Honorable Mentions

"In the heart of every man, wherever he is born there is one small corner which is Italian, that part which finds regimentation irksome, the dangers of war frightening, strict morality stifling, that part which loves frivolous and entertaining art, admires larger-than-life size solitary heroes, and dreams of an impossible liberation from the strictures of a tidy existence."                       

                                        Luigi Barzini



     Our time in Umbria is over this winter and we have relocated to Sicily.  I still have plenty to post about but I see I'll have to wrap things up in bits and pieces.  (On the way down here we spent a night in Pompeii - outside the ruins, of course - which is near Naples.  I'll tell you all about that fascinating stop in my next blog - we could have been arrested.  Seriously.)  In the mean time,a few more treasured memories of our stay in Spoleto.

     For all our family members and friends of the feline persuasion, Buttercup, Alley, Waylan, Willie, Sly, and Buddy, to name just a few, here are some cats that caught our eye around Spoleto.

 

    They appeared to us to be fat and healthy and we never saw a mouse or rat - you can make your own determination on this matter.

     The symbol of Spoleto, La Rocca Albornoziana, is filled with well-preserved frescoes.

I wonder what the last Pope's would-be assassin thought of them when, for a short time, he was imprisoned in this castle fortress.

     We've met some wonderful, warm-hearted people here.  Two named Alessandro.  The first one runs a neighborhood bar just across the corso from us.  He speaks Italian, Spanish and English, and puts out a lovely "tapa" spread with his drinks.  We will miss him and his welcoming smile.

     The second Alessandro told us tales of his early life in Spoleto while he sipped the popular and brutal strength after dinner drink known as grappa.

  He's a retired ship captain who lives in Rome now.

     Most of all, we will remember our landlords, the elegant and ever-helpful Laurie and his wife, the fabulous and fashionable (she'd give Carrie Bradshaw a run) Norma.

These new friends happily shared their knowledge of Umbria with us.

     When Georgia and her family visited during Xmas week, we took several side trips.  Though our trip to Florence was a rainy one we managed to have a great time.

  

    Then there was that sweet and perfectly preserved Little Temple of Clitunno. The Roman temple was once visited by the infamous, orgy throwing, schizophrenic emperor Caligula.  You'd never know it by the feeling of serenity surrounding it down there on the Old Flaminia Road.

    The one photo I forgot to take seems close to unbelievable, but would I lie?  Especially about something like this?!  On the Piazza Mercato there is a restaurant that displays many, many wine bottles.  The one that screamed at us was labeled Buttafuocco.  I got a close look but didn't see a bullet in the bottom.

     So Jim and I have left Umbria behind with her many tea-colored rivers, her countless hilltowns (which, I am convinced, are Superglued to those hill tops)

and her gajillion olive trees, all silvery-sage and placed just so...everywhere.

     We'll miss the evening passegiata outside our door,

 
       
the friendly shopkeepers who tried with much humor to understand us

- and most times they did - and the slow and steady pace of life in Spoleto.

And on to Sicily,

    Susan

p.s.  The First Place Winner (we couldn't see calling it anything honorable) for Best Town Sign goes to: