Unexpected Adventure

Yesterday late afternoon we were wandering around in the historical center when we ran across a woman we met up there last year:  Florida. (pronounce the I like a long e) She has been living in earthquake housing these nine years, but she used to live in a palazzo. She has been watering the plants outside her doors all this time. Yesterday she let us into her old house. For so many people this is so sad. Sometimes we forget it is not a vacation home for everyone. It is their family home, probably for many generations.

Here is what is left of her garden

Inside the palazzo

Florida just inside her door

June 29, Later in the day

It has been such a beautiful day. It is about 82 degrees (28c) and windy. The Italians do not seem to like the wind, but I like a lot.

After 1st and 2nd breakfast, I walked up the little road to nowhere and admired the view.

On the road to nowhere

From Secinaro to Castelvecchio

Here are some watercolors and pastels I have finished and some oils I have started.

Finished oil that I did on our little balcony

Day 1 Convento:  Today the light is too in and out to work on these. So tomorrow. 

Day 1 Convento: it is so much faster to do a good pastel than a bad oil painting.

Today was my biggest victory in speaking Italian. The guy who picks up the organic waste forgot to get our's today. When I saw him drive through the piazza. (He was going the wrong way) I jumped up and yelled, " mister, mister, you forgot to pick up our organica today!" In Italian not english. I was proud of myself and he went back and picked it up.

Oggi Piovi, June 29, 2017

Oggi Piovi 

June 29, 2017

Today after four weeks it rained. It was not much, but at least it was not so much that there was a flood. The temperature decreased by a little. Now it is under 90 and very windy. This wind is coming from Africa so there will be more hot weather and sand from the Sahara, but for now, watching the setting sun the wind is nice. 

We went to L’Aquila with Marcia today to look for plants for our terrace. We now have 12 basil plants and some flowers that look like portulaca. There were the usual stops for good coffee and pizza along the way. 

Ahhh, so cute!

We went to the “99 Fountain” in L’Aquila. It was built in the 1273  and has 99 different heads that are spitting water out of their mouths. There are lots of theories to why this fountain was made. There were 80 castles who joined together to form l'Aquila and the name "99 Fountain" is recent.

"Among the most interesting theories that try to offer solutions to the mysteries is a chapter "La Fontana Battesimale dei Templari" included in the book "La Rivelazione dell'Aquila" by P.Cautilli and L.Ceccarelli, which gives a fascinating scenario of the fountain as the location for the investiture of Templar knights and connected to Whitsuntide rites, astrology, astronomy and mythology, and embedding the knowledge of mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci and astrologer Michael Scotus, 2 scientists at the court of Frederick II of Swabia, the founder of Aquila, the "urbs nova" that in the emperor's plans was to become a counterpart to the "corrupt" Rome."

Jim with some of the 99.

Maricia and Fred with more of the 99.

100 and 101

We now know where the Art Museum is in L’Aquila and so we may go back. It used to be in a castle in the city center, but that is still being restored so now the museum is housed in what used to be an old warehouse, but now is renovated and looking quite modern. The rumor is that there is a dinosaur in the museum. It is an easy walk from the train station. Much more post-earthquake work has been done since last year, but it still looks like an impossible task to ever complete and we were only on the outskirts of the city in one small area.  

Work in the areas near the 99 Fountain

Cool church with sun dial

People in red suspenders

Interesting tile under the roof

One of the gates into the city

Gardens and train station

Gate that leads into the Art Museum

Evidence of more damage near the 99 Fountain

Fa Tempo Caldo 28 June, 2017

It is so hot here that we feel we are melting, but today we are headed to market at Rocco Di Mese so it should be cooler up in the mountains.

For those of you following the drama of the house in Barre, we again have an executed contract and the title issues are taken care of. So maybe when we return we will have two houses in Stati Uniti.

In the piazza the other night

The return of Lemoncello

Market on Tuesday. This plus roasted chicken and pizza---23E. 

June 26 Lazy Monday

We seem to be the laziest people ever. This morning we got up earlier, 7 a.m., must have been the entire pizza we each ate last night at Antique Sapore. Sorry, I was so greedy I forgot to take a picture. 

View from pizza place last evening.

After first breakfast, we went to second breakfast and then Jim went to the bank and the Super Marcato while I went to my previously identified painting spot. I was painting on the landing of the stairs to the Castelvecchio Senior Activity Center. No one is worried about having a name that offends old people. Here it is called the Club of the Old People. 

Here is the view I am painting. The shadow of the lamp attracted me. 

