So, I'm in Italy sitting in what used to be a small hotel that's now a villa in the little village of Vescado di Murlo outside Siena. I am here thanks to the kindness of Marta Reyes-Newberry, her husband Wally and their family. Marta is my "sister in-law-in-law" (Dick's deceased partner Laird's sister), and it is both amazing and a real gift the way they have taken me into the family. Marta and Wally spent a week ago with Dick and I just as Dick was starting hospice, and to say that their presence meant the world to us both then is understatement of the year.
Why are we here? Marta's youngest son, Mitch, and his wife, Amy, have spent the last 5 months here in Siena with a group of study abroad students from Lewis and Clark University in Portland, Oregon, where Mitch teaches rhetoric. Marta and Wally have secured this villa and a large chunk of their children and grandchildren are now gathered here for the week.
This is probably the least organized I've been for a trip in some time. We will be here 6/15 - 6/22, and then I have a weekend to tour Umbria solo, then will be in Rome for 4 days, returning to the U.S. on Friday 6/28. I need to get my reservations in for a Wednesday visit to the Vatican (perhaps see the Pope!) and figure out where I'm going to stay Saturday/Sunday night (thinking of doing a long bike trip thru the countryside on Sunday after church -- see? not too well-planned :-)
I impressed myself yesterday by being much more energetic than I realized. (I was invited to try to hook up with a group of the family touring Rome the day I arrived, but I was pretty sure I'd be toast after the flight (7:30 arrival) and would just want to find a quiet spot to nap once I got the rental car. Plus, I wasn't sure I'd have the energy for a full day in Rome then driving 3 hrs up to Siena.
It is a good thing I didn't try -- after a necessary double-espresso at the airport and an hour wait for the shuttle to the rental car agency (grr) and then waiting for my turn to get my car, it was 10:30 when I finally hit the road. I'd decided to head toward two lakes north and west of Rome, near the city of Viterbo, figuring there would be a park or a beach where I could find a shady spot and stretch out on my beach towel. Turns out I was feeling much more energetic than I thought, so after having a nice lunch in Roncigilione, I headed up to Monefiascone to see the cathedral, taking in a view of the lake it overlooks, then drove to Orvieto (hat tip to Bob Shelton for the suggestion -- knew it would be a good idea to get ideas from him!).
Interestingly, Montefiascone and Orvieto both are similar in that the cities are set on top of a hill and are very striking to see as you approach (Orvieto is particularly so for the sheer face of the cliffs on which it is perched). Photos of both are in picasa.
Every day, I want to write at least two things: (1) a moment of grace/gratitude, and (2) the "boneheaded Jim Hohman maneuver for the day".
So .... there were several moments of grace on day 1. The one I will pick, though, happened Friday afternoon just as I was getting out of my friend Paul's car to go into the airport. He very graciously offered to drive me to JFK and sleep-deprived moi was all-too-happy to not have to strain my frazzled brain. As I started to get out of the car, he said he wanted to give me something for safety on my trip, and pulled a bracelet of elastic string, beads and little stones decorated with images of angels from various renaissance paintings. Needless to say, I was very touched, and angels are on my wrist as I type this. Runner-up moments: a nice couple I got chatty with as we waited (and waited) for the shuttle to the rental car; being alone in the Montefiascone cathedral and singing the Persichetti Mass "Kyrie", hearing my voice fill the space; a nice couple on the airplane who saved me from forgetting my hoodie (on the floor); talking to Dick as I drove out of the airport, thinking of him at lunch in Ronciglione (he would have just loved the view); my first full view of Orvieto; a beautiful view into a valley as I drove northwest from Orvieto to Siena; a hearty welcome from the Reyes-Newberry family!
The boneheaded maneuver had a few contenders too, but the winner was walking right into the money can of a "living statue" and sending coins flying all over the street. As I strugged to find the word "perdone!" (first words, over and over: "I'm so sorry!") I bent down to gather the coins, not thinking she probably would be suspicious of my gathering up her money, and the poor thing broke pose while we picked up coins. Of course, I dropped several euros in myself and was able to get a smile from her before she resumed an (unsmiling) pose. Other contenders: sure that they had given me a car without A/C or it was not working, I had a little freak-out on the attendant who calmly pointed out the (unintuitive to me) control for the A/C; a moment of panic an hour later when I thought I couldn't get the car into reverse and, after many tries, realized that I had to pull up a mechanism on the bottom of the ball for the gear-shift (thank God my father had his sons learn to drive standards!).
