Welcome to Barcelona, Spain

September 30

I now have added a new city to my top ten list of favorite cities. To put it simply, I love this place. Any culture that prizes art as much as they do deserves to be on anyone’s top ten list. There is magnificent public art everywhere you turn and that doesn’t include the hundreds and hundreds of buildings that are simply functional art by my standard. People live in gorgeous pieces of art work and that so appeals to me. Would I especially love to live in a Gaudi creation, yes, but truly any one of the great design treasures in this city would be a pleasure to live in.
Barcelona clearly prides itself on displaying great artists in grand ways as exampled by the Roy Lichtenstein sculpture on the waterfront as well as unknown artists who design their lamp posts and water fountains. This city takes great lengths to preserve old architecture and during re-construction projects they cover the entire site with enormous murals that reflect, in life size, what the building will look like when it is completed. I am inspired by their dedication to beauty and their initiatives to preserve the past as well as make room for the new.

Although I don’t often love much of the new buildings that go up in New York, here in Barcelona each new high rise is clearly an opportunity to express a unique artistic vision and to make the city an even stronger presence in the world of architecture and design.

We took the hop-on-hop-off bus and thoroughly enjoyed the four hour journey around the city and I was so excited when we arrived at Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia a true testament to his indomitable faith. He was asked, according to the audio guide on the bus, when the cathedral would be completed and his answer was when it is done, his client has all the time in the world. Gaudi had a strong faith as well as a clear sense of the enormity of his work and the impact it would have on Barcelona. He was said to have told people that it will be because of this cathedral that people will come to Barcelona. Yes, it is certainly a great reason to visit and when the construction is finished it may be impossible to get near the place because of all the admirers who have waited decades for its completion. Prior to my visit today I knew only a little about the artist and his contemporaries but I must admit that I will do much more research on their works and look forward to understanding better what made them create such delightful, whimsical, thought provoking and inspiring creations.

I am glad I saw several of Gaudi’s works including La Pedrera an exquisite building which has a sense of movement about it like a wave in the ocean.

We also passed an interesting convent in a beautiful neighborhood above the city center area that we were told plays a large part in the many wedding traditions observed in Barcelona and has been for many years. It turns out that to ensure that your wedding takes place on a sunny day you must bring to the convent several days before the nuptials are to take place, a dozen eggs and give them to the nuns. I'm not sure exactly how it all got started but I did enjoy hearing these kind of things and can even see modern day brides observing it for what is a dozen of eggs compared to not having gorgeous weather on your very important day.

After our tour we took a long walk along the Rambla which is a winding street that slopes down to the sea side and to Columbus circle. We took a few little detours off the Rambla main street and enjoyed some of the side street shops and even stopped for pastry in one little café. I would like to say it was only because I had to use the bathroom but truly those cakes looked so good.
And speaking of food we came across a Mercado which seems to be housed in an old warehouse right off of the Rambla. It was a feast for the eyes with every color represented in the different fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, etc. being sold at myriad of vendors all crowded in this small space. Everything looked to good to eat but since we had no place to store any food on the ship we were able to refrain from buying anything rather easily.
It was an incredible day and I look forward to hopefully returning to this great city one day to explore for days what only and few hours could never permit. As we pulled out of port I watched the sun go down and longed for just a bit more time but was also looking forward to the next adventure in a new port-of-call tomorrow.

Welcome to Savona, Italy

September 29

What an incredible way to wake up in the early morning. I went out to our balcony as the sun was just peaking over the distant mountain top. It slowly rose minute by minute until the red-orange ball was high in the sky and the intimate seaside town of Savona was clearly visible and glimmering from the newly risen sun.

The ship docked in Savona around 8:3oam and we were among the first to disembark, ready for our exciting morning exploring a city known to neither of us.

We crossed the foot bridge and found ourselves pretty much right in the center of town. It was only a few blocks walk to the Theatre Square which housed the Savona Symphony hall as well as several gorgeous century old apartment buildings and businesses. We journeyed down a beautiful tree-lined avenue full of great shops and plenty of visual stimulation. Knowing nothing about the town we simply turned a corner when something caught our eye and without even trying we came to a municipal building that housed a theater and the current production was Shakespeare’ Antonio E Cleopatra (as they say it in Italy.)

