The fog is so dense, I cannot see my car from my bedroom window. It is 3 o’clock in the afternoon. It’s also spitting rain. Perfect day to curl up with a good book.
Sunday Oct 6, 2024
Spent the day with with Roberta, Enrico, Anna and Francesco, just a pleasant, relaxing afternoon laughing and talking about everything under the sun. Couldn’t help eating too much, Roberta is such a wonderful cook!
Came home to find the hazard lights blinking on Stella’s car. I turned them off and went in the house. I asked her about her day and she said she went into town to get the newspaper around noon. So they had been blinking about 5 hours. Argh. She wound up being alone all day as her sister-in-law did not spend the weekend with her and Arminda has Sundays off. Worrisome.
Saturday Oct 5, 2024
For the first time in 19 months, I slept until 10 am.
Lunch with Emanuela, Giovanni, and Leonardo at Podere Gori. Emanuela made home made ravioli and home made profiterole filled with custard and dripping with chocolate, yumyum. It’s time to harvest the olives so Giovanni and Leonardo ate quickly and went back to work. To my great surprise and delight, Emanuela asked if I would like to walk up to Montecatini Alto. I had not been there in years and I was curious to see how much it had changed. We made our way through the olive grove behind their house, (located at the foot of Montecatini Alto) and climbed up a precipitous rocky path, crossed some tiny creeks and walked the rest of the way on gravel and asphalt. We passed under the funicolare and waved at its passengers as they descended. Emanuela pointed out a variety of wild edible greens and explained how to cook them. She knows a lot about plants including trees and berry bushes. I told her that I wanted to propagate a caper plant because the one I had transplanted from my late mother’s house did not make it. She and I collected caper pods (there are caper plants everywhere) and she told me what to do. I am sooooo excited!
Montecatini Alto is as lovely as I remember it, but with more tourists and a lot more restaurants in the main piazza. The view of the city below unchanged, still gorgeous. We walked around leisurely and stopped in the church at the summit. I lit two candles. Emanuela whispered to me, one for Charlie and one for your mother? Si.
It was the perfect way to spend an afternoon. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would ever see Montecatini Alto again. I savored every moment. Truly special. On our way down, we did not interrupt Giovanni in the olive grove.
This is a good moment to plug their agriturismo, Podere Gori. There is another Podere Gori that has been plugged by Rick Steves, yes, that Rick Steves. Some American travelers have confused the two and, accidentally but happily, stayed with Emanuela. She and Giovanni have lovingly restored the family farmhouse and installed a restaurant style kitchen from which she makes everything from scratch. Emanuela can prepare a sumptious Tuscan meal, be it lunch or dinner. Also you can stay there in a Room With A View (see what I did there?) of the spectacular sunsets over Montecatini, sigh.
Just google Podere Gori and choose the one with her name (Emanuela Zucconi) to make a reservation. And of course, tell her I sent you. Forget Rick Steves.
Friday, Oct 4, 2024
The day started off sunny for the first time in 4 days so I convinced Stella to go for a walk in Pietrabuona Alta, just down the hill from her place. It’s sooooo old! Though many of the houses have been abandoned for years, it is still charming with its irregular stone pathways, ancient stairways, overgrown vegetation and, of course, breathtaking views of Pietrabuona Bassa (below). It’s the size of a postage stamp, nevertheless, it has 2(!) churches, a minute apart on foot. Only a handful of residents remain, including someone I have been curious about for years. We stopped to talk with him in front of his well maintained, postcard perfect house. He and his wife are Australian and spend the summer months here and then go back to Australia to spend the summer months there. Genius.
After lunch I offered to go into town to buy Stella her newspaper. I ask where I can buy socks, since I noticed that the cute little socks shop I used to go to downtown has closed. She said Esselunga, my new favorite place. I found not just any socks but cashmere socks. Top that, Whole Foods! I’m wearing them right now, as a matter of fact.
I came across this today:
Aging is a gift, a chance to keep growing, learning and experiencing life in new ways. It’s about defying limitations and embracing the possibilities that lie ahead. So, for anyone else pondering the future, remember: It’s not about passively accepting age, it’s about actively living each day to the fullest, wrinkles and all.
It’s my new mantra.
Tonight Federico picked me up after work and we went with his family to a wonderful pizzeria near his house: his parents Maria & Vasco, his brother Emiliano with his girlfriend Giulia, and, of course, Serena, with Federico’s two boys Leone, 4, and Noah, 17 months, whom I met for the first time. I noticed that they are both blonde and Federico immediately tells me they are not his. Such a liar. Great evening!! He showed me his future house under renovation, which hopefully will be finished by December. He bought out his aunt’s share of the compound where he grew up and is modernizing/expanding to accomodate a family of 5. He wants his boys, including Serena’s son, Diego, by her first marriage to grow up there. It’s perfect.
Federico and I had a lot of time to talk in the car, we talked about Stella, he asked me point blank what I thought. I told him, and he told me that she frequently calls his office with computer problems that don’t exist. Apparently, everyone is aware. Her son arrives Wednesday. He has some very difficult conversations ahead of him.
Also in the car, Serena mentioned that, years ago, I was the first person in Federico’s family she met. I am flattered, but surely, she meant after Federico’s parents and his brother. Actually, it was true: Federico and Serena’s relationship began under controversial circumstances that angered their families. But Federico and Serena managed to weather the storm and begin a life together. I love a happy ending. Especially for Federico.