Why are we here? Marta's youngest son, Mitch, and his wife, Amy, have spent the last 5 months here in Siena with a group of study abroad students from Lewis and Clark University in Portland, Oregon, where Mitch teaches rhetoric. Marta and Wally have secured this villa and a large chunk of their children and grandchildren are now gathered here for the week.
This is probably the least organized I've been for a trip in some time. We will be here 6/15 - 6/22, and then I have a weekend to tour Umbria solo, then will be in Rome for 4 days, returning to the U.S. on Friday 6/28. I need to get my reservations in for a Wednesday visit to the Vatican (perhaps see the Pope!) and figure out where I'm going to stay Saturday/Sunday night (thinking of doing a long bike trip thru the countryside on Sunday after church -- see? not too well-planned :-)
I impressed myself yesterday by being much more energetic than I realized. (I was invited to try to hook up with a group of the family touring Rome the day I arrived, but I was pretty sure I'd be toast after the flight (7:30 arrival) and would just want to find a quiet spot to nap once I got the rental car. Plus, I wasn't sure I'd have the energy for a full day in Rome then driving 3 hrs up to Siena.
It is a good thing I didn't try -- after a necessary double-espresso at the airport and an hour wait for the shuttle to the rental car agency (grr) and then waiting for my turn to get my car, it was 10:30 when I finally hit the road. I'd decided to head toward two lakes north and west of Rome, near the city of Viterbo, figuring there would be a park or a beach where I could find a shady spot and stretch out on my beach towel. Turns out I was feeling much more energetic than I thought, so after having a nice lunch in Roncigilione, I headed up to Monefiascone to see the cathedral, taking in a view of the lake it overlooks, then drove to Orvieto (hat tip to Bob Shelton for the suggestion -- knew it would be a good idea to get ideas from him!).
Interestingly, Montefiascone and Orvieto both are similar in that the cities are set on top of a hill and are very striking to see as you approach (Orvieto is particularly so for the sheer face of the cliffs on which it is perched). Photos of both are in picasa.
Every day, I want to write at least two things: (1) a moment of grace/gratitude, and (2) the "boneheaded Jim Hohman maneuver for the day".
So .... there were several moments of grace on day 1. The one I will pick, though, happened Friday afternoon just as I was getting out of my friend Paul's car to go into the airport. He very graciously offered to drive me to JFK and sleep-deprived moi was all-too-happy to not have to strain my frazzled brain. As I started to get out of the car, he said he wanted to give me something for safety on my trip, and pulled a bracelet of elastic string, beads and little stones decorated with images of angels from various renaissance paintings. Needless to say, I was very touched, and angels are on my wrist as I type this. Runner-up moments: a nice couple I got chatty with as we waited (and waited) for the shuttle to the rental car; being alone in the Montefiascone cathedral and singing the Persichetti Mass "Kyrie", hearing my voice fill the space; a nice couple on the airplane who saved me from forgetting my hoodie (on the floor); talking to Dick as I drove out of the airport, thinking of him at lunch in Ronciglione (he would have just loved the view); my first full view of Orvieto; a beautiful view into a valley as I drove northwest from Orvieto to Siena; a hearty welcome from the Reyes-Newberry family!
The boneheaded maneuver had a few contenders too, but the winner was walking right into the money can of a "living statue" and sending coins flying all over the street. As I strugged to find the word "perdone!" (first words, over and over: "I'm so sorry!") I bent down to gather the coins, not thinking she probably would be suspicious of my gathering up her money, and the poor thing broke pose while we picked up coins. Of course, I dropped several euros in myself and was able to get a smile from her before she resumed an (unsmiling) pose. Other contenders: sure that they had given me a car without A/C or it was not working, I had a little freak-out on the attendant who calmly pointed out the (unintuitive to me) control for the A/C; a moment of panic an hour later when I thought I couldn't get the car into reverse and, after many tries, realized that I had to pull up a mechanism on the bottom of the ball for the gear-shift (thank God my father had his sons learn to drive standards!).
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