We ventured down another street and came to the Savona Duomo which is exquisite inside as most Duomo’s are but this had a few unique features as well as a hidden secret that we were introduced to by a docent who worked for the tourist office of Savona. One of the unique aspects of this Duomo was the holy water basin which was as large as the base of a garden fountain. I think a small person could have taken a bath in it and there were a few others along the inside walls of the Duomo that were not as large but certainly were in no way like most others you see. Now the very special secret was revealed to us by a lovely man who took us through an enclosed garden area to the Cappella Sistina (Sistine Chapel). It was named the Sistine Chapel by Pope Sisto IV who commissioned the chapel in the late 1400’s having just prior commissioned the chapel in Saint Peter’s in Rome also, as everyone is aware, called the Sistine Chapel. This intimate chapel did not contain any art work by Michelangelo but it has many other virtues to boast about. Although the current chapel’s visual appeal can be credited to one of Pope Sisto’s decedents who in the 1800’s refurbished it in the Rocco style making it, at the time, more modern and much more pleasing to the eye since the original chapel was built as a funeral venue and also a burial place for Pope Sisto’s mother and father. The original chapel was dark and mournful and the refurbished one is more like an opera house than a chapel and is truly a sight to be seen. I particularly loved the organ but was asked, after having taken one picture already of the alter, to refrain from photography for the sake of the art. I of course obeyed so I have no pictures to show off of the organs beauty. Among the many colorful ornamental details that adorn this chapel are countless renderings of oak trees which I was told it is what the Pope’s Italian family name translates to in English. I love all these little details as you can tell.

After leaving the Duomo we headed down various streets just enjoying the architecture and generally pleasant feeling of this harbor town in Northern Italy. One thing architecturally that I found very interesting is the many foot bridges the connected one building to another. They are all over town and we stopped to ask a local what their purpose was and he was kind enough to respond that they were once to allow people to go from building to building without having to go down to the street but in recent years they have become private gardens and parks and usually have a separating wall that gives the inhabitants on each side of the bridge their privacy. The gentlemen also informed us that these foot bridges are solely visible in Savona. They, according to him, were begun there and pretty much Savona is the only place that adopted the use of them. You see them on every street and particularly in each of the town squares as they connect in most cases each building in the four corners. I really enjoyed the varying designs and the creative way people have adapted them to fit their own tastes and needs. It is a great example of taking something that was once useful but now obsolete and not tearing it down but reengineering them to fit the needs of people today.

The next stop was a Mercado which was only slightly smaller than the one we went to last week in Grotta. We didn’t buy anything but we were chastised by an Italian woman, not knowing my mother understood Italian, who said as we passed her, each of us snacking on apples as we walked, that what was wrong with these people eating and walking at the same time. Clearly, and we did understand this just having been in Mirabella, food is a very social and important thing in this country and it is to be savored and enjoyed with family and friends and by no means while one is walking anywhere. Our faux pas but we have learned our lesson and will now comply with local standards. When in Rome as they say.

We ventured off to a small park to rest a bit and enjoy the street musicians from Peru. They reminded me of the Peruvian musicians in New York except they were playing some Italian songs. We of course had to buy their CD as they played so beautifully and many of the songs were Italian so how could we possibly resist not to mention it is always nice to support the artists.

We headed back to the ship as we were having lunch and then off to relax in the spa. I really love this spa! Mom joined me for awhile in the spa and we met another mother and daughter who were from Saragossa, Sicily. So lovely and I practiced a little Italian and the daughter practiced a little English as we enjoyed the warm, gorgeously tiled relaxation chairs in the Turkish sauna. Mom and I met up again to see a Flamenco show here on the boat and the music, costumes and talented dancers made it a very entertaining evening event. Dinner was great and the lovely couples we met the evening before were equally engaging this night as well.

Welcome to Civitavecchia, Italy

September 28

Our last morning in Mirabella was lovely. The sun was shining and Mom, Uncle Joe and I had coffee at our favorite café one last time. Carmela and Milam were both there so we had the pleasure of saying goodbye and wishing each other much luck and happiness. I attended mass at 8:00am in Saint Pasquale church which is the church at the convent where my grandmother was sent after her mom had passed away in 1915. The church had been remodeled after the 1980 earthquake so it is very modern but the Madonna which stood prominently in the church during my grandmother’s time is the only thing that remains of that time period and the only thing that was not harmed when the church crumbled to the ground. We met a lovely older woman in the church who told us about its past and also her life in general as an elderly woman in Mirabella. We really have met the most interesting people and have learned a lot.

