Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you DIDN'T do, than by the ones you did do! Explore. Dream. Discover.
-Mark Twain
This website started after sending the below emails & photos to family & friends and receiving countless emails back encouraging me to start a website. I hope you enjoy this view of Italy & living life TODAY!
Welcome to an American Carnival in Italy ... Camp Darby in July!
July 11, 2010
Some of you may know this & some may not BUT there is an American military base on the city border of Livorno & Pisa named: United States Army Garrison Livorno. Note, the name "Camp Darby" came from the base being named in memory of Brigadier General William O. Darby who was Assistant Division Commander of the 10th Mountain Division. He was killed by enemy artillery on April 30, 1945 on the shore of Lake Garda, Italy (which is in the North of Italy near Milan). The base was formally dedicated in Italy on November 15, 1952.
The base is like any other American base a world within it's own AND if you attempt to get onto the base without being military personnel or having an invitation ... WELL, DON'T!!!!!! Before 9/11, I have heard you could get onto the base by talking to some people as everyone was fairly relaxed. You know, this is Italy! But NOW, NO! Outside the base there are American Army Personnel and Carabinieri (Italian Military Police) who ensure no unauthorized civilians enter the base.
However, Camp Darby throws a Carnival "American Style (more like a County Fair type of event). So, on the last night of the Carnival, we went with our friends, Francesca & Roberto, their Daughter Chiara (20 months) and Roberto's parents from Sicily, who are in their mid 80's, who speak not one word of English and can NOT imagine what this event will be like NOT alone going with American's that moved here from California!
When we arrived, we could smell Bar-B-Que. OK, after 5 1/2 months here this was an incredible great smell but at the same time it was also someway confusing. If this sounds odd to you???? Try being in MY head! Our friends' were asking me a lot of questions about the USA & ALL things American and then we wondered, what happened to Raymond? Where did he go?
OH & where was Pino (a nickname for Giuseppe), Roberto's Father? Well, Raymond who doesn't speak much Italian (but is learning & has a tutor) & Pino who speaks NO English were 60 steps behind us having a BIG conversation! Still to this moment, I have no idea what they were discussing & I am not sure they know either BUT they were laughing & enjoying it at the time & hands were flying fiercely.
I was warned ahead of time by Francesca NOT to take my camera as I could NOT take it onto the base & NO photos were aloud! YOU all know how well I do with those rules. We went through the line to enter and Carabinieri checked our purses & when they told us "no photos" & I replied in English, that I someway understood. They look shocked that I was NOT speaking Italian because ALL the people I was with were speaking Italian & they pushed me through. After we were in, we looked around & yes, it looked similar to an American Fair but the first booth we saw was selling Nutella & prosciutto. Not a normal site at a Fair in the USA. We proceeded and got a beer, Heineken (Sorry, American Beers ... NOT an option)! We then went to see the Bar-B-Que. A group of soldiers from Florida were all cooking & we got the low-down on the hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, french fries, etc. We were set. The Cheeseburger were excellent OR maybe excellent because I haven't had one in 5 1/2 months & with a beer on a hot night ... Perfect. It was great BUT what about dessert???? So we all took off except for Pino & Margarita, they are a little slow & decided to sit & people watch.
After Raymond's long talk with Pino, we could ONLY imagine the conversation my Mom could have had with them. My Mother who was here for 2 months & spoke NO Italian managed to speak to MORE Italians, in Italian than anyone I know. God Bless her!
At a booth we met this Officer who was selling American candy & YES, Reece's Peanut Butter Cups AND he had them in a refrigerator. I was stoked! This is one candy I have not seen here & chocolate & peanut butter ... YUMM! He had ONE left & I quickly told him, "It had my name on it"! After he had a good laugh & we all continued to talk for awhile, he said I could take photos just don't be real obvious & then he took the phone & took a photo of all of us, very obviously! So there went that theory! By the way, the candy was ... YUMM & our friends tried it for the very 1st time & LOVED it. Really, HOW could you NOT?
You never really get onto the base, only the front grassy area for this annual publicity event that Camp Darby has every year but it is a week long to 10 day event that is VERY fun & let me add NOT cheap if your child plans on playing a few games! BUT, worth it! Let me add for all of you who are interested in knowing, this is not land that the USA owns but land that it leases from Italy. I learned this information from a woman I met that was American & who is the Manager of the Camp Darby Credit Union. She came to Italy 28 years ago, met an Italian & never left. After our 20 min. conversation that evening, she gave me her phone number & took mine and told me if there was ever anything they could do for us, to not hesitate to call. This is very typical here & they really expect you to call.
