arrivederci a triora

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Tomorrow we leave Italy to head back to the U.S. and the heat of Texas! What a treat it has been to be here in the mountains in this magical village of Triora! Traveling always creates change and I'm sure this journey will have a lasting impact on us. One thing for sure, we're concerned about the status of the church. It seems that only the older people attend services and many of the smaller churches are suffering from physical decay. The larger cities and more famous cathedrals can charge for tours which contributes to upkeep. I wish there would be something we could do!

We've gone to the beach several times with Elliot (grandson) and we're having his fourth birthday party this afternoon in the piazza. He is very excited and many of the village people are coming. Earlier this afternoon Luke took us to his friend's parents' home in Badalucco and we had a delightful visit with Eleo and Ornella. They served us gelatto (imagine our happiness!) and fabulous coffee - cafe! We then had a tour of their summer home and farm. I cannot upload photos here in Triora, but will do that later. They sent us away with basilico, fresh brown eggs, an entire bag of these amazing little squashes, tomatoes, green beans and squash flowers. I could just live here! Of course, having Jennie and Luke conversant in Italian is a huge help and I know the romance would wear off if we had to actually survive here - we'd have to learn Italian for sure!

The days here are incredible - they just seem to unfold and no matter what plans are made, they may or may not happen according to schedule. In fact, uptight people would either (a) have to change or (b) give up and enjoy each day! It is not possible to even walk to the car without having several conversations along the way. People assume that because we're parents of Jennie and Lucca that we understand Italian. We smile a lot and we do know some words. A lady today asked me if I was deaf! I just smiled and said, "No, English." Ciao for now!

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