Paula and Aurelio were, as always kind and generous and they drove us to meet our train in Benevento .We got into Civitavecchia via train from Rome around 1:00pm. This sea side town is quaint and I only wish I had known it was so beautiful we would have made arrangements to spend one night here upon our return from the cruise. But it is too late now so we will just have to enjoy the time we got to spend here already. I took a short walk along the rocky beach and on the beach front promenade looking at the old, yet lovely, pastel colored homes and businesses.

We arrived on board our Ship, the Costa Concorida and found our room to be absolutely perfect with a balcony and a great deal of space for two people. I ventured up to the spa, of course, and found they have a wonderful thermal solarium program including unlimited accesses to the multiple steam rooms, saunas, quiet relaxation rooms and the sea water whirlpool which is my favorite. The Spa is the largest on any cruise ship in the world so I feel like it was so form of destiny that we chose this ship versus any other. I really do love a spa day and now I get to have seven in a row and I am truly grateful and feel very blessed to be on this trip. Mom got to rest some when I wasn’t bothering her and she even went to mass at 8:30pm on board in one of their bars. This is an Italian run ship so Roman Catholic mass is just part of the everyday life here and mom even said there were around 60 people in attendance. We had our appointed dinner table and sat with two wonderful couples, one from Dayton Beach, Florida (Dave and Pat) and the other from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Bob and Sessil.) I love meeting new people and it was a pleasure to get to know all of them. As you can imagine we were all exhausted so everyone parted each going to their respective rooms for a good nights sleep as the boat slowly travels along the Italian coast line and the Mediterranean lulls us peacefully to sleep.

Welcome to Italy (Part II)

September 26 - 28

Paula, Mom, Ludobco (Paula's nephew) and I went San Giorgio an adorable town where Ludobco works as an architect. It is also the home town of my childhood friend Paula's father. We didn't get to see too much as my cousin and Ludobco wanted to take us to Benevento (meaning Good Wind) a large city in this Campania region.

Ludobco took us for a walk to the old town which was incredibly inspiring from an architectural perspective as well as a historic one. We saw the Arc of Traiano which was placed in the town in year 114 commemorating the creation of a road between Benevento and Foggia. We also met a local artist who was a retired police officer, Franeesco Castaldo and who had worked with Paula's husband Aurelio. We bought Paula two beautiful works of art that painted on old clay roof tiles. We fell in love with them and Paula is going to hang them outside her house. We also visited the church of San Bartolommeo where the remains of this saint, one of the twelve apostles, have been placed. A very nice Italian priest told us all about how his final resting place in Benevento came about and you can see he is extremely proud of the honor that was bestowed on his city.

We left Benevento and went home for lunch which Aurelio was so wonderful to prepare for us. He made his famous pasta ala carbanara and prepared chicken and sausage on the grill. It was a wonderful surprise to arrive home to such a well prepared and delicious meal.

We left after lunch to visit some of Paula's dearest friends the Imbriano family who live in Piano Pintano only minutes away from where my grandfather's house in Calore is. Mrs. Imbriano invited us in for refreshments and she even gave us a cake to take home. I love these Italian woman they just can not help themselves from feeding people. We also met the grandson, Michela who was too adorable for words.

In fact this wonderfully gracious and loving family also hold the key's to my grandfathers’ church that I had been trying so desperately to get into these last few days. Enrico, took us to this church, The Church of the Virgin Saint Carmine. He gave us an informative tour and explained how it was built in the mid-1800's but had undergone many transformations due to earthquakes and other catastrophes. The refurbished church still holds several of the original works including a painting of the Madonna Del Carmine, a marble archway with wooden door, tower bells and an alter that was pieced back together after the earthquake in 1980. It was a bit emotional for me and my mother and I think we both could feel the presence of our beloved family with us.

After the church Tiziana, Mrs. Imbriano's daughter and Paula's best friend, took us for a ride through the outskirts of Calore and even brought us up to the town of Bonito where there is a chapel for a man named Vincenzo Camuso who apparently was found dead in the Saint Joseph church years ago and after they removed his body and buried it in the grave yard he showed up again in the church. This burial and reappearance happened many times over before they decided to erect a chapel to him and many people go and pray to him as if he were a saint.