It was a fun night & I hope you enjoy our mini night in America in Italia!
Some of you may know this & some may not BUT there is an American military base on the city border of Livorno & Pisa named: United States Army Garrison Livorno. Note, the name "Camp Darby" came from the base being named in memory of Brigadier General William O. Darby who was Assistant Division Commander of the 10th Mountain Division. He was killed by enemy artillery on April 30, 1945 on the shore of Lake Garda, Italy (which is in the North of Italy near Milan). The base was formally dedicated in Italy on November 15, 1952.
The base is like any other American base a world within it's own AND if you attempt to get onto the base without being military personnel or having an invitation ... WELL, DON'T!!!!!! Before 9/11, I have heard you could get onto the base by talking to some people as everyone was fairly relaxed. You know, this is Italy! But NOW, NO! Outside the base there are American Army Personnel and Carabinieri (Italian Military Police) who ensure no unauthorized civilians enter the base.
However, Camp Darby throws a Carnival "American Style (more like a County Fair type of event). So, on the last night of the Carnival, we went with our friends, Francesca & Roberto, their Daughter Chiara (20 months) and Roberto's parents from Sicily, who are in their mid 80's, who speak not one word of English and can NOT imagine what this event will be like NOT alone going with American's that moved here from California!
When we arrived, we could smell Bar-B-Que. OK, after 5 1/2 months here this was an incredible great smell but at the same time it was also someway confusing. If this sounds odd to you???? Try being in MY head! Our friends' were asking me a lot of questions about the USA & ALL things American and then we wondered, what happened to Raymond? Where did he go?
OH & where was Pino (a nickname for Giuseppe), Roberto's Father? Well, Raymond who doesn't speak much Italian (but is learning & has a tutor) & Pino who speaks NO English were 60 steps behind us having a BIG conversation! Still to this moment, I have no idea what they were discussing & I am not sure they know either BUT they were laughing & enjoying it at the time & hands were flying fiercely.
I was warned ahead of time by Francesca NOT to take my camera as I could NOT take it onto the base & NO photos were aloud! YOU all know how well I do with those rules. We went through the line to enter and Carabinieri checked our purses & when they told us "no photos" & I replied in English, that I someway understood. They look shocked that I was NOT speaking Italian because ALL the people I was with were speaking Italian & they pushed me through. After we were in, we looked around & yes, it looked similar to an American Fair but the first booth we saw was selling Nutella & prosciutto. Not a normal site at a Fair in the USA. We proceeded and got a beer, Heineken (Sorry, American Beers ... NOT an option)! We then went to see the Bar-B-Que. A group of soldiers from Florida were all cooking & we got the low-down on the hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, french fries, etc. We were set. The Cheeseburger were excellent OR maybe excellent because I haven't had one in 5 1/2 months & with a beer on a hot night ... Perfect. It was great BUT what about dessert???? So we all took off except for Pino & Margarita, they are a little slow & decided to sit & people watch.
After Raymond's long talk with Pino, we could ONLY imagine the conversation my Mom could have had with them. My Mother who was here for 2 months & spoke NO Italian managed to speak to MORE Italians, in Italian than anyone I know. God Bless her!
At a booth we met this Officer who was selling American candy & YES, Reece's Peanut Butter Cups AND he had them in a refrigerator. I was stoked! This is one candy I have not seen here & chocolate & peanut butter ... YUMM! He had ONE left & I quickly told him, "It had my name on it"! After he had a good laugh & we all continued to talk for awhile, he said I could take photos just don't be real obvious & then he took the phone & took a photo of all of us, very obviously! So there went that theory! By the way, the candy was ... YUMM & our friends tried it for the very 1st time & LOVED it. Really, HOW could you NOT?
You never really get onto the base, only the front grassy area for this annual publicity event that Camp Darby has every year but it is a week long to 10 day event that is VERY fun & let me add NOT cheap if your child plans on playing a few games! BUT, worth it! Let me add for all of you who are interested in knowing, this is not land that the USA owns but land that it leases from Italy. I learned this information from a woman I met that was American & who is the Manager of the Camp Darby Credit Union. She came to Italy 28 years ago, met an Italian & never left. After our 20 min. conversation that evening, she gave me her phone number & took mine and told me if there was ever anything they could do for us, to not hesitate to call. This is very typical here & they really expect you to call.
