We've been so busy these past couple days...sorry to be MIA.
Three major events have happened in the past 3 days:
Friday was Silas's 5th Birthday Jungle Party. I'm trying to post pictures on facebook of all the goings-on. There was face painting, pizza, Tiramisu, jungle cake, a bongo, xylophone and recorder jam session and some gorgeous Italian children.
Saturday was our independent day trip to Arezzo. It was just wonderful. Exquisite churches, a cathedral with a famous fresco panel of Saint Mary Magdalene, incredible shopping and the best picnic park for a tired group of students (and one equally tired wife-of-a-student) to rest with local wines, meats, cheeses and breads. We found an open air market there with gourmet foods and handmade goods. We watched a man shaving truffles for customers! We were so tempted to buy some truffle oil, but we abstained and bought some good wine for lunch instead. The weather could not have been more calming and clear. It's a town famous for its Antique Festival that happens the first weekend of every month. We missed it by one week, but there are still incredible antique stores scattered around. A good day trip with good friends!
Don't have time to write about Rome...we did too much that day! Will let you know soon...
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Arezzo...antiques...I assume you've included that in our itinerary?
ReplyDeleteNon vedo l'ora di esaminare i libri e gli attacchi dei primi Italia...
ReplyDeleteThe online translator handles that: "I can not wait to examine the books and the attacks of the first Italy..."
ReplyDeleteCiao, baby.
I loved talking to you the other day! Thanks for introducing me to google chat! You brightened my sick day home from work, and got me so excited for this summer!!!
ReplyDeleteOk, so what exactly do you mean by "soon"? Don't you know we check several times a day for a new blog even though we know you have a limited window in which to post a new one?
ReplyDeleteChazglen et al.
ReplyDeleteWould you believe that is exactly what I meant to say?
Or was it "I can't wait to be the first to attack Italy with a book?"
Oh darn, now I'm confused....
Hi Grace!
Hi Penn!
I met Aunt Kippie and Great Aunt Dotsie (but don't mention to anyone else, besides these present, that her name is Dotsie because it makes her feel violated) at the East Wing of the Smithsonian yesterday to see the Pompeii exhibit. One thing I didn't know was that Pompeii and the surrounding area was the playground of the rich and famous at the turn of the era : BC to AD. SIDE NOTE: I don't hold with none of that BCE revisionist terminology that tries to humanize how we refer to the passage of time. Actually, who was MORE human that Jesus? And who, more worthy to tell time by. Certainly not HUMAN humans, for heaven's sake... where was I?... Oh yes: The rich and famous: There were busts of Caesar Augustus, Julius Caesar, Nero, Tiberius (Dotsie said he was a "bad BAD piece of work" as she commented on the different heads from the comfort of her rolling sedan chair. I was the coolie). And then we came to Caligula, where, needless to say, she almost had an aneurysm. He was 29 when he met his end and the bust looked like it was done when he was around 18. These busts were like none I've ever seen. I know you've probably seen generic heads on statues that all look kind of alike. Kind of... your basic Roman. These were not like that. Yes, they all had those sightless round orbs for eyes but the likeness of the faces! They were real heads frozen in marble! They looked as if I had just missed hearing them speak out of the corner of my eye (that is, if anyone CAN hear things out of their eyes). These were all carved by different sculptors who have no names. They are not famous. Anyone that can shape a solid object with hammer and chisel in three dimensions deserves to be famous... at least as famous as Picasso, who never really shaped anything to look like anything resembling anything. Maybe in a primitive sense, but then why wouldn't we exalt the Neanderthal over modern man if we follow that logic. Yes, I have a growing conviction that art REALLY IS a lost art. And that was my little vicarious trip to Italy yesterday.
ReplyDeleteGrace, I really DO love that picture of you and I mean 'imp' in the most sweet and charming sense... like a mischievous cherub. Don't go looking up the definition on Wikipedia. It's not quite so charming.
Love, Southdad