Twelfth Night

Getting ready

Rappelling off the Palazzo Comunale

Yesterday was Epiphany, which means the Befana. Here in Italy, there is a myth that an old lady failed to recognize the Christ child and give him gifts. She has regretted it ever since and continues to search every Christmas season, giving gifts to all children on Epiphany. As a result, an outdoor drama is played out during the evening in piazzas all over the country: a fireman dressed as an old lady (actually multiple players) pops in and out of windows, rappels off the parapets, etc. until he/she finally glides on a zip line across the piazza...generally playing the buffoon as he goes. Sweets are often thrown as part of the festivities.

Since it is still winter, for us it is evening by 5:30 and really dark at 6. The festivities were to start at 5:30 (meaning, as it turned out, 6:30). It was every bit as comic as I remembered from last year, and I enjoyed myself thoroughly.

We had been invited to dine with a lovely family I've met recently: Ann and James. They live in England but have owned a house here for 10 years and come throughout the year, thanks to cheap flights! We