Lcollins

October 22 The art exhibit in the church basement was, different. First, it took several tries to get into the locked space but while waiting for Saturday night Mass to end, we had a drink at an outside table at the bar next to the church and I remembered to order a Negroni, an aperitivo I had read about. Finally we were let into the exhibit. It really was not traditional art, just some photos of death cards of some sort. But the basement was fascinating! The narrow stairs wound down and where they ended there was a glass partition that enclosed about 100 skulls. Some still had skin which shrunk as it dried leaving a pained expression. There was no explanation about the skulls and it was the first that Doug and Di knew of ... read more

October 15 And then just like that, when you think you are ready to go home, you have another amazing day! Yesterday was like that. We got up early and fed the cats and soon were out the door. We went into Salve (nearest town) and to Caffe Roma, the bar that Catherine and I discovered over the weekend. This time we sat at an outside table in the piazza rather than standing at the bar. Sam had espresso, I had a cappuccino and we shared a chocolate cornetto. It was wonderful. Nearby 4 old men sat together on a bench. They didn't seem to talk much, but they sat together, just as they have probably done for most of their lives. Next we went into the panetteria and bought some focaccia that was filled with ... read more

October 10 - Four weeks since landing in Madrid Yesterday morning we woke up and went down to find the hotel owner, Joseph and his father, Isidoro waiting to serve us breakfast. Joseph immediately said to Sam, "I looked at your passport; you are Italian!" He said that he knew many people in the area with the last name "Petrillo." He seemed so pleased. We talked all through our breakfast of cappuccini, croissants, and cookies. The news was on, so many comments were made about Italy's government woes as well as the ridiculous situation in the United States right now. No one in Europe can believe it. For one, they don't know what's wrong with universal healthcare, and they think that the behavior of the Tea Party is no different than childish playground antics. Ok, back ... read more

September 29, 30 We left Vinchio by 9:00 on Sunday morning. Mario prepared our breakfast as Marisa had flown to Cyprus the day before to meet her daughter for a week of vacation. We packed up and said our good-byes. After a few minutes sitting in the car wondering which way to turn when we backed out of the driveway, Mario came out and helped us with directions. Then he stood in the narrow street to make sure that no cars or tractors were coming so that we could back out safely. Finally we were off. It was pleasant driving on a Sunday morning because there really was no one on the roads. Before long we were on the autostrada. It was raining and throughout the morning we saw impressive lightening strikes in the sky in ... read more

September 25, 26 and 27 We enjoyed dinner at El Moli out on the patio. Maria's meals are good, basic Spanish (Catalonian) food. We had a tomato and onion salad, bread, chicken soup, fried fish and potatoes and chocolate flan. We slept well and enjoyed the absence of any barking dogs in the night. Breakfast was a wonderful spread that included chocolate croissants, figs, apples, fresh squeezed orange juice, eggs, cheeses and meats and various homemade jams on toasted bread. Maria came and visited with us and told us that she wanted to give us the night and dinner and breakfast as her gift to us! We were surprised by such a generous gift, but she said this way she will be more comfortable asking to come and stay with us in Oregon. We hope she ... read more