Thursday Oct 3, 2024
Another day of dense fog, ominous clouds and intermittent rain in Pietrabuona. Would love to stay home again and just read/study/nap/write in no particular order. But duty calls, I have promised to join Riccardo and his son, Vittorio, for lunch. I hope that the fog will clear up by noon so I can see where I am going. And more importantly, other drivers can see ME. Driving here is a scary combination of Keystone Kops and lawlessness. Italians drive down the middle of the road, straddling the solid white line until oncoming cars necessitate swerving into their own lane at the very last freaking second. It’s unnerving. Charlie and I agreed on almost everything but this is one case where our opinions diverged wildly. He loved driving here. He loved that Italians drive decisively, as if they have somewhere to go and don’t dawdle. He drove like an Italian. Me, I’m grateful to arrive at my destination in one piece and not have killed any pedestrians along the way. Where there are no sidewalks, people walk along the streets, in dark clothes, or cross the street at faded pedestrian crossings without waiting for the light to change. I make a note to remember where those barely visible pedestrian crossings are and to be on the lookout for people. Also, dogs since they don’t bother with pedestrian crossings at all, sigh. And I think tailgating (In Italian, tallonare) is the national sport second only to soccer.
I spent a lovely afternoon with Riccardo and Vittorio and their high energy dog, Paco, who never stopped moving for one minute. R and V seem to be at peace now and have settled into their lives without Antonella who, until her premature death, was the center of their world. Vittorio, with very strong opinions about everything, is surprisingly open to whatever comes next. He would like to come to America, and we talked about taking a road trip together. Maybe after he gets his Master’s degree.
Came home and took a 2(!) hour nap. I didn’t realize I was so tired. When I woke up, I heard Stella and her housekeeper, Arminda, arguing. I went downstairs to see what all the fuss was about. They couldn’t decide which months comprised autumn, which months comprised winter, etc. I was still too sleepy to care. Besides, Internet.
Wednesday Oct 2, 2024
Woke up late this morning and watched the clouds, literally outside my window, lift and dissipate in slow motion. It’s a good day to stay home, read and take care of a few things. I went downstairs but the house was uncharacteristically dark. Perhaps Stella, an early riser, overslept, too? I waited about an hour and then opened the doors and windows (all locked from the inside) so that Arminda, her housekeeper, could get in. Stella heard me and joined me for breakfast. She gave me a momentary scare.
One thing that surprised me about yesterday was how crowded the train station was. It was packed FULL of tourists with their oversized suitcases and local students with their oversized backpacks. A pickpocketer’s dream. It was very difficult to move around and I lost Stella several times before we made it out of the station together. I asked Claudia if there was a special reason for there to be so many people, a Taylor Swift concert or something. She said it’s always like this. Oh Lordie, going to Mantova on Oct 18th is going to be a nightmare as I have been told that I will have to change trains at least 3 times. If all three stations are this crowded? Or worse, if there is a strike that day? oi.
Giorgio to the rescue, my Knight in Shining Armor. Uncannily intuitive, he texted me late yesterday that he wanted to come all the way to Pietrabuona to pick me up. We had originally talked about meeting halfway on the autostrada if a cousin could drop me off, say, in Bologna so he would only have to drive 1-1/2 hours one way. Or less considering how he drives. But he is taking the day off from work anyway and to him it’s not a 6 hour round trip but “un giro” a pleasant little trip. I texted him that he is a gentleman. He texted me back: and you are Franca. God bless him! So he’ll arrive here around noon, he can meet Stella, and then we’ll leave for Mantova right after lunch. Scratch that off my list of things to worry about.
On the road home to Pietrabuona yesterday, Stella and I passed an area under repair that necessitates turning two lanes of traffic into one with a timed automatic traffic light on either end. I asked her how long she expects it to be this way as no one has been working on it since I arrived 10 days ago. She said, well you know, there’s a lot of bureaucracy and first we need to get the necessary permits from Jesus, Mary & Joseph and all the Saints in Heaven. LOL
Tuesday Oct 1, 2024
Happy 100th Birthday, Jimmy Carter!
I went to Florence with Stella, Cristina, Claudia, and her friends, Rita & Guja, to see La Biennale Internazionale dell'Antiquariato di Firenze at Palazzo Corsini. A lot of fancy Italian words for what is basically a VERY HIGH END Antique Show in a very high end location. It was over the top! Obscenely excessive, at times. Very fine furniture, 14th &15th century antiques and more paintings than I thought possible (after all, aren’t they all in the Museums Of The World?) They even had a sketch by Michelangelo for sale. The exhibit hall was divided into small rooms, each representing gallery owners from all over Europe, all doing a brisk business. It opened two days ago, yet many things had already been marked sold. There are a lot of very rich people here.
Claudia was most interested in the sculptures of Libero Andreotti, a native son of Pescia. She is the director the museum that bears his name. I may have mentioned that she is quietly relentless. I think she needs to be if she wants to enlist rich patrons to help expand the collection and put this somewhat obscure museum on the map.
Looking around at the furniture, I realized that alot of the furniture in Stella’s house looks like the stuff we saw today. Jiminy Crickets.
As if all the ornate antiques dripping with gold and the jewelry dripping with diamonds wasn’t enough, the building itself was AMAZING. Every square inch of it was heavily frescoed, trompe l’oeil-ed, with carved decorations everywhere you looked. One room had a wall entirely sculpted with mythical figures and (real) water running and emptying into a small pool. Like I said, over the top. The building faces the Arno River so, of course, every room had a view. It was overwhelming and totally out of my league.
We walked along Via del Parione where Giorgio Biondi, my dad’s college friend/business partner, lived and worked. As a girl, I loved to visit his wildly eccentric Florentine apartment with red walls, dramatic drapes and Savanarola chairs. It’s all changed now, the little shop where he used to buy his morning paper is gone, replaced by a high end boutique with a guard at the entrance. My favorite wedding dress shop that specialized in one-of-a-kind hand-crocheted dresses, also gone.
We passed Sabatini, a restaurant on via Panzani near via del Giglio. When I was 17, my parents and I went there for lunch because my dad knew the owner. Every table faced an interior courtyard with an enchanting garden and fountain. Very elegant. I ordered lasagna verde as a primo that was so delicious I ordered it as a secondo. My parents were ok with it. The secondo took a very long time to arrive. I found out later that the waiters were so scandalized that they waited until the people sitting on either side of us left before serving it. The following summer, I saw the owner, a very refined and well dressed gentleman, walking down the street in Montecatini. I approached him and introduced myself as Dante’s daughter and he said “I know exactly who you are, Signorina Lasagna Verde.”
Monday, Sept 30, 2024
I had a packed weekend so I decide to stay home with Stella today. She is thrilled.
Her sister-in-law, Paola, arrived from Florence on Saturday. She spends every weekend here, thank goodness. We caught up with each other basking in the afternoon sun, in the garden, drinking camomile tea with a squeeze of lemon freshly picked from a few feet away. It was so aromatic that as I sliced it, we all noticed the scent immediately. Incredible.
That night, Stella and I were invited to dinner by Claudia at a restaurant somewhere in Marginone, (don’t ask me where that is) called Il Fornello. Had the BEST home made tagliatelle (pasta) with Ovoli mushrooms. OMG, SO GOOD! I had never had Ovoli mushrooms (scientific name: Amanita Caesarea) According to the locals, they are equal to Porcini or truffles but to me they were better than both. For dessert, I had freshly made ricotta with fresh figs and fig marmalade. The BEST! Anna (Claudia’s sister) who loves ricotta as much as I do, tells me that there is a dessert to die for in Catania called “Raviola” a pastry filled with the best ricotta. Must go to Catania.
Yesterday, I went to the Festa dell’Uva in Impruneta (very close to Florence) with Emanuela & Giovanni. Their son, Leonardo, lives there with his wife in a house with a million dollar panoramicherete view of the Chianti Valley. Must move in with them. Just kidding. Sort of. Leonardo, who years ago stayed with us in Atlanta, prepared what he called Brunch, an interesting array of scrambled eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, American bacon(!), salmon, guacamole(!) hash browns(!) and focaccia. All delicious. And, of course, Emanuela made dessert. We ate on the patio with that incredibile view, sigh.
The Festa dell’Uva was wonderful, but it’s hard to describe accurately. A celebration of the history of grapes, a kind of small town meets any Olympic opening ceremony meets Star Wars meets Hollywood with parades, flag throwers, elaborate floats pulled by tractors, a sound track that included What a Wonderful World (so I lost it for moment), narration, you get the idea. Every citizen of Impruneta (including Leonardo’s wife Elisa), mothers with their children, fathers and sons, children of all ages, dancers, gay and straight, actors, singers, musicians took part. They all made their own costumes, so shiny and colorful in the afternoon sun. After each “Act” representing the 4 rioni (neighborhoods) of Impruneta, the partecipants enthusiastically hugged each other, gave each other high fives, to celebrate what had to be the end of months and months of preparation and hard work. Really very sweet. So grateful to have been invited and so glad I went.
Tina
Many years ago, I came across a book called “La Polvere sull’Erba” that had been censored in Italy for 50 years. So, naturally, I bought it. At the time, my Italian was not very good and I read it with a dictionary close at hand. It described in excruciating detail the horrors visited on Italian resistence fighters during WWII. It was so awful that I would not let my mother read it. But it made me curious about the people I knew. I asked Tina about it and she told me this story.
When she was a little girl of about 9 or 10, she lived with her parents and 2 older brothers in a very simple house, way up in the mountains overlooking Montecatini. The Germans occupied the whole countryside and, luckily, her brothers had already gone into hiding in the woods. Every day, she would walk to a predesignated spot to drop off food for them. The Germans were everywhere, including at their house(!) amazing in itself, considering how isolated and how far up the mountain they lived. She and her parents had to sleep with the animals in the barn. The soldiers set up munitions at the cliff overlooking the valley below. From there, they shot down enemy planes, including two American. One pilot was killed and the other escaped, only to be found later and shot by firing squad.
When the Germans left, her father told her to tell her brothers to come home. They were home a short while when, to their shock, some German soldiers appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. They had been hiding, too. And waiting. They lined up her brothers and her father along the back wall of the house. Just as Tina and her mother were about to witness their execution, a German officer appeared, had a conversation with them, and apparently, ordered them to stop. Their lives were spared at the very last minute. Goosebumps.
Tina, Sandro, Charlie and I went up to see the house. It was a long drive, very high up in the mountains, on a winding asphalt road, the last few kilometers of which turned to gravel. Tina pointed to a seemingly random place in the road, we parked the car and walked the rest of the way, maybe another kilometer on a not very obvious “path.” How the Germans ever found that house I will never know. Now it is abandoned, in ruins and overgrown with vegetation.