Giuseppe, who had kindly volunteered to drive us around for the afternoon knew of this Ponte Roto (broken bridge) which consists of remnants of a Roman bridge dating back to before Christ. While at the bridge, now surrounded by tobacco fields, my mother, with my help, picked a flower which grows on top of each of the tobacco plants. Who knew tobacco was actually a pretty plant when it is in its original form.

We dropped Tiziana off at home and then took a quick trip to Ariano Irpino a the town where Aurelio works as a policemen and which is at its highest point 2400 feet above sea level. We made our way to the top by these narrow, winding roads. The buildings are all old and beautiful and, of course, there are several gorgeous churches and some castle ruins. It was a great place to visit but being afraid of heights I was grateful when the tour was over.

We arrived home for cena and some quiet time as a family resting, laughing and just enjoying each other's company. Around 11:30pm Paula and Uncle Joe fell asleep side by side on the sofa. That was a good signal that it was time for all to go to bed.

September 27, 2008
We started our morning off at our favorite cafe called Guarino down the street from the city home we are staying in. Miliam and his mother Carmela have been graciously welcoming us into their establishment each morning and have been so kind as to talk to us about life in Mirabella and Italy in general. We enjoyed our time with them very much.

Paula and Ronnie picked us up early and we were off to Apice Vecchia (Apice Old) which is the original Apice town center centuries ago. This beautiful town was amply inhabited until 1980 when it was drastically affected by the earthquake and the entire down was abandoned and the inhabitants were given State money to rebuild in the new Apice center across the valley on an alternate hillside. The old town is an exquisite example of the past life of this region of Italy and is currently being rebuilt and preserved by the State to then become a place for tourists to visit and see the beauty that only the old architecture can provide. Each Christmas in recent years they have a festival in this old town and people come from all around to celebrate the holidays in a way very much reminiscent of old Italy. While we walked along the ally ways and torn up streets Paula found old wine baskets that she loved and mom came across a drawing done by a child and of course took it home as it was just to sad to leave it in an abandoned building. Although once the renovations are complete this will be a town that anyone visiting this area must visit you will not want to miss a visit to it now simply to enjoy the town with the peace and quiet and the authenticity that will surely have some loss as construction will necessitate it. One unique feature about visiting now several buildings and vacant lots have been taken over by artists and you will see sculpture and painting unexpectedly when you turn a corner. It is a great place and I am so thrilled I had the pleasure to go at this point in time.

We left Apice Vecchia and went to visit the Church of Saint Frances nearby. A lovely church with spectacular views.

A quick trip to a wonderful small and charming town called Pietradefusi was next. This town is the birthplace of my dear friend Paula's mother and family. We saw the Church in the center of town and enjoyed the tiny mercado where my cousin Paula bought some vegetables. I love these mountain towns and so enjoy the everyday life here.

Paula made an another superb lunch and at the end she brought out the unique gelato creations that Nino of Aloha Gelato kindly gave to us when we visited their factory. The gelato was stuffed into the shell of various carved out vegetables and fruit. The material that was taken out of each of the items was then made into a gelato that, when completed, tasted just like the vegetable or fruit. I liked the carrott and celery one but the onion is an acquired taste to say the least. The potato was also good.

There is another procession in Mirabella center tonight where the Madonna is brought back to her hilltop chapel until next year's Festa del Carro. We are having pizza in a local restaurant with the whole family and that will hopefully give Paula some much needed rest from cooking.

Before getting into town for Pizza Paula and Ludobco surprised with a visit to the church where Paula got married 21 years ago. We traveled along a winding road up to the top of the mountain where St. Catherine’s church is and as we ventured along the sun was setting in the valley and the whole town and surrounding areas of Mirabella was bathed in the gorgeous red/orange hues that the sun gave off as it descended for the evening behind a distant mountain.

September 28, 2008

We leave Mirabella for Benevento early in the morning has mom and I have a train to Rome. It has been a truly remarkable, memorable, emotional and joyous visit back in time and I will always treasure the opportunity to immerse myself in my family’s culture and take part in their beautiful traditions. Many thanks and love to Paula and her family and friends for all their kindness and generosity. Love to Itlay!