It was a fun night & I hope you enjoy our mini night in America in Italia!
Vino & Prosecco Tasting and Happy Hour at Carolina Cafe'!
July 6, 2010
What can I say about Carolina Cafe'? I LOVE IT! This Cafe' & Cocktail Bar we found approximately the 2nd day we were in Livorno and now is my Favorite!
When we arrived I was sicker than a dog & I had gone through the THREE boxes of Tylenol Cold & Flu and was MISERABLE. We had jet lag, nobody was sleeping because I was coughing ALL night long, we were in a VERY small hotel room with ALL 9 of our suitcases and please don't forget Skippy the cat & his litter box, La Dolce Vita! By day 2 we already realized Livorno was not a city where many Italians spoke English & with me speaking the most Italian, we were off to the Farmacia (Pharmacy) for some DRUGS because if Raymond didn't sleep soon, it wasn't going to be pretty. By the way, did I mention it was COLD (really cold) & RAINING (not drizzling, but drops) and no, in our 9 suitcases that was holding all our worldly possessions, there were no umbrellas. So, off we went looking for a "Green Cross", the symbol for a pharmacy. After 3 blocks we saw one & it was ONLY another 2 blocks away. When we arrived, the doors were LOCKED! WHAT???? @!%$^&*#@! and trust me that was putting it nicely! Of course, they were closed, it is 1:30 PM ... NAP TIME! I wanted to cry, I was miserable, cold, wet, coughing & tired. Raymond & LuccaBella were cold, wet, tired and VERY hungry. I was also thinking maybe a hot-toddy would do my cough good & Raymond a drink, PLEASE!!! So, we decided to go eat & get out of the RAIN(PIOVE).
On the corner there was Carolina Cafe' & from the beginning I LIKED the looks of the place! We walked in & even though we looked like foreigners that were lost, we were greeted warmly & with smiles. Being in this beautiful environment I felt someway better. LuccaBella was smiling and we started to attempt to order some food & alcohol. Raymond did quite well ordering a vino rosso (a glass of red wine) IMMEDIATELY for himself & latte caldo (warm milk) for LuccaBella. I ordered a vino rosso for myself & then we started on food but our waiter corrected us immediately and started to speak to us using some English. This was a treat. I was "in love" with the Cafe' because this was MY KIND of place but of course Raymond had to ADD his sarcastic comments (gotta love his humor), "You are going to want to come back here for the Italian waiter, I'm sure"! Yes, Angelo (our waiter), was your typical Italian good looking guy. Sorry girls, NO photo this time. Angelo now has the nick name, "Tom Cruise" for another reason & it's NOT Scientology BUT we have become friends with Angelo & he helps Raymond with his Italian, not an easy task!
After sometime, we got to know other people and finally the owner, Sandro. Sandro is the master mind of Carolina Cafe' where you can sit inside at the high-tops, at the bar or outside but no matter where you are a hip & groovin' play list of music is piped in playing both Italian & American jams. There are always amazing Piatti del Giorno (Plates of the Day), fresh sandwiches, baked goods, salads & desserts BUT when you get to the wines, really FANTASTIC! We have even bought wine as gifts from Sandro and he always provides us with outstanding choices! Happy Hour is very popular here in Italy but I must say Sandro's is a cut above and pure class! Not to mention when you want a cafe' in the morning, GREAT cappuccinos and served in GREAT cups!
What can I say about Carolina Cafe'? I LOVE IT! This Cafe' & Cocktail Bar we found approximately the 2nd day we were in Livorno and now is my Favorite!
When we arrived I was sicker than a dog & I had gone through the THREE boxes of Tylenol Cold & Flu and was MISERABLE. We had jet lag, nobody was sleeping because I was coughing ALL night long, we were in a VERY small hotel room with ALL 9 of our suitcases and please don't forget Skippy the cat & his litter box, La Dolce Vita! By day 2 we already realized Livorno was not a city where many Italians spoke English & with me speaking the most Italian, we were off to the Farmacia (Pharmacy) for some DRUGS because if Raymond didn't sleep soon, it wasn't going to be pretty. By the way, did I mention it was COLD (really cold) & RAINING (not drizzling, but drops) and no, in our 9 suitcases that was holding all our worldly possessions, there were no umbrellas. So, off we went looking for a "Green Cross", the symbol for a pharmacy. After 3 blocks we saw one & it was ONLY another 2 blocks away. When we arrived, the doors were LOCKED! WHAT???? @!%$^&*#@! and trust me that was putting it nicely! Of course, they were closed, it is 1:30 PM ... NAP TIME! I wanted to cry, I was miserable, cold, wet, coughing & tired. Raymond & LuccaBella were cold, wet, tired and VERY hungry. I was also thinking maybe a hot-toddy would do my cough good & Raymond a drink, PLEASE!!! So, we decided to go eat & get out of the RAIN(PIOVE).