After the war, Tina went to live with my grandparents in Montecatini in order to go to school. She got a job, married Mario, a very nice man a little older than her. They lived in an apartment on via Boito with his mother whose name was Italia. Years after he died, she met a widower, Sandro, and went to live with him in his beautiful home. They did not get married for 2 reasons. His only daughter disapproved. And Tina would have lost her late husband’s pension if she married. For 20 years, she took very good care of Sandro and, very good care of his daughter when she almost died of a mysterious infection a few years ago.
While she was attending Sandro’s funeral, thieves broke into the house, sadly a common occurence since obituaries are posted on special kiosks, and therefore, public information. She moved out as soon as the renovations on her apartment were finished. Even though she has to climb three flights of stairs, she feels safe there.
She still babysits Sandro’s only 9 year old granddaugher who loves her to pieces and decided on her own to call her Nonna. For someone who did not have biological children, this is big.
An epilogue of sorts. In this morning’s local newspaper, there was an article about an 84 year old woman who was the last survivor of Marzabotto, a town near Bologna. When she was 4 years old, she and her mother watched her father be taken away, held for days, and then killed by the Nazis. His body was dumped in the river and never found.
Friday Sept 27, 2024
Today I went to see my mother’s cousin Lidia, 86 years young. She and I had lunch with her son and his girlfriend who live next door. Very pleasant afternoon! Lorenzo & Lucia LOVE to travel, showed me photos from their recent tour of the Loire Valley. Amazing castles, beautiful collections of paintings & sculptures, formal gardens, quaint towns, beautiful countryside. They said they haven’t seen all of them so will do another round in the near future. They offered for me to join them, they would pick me up in Paris and then we would go around together. Oh, yeah, this just keeps getting better and better! But first, Lucia needs to get through another knee operation (it’s a long story) and physical therapy and then…..we’ll see.
Dropped in for a few minutes to see Alberta and her daughters, Anna and Chiara, also next door. Francesco was out of town so we’ll get together later.
Then I went to see Tina. I knew it would be very emotional. She and Charlie had a great deal of affection for each other in spite of the language barrier. He made sure she knew how much he appreciated every meal she prepared, in a comical combination of facial espressions and hand gestures that genuinely made her laugh. He didn’t mind making a fool of himself for her. And she went out of her way to make his favorite dishes. Truth be told, they were all his favorites. Mine, too, because she learned to cook from my grandmother. After Sandro, her partner of 20 years, died in 2021 she moved out of the house they shared together and returned to her original apartment. Which is where Charlie and I stayed the first few times we came to Italy, pre-Pietrabuona. Many, many happy memories in the apartment itself, where the love affair began. I watched Charlie fall head over heels in love with Italy, the people, the food, the light, and, of course, my family. For the rest of his life, he embraced wholeheartedly all things Italian.
Tina is in her 90’s now, a little thinner, frail but she managed to walk down 3 flights of stairs instead of just buzzing me in like a normal 90 something year old. We talked, she showed me a picture of her 9 year old granddaughter. I showed her pictures of my grandkids and great-grandkids and she squealed with delight that, among them, one of them is named Charlie. Yes, they had something special.
As I left, she told me how happy she was that I came to see her, so sweetly that I left in tears. Good thing I drove home in daylight.
PS If I have time tomorrow, an interesting story from Tina’s childhood.
Thursday Sept 26, 2024
This morning, I went into Pescia to meet someone I followed on Instagram. He is from Pescia originally, lived in the USA for 10 years, then moved back. At precisely the moment we were supposed to meet, he texted me that he couldn’t make it. Later, Stella asked me about him. I told her Mr. Instagram was a no-show, she called him an ugly goat, which sounds so much better in Italian.
Since I had already paid for parking, I walked around the city, bought a newspaper for Stella and a cappuccino for myself. I noticed a stone marker above a doorway of an old house that said, in 1211, Saint Francis of Assisi stayed here for 3 days. Wow.
Had a lovely lunch with Stella and her Dutch guest, Larissa at a restaurant in Pescia. Afterwards gelato nearby. On our way home we went to see about one of Stella’s guests who did not have hot water. Easy fix.
After last night’s drive of terror, I called Anna and Chiara to tell them I am not driving to Lucca and back tonight. So we met in Pescia earlier in the day. This was my only chance to see Chiara, who is heading to Pavia (about 4 hours north by train) to get a Master’s degree in chemistry. So good to see her, she is so beautiful, so sweet and so bright. She is very excited to start a new life away from home/family. She found an apartment a 9 minute walk from campus. Anna asked what she’ll do if it rains and she replied she would walk 9 minutes with an umbrella. LOL Her mother couldn’t come as she is teaching tonight so her Aunt Anna came instead. Ironically, after I got home (in daylight, thank you very much) I got a text from them that they got lost going home. I rest my case.
Wednesday Sept 25, 2024
It’s a beautiful day so I went with Stella first thing to pick up the laundry and to buy groceries at, where else, the Supermercato Esselunga. We had to take several detours as the roads were closed and many times along the way, Stella, who was driving, asked me where we were going. Somehow we made it to the lavanderia and to the supermarket without getting lost. Her car beeped all the way there and back, I tried everything to make it stop: checked both seat belts, the emergency brake, changing gears, the doors, the hood/trunk closed, etc but Stella insisted it beeps for no reason. It was maddening. Need to talk with Marco to see if he can fix it.
The supermercato was even better than I thought! The carts are equipped with hand held scanners so when done, you just proceed to the self checkout and pay with credit card. Ecco Fatto. Quick & easy. Love that store. And car parked neatly, even.
