JK, Sept. 16 2010: As I write, we are leaving Milano Centrale for Venezia.
Yesterday morning we woke around 7:00am and began the day with a trip to the Eastern beach in Monterosso. They water was warm enough that, despite the sun having not yet crested the East slope, I swam readily and for 20 minutes or so. The water is beautifully clear and there are many small fish, though not much else.
After the swim, we enjoyed a typical Italian breakfast of pastry and coffee. Checked e-mail for our plans to meet Flavia, and window shopped to and from the post office.
We checked out at 10:00 am and went to the train station's cafe where we read until our departure to Asti. I have finished The Golden Spruce and am on to The Lost City of Z. Both are great reads, though perhaps not the most suitable for a European trip.
(Both have much to do with imperialism/colonialism, and the negative impacts of the West on Native populations in the Americas.)
We arrived in Asti after fitful train napping, where Flavia picked us up at the station. The three of us drove the half hour or so out of town to her new home in a stunning part of the countryside, the settlements of which tell as historic tale of previous fending over agricultural bounty; the hilltops credited with chruches and castles, the valleys live with vineyards, orchards and farms.
Upon arrival, Flavia checked in with the kids by phone. We walked to her daughter's school to pick her up - what a shock to find her a mere inch or two shorter than Jess - and caught a glimpse of her son in one of his first karate lessons.
Flavia, Jess and I waited for him at a cafe, sipping local wine and eating snacks while catching up.
The evening was light-hearted, lots of talk, teasing, laughing and playfulness, and a nice home-cooked meal whith local wine.
Flavia and the kids seem great, enjoying the quality of life that Italy has to offer- in climate, food, and culture.
Their home is a beautiful one and large.
It is scenic, and newly renovated by Flavia herself. While language and school are challenging - and country life may be lacking for NB's 12-year-old energy - this seems a great home for them at present.
It's good to see an abundance of positive energy and it was a nice punctuation to the trip thus far.
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| The lane outside our B&B in Monterosso, Cinque Terre |
After the swim, we enjoyed a typical Italian breakfast of pastry and coffee. Checked e-mail for our plans to meet Flavia, and window shopped to and from the post office.
We checked out at 10:00 am and went to the train station's cafe where we read until our departure to Asti. I have finished The Golden Spruce and am on to The Lost City of Z. Both are great reads, though perhaps not the most suitable for a European trip.
(Both have much to do with imperialism/colonialism, and the negative impacts of the West on Native populations in the Americas.)
 |
| A typical Italian breakfast of pastry and coffee before boarding the train in Cinque Terre |
We arrived in Asti after fitful train napping, where Flavia picked us up at the station. The three of us drove the half hour or so out of town to her new home in a stunning part of the countryside, the settlements of which tell as historic tale of previous fending over agricultural bounty; the hilltops credited with chruches and castles, the valleys live with vineyards, orchards and farms.
Upon arrival, Flavia checked in with the kids by phone. We walked to her daughter's school to pick her up - what a shock to find her a mere inch or two shorter than Jess - and caught a glimpse of her son in one of his first karate lessons.
Flavia, Jess and I waited for him at a cafe, sipping local wine and eating snacks while catching up.
The evening was light-hearted, lots of talk, teasing, laughing and playfulness, and a nice home-cooked meal whith local wine.
Flavia and the kids seem great, enjoying the quality of life that Italy has to offer- in climate, food, and culture.
Their home is a beautiful one and large.
It is scenic, and newly renovated by Flavia herself. While language and school are challenging - and country life may be lacking for NB's 12-year-old energy - this seems a great home for them at present.
It's good to see an abundance of positive energy and it was a nice punctuation to the trip thus far.
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