On the corner there was Carolina Cafe' & from the beginning I LIKED the looks of the place! We walked in & even though we looked like foreigners that were lost, we were greeted warmly & with smiles. Being in this beautiful environment I felt someway better. LuccaBella was smiling and we started to attempt to order some food & alcohol. Raymond did quite well ordering a vino rosso (a glass of red wine) IMMEDIATELY for himself & latte caldo (warm milk) for LuccaBella. I ordered a vino rosso for myself & then we started on food but our waiter corrected us immediately and started to speak to us using some English. This was a treat. I was "in love" with the Cafe' because this was MY KIND of place but of course Raymond had to ADD his sarcastic comments (gotta love his humor), "You are going to want to come back here for the Italian waiter, I'm sure"! Yes, Angelo (our waiter), was your typical Italian good looking guy. Sorry girls, NO photo this time. Angelo now has the nick name, "Tom Cruise" for another reason & it's NOT Scientology BUT we have become friends with Angelo & he helps Raymond with his Italian, not an easy task!
After sometime, we got to know other people and finally the owner, Sandro. Sandro is the master mind of Carolina Cafe' where you can sit inside at the high-tops, at the bar or outside but no matter where you are a hip & groovin' play list of music is piped in playing both Italian & American jams. There are always amazing Piatti del Giorno (Plates of the Day), fresh sandwiches, baked goods, salads & desserts BUT when you get to the wines, really FANTASTIC! We have even bought wine as gifts from Sandro and he always provides us with outstanding choices! Happy Hour is very popular here in Italy but I must say Sandro's is a cut above and pure class! Not to mention when you want a cafe' in the morning, GREAT cappuccinos and served in GREAT cups!
High in The Mountains of Italy you NEVER know WHAT you WILL find ...
OR did I ????
June 25th, 2010
I have carried in a tin case my Father gave me, for at least 20 years & ALL my moves these letters from my ancestors from the 1800's. I have ALWAYS had this deep LOVE for Italy that I can NOT explain in this short email. So after obtaining my dual citizenship ... I went & started getting these letters & documents translated. Not an easy task BUT anyone who knows me, if you TELL me it's NOT easy, I WILL get it done FASTER! I was OFF!!!!!! I was in every city! I already had every birth certificate, death certificate, marriage certificate .... the only thing I couldn't do was conjugate Italian verbs in order to speak well enough to talk fluently everywhere I went, BUT this was NOT going to stop me.
So, with letters, my task, my desires .... I loaded the car with the ENTIRE family & said, "Day Trip"!
(Note, This was already AFTER one VERY LONG "Day Trip" where I drug Raymond & LuccaBella through a town where I knocked on doors, went in homes, talked for hours with strangers & walked through cemeteries to LEARN ALL the "Giovannoni's" from my family "we THINK" per these people, who have NEVER left the town .... say are ALL are dead now. Except now, for me & Luccabella, who have come back! So, "Day Trip" is NOT such a GOOD Term in my CASA (house)!
Off we went .... we have to use a GPS, without it we would be LOST, driving to the train station (NO JOKE)! In our Lancia that seats 3 nicely, 4 tight, the 5 of us ALL got IN. Me driving, my Mom was the passenger, My Dad, Raymond & LuccaBella were in the back & off we went to the middle of Tuscany in the Province of Lucca UP UP UP, did I say UPPPPP, in the mountains! Well, NOT only was it UP but the Road had numerous hairpin turns with a cliff on one side & a mountain on the other. I would have felt better driving the road UP .... IF ... it had been 2 lanes BUT no, it was only 1 to maybe 1 1/2 & IF another car came down, YOU & the other driver had to figure out what to do. Well, 1/2 way up, I started to get hysterical & yes, you are thinking, there is NO way, driving I really started laughing & crying at the same time??? Well, I DID!!! It was a 1.3 minutes of OMG (Oh My God) I am killing my WHOLE family moment but then the road opened & we were there & then I just started to sweat profusely because WE were ALL LIVING!!!!! I WAS SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE all Jumped out of the car!