Last night at dinner Stella and I talked about her son Luca whom I have met only once. He is a successful 40 something (Stella can’t remember how old he is) businessman based in Ecuador. Her only wish for him is that he marry and settle down. So I offered to marrry him. She was delighted at the idea of having me as a daughter-in-law. It was really very touching. Then she said are you sure we’re not cousins in real life? Magari, if only, I thought to myself.
Emanuela called to remind me that I had offered to help her with some American tourists that are staying at the Podere Gori later this afternoon. Also to invite me Sunday to an event in Impruneta where her son and his wife live. It’s in Chianti country so should be wonderful. Will write more this evening after I get back from Emanuela’s.
The Americans were about 2 hours late which meant I had to drive home from Montecatini in the dark for the second time, argh. I was happy to have helped Emanuela get her guests settled in and situated but I cannot and will not drive at night again. She asked me to text her when I got home. I wrote: Arrivata, terrorizzata. Just too scary.
Tuesday Sept 24 , 2024
It’s so foggy this morning, I cannot see the nearby mountains. A great excuse to stay home with Stella. I need a day of rest from all the excitement of seeing family.
After the fog cleared, Stella and I go into town to buy the newspaper. The back seat of the car is filled with groceries she bought yesterday. This is worrisome. She still drives well, a little faster than I would, but her reflexes are good and besides, she knows these roads very well. I don’t know how to get in touch with her son, who she now says is coming in early October. Surely her staff knows what’s going on?
It rained on and off all day and I was content to spend the day reading, studying, thinking, and napping in no particular order. Made a few decisions about life going forward. Baby steps.
Monday Sept 23, 2024
Yesterday I was invited to Sunday lunch by Emanuela & Giovanni. Usually they invite the whole family (8-10 people) but to my surprise and delight, it was just the three of us. We actually had a coherent conversation over delicious homemade pasta, roast pork and fried zucchini. Dessert, frittelle made with chestnut flour and raisins. They are both fabulous cooks. In fact, Emanuela teaches children how to cook/bake and she even made the wedding cake for her son’s wedding. They have an agriturismo at the foot of Montecatini Alto which I highly recommend: Poder Gori. It’s beautiful! They sent me home with enough fresh pasta and frittelle for Stella and me to have for lunch today. But we couldn’t wait, we ate the frittelle for dinner last night.
Stella told me that her son was arriving from Ecuador on Sept 8th. I said, oh he’s already here. She said no he’s coming on the 8th. Of October, I say. She is getting her dates mixed up, I noticed she was mixed up about the arrival of 2 other sets of guests besides me. I’m beginning to understand why Luca is coming. Stella and I have had the exact same conversations several times. It’s worrisome but, for me, it’s like Ground Hog Day, and I am able to correct my grammar with each go around.
I am going to see Leo & Claudia this morning and then tonight going to Lucca to see Anna and her family. Will write more later.
Just got back from a trip to the supermercato Esselunga and a visit with Leo & Claudia. First the supermercato. OMG!!! I was shocked at how much it had changed. It is so much more spacious, reorganized and modernized, and beautifully lit. White marble floors.The glass doors in the refrigerated section are so clean and non-reflective that I slammed my hand reaching for yogurt. Ouch. I used to say that Whole Foods wishes it were the (old) Esselunga. Now it is completely out of its league. It’s like comparing the Ritz Carlton to Motel 6. Even the parking lot is more beautiful. They actually managed to get Italians to park their cars side by side, in an orderly fashion. It’s a miracle. It has a cafe and bar, one could leisurely grab a cappuccino in a real cup, thank you, and a fresh pastry. I want to live there in the store, it has everything I could possibly need. I asked Stella where she shopped while they were renovating and she said they never closed it, they worked on it in sections. Truly unbelievable. It’s a masterpiece! I understand that all the Esselungas in Italy have been modernized.
Saw Leo & Claudia for a quick visit and an update on family. Leo had a cerebral hemorrage in April which still affects his eyesight and energy level to this day. When he woke up in the hospital, he had lost his ability to read. He was a voracious reader and writer. He has recovered, somewhat. I was glad to see that they had installed an elevator in his building. At least he doesn’t have to climb 4 flights of stairs anymore. Claudia, architect/writer, is already lobbying for me to move here, sigh. She is quietly relentless.
I was watching a YouTube video on the basics of the AudiQ2L 35 TFSI when I got a text that there was a surprise waiting for me downstairs. It was Federico!!!! He gave me a big old bear hug and practically lifted me off the ground. So gooood to see him, he’s as handsome and funny as ever! Such a pleasant surprise! He showed me how to properly connect the portable charger to the phone and pointed out that I didn’t have the proper cable to charge the charger. An easy fix he says.
Drove to Anna’s house in driving rain. Had to take several scary detours into the unfamiliar. Francesco answered my questions about the car, so I am all set. Showed him the manual as he couldn’t believe it was in Chinese. Met Lorenzo’s adorable girlfriend, Giulia, a nursing student at the U of Pisa. Celebrated Anna’s birthday with a wonderful dinner. Roberta & Enrico joined us for cake & champagne. Very scary drive home. It wasn’t raining, thank goodness, but it was pitch dark, no street lights(!), roads are narrow, curvy, and at times flanked by low walls which leave very little wiggle room. And tailgaters, argh. It’s not a good idea for me to drive at night.
Italy Sept 21, 2024
Toto, we’re not in Paris anymore.
