Archive for the ‘friends’ Category
calabrian women’s summit 2008
Last weekend Cherrye of My Bella Vita, Dawn (blogless! scandalous!), and I met up at Il Cedro in Catanzaro for our 2nd annual Calabrian Women’s Summit. Remember how much fun we had last year?
As we now know of two other American women (two!) in Calabria, look for the event to grow and hopefully become more frequent as well!
We’re already planning to get together to see Sex and the City (in Italian–boo) next weekend . . . yes it opens here on May 30 just like for most of you. Are you going? I only started watching Carrie and the girls here a few months ago, but I’m just as addicted as everyone else who has been with the ladies for years.
Will she and Big *really* get married?!
Anyway, Cherrye gives a great rundown of this year’s Summit with photos here, so do head over and check it out. We had a blast! Woohoo!
For my part, I’m going to share some photos of Catanzaro Lido and get those of you in the States geared up for the long weekend with some beach shots:
The Lungomare:
Setting up for the summer:
Boys in the water (there was a cool breeze, but they didn’t feel it):
This little one retreated every time the water came near–water was cold to her!
Puppy in the grass appropriately acting out the theme song of the weekend, “It Wasn’t Me” by Shaggy–I *dare* you not to dance or sing along if you click on that link.
Read more about this lovely Bottlebrush (aka Feather duster to me) in the comment on Flickr here:
And a final shot of Catanzaro Lido:
Summer’s just about here!
Don’t forget check out Judy’s Over a Tuscan Stove for this week’s La Buona Cucina America recipe– Buffalo Wings!–and also my guest blog appearance over at Lucky Dorito!
Buon weekend!
La Porta Nuova in Palermo, Sicily
It’s Palermonday again!
After visiting Teatro Massimo, La Fontana della Vergogna, and Quattro Canti, we’re now continuing along on Corso Vittorio Emanuele through la Porta Nuova (left) in Palermo.
This is one of my favorite photos of Palermo. I love how it captures the history, the hustle and bustle of the city, and even a Smart car–essential for any European street scene.
Plus I’m pretty proud of myself for not caring that I looked like a total tourist while stopping on that tiny sidewalk (believe me, the photo makes it look *gigantic* compared to the reality), burning my eyes looking into the strong midday sun, and snapping away.
I used to have issues with that, but I’m apparently past them.
The original Porta Nuova was built in 1583 to commemorate the victory of Charles V (known as Carlo V in Italy) over the Turks, but was destroyed in an explosion in 1667. Two years later, architect Gaspare Guercio redid the entrance to the city, adding a majolica-tiled pyramid with an eagle on the top (as always, click on photos to enlarge):
For centuries, Porta Nuova was the most important entry way into the city of Palermo, but Cherrye and I had a few moments of doubt as to whether we could actually pass through it on foot and continue along Corso Vittorio Emanuele without taking a detour.
We are living proof that you can indeed walk through the Porta Nuova.
Sure, it’s against traffic, but don’t worry, it opens up a bit inside to about the same width as the sidewalk outside. In fact, I felt safe enough to stop and take a photo of the inside of Porta Nuova, something you’re not going to find just anywhere:
Adjacent to the Porta Nuova is the Palazzo dei Normanni, the seat of the Regional Parliament in Sicily and also home of the Cappella Palatina, the royal chapel of the Norman kings of Sicily and one of the most beautiful and impressive sites in all of Palermo.
Or so we’ve been told.
It was closed the day we were there, which means we have yet another reason to return to this beautiful city.
On to the Duomo next Palermonday!
guest blogger: the rhythm of the heart by wanderlust scarlett
If you’ve been around here for a while, you may already know the lovely Wanderlust Scarlett of From the Shores of Introspect and Retrospect.
Scarlett is one of my most favorite people on these Interwebs and indeed in the world even though we haven’t met in person yet. *Yet*, I stress, because I have no doubt that some day we will laugh and talk and sing and be silly and probably cry (sappy broads that we are) together in person.
I feel like we’ve known each other forever when really it’s been a year or less. We have lots in common such as our loves of writing, cloudspotting, Earl Grey tea, and photography (her photos grace this post) but there’s also something far deeper and rather inexplicable between us.
It really, truly feels like I’m hearing from an old friend whenever a message from Scarlett arrives, and I would guess that many of her blog readers feel the same. Scarlett has a special way of reaching through her blog and touching hearts and souls with posts full of imagination, love, fabulous fiction, kitchen mishaps, and much more.
Smart, funny, witty, sassy, inspiring, talented, and all around beautiful, that’s our Scarlett and these are her words (with the help of her Shameless Lion Viaggiatore), perfect for this Love Thursday:
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The Rhythm of the Heart
Close your eyes and listen . . . when it’s quiet. The rush of blood from your heart will fill your ears and mind.
It’s the rhythm of life flowing in a river through you.
Close your eyes and look . . . deep into your heart.
You will find the rhythm of your soul, flowing from your heart like a river, washing over every moment of your life, over everyone and everything you touch.
What is your rhythm?
Is it a steady, constant rhythm . . . like a beating drum?
Is it strong and passionate, filled with extremes . . . love, hate, jealousy, perfection?