I saw a man & before I could breath & thank God for getting me to the TOP, my Mom said .... Go talk to him. Look, who the pushy one is NOW! So off I went, I asked if ANY Priami's were here by the names on my letters & he said, "NO"! How could he say NO? I had the postmarked letters? The town was so SMALL. I JUST drove UP this HORRIBLE mountain! At this point, I really was NOT ready for another NO & Disappointment. I wanted to cry! I felt like I had been hit in the stomach. OK, fine, was my attitude let's look at the cute village & GO!
So we did. We walked & it was adorable. We noticed people kept their keys in their doors (BUT REALLY, crime in my city is NULL & in this little town WHO would drive up this mountain?) but they had one tiny piazza & a beautiful river. Then we went to the cemetery, OF COURSE & Raymond's favorite. Interesting, we saw, Amerigo Giovannoni & I learned when doing my citizenship my Dad was NOT a Jr. & his Dad was NOT a Sr. this was added somewhere later. My Dad was originally named after his Grandmother's Brother who's name was Amerigo Joseph Giovannoni. My Grandfather had NO middle name & My Grandmother's Brother did. ODD .... BUT OK, never thought about it again BUT was a little weird seeing the tomb BUT also did NOT want to get my Dad's HOPES up. He took photos!
(Note, Joseph in Italian is Giuseppe).
OK, cutting to the chase ... we leave. I MAKE it down the mountain & NO hysterical outbreaks. woo-hoo! At the bottom, we stopped at a bar, for a water, beer & a bite to eat (aqua, birra e qualcosa da mangiare) when Raymond starts talking to the owner. I asked the owner to look at my letters. He said, he knew a man who knew the woman who owns the alimentari (the general store) on the mountain top who is related to the man who wrote the letters. He calls the man while I was sitting there, tells him about my letters & in turn, told me, "You must go back UP & talk to Cristina, the alimentary owner". Of course, I was excited BUT I said, "UP .....THAT CRAZY MOUNTAIN"!?!?! He replied with a smile, "It is only 5 minutes"!
OFF we went ...
Below meet Giuseppe, Amerigo Giuseppe Giovannoni's SON, This 90 year old man TODAY (June 25th, 2010) is My Great Grandmother's Nephew & when I brought us all together, there were MANY tears.
A dream come true for ALL of US!
I have carried in a tin case my Father gave me, for at least 20 years & ALL my moves these letters from my ancestors from the 1800's. I have ALWAYS had this deep LOVE for Italy that I can NOT explain in this short email. So after obtaining my dual citizenship ... I went & started getting these letters & documents translated. Not an easy task BUT anyone who knows me, if you TELL me it's NOT easy, I WILL get it done FASTER! I was OFF!!!!!! I was in every city! I already had every birth certificate, death certificate, marriage certificate .... the only thing I couldn't do was conjugate Italian verbs in order to speak well enough to talk fluently everywhere I went, BUT this was NOT going to stop me.
So, with letters, my task, my desires .... I loaded the car with the ENTIRE family & said, "Day Trip"!
(Note, This was already AFTER one VERY LONG "Day Trip" where I drug Raymond & LuccaBella through a town where I knocked on doors, went in homes, talked for hours with strangers & walked through cemeteries to LEARN ALL the "Giovannoni's" from my family "we THINK" per these people, who have NEVER left the town .... say are ALL are dead now. Except now, for me & Luccabella, who have come back! So, "Day Trip" is NOT such a GOOD Term in my CASA (house)!
Off we went .... we have to use a GPS, without it we would be LOST, driving to the train station (NO JOKE)! In our Lancia that seats 3 nicely, 4 tight, the 5 of us ALL got IN. Me driving, my Mom was the passenger, My Dad, Raymond & LuccaBella were in the back & off we went to the middle of Tuscany in the Province of Lucca UP UP UP, did I say UPPPPP, in the mountains! Well, NOT only was it UP but the Road had numerous hairpin turns with a cliff on one side & a mountain on the other. I would have felt better driving the road UP .... IF ... it had been 2 lanes BUT no, it was only 1 to maybe 1 1/2 & IF another car came down, YOU & the other driver had to figure out what to do. Well, 1/2 way up, I started to get hysterical & yes, you are thinking, there is NO way, driving I really started laughing & crying at the same time??? Well, I DID!!! It was a 1.3 minutes of OMG (Oh My God) I am killing my WHOLE family moment but then the road opened & we were there & then I just started to sweat profusely because WE were ALL LIVING!!!!! I WAS SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE all Jumped out of the car!