Left the apartment at 4 am in dark of night and the pouring rain. Flew out of Orly, a very confusing airport, and arrived in Italy 15 minutes early. I told the lady at the car rental that my Italian was very rusty. She smiled and said just eat a plate of pasta and it will all come back to you. HA! It was my first time driving in Italy, I was a little nervous, didn’t know the car very well but, when all is said and done, I arrived safely. As I approached Pietrabuona, I noticed a red car in the rear view mirror and thought it might be Stella. It was Stella and, though she knew I was coming on the 21st, she didn’t realize today was the 21st. We had a good laugh. So great to see her again. She introduced me to several people as her cousin, though we are not related.
Splendid weather, bright blue sky, windows wide open, birds chirping, church bells ringing, sigh, I am home.
Need to get some things resolved in the coming days. The portable phone charger I brought from the States either doesn’t work or I don’t know how to use it. Luckily, Federico, my IT cousin, works close by and he can advise me.
Anoher problem is that I am driving an unfamiliar car, an Audi Q2L 35 TFSI, and there are some things about it I don’t understand. I figure I’d do a WWJDD (What Would Jay Davis Do) and got the manual out of the glove compartment. It’s written in Chinese. Seriously? It’s ironic to say the least, it’s a German car with a European license plate and dashboard & monitor in English. I’ll ask Alessio, another cousin, who owns a car repair shop, maybe he can help me. Also, when I got off the autostrada, I accidentally drove through the toll booth without paying. I showed the ticket to Stella who showed it to another guest and they paid it by phone. Ecco Fatto (done!) Interestingly, later while rummaging through the car, I found another unpaid ticket. It has happened before to someone else.
Day 7 Sept 20, 2024
Still oh so excited to be in Paris, I got up early to look out at the world below. A French woman in a tight fitting red & white checkered business suit flew by on her bicycle. Impressive.
My Map app tells me it will take 23 minutes to walk to the Musee d’Orsay and it took me…23 minutes. What a relief! A few feet ahead of me along the Seine, a French man with his jacket slung over his shoulder starts to sing. I could get used to this. I observe a street hustler kick open the side panel of a garbage receptacle and retrieve his backpack. He simply created room by pushing the plastic garbage bag to the side. A public storage locker, if you will.
The Musee d’Orsay is an amazing place, nothing I will say about it can do it justice. It’s a former train station converted into an exquisite exposition space. The natural light, the blending of the old and new architectural details, the color palette, the clocks, the layout, all speak to a very high appreciation for the great body of artwork within its walls. It is user friendly, easy to navigate. It is truly amazing. There were paintings by all the major heavyweights, Van Gogh (honestly, his works seem to glow from within) Cezanne, Renoir, Monet, Manet, too many to mention here.
A wing devoted to Art Nouveau, furniture designed by Antonin Gaudi(!) A wonderful 2 minute film showing the transition from abandoned train station/hotel/restaurant/ballroom to exhibition space. An adorable collection of tiny paintings by Seurat. I think my new favorite Artist is Maurice Denis. A small show dedicated to drawings of dogs which brought to mind my next door neighbors Lucy & Charlie who recently welcomed a pug name Penny Lane.
Before heading home I went to see Sonia Delaunay’s house, 16 rue St Simon, not far from d’Orsay, sigh.
Dinner tonight with my HS friend and her daughter at the Cafe des Antiquaires in the shadow of the Musee d’Orsay.
Walked 19,300 steps.
All around, another perfect day to round out a perfect week. Tomorrow I leave for Italy.
Day 5 Sept 18, 2024
Still oh so excited to be in Paris, I got up early to look out at the world below. Nothing. I waited a few minutes and looked out again, this time a couple of mothers walking their small children to school. A young man standing in a doorway smoking a cigarette.
I didn’t realize that I screwed up printing my ticket for l’Orangerie until yesterday. Actually the problem was I didn’t print the ticket (with the bar code on it) and only had paper proof that I paid for it. But that was not the only problem. I followed my Maps app to get there but it did not take into consideration the barricade that almost completely surrounded l’Orangerie, due to the dismantling of the equipment used for the Olympics. It was very difficult to even get close to it. I met a woman name Ann from China who also couldn’t figure out how to get in so we walked together through the Tuilleries, in a maze-like path that somehow accidentally got us to the entrance. I think I walked 10,000 steps just trying to get in. It’s a BIG place. Then I just had to figure out how to get in, part 2. I explained my problem to the ticket collector, she took my phone, found my ticket with the bar code in my email. Got in, no problem. I think I worry too much.
I’m not sure I can even come close to describing the Water Lilies (Les Nympheas) by Claude Monet. He created what amounts to a religious experience that has to be… uh… experienced in person. Two elliptical rooms, built to his specifications, each with 4 large paintings of his beloved water lilies from Giverny. A total of 8 sublime masterpieces. Each room had filtered natural light so I saw them twice, in morning and then afternoon light. So beautiful it made my cry.
I almost didn’t go downstairs to see the Paul Guillaume Collection. I was an emotional wreck, and at the same time, I didn’t want to contaminate my religious experience. His name sounded familiar but I couldn’t place it. I went anyway. Paul Guillaume, a friend of Apollinaire’s, had an impressive collection of paintings by Picasso, Modigliani, Rousseau, Matisse and many others. I had never seen any of the paintings, not even in artbooks. So it was a wonderful surprise. He also introduced African art (so called primitive art) to Paris. Also a beautiful collection. l’O did something interesting that I had never seen before. Pure genius, judging from the delighted reaction of the public. His house was well documented with photos, so the l’O made a miniature recreation of his living room, dining room and hallway with teenie tiny color reproductions of his art collection in situ. Amy Rabb, where are you, you would have loved this! I took photos and when I have more time, I will try to incorporate them into this page. Too adorable for words.
