through in a bag of cookies as a present. (Did you remember this about Italy? You almost always get a gift when you buy something,)
There was a show of antique radios. From the posters, I had thought it was some kind of Garrison Keiler thing, but it was an actual display of long distance communication from it’s beginning. Ned was happy. The man who owns the radios met us at the door and started a description of every thing on display, in Italian, of course. We did great! Between Ned’s technical expertise and Lise and my great Italian we understood almost every thing. It helps to have a visual of what you talking about instead of just random communication. It was molto interesting. The show was held in a room under the church. At first I though the room was going to be the best thing, but the radios were the best. Did you know that their were two Ducati brothers? One made motorcycles and the other worked in electronics. His radios were beautiful. Sleek and well designed. Wish you had been here, but, dang you weren’t.
Jim made an amazing dinner. No news there. We did it Italian style starting after 8:30 and eating until after 10:30. The night was beautiful and while I was brushing my teeth for three minutes those guys saw the moon set and a shooting star. This is the result of personal hygiene.
Buano notte!
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| J&J in Castel di Irie |
Shoes of the day in Castel di Irie
Finally, something to eat.
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