Paintings

Painting in the earthquake zone

Katie

Katie and me

Katie

 Out of focus a bit, sorry. View from CdI toward CSV and GA

Finished yesterday in earthquake zone

Day one to the right, day two below. It is finished now, or at least I am finished.

 


Steps one and two of pastel at CdI, one more day required.

Time with Katie

It has been so much fun to have Katie here. We have spent each day painting, working in pen and ink or watercolor. It is inspiring to have such an accomplished artist to work along side of. She also loves second breakfast and that is important. I am so glad that she included us in her European adventure.

Today someone saw her drawing done in the church and proclaimed her Raphael. True that.

Interneting

Things I forgot to share

Here are some pictures of things I forgot to share sooner:

Beautiful red peaches that we have been eating everyday. Best peaches ever. 

Ned wanted to go to a music store and he found one in Sulmona. When we went in, an older gentleman was playing this antique concertina or accordion. It was just another amazing moment in Italy

A random mosaic in some church in Sulmona.

Interesting things grouped together in a church courtyard.

Any town any time, except lunch time. 

This man owns the art store in Sulmona. He was somewhat taciturn, until last year we noticed the boats he has made. We took Ned and Lise to show them. Here he is with one of the little ones.




















This homemade plague commemorates the time, 3:30 a.m. and the date, April 6, 2009 of the terre mondo, earthquake that destroyed so much of this area and claimed at least 400 lives.

Rain and Katie

It was the largest rain storm we have ever seen in CVS. It was brought on by Ned asking if we ever had serious fronts come through here. Well, yes, we do. The water was blowing straight through the bath room window. All the laundry on the terrace got a second rinse. The lightening and thunder were simultaneous with the echo of the thunder roaring around the valley. It went on for a couple of hours and all the time Jim and I were saying to each other, “how will we manage to pick Katie up at the bus stop in this weather?” It is lucky she arrived on the 5:50 bus from Sulmona. The rain had exhausted itself as we walked to the bus stop and by the time we had finished gelato there were blue skies so no extra umbrella was needed. Next time we are anywhere, we are buying umbrellas. We have a tiny plaid one and one that came with the house that is so beautiful it belongs in a museum.

Cars slogging down the streets.

Water is so high it is running off the bridge in front of the brown pole. 

Rain moving across the valley.

But now Katie is here and settled into her room. We are going out painting tomorrow while Jim plans dinner for 6. That will be the most people we have ever entertained at once. Or should I say that Jim has entertained. It is a writer’s duty to be honest.

Katie was my student at U-32 six years ago. She was always an amazing student and artist, but now her work is incredible. I am including her website link. While in Italy she has done some amazing drawings of architecture. I am pretty jealous, but have decided to let her stay anyway.

http://www.katiefeldman.com/

Check it out.

Ode to T-Shirts

Me writing my blog

And now for a homage to t-shirts. I do not just see these t-shirts in the market. They are in evidence on humans every day, but one has to be sneaky to take a t-shirt photo in suttee.

 Everyday I'm Woman!!






I have not seen a single stripped t-shirt for sale and, by the way, Fashion Alert, next year’s color appears to be putty or green mixed with putty. High heels will continue to be the shoe of choice. Calf high boots worn with short skirts appear to be passe and shoes that have a certain gladiator cache are on the wane. Purses are large, bright and have ridiculous things on them like eyes. This could be a remnant of the evil eye, designed to keep thieves away. I did buy my mom a purse and then I walked around the market pretending to have on high heels. I was a mincer and a poser. No one was fooled, not even Lise.

 If you know what a wechat it, please respond. If you want to take a guess at what a wechat is, please respond. A free dinner in Italy to the winner.

Probably a better title would be, "have a nice trip" or "see you next fall."




















Ohhh, meow, kittie!!

Assorted T-Shirts.

Ned and Lise Last Evening and Morning

It is so true that time flies when you are having fun. Even if everyday is at least two, still time flies by. For a few hours we are here alone, but then one of my students, who graduated six years ago, arrives. She is an amazing artist. Last word was she was on her way to CVS, but I don’t know where she was when she sent that message.

Piazza by night.

I asked a woman how she was doing the other day. I was pretty sure her mother had died over the winter. I think I understood a lot of what she said about the ups and downs of day to day. Then she said, “Questo di vito”.  “This is the life”, but she meant it so differently than when we say it. An 81 year old man died across the bridge from us. We had always admired his family garden and chickens as we looked down from the bridge. Last night on the way to the piazza for a final gelato, we passed the wake. “Questo di vito e morte.” Still the mayor had time to speak to us, Ned and Lise.












Last Supper.

Last Breakfast.

Several times people have asked if they are our family, this is how important family is to Italians. If someone was going to visit, of course they would be family. What else? Now Ned and Lise are part of our Abruzzo family. Bravo Abruzzo! Bon Viaggio Ned and Lise and have fun at work on Monday. (hehehe)

Last Day

Dinner last night

The first painting I did my first summer here was of this building. Now it is undergoing earthquake repairs. A lot of people seem to have just gotten their money and work is going on everywhere. 

Ned and Lise at some sort of ruins at Valle Reale Vineyard. 

 Ned and Jim watch a tractor that goes between the rows of grapes trimming off the parts that grow out into the middle of the row. One would have to be very careful not to hit the grapes.

The rows of vines went forever. 

Ned and Lise in front of a church in Popili. Cool, right?

Some other church in Popoli with a cool statue of King George slaying a dragon.

Two small things from Popoli.

This is the first viper door handle I have seen.












Jim was buying some groceries and gave them a 50 euro bill. She said she had change, but it was in 1 and 2 euro coins. It took a long time and the line continued to build up.

Last day for our company. We were so tired after yesterday that we got off to a late start and did not do to much compared to some days. We had all had enough of windy, hairpin curved roads so we headed for the valley. There is no way out of this valley except through the Gole d Venanzia and it is a long drop to the valley.

We started at Valle Reale, a vineyard near People. Their wine is sold at the Coop, but for much more money. We got ten liters for 15E. So check it out people and see what we saved by being in Italy.

Surprisingly it was market day in Popoli. The usual vendors were there. We roamed around the old city and then found a 1950s style Italian restaurant for pranza. There was one waiter, one guy to seat people and one cook. Lunch was wonderful. We ordered an antipasti that was called “Misto Italiano”. The waiter tried to convince we need four because it was so small or at least two, but we stuck with one. I thought it would be some cheese, olives, salami, but it was all salami. Jim loves that, but the rest of us tolerated it. My pasta was great. I decided to be brave and have the black truffles in sauce. For dolce we split a piece of tiramisu and had cafe. Yummy meal, then a long nap. When we all awoke, the beautiful sunny day had turned into rain. Now we are actually sitting around talking and wishing we could get on the internet, but it is not that fun to sit outside the Dane’s house when it is raining. So here we sit with nothing to do but interact.