I could look down on everyone while I was painting and everyone could see me. Someone even took a picture. I was wished happy return many times. 

After a while I came home and on the way my friend gave me a bouquet from her garden. 

I found Jim taking a nap. Then we went to the hardware store and when we returned home we both took naps. 

A break from piazza for lunch:  cheese and tomatoes with garlic and oil and basil.

We had to wake up for lunch, but after that and a little water coloring we took another nap. I have just woken up with a feeling that I am supposed to be doing something and I remembered that I needed to write the blog, but now I am going to take another nap, because I can’t keep my eyes open. 

First of many pictures taken off the terrace!

Festa San Giovanni (Santa Jeneane)

Much of the upper area of CVS is still under earthquake repair. Our friends, Johnnie and Wilma’s home is completely shut off. I did many paintings there a few years ago. I loved to paint at their house because there was always cookies and coffee for the tired artist. I also like their dog, Tommie. More people have pets now, but Tommie used to be the only dog on a leash. 

Some new areas have opened up for painting and I found several possibilities today while on parade. 

Road to J & W's hous

Church of San Giovanni

Today is my saint day. This means I got even more hugs and kisses that usual. It is 12:30 and I have already walked 3.5 miles. This is because I went up to town twice and went in the Saint Parade. Today I realized why I love the marching band and the parade is because I spent all of high school in the marching band! Of course I love it. 

San Giovanni leaves the church for his annual trek

Headed up the street

Headed down the street

The priests and the band in the pizaaz

In the late afternoon there was another band. They were scheduled for 4:30, but only we and the Danes had arrived by then. By 6pm the piazza was full of marching band lovers. We lost OUR Danes to some people  from Latvia and had to wander home alone....I finished another portrait, but maybe on Monday I will actually get to work. I brought all this stuff to do oils, but when I see my pastels I wonder why I would want to do mediocre oils when I could do pastels. Also paintings done from real life are infinitely better than ones done from photographs. Seeing my pastels here from last summer has made me remember this.  

These signs are along our walk to the piazza and identify this street as the historic route that the
pope elect took from Sulmona to Rome.

Our trip to Italy went very well. We tried to incorporate all forms of transportation to get here and the only ones missing were by donkey cart and by boat. However, we did see the donkey cart go by us in Montpelier while we were waiting for the Greyhound Bus. If it had been Italy I would have for sure taken a picture, but it was just Vermont. 

Rome Airport

Prontobus to Abruzzo

On the way home!

So car to Montpelier, Greyhound to Boston, Silver Line to Logan, airplane to Roma, Pronto Bus to Pratola, car to Castelvecchio. Very symmetrical. 

We arrived at home about 5:30. Everything in our house is fine. The electricity and water popped right on. On the way home we had stopped at the grocery store to get a few things. When we got here, our neighbor gave us an even bigger bag of everything we had purchased. 

Our great Danes, Karin and Bjarne invited us for dinner. Oh those Italian sausage, new potatoes from Bjarne’s garden and a beautiful salad. Oh yes and a modest portion of Rosatta. For dessert: panne cotta. That was delicious and you should invite us over in September so we can make it for you. 

First Italian Cafe: it looks like he needs it!

Today is market day and tomorrow is the Festa San Giovanni. That is exciting as it is my saint day. Of course we over bought today because everything is so inexpensive and so good. The only disappointment was that there were no flowers to be had in the market and no basil plants to buy. Now we have a roller bag like all the Italian ladies so we can buy way too much produce, pizza and roasted chicken. 

We were invited in to Daniello's Basement and to have a glass of his wine at 9am.

Vine Barrel Modern Style

The market

Peaches!

Main Street: the market is small in June.

We also got four new recycling bins along with a complex booklet on how to do it and a calendar for the days and which things are picked up when. A few years ago one of my students said she was against mandated recycling, because the bins would take up the entire kitchen. At the time I thought it was a little bit of a silly argument, but now I get it. The big trade off is that we no longer have the giant carts where people sort their own recycling. They were a horrible, stinky eye-sore and those people from Roma never got it right. They even put food trash in the recycling. Holy cannoli. 

Market Swag

Men playing cards loudly at Komodo Bar

Today I did one portrait and a watercolor of some roses. This year they are the most beautiful we have seen. We managed to get our internet working in the two different places we like to go and I called my mom and we face-timed with Jessie. We also discovered the beauty of a new park with lots of shade and lots of people talking and playing cards. The park has been there for years, but we have never sat in it. 

My Terrace Studio

Roses

Men and Young Men Playing Cards Loudly in the New Park