Il Sognatore

Yesterday I was walking around with my friend and she and I were discussing how our dream job would be to work in a great library or an old bookshop.  I'm sure most readers of this blog would agree with us.  With a great twist of fate, I had the most vivid dream last night that I worked in a library like the one above found in a secret passageway of the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele.  After entering said passageway, a staircase was found which brought you down and then up to the library.  I could smell the paper!  I could hear the creak of the floorboards!  I wasn't rich of course, but could pay my bills.  The library was filled with clever, bearded men with occhiali tartaruga, cardigans, famous artists and women with white streaks in their hair.  What a misfortune to awaken.  This library has been in my thoughts since daybreak.

So don't mind if I fall apart

A week ago I was waving goodbye to my family as they cruised down the Grand Canal on a water taxi.  My dad stood up, turn around and waved one more time as I stood at the embankment near San Stae.  Probably one of the most dramatic partings of my life, but fitting for our family trip throughout Italy.  We laughed, ate well, I translated until my head hurt, we enjoyed ourselves, laughed at each others jokes, and while driving my sister and I discovered we know every word to more than a few Carly Simon songs.

Como, Bellagio, Barni and Barni

Porto Venere

On the Chiantigiana

Val D'Orcia

Castello di Verrazzano (one of the best places I've spent a week)

Montepulciano

Siena

Firenze

Venezia

Throughout the trip I couldn't help thinking that I've lived here for seven months and really I've seen nothing!  But even the Italians feel the same.  Every tiny town, every village, every castle is unique and filled with history and it's own set of stories.  I've made it my goal to do some more exploring...I haven't even made the lightest scratch of the surface.



The Enchanted April

Have I titled one of my blogposts with this same name?  I believe so...I digress.

The family arrives in just hours, and I'm busy making preparations.  All very Emma Recchi of me hustling from here to there, although scrubbing the shower and floor, would probably be below her.  My apartment's as shiny as the top of the Chrysler Building!  I hope to spend our time together like in the book The Enchanted April, under wisteria (see above), climbing endless hills, exploring towns (hopefully) less traveled, and nibbling on fegato.

The weather report seems more optomistic than previously reported and if I have anything to do with it, will surely prove to be gorgeous!

I''ll see you all in a few weeks, loaded down with photos and stories of vineyards, ancient monasteries, and white sneakers.  Now I'm off to make that Bolognese, need to feed the creatures something!