Friday Night Montelapiano, Italy

Montelapiano, Italy! http://www.comuni-italiani.it/069/053/mappa.html That is a map to the location. Alice you are right...I need a map to illustrate! So in deference to you - click on the attached link above. Zoom out to see where this is exactly in Italy ...but basically go east from Rome until if you continue driving you get wet because you drive into the Adriatic, that is Pescara, then you go south a little and inland for 50km or so...the last 20km by the way are straight up with switch backs. Add a little fog, rain and one swearing Italian and presto you are on your way to Montelapiano! All our wonderful Roman relatives suggested to us, wait until Saturday am, the holidays for Italy begin today...but we decided to venture forth and cousin Mario, gratie Mario, lead us to the Autostrada and with Coco and him in his little volkswagon bug, her hair flying out the window we ventured fromRome, we pulled over and hugged just before our exit and were off! The fog, rain and swearing came later...ha!

We made it, with a little magic we actually made it! Zia Carolina had described where to park the car, then on foot, wind our way thru the streets to find her door, which was accross from Marco's Grandfather's house...only he couldn't remember exactly where that was...because it had been 35 years...so as we stumbled around in this sleepy town a Seniora appeared like Juliet on a balcony - Marco was wondering a few streets away...so I am trying to say, I am Ennio DeFrancesco's Daughter- in-law...not sure I got that together so went for Marco DeFrancesco's wife...I actually told her I was his fiance but close enough...luckily he showed up and we were RIGHT in FRONT of Zia's door!!!!!

Sleep wonderful sleep! Till Saturday....did I mention Zia lives next door to the church, so you always know the time. The clock rings every 15 minutes, deeper bongs for the hour and more treble ones for the quarter, so for example 11:45pm would be 11 deep bongs and yes 3 high ones...all day...all night - that was so funny, Coco would do a mime every time the clock bonged...that was alot of miming!

KB