I ate a late lunch at an adorable French bistro called Mado. Tres chic, very French, traditional French music playing in the background. Like Edith Piaf singing La Vie en Rose. It was my favorite song when I was a child. I played that record over and over, not understanding a word of it, but relating to the plaintive quality of Piaf’s voice. I was obsessed with her for years. Still am.
On the way to dinner with Brad and his colleagues at Hebe, I stopped to admire Notre Dame. It’s still very beautiful in the late afternoon light, despite the scaffolding, ongoing construction and heavy equipment surrounding it. Not too far is the iconic Shakespeare Book Store, an ancient shop so full of nooks and crannies one could get lost in it. Also got an ice cream at a little chocolate shop called Christian Constant, probably the best I have ever had. Vanilla with saffron ginger. Tres yummy. Had a long conversation with the loquacious owner, who because they make the ice cream fresh every day has to taste it. Everyday. Yeah, she said it’s a tough job. We laughed.
Before I went to bed I checked my steps app: a little over 19,000 steps today. Thank you, l’Orangerie!
Day 4 Sept 17, 2024
Still oh so excited to be in Paris, I got up early to look out at the world below. The barber across the street was cutting hair, tourists on their cell phones arrived with their noisy luggage, a woman stopped to clean the face of her toddler in a stroller. He was fussing and she slapped him. Twice. He and I were both shocked and I prayed for his sake that he wouldn’t make another sound. Disturbing.
On the way to the Musee Rodin, a French woman asked me for directions. I said “desolee je parle pas francais tres bien” and she walked away muttering to herself. I was flattered that she did not take me for a tourist, or worse, an American. Heavy police presence in front of the hotel just down the street from the Musee. Media waiting across the street. Don’t know what that was all about. Will try to find out.
I am only familiar with a handful of Rodin’s work so Musee Rodin was a real education. He worked in wood, plaster, terra cotta, bronze, enamel, he would even combine terra cotta on bronze, for instance. He was prolific not just in sculpture but in oil painting, drawing, watercolor, etc. He also collected works by VanGogh OMG(!), Monet, Renoir, among others as well as antiquities. The guy had it going on in spite of a rough start, being rejected by the school of Beaux Arts, not once, but three times. He hooked up with Camille Claudel who had as much talent as he but she never got ANY CREDIT even for the works on which they collaborated. Hello? She spent 30 years in an insane asylum and he went back to his wife.* WHAT.A.TRAVESTY.
The last room in the museum tied together breaking, the newest Olympic sport, with the dynamic quality found in much of Rodin’s work. An interesting way of making Rodin relatable to today’s youth I thought. The figures in contorted positions with their arms uncomfortably twisted together expressa lot of tension and pain. Also the female nudes with legs splayed showing their yayas for all the world to see did not go over well with the public back then. So he had his controversial moments, too.
Dined at the outdoor restaurant on the premises accompanied by a pigeon who stared at me from its perch on the chair opposite me. Afterwards I walked around the well manicured garden where Rodin’s major works are masterfully displayed. This alone is worth the price of admission. The Thinker, the Kiss, the Gates of Hell. Which are all connected. The Thinker is actually Dante Alighieri, the Kiss is actually Paolo & Francesca (from the Divine Comedy) and the Gates of Hell is from the first line of, you guessed it, The Divine Comedy. These are the names that Rodin gave them. Why have they been renamed? The garden also included The Burghers of Calais, and a few figures from mythology. The building was Rodin’s house. He actually lived there. And to think he found it through the poet Rainer Maria Rilke who worked for him. It used to be a hotel, so it’s enormous, with decorated ceilings, oval shaped rooms, floor to ceiling windows with grand vistas, hand carved wood paneling and molding around the doors. It’s a mansion. I am so jealous.
While I was walking around the garden I watched a couple, he was posing like The Thinker in front of The Thinker and she was photographing him. I had to laugh and I showed them the photos I took of them. We wound up talking for a while, she, Annette, was from NYC and he, John, had lived briefly in Laurenceville, GA. What a small world. Annette told me about her best friend who had just lost her husband. Her friend’s story paralleled mine so closely that I lost it. Right there in the garden in broad daylight. They hugged me, we talked some more. They hugged me again. They were so nice, the friends I desperately needed for 15 minutes.
Regained my composure and walked home without needing my phone to tell me how.
Correction: Auguste Rodin and Rose Beuret got married 2 weeks before she died, so technically they were not married when his affair with Carmille ended,
Day 3 Sept 16, 2024
Still oh so excited to be in Paris, I got up early to look out at the world below. Very little activity, a noisy garbage truck, a tall handsome Frenchman with salt & pepper hair rollerbladed past at a pretty good clip. I could not get dressed fast enough to chase him down and marry him. A man after my own heart. What could be better than a Frenchman on roller skates? AND he wasn't smoking!
This morning I went back to St Eustache for a second look. Simply too beautiful for words. A Keith Haring tryptich in a side chapel. A yellow neon ladder suspended from the ceiling, created by an Austrian woman for the Paris Olympics. The church was where St Vincent de Paul got his start, of special significance to me because my mother worked for St Vincent de Paul for 40 years. Not him personally, the Organization.
