the view from the mountain

Today Anna Olivia took me up to the Gran Sasso National Park. In the winter there is great skiing here. It was beautiful and COLD! What a nice treat. We rode the cable car thingy, you know it hangs from the cable, you ride them to go skiing? I can't remember what its called in English. Anyways, it was fun! After we came home and had lunch and I took a nap. I'm trying to get as many naps in before next week when my life gets busy again. The photos are of our trip to the mountains, the food cart outside of the cable stop( notice the cheese and wine) and of Tonino and Anna Oliivia at lunch.

hometown

Today I had the opportunity to see the town where my grandfather was born and grew up in. The Bernardi family still owns a couple of homes in the town and they spend every August here relaxing. It’s about a twenty-minute drive outside of L’Aquila through beautiful country. This region of Italy has really moderate weather in the summer. It’s about 65 today with a nice breeze. Absolutely beautiful! In the winter it snows and is freezing. Pedicciano is a tiny town that dates back to the Middle Ages. I think I understood that farmers have always lived in this area. The town’s current population is a whopping 70 people. The houses have small gardens where people grow there own fruit and veg. I was full of emotion visiting the town. I could almost feel my grandfather’s joy that I was able to see the place where he was from. I also had the chance to see a picture of his mother Francesca. After I asked to go to the cemetery so I could pay my respects to the family. I also had the chance to pick some green beans for dinner form the garden. It really made me want to have a garden, but I’m not sure I would be a very good gardener. Oh well, at least I had the chance to pick my own veggies once in this life. All of the photos today are from the town of Pedicciano, and the house is the one where my grandfather was born.

the otherside of the family

My train ride to L’Aquilla was one on the funniest parts of my trip. I missed my first connection because these old guys were talking to me and I think they wanted to drive me to my destination so they purposely failed to tell me that I was standing in the wrong place for the train. What were we talking about? Well it was in Italian, but I think they were giving me a hard time for being single. But that was okay because they had some nice potential husbands in town if I would just go with them. After I missed my train, I threw my first Italian princess fit in a long time. I yelled at them in Italian that it was their entire fault that I missed my train, and that I was tired and hungry and just wanted to get to my destination! The Italians loved this! It is amazing how well everyone responded to me getting mad. The old guys ran around and made sure I knew where my next train was coming from, and when I walked over to sit in the train and wait for it to depart, one of the old guys brought me a pannino. He then tried to get my phone number, young at heart these Italians, and always chasing tail.
The train was only one car, and it was almost empty. Half way through the trip it was totally empty, and I felt like I was being chauffeured around in my own private train. Out the window the view of the region of Abruzzo was lush and green. The train ride was through a beautiful valley. I took the opportunity to do some singing and dancing around until the train conductor came in and asked me to kindly stop doing gymnastics in the train.
When I arrived in L’Aquila my distant cousin Chiara was waiting for me. She is absolutely lovely. Chiara is 25 and a language student at the University in town. Her English is wonderful and it is so nice to have a local that speaks English to show me around the city. Did you know that L’Aquila is the town of 99 churches, 99 parks, 99 fountains, and 99 bottles of beer on the wall? As we drove to the apartment we passed by a few churches, and Chiara promised me that we wouldn’t have to go inside of any of them because she was sure that I was churched out after two months in Italy, I love this girl!!! We arrived at her apartment where she lives with her mother Anna Olivia, and her grandfather Tonino. Tonino is my father’s first cousin and absolutely adorable!! He is 86 years young and has been to America. Back during WW II he was a POW in an American camp in St. Louis and Texas. Not the best way to see the states. Apparently they fed him beans and meat for dinner. Yum! My grandfather went and visited him when he was being held captive. My grandfather also fought during WWII only he fought with the Americans against Italy. . It seems strange to me that two members of the same family could be fighting against each other in the same war.
It was so nice to arrive at my family’s home, because it really feels like family. I got to wash my clothes, take a long shower, and eat an amazing dinner. Just like home!! It’s a gift to be able to connect with my past and make relationships that will go on into the future. The pictures are of me in the square with 99 fountains, the bell tower in the center of L’Aquila and of Chaira and her beautiful friends. Chiara is the one next to me in the middle.