A Guest

It was wonderful to have Anne for our first house guest in Italy!  She arrived just in time to celebrate Valentines Day with us and we went straight from the airport to explore Venice.

After eating a yummy pasta lunch in a restaurant filled mostly with working locals on their lunch break - which usually tells me it will be a delicious, authentic, and not too expensive meal, as it did in fact prove to be - we of course were on the search for a gelato treat.  The gelaterria in our town is closed for renovation and we are going through withdrawal - Vivian was pleased as punch when we finally found her favorite treat.

We meandered our way through a part of Venice which was new to me, which was a nice change from the usual trek from train station to San Marco that we (and most tourists) usually take.

One of Vivian's and Clara's favorite things about visiting Venice is all of the pigeons everywhere in the main square, and chasing after as many as possible.  

Happy Valentines Day 2013 from Venice! 

Procuratie Vecchie along Piazza San Marco 

Though it had snowed in Venice the day before, we were fortunate enough to have blue skies and a really lovely day.  

I have to admit: I have become addicted to Italian coffee.  Walking back from San Marco, I kept smelling delicious espresso and it eventually lured me right in through these doors.  And how can you resist treats like these?  They look almost too good to eat.  Almost.  :)

Though we had just missed the culmination of Carnevale on Fat Tuesday, or Martedi Grasso as it is called in Italian, there are countless mask shops in Venice year round like this one.  

Anne and I had sore arms and shoulders from lifting the stroller (and attached stand-along rider) up and down too many bridges to count.  Venice is really not at all stroller friendly, but it was better than the alternative - carrying two tired children up and down all those stairs and bridges.  

And, as Paul has done so many times before in many other countries, we had to take a picture in front of the "studio dentistico" (left) just to let daddy know we were thinking of him while he was hard at work.  

As the sun was setting on this beautiful day spent in a fascinating city with great company, we took in the view from the bridge one more time before heading home.  More on our adventures with Anne to come!  

Presepio

In December, people in our village began making beautiful Christmas decorations and "Presepe" - nativity scenes.  Families often made their own manger scene and placed it on their window sill or tucked it into an alcove in their yard or by their front gate.  Someone (the town council? little old ladies out of their own love for their village and the Season?) put up decorative stars along buildings and walls and lovely pine bough and heart decorations throughout town, including one on the side of our own house.  We were enchanted with the transformation of the town and added our own "Presepio" on our window sill.    

Our Presepio, nativity from Germany

Our neighbors put up this gorgeous scene, with a painting for the backdrop and a real branch for a tree and shepherd figures with their sheep in the foreground.  It was absolutely beautiful - the pictures don't do it justice.  

Tante Auguri - 'many greetings'

We heard about another village in the nearby area that is famous for all the Presepe that they tuck into every nook and cranny and space possible.  Since we enjoyed the ones in our own village so much, we went to explore the town of Poffabro one evening.  It was so much fun following the signs like this one: 

We meandered around this mountain village's winding, narrow streets, looking for the next sign to indicate another magnificent, elaborate manger scene.  Entire villages were depicted in these scenes, some of them with lit up "fires," running water, and other moving parts.  It was incredible!  

This one had an actual rocking cradle for the baby Jesus!  

look at the gorgeous clouds and dripping snow.

I liked this cute handmade one....

...because of the vegetable patch! :)  

this one had a "real" lit-up burning fire

the detail in these creations was truly exquisite.

Though there were a few very strange scenes (Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus "under the sea" - I couldn't even bring myself to take a picture of that one.  Yes, Mary was a mermaid, if you must know.), there were also some clever, cute ones... most of these were contributed by the local businesses: 

the medical clinic's 'modern' hospital room :)  check out the MRI machine and the cow! 

the fire department, trying to reach the cast-out Holy parents on the top floor of a burning building . Ha! 

And my personal favorite, the local sporting goods store's display.  Paul didn't believe me that this one was in fact a nativity at first - very clever.  ;)  

As you can see, Vivian and Clara enjoyed it as much as we did.  Even though it was a cold evening, running through the streets and corridors kept them warm.  

Buone Feste - happy holidays - we are enjoying our's in Italy very much!

Castello Polcenigo

Every morning I look forward to opening our windows and gazing upon the castle of Polcenigo looking down on us; the view was in fact part of the appeal of this house for us.  Though it now more resembles a Venetian villa, the ruins are open to explore at will and remains of the previous traditional medieval castle are still visible.  A brief history: the site itself dates to at least 875, when a French count was granted the land.  One of the legends attributes the namesake of Polcenigo to the Count's daughter, a maid of extraordinary beauty, "poucelle" in French.  The fortress was rebuilt in 963 (REbuilt! and that really is 963, not a forgotten "1"!)  and the town itself officially dates from 1200. So our 400 year old home isn't really all that old, considering it's surroundings....

Anyway, the castello ruins are an easy hike from our house and the girls love exploring "our" castle.

Our first explorations were in September, which is when all of these photos were taken.  If it dries up enough anytime soon we plan to go up again and try to take some more pictures now that there is less foliage; hopefully we'll be able to see our house from the hilltop.  

Polcenigo, as seen from the castello road.  

Don't they just look like they're conspiring?  These sisters are two peas in a pod.  

Vivian, near the old fireplace 

View of our street from the castello.  Our house isn't visible...perhaps after the leaves have dropped?  

Thankfully, Vivian shares my love to explore every single castle ruin that we possibly can.  Together we can  combat Paul's opinion that is best summed up as "once you've seen one castle, you've seen every castle" because while he may be able to blow off my request to stop and check out THIS "new to us" castle, wherever it may be....he cannot say no to sweet Vivian's pleas to go and have a look around.  :)