I decided to make the pilgrimage to 27 rue de Fleurus, home of Gertrude Stein & Alice B Toklas. On the way, I passed Dehillerin, an old world kitchen supply store. To be clear, this is no William Sonoma. It’s dark, messy and dusty, more like a mashup of an old timey hardware store and a culinary hoarder’s paradise. Narrow aisles, floor to ceiling shelves laden with shiny copper pots of every size and conformation. It was heaven. I imagined the chefs from all over the world that have a favorite kitchen utensil from there and a story to tell.
Peeked in at the church of St German des pres. expecting more gothic. I was delighted to see the blue ceilimg bespeckled with stars, very reminiscent of churches in Italy and very familiar.
Stood at the doorway of 27 Rue de Fleurus and imagined all the heavyweights from the art, music and literary world that passed through the gates, Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, Pable Picasso, James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, Francis Picabia, Jean Cocteau the list goes on and on. Dined on a grilled vegetable salad and creme brulee at the corner bistro called La Gorgee (22rue de Fleurus, 6 arrondissment) Imagined Gertrude and Alice eating there too. Alice was famous for omelets made with a pound of butter. I hope that’s not true.
On the way home, I bought a brioche for breakfast and popped into the Musee Maillol on impulse. There was a photo exhibit by Andres Serrano which was interesting but shocking. Maillol’s work on the other hand, was delightful. His muse and model was Dina Vierny who, as she said, came for one hour but stayed 10 years. He said of her, there are only three flowers: the rose the carnation, and Dina. Pretty sweet really.
Topped off the evening with a sumptuous lobster at the Café de la Paix with my high school friend and her daughter. A delightful evening of catching up and reminiscing about IC High. Her daughter lives in Paris, speaks French, Spanish, Italian and …English.
Day 2 Sept 15, 2024
Still oh so excited to be in Paris, I got up early to look out at the world below my window. Very quiet Sunday morning, no activity, no traffic, not a soul except for a lone pigeon aimlessly walking down the middle of the street with an air of French nonchalance. It needed only a cigarette dangling from its beak.
After coffee and pastry at home, Brad and I walked to the Palais Garnier, an opera house designed by Charles Garnier commissioned by Emperor Napoleon III. Also known as Opéra Garnier, it is a magnificent, almost 2000-seat theater in the 9th arrondissement. The sheer opulence, the grandiose scale, the attention to detail, the OMG auditorium ceiling painted by Marc(!) Chagall(!) the library, the miniature stage sets, the hall of portraits, the oversized chandeliers, the intricate wrought iron hand rails, the bigger than life sculptures of composers, gold everywhere, luxurious floor to ceiling velvet curtains with giant tassels, the magnifcent marble staircase, the OMG it never ends factor, around the corner and everywhere you look, something wonderful that takes your breath away. It is also the place where elegantly dressed young Asian women have their picture made, an impromptu and ever evolving fashion show against a backdrop of over the top magnificence. And a lot of people. Not sure what those photos look like unless they Photoshop out the millions of tourists around them. Even the gift shop was amazing. I floated out of the building into the bright sunny blue sky, mind blown by the sheer beauty of it all. And so grateful to have seen it.
We ate lunch outdoors beneath the white umbrellas of Coco, the restaurant associated with PG. Very upscale too, I had a decadent lobster roll, savored every bite.
Across the street is the Parfumerie Fragonard, a lovely museum similar to the Perfume Museum in Cologne. It featured beautiful explanations of how perfume is made in what must have been a private residence at one time. One room was devoted to a collection of perfume bottles dating back to ancient times. Ever wonder what myhrr looks like? You know, of gold, frankincense and myhrr fame. It’s a gum extract of a tree used for medicinal purposes and there was a small pile of it an ornate dish. The best part of the Parfumerie, other than how deliciously it smelled, is that it is run by the direct descendants of the founder, three sisters. Yes, it’s a women owned business. As we left, we discovered, by chance, a Fragonard gift shop around the corner that was filled with brightly colored gifts and items for the home with a vibe that is a cross between Marimekko and Laura Ashley.
From the top of Printemps, another upscale department store, we got a 360 degree view of Paris, free(!) Nice restaurant up there, too. On the top floor of the Printemps next door, under an enormous, predominantly blue, stained glass cupola was an informative temporary exposition on the history of the jacket. Fascinating! Inspired me to want to learn to sew. And gave me some ideas for how to deconstruct and upscale a dress I have had for 40 years. Can’t wait to try it.
On our way out of Printemps we stopped to get an ice cream at Alain Ducasse. We sat next to a French woman with whom we struck up a conversation. She mentioned that her husband had been a surgeon and I told her that Brad was a doctor, a pathologist who specialized in kidney and liver transplantation. Madame Petit's husband, Richard, was a kidney transplant surgeon(!) They had several mutual colleagues both in Paris and elsewhere. And we just happen to meet in an ice cream shop, mai oui.
Stopped to see the church of St Augustin, an unusually shaped church completely surrounded by streets with wrought iron buttresses inspired by Eiffel. On our way home, we saw the Church of Madelaine with the largest organ (in the world? I don't know), the Louvre IM Pei's pyramid and the Olympic balloon in Tuilleries Garden. Running out of steam at this point. Split a pizza with Brad at a place across from our apartment called Senza Nome Pizzeria, (without a name) and at this point I am without any more words. Took a shower and went to bed.