I saw a man & before I could breath & thank God for getting me to the TOP, my Mom said .... Go talk to him. Look, who the pushy one is NOW! So off I went, I asked if ANY Priami's were here by the names on my letters & he said, "NO"! How could he say NO? I had the postmarked letters? The town was so SMALL. I JUST drove UP this HORRIBLE mountain! At this point, I really was NOT ready for another NO & Disappointment. I wanted to cry! I felt like I had been hit in the stomach. OK, fine, was my attitude let's look at the cute village & GO!
So we did. We walked & it was adorable. We noticed people kept their keys in their doors (BUT REALLY, crime in my city is NULL & in this little town WHO would drive up this mountain?) but they had one tiny piazza & a beautiful river. Then we went to the cemetery, OF COURSE & Raymond's favorite. Interesting, we saw, Amerigo Giovannoni & I learned when doing my citizenship my Dad was NOT a Jr. & his Dad was NOT a Sr. this was added somewhere later. My Dad was originally named after his Grandmother's Brother who's name was Amerigo Joseph Giovannoni. My Grandfather had NO middle name & My Grandmother's Brother did. ODD .... BUT OK, never thought about it again BUT was a little weird seeing the tomb BUT also did NOT want to get my Dad's HOPES up. He took photos!
(Note, Joseph in Italian is Giuseppe).
OK, cutting to the chase ... we leave. I MAKE it down the mountain & NO hysterical outbreaks. woo-hoo! At the bottom, we stopped at a bar, for a water, beer & a bite to eat (aqua, birra e qualcosa da mangiare) when Raymond starts talking to the owner. I asked the owner to look at my letters. He said, he knew a man who knew the woman who owns the alimentari (the general store) on the mountain top who is related to the man who wrote the letters. He calls the man while I was sitting there, tells him about my letters & in turn, told me, "You must go back UP & talk to Cristina, the alimentary owner". Of course, I was excited BUT I said, "UP .....THAT CRAZY MOUNTAIN"!?!?! He replied with a smile, "It is only 5 minutes"!
OFF we went ...
Below meet Giuseppe, Amerigo Giuseppe Giovannoni's SON, This 90 year old man TODAY (June 25th, 2010) is My Great Grandmother's Nephew & when I brought us all together, there were MANY tears.
A dream come true for ALL of US!
Luminara of Saint Ranieri 2010 in Pisa
June 21, 2010
Something you learn in Italy is that every citta (city) has a patron saint & the patron saint for Pisa is Saint Ranieri and the date they celebrate their saint is June 17th. However the celebration starts on the 16th, as the 17th is the day when all stores & offices are typically closed. The 16th is celebrated by all the homes & buildings that line the Arno River decorating the out side of their structures with candles, called the "Luminara di San Ranieri". I read that about 7o,000 wax candles were used this past year (2010) in glass holders and then they are placed on wooden frames that outline the numerous buildings, the bridge walkways and the sides along the Arno River. We were bummed we did not make it over to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa because it is also illuminated with oil lamps. I can ONLY imagine, this MUST be a sight!
There was music, parties, and FUN going on EVERYWHERE, not to mention that all the stores were open & vendors were set up in the streets selling their wares and at midnight there was a fireworks display. That night it was Francesca, my friends birthday & since her baby was with us, we left at 11PM. If I had known beforehand about the fireworks, we would have taken two cars. I have heard now, the display at midnight is amazing and something not to be missed.
We were lucky to get a birds eye view of Saint Ranieri being rowed down the Arno. Then I noticed .... the entire bridge we were standing on went ............. SILENT ............. it was so strange but as the saint came through EVERYONE stopped talking. This is EXTREMELY rare in Italy, it is never silent anywhere here! Do you have any idea how hard it is for Italians not to talk? And this is a compliment! One of the funniest moments was when Francesca read one of the rowers T-shirts. It said, “GRAZIE A DIO NON SONO LIVORNESSE” (Thank God I’m not Lovornesse/from Livorno). Pisa & Livorno & Lucca have big rivalries. BUT especially between Pisa & Livorno and Pisa & Lucca. The more this irritated it made her the more it made me laugh. Probably not a good time for my humor to kick in but I reminded her, The Pisan’s did throw her This BIG Party and she smiled & we had a chuckle. As the boat went by the next thing I noticed and was really thrilled about was there was NOT all men rowing. There were also, women … Kudos, Italia!
