Sunday, Montelapiano

So you know when you think you understand...then you don't really? Such is the case with my Italian...a little too sure of myself and get myself in trouble...so I thought we were leaving at 8am, taking a jeep down the back roads to the vinyard...no actually we were hiking down which was fine...but up...would I ever make it... I gave Marco and oral will as we decended...I was getting nervous but Vincenzo and Gabriele were confident...off we went...straight down...it took 30 minutes. Marco said his grandmother would bring his grandfather lunch, down the mountain and then up...to which I replied - I would have suggested he bring a bag lunch had he wanted to eat lunch that day...!

So cool down there , Vincenzo, Gabriele, Paulo and Piero are renovating the "cazetta", and you do need a guide to get down - last summer they fixed the roof. Pretty neat got to see it all and beautiful vistas and some tools of Marco's Grandfather Domenico and several baskets he had made were still there....and now the up...honestly I was worried...how would I get up...we went halfway up and saw the cemetary where several of the DeFrancesco's were rested then up we went...I kept hoping for a nimbus 2000 to appear (Harry Potter's broom) but before I knew it we were up, that was amazing! Actually the steep down was harder on my knees, I guess maybe took an hour to get up with the stop at the cemetary.

We went to Zio Galizio and Zia Delfina's for an amazing lunch (showered first!) then to Lanciano to shop a little, back and met up with another wonderful Aunt Fruzinella, who was married to Marcos uncle Antonio who passed away. She, like me, keeps and loves photographs. We spent such a pleasant hour reviewing all sorts of wonderful pictures and she gave us some to give Ennio, and in this photo, the little guy in the middle in the dress like get up , yup Marco with his cousins and Zio Galizio. Children left to right: Maria-Rosaria, Marco, Giovanna, Dominique and Carmen


Any question what we were doing as of 8 pm? What all of Italy was doing-watching the game! Good game...but Zidane...what happened to you my friend...did we put too much pressure on you? Needless to say that I was rooting for France was not the most popular local choice. However the Italians succeded and won. We went outside and looked at the towns around, there were some fireworks and we could hear horns going off from all directions.

Another wonderful day in Italy.

KB