Is it gentle? Warm? Like the caress of sunbeams on bare skin, or a caring hand?
Is it rough and driven . . .
Is it filled with anger and disappointment?
Is it always searching, always hungry?
Patient, overflowing with grace
Sad with currents of longing
Quiet, hidden and deep
Bubbling and dancing over the places in life that try to block your path
Or forceful, crashing with power. . . until you reach the end?
What rhythm flows through you, touches others and changes their rhythms, even a little?
I have said, in the past, that everything we do, everything we say, think and feel has a ripple effect that touches the lives of others, and those ripples continue into so many other people and into the future of more lives, in more ways than can be imagined . . .
But I was looking at it in such a small way.
It is not a ripple.
It is a wave much bigger and more powerful than we can conceive, and it never ends.
Search your heart, look deeply and find the rhythms that drive your life. Consider the way those rhythms will touch everyone you ever meet, and remember that those rhythms, having come from you, will come back to you in many ways.
It is the Golden Rule of the Heart . . . you will get whatever it is that you give.
Let everything that comes from you, that flows from your soul and your heart be the best that can be given, always. In every way, every moment . . . you will join the chorus of rhythms that flows around you constantly, the rhythms of life, of the heart.
You are the conductor . . .
Make the rush of your soul’s rhythm fill your whole being, spill out into the wide world and wash over it in a wave that makes this a better place for your having been here, having added to it the very best that can be within you.
Play on, rhythm of the heart, play on.
La Fontana della Vergogna – Fountain of Shame – in Palermo, Sicily
It’s Palermonday again! If you missed the first installment, please check out last Monday’s visit to Teatro Massimo as well.
Cherrye and I only had one full day to explore Palermo. We wanted to really get a feel for the city, so we decided to just walk around and see what we stumbled upon (with the help of some guidebook info of course).
As it turns out, Palermo is *fabulous* for walking because many of the major sites run along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, historically been the city’s most important street, and that’s the route I’m going to take you on.
We started at our hotel in the Piazza Marina area and headed away from the water and up the main street.
The gorgeous Piazza Pretoria was our first major find:
And we weren’t the only ones there.
One sweet girl from this troop actually came up to me and asked me where to find something–apparently there was a scavenger hunt going on.
But the only thing I really knew how to find was what was in the middle of Piazza Pretoria: La Fontana della Vergogna, or the Fountain of Shame, a work by Florentine sculptor Francesco Camilliani and Michelangelo Naccherino completed in 1555.
Why is it called the Fountain of Shame you ask?
Well look at all that nekkidness!
You see, the fountain was originally intended for the private villa of the Viceroy Don Pedro de Toledo in Tuscany, where perhaps the 16 (nude) representations of gods and goddesses would’ve been more appropriate.
Let’s just say it didn’t go over so well in the middle of Palermo.
Piazza Pretoria is absolutely surrounded by churches, and as it turns out, the faithful weren’t too excited to come out of Mass and see such debauchery.
But to my 21st century eyes, the fountain and everything around it is simply amazing.
I even love the inscription telling us the name of the iron foundry responsible for protecting the fountain.
Grazie Fonderia Gaetano Basile!
And here is some detail of the church across Via Maqueda (in the background of the first photo), Chiesa di San Giuseppe dei Teatini, designed by Giacomo Besio in 1612 with the dome added in the 18th century:
You might get the idea that Cherrye and I spent quite a bit of time in this square. We did.
It’s breathtakingly beautiful.
And since photos of the fountain at night are so lovely, I can only hope to get back to Palermo someday and see it all lit up in person.
Who’s coming with?
1st of the month featured blogger: may
Two months ago, I got an email entitled “The good news is I’m not expected to die immediately” from my friend Sara of Moving Right Along.
Deep breath.
Sara hadn’t blogged in a while, and it turned out that a brain tumor was the reason why.
Before going in for surgery, Sara sat down and wrote an email to make sure that her online friends knew how to keep in touch with her should she never be able to read and/or write again.
Deeper breath.
I told my mom and P about her story, blubbering through it and finishing with a tirade about the lack of universal health care in America both times.
I thought about Sara at least once every minute I was awake on the day of her surgery and the day after until I received an email from her True Love that she was doing well.
This is just a small measure of how deeply Sara and her blog and her amazing spirit and wit and humor and L.O.V.E. have touched me. The photo to the right is Sara’s “healthy butterfly” from an MRI taken after her surgery, and yes, that’s Sara above on her tricycle.
She’s been through cancer and a leg amputation and insurance company ridiculousness and so much more, and so I knew deep down that Sara would come through this ordeal with an amazing strength as well.
What I didn’t expect was that she would come back writing better than ever, touching my heart on new levels, making me think about everything in a new way.
But I’m not going to blather on about Sara and why you should go read her blog any more; I’m pretty sure that would make her uncomfortable, and that’s the last thing I want to do.
You see Sara is one of those “leads by example” kind of people I admire so much. She goes about her daily business, deals with what life hands her, does it with grace and love, and is kind enough to tell us about it–and when we’re extra lucky she takes photos as well.
Go visit Sara.
I can’t think of a better way to spread some love this Love Thursday.
Happy Love Thursday everyone!
Michelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived.
Calabria Guidebook
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