The sun then quickly set and the candles twinkled for as far as I could see. I was lost in a dream. There was a romance that swirled around me and made me feel as if I could do anything. But than reality sunk in and I realized that getting through the crowd was going to be no romantic feet but with my vino in hand & the hum of Italian vibrating through the crowd. I could conquer my way through holding onto LuccaBella’s hand. As we continued through the crowed we passed each building decorated more beautiful than the next.
We finally reached the famous little church in Pisa that is never open (aperto). But tonight it was & for two euro a person you could go in & take photos. They had VERY Contemporary art on display in the church this night and note, there are no pews. The church is empty. The ceiling was done in very small and intricate wood inlay, which I had never seen before. Most I have seen around Tuscany are painted. There was no real alter area that you could make out since the church was empty but where the alter would be the ceiling was painted and the colors were rich and stood out and sucked you in. I could have stayed in there, if there had been less people for much longer just to sit and feel it all.
As we finally were making it through the final stretch & weaving our way through to make it back to the car there was one last stop at the last nut & candy booth (note, even the nut & candy booths are decorated with illuminaries). As they stopped for water & whatever I people watched and walking past me were three nuns leaving the event not to mention all the nuns I had seen walking around enjoying the festivities all evening. But at 11PM they were still there having a good time :)! My old school upbringing kicks in and it is still something for me to see a nun riding a bike down my street or 5 or 6 walking together down my street or buying flowers where I buy flowers off my local flower truck. However, I am getting used to it & I like it very much! I never pass a sister (suora) on the street without saying Buon Giorno (Good Day). There is just a special place in my heart for the suore.
I hated to see this night end and I wish this event would happen more than once a year but like Christmas, I will have to wait patiently for the spectacular night of lights to magically sparkle again and until then I have my memories and my photos.
See photos in: Galleria
Something you learn in Italy is that every citta (city) has a patron saint & the patron saint for Pisa is Saint Ranieri and the date they celebrate their saint is June 17th. However the celebration starts on the 16th, as the 17th is the day when all stores & offices are typically closed. The 16th is celebrated by all the homes & buildings that line the Arno River decorating the out side of their structures with candles, called the "Luminara di San Ranieri". I read that about 7o,000 wax candles were used this past year (2010) in glass holders and then they are placed on wooden frames that outline the numerous buildings, the bridge walkways and the sides along the Arno River. We were bummed we did not make it over to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa because it is also illuminated with oil lamps. I can ONLY imagine, this MUST be a sight!
There was music, parties, and FUN going on EVERYWHERE, not to mention that all the stores were open & vendors were set up in the streets selling their wares and at midnight there was a fireworks display. That night it was Francesca, my friends birthday & since her baby was with us, we left at 11PM. If I had known beforehand about the fireworks, we would have taken two cars. I have heard now, the display at midnight is amazing and something not to be missed.
We were lucky to get a birds eye view of Saint Ranieri being rowed down the Arno. Then I noticed .... the entire bridge we were standing on went ............. SILENT ............. it was so strange but as the saint came through EVERYONE stopped talking. This is EXTREMELY rare in Italy, it is never silent anywhere here! Do you have any idea how hard it is for Italians not to talk? And this is a compliment! One of the funniest moments was when Francesca read one of the rowers T-shirts. It said, “GRAZIE A DIO NON SONO LIVORNESSE” (Thank God I’m not Lovornesse/from Livorno). Pisa & Livorno & Lucca have big rivalries. BUT especially between Pisa & Livorno and Pisa & Lucca. The more this irritated it made her the more it made me laugh. Probably not a good time for my humor to kick in but I reminded her, The Pisan’s did throw her This BIG Party and she smiled & we had a chuckle. As the boat went by the next thing I noticed and was really thrilled about was there was NOT all men rowing. There were also, women … Kudos, Italia!
The sun then quickly set and the candles twinkled for as far as I could see. I was lost in a dream. There was a romance that swirled around me and made me feel as if I could do anything. But than reality sunk in and I realized that getting through the crowd was going to be no romantic feet but with my vino in hand & the hum of Italian vibrating through the crowd. I could conquer my way through holding onto LuccaBella’s hand. As we continued through the crowed we passed each building decorated more beautiful than the next.
We finally reached the famous little church in Pisa that is never open (aperto). But tonight it was & for two euro a person you could go in & take photos. They had VERY Contemporary art on display in the church this night and note, there are no pews. The church is empty. The ceiling was done in very small and intricate wood inlay, which I had never seen before. Most I have seen around Tuscany are painted. There was no real alter area that you could make out since the church was empty but where the alter would be the ceiling was painted and the colors were rich and stood out and sucked you in. I could have stayed in there, if there had been less people for much longer just to sit and feel it all.
As we finally were making it through the final stretch & weaving our way through to make it back to the car there was one last stop at the last nut & candy booth (note, even the nut & candy booths are decorated with illuminaries). As they stopped for water & whatever I people watched and walking past me were three nuns leaving the event not to mention all the nuns I had seen walking around enjoying the festivities all evening. But at 11PM they were still there having a good time :)! My old school upbringing kicks in and it is still something for me to see a nun riding a bike down my street or 5 or 6 walking together down my street or buying flowers where I buy flowers off my local flower truck. However, I am getting used to it & I like it very much! I never pass a sister (suora) on the street without saying Buon Giorno (Good Day). There is just a special place in my heart for the suore.
I hated to see this night end and I wish this event would happen more than once a year but like Christmas, I will have to wait patiently for the spectacular night of lights to magically sparkle again and until then I have my memories and my photos.
See photos in: Galleria
Buon Pasqua e Pasquetta!
April 4, 2010
Here are the Easter eggs from Easter Eve & Easter Morning! You can see they are Chocolate hollow & filled with surprises. Each egg is wrapped in beautiful foil paper almost to the point that you do not want to open them UNLESS you are LuccaBella & seven years old and desperately want the little surprise inside. (Yet, I want the surprise inside, too)! I hope you enjoy these photos of this Pasqua Prima (First Easter) as I thought you all might like to see what this looks like here.
Also, in the 1st photo is my Olive tree that sits in my window named "Dani". I bought this little tree in the pot for 5 euro right around my friends' Steve's ColDANI's birthday. So, while walking through the Mercato, I asked Raymond, what should I name this Olive'? When I look at it, I think of the Coldani's & miss them terribly. He said ... Mike? Steve? Ray? Jeanne? Really, the little tree, did not look like any of their 1st names & finally, I said, the little tree, is named, Dani (you MUST say this WITH an Italian Accent), short for "ColDANI" & my little Olive’ lives happily in my window & reminds me of my dear friends everyday!
Easter is also a time of blessing here. The bells of the church start ringing at the10PM the night before Easter morning. A concert in some special way. Also, here in Tuscany, you take your chocolate eggs, regular eggs or hard boiled eggs to church & the priest does a special blessing at mass over the eggs. When you come home you eat these eggs & you now have eaten some blessed food for this day. There are a lot of traditions here & it's quite fun to learn them all!
Photos See: Galleria
April 4, 2010
Here are the Easter eggs from Easter Eve & Easter Morning! You can see they are Chocolate hollow & filled with surprises. Each egg is wrapped in beautiful foil paper almost to the point that you do not want to open them UNLESS you are LuccaBella & seven years old and desperately want the little surprise inside. (Yet, I want the surprise inside, too)! I hope you enjoy these photos of this Pasqua Prima (First Easter) as I thought you all might like to see what this looks like here.
Also, in the 1st photo is my Olive tree that sits in my window named "Dani". I bought this little tree in the pot for 5 euro right around my friends' Steve's ColDANI's birthday. So, while walking through the Mercato, I asked Raymond, what should I name this Olive'? When I look at it, I think of the Coldani's & miss them terribly. He said ... Mike? Steve? Ray? Jeanne? Really, the little tree, did not look like any of their 1st names & finally, I said, the little tree, is named, Dani (you MUST say this WITH an Italian Accent), short for "ColDANI" & my little Olive’ lives happily in my window & reminds me of my dear friends everyday!
Easter is also a time of blessing here. The bells of the church start ringing at the10PM the night before Easter morning. A concert in some special way. Also, here in Tuscany, you take your chocolate eggs, regular eggs or hard boiled eggs to church & the priest does a special blessing at mass over the eggs. When you come home you eat these eggs & you now have eaten some blessed food for this day. There are a lot of traditions here & it's quite fun to learn them all!
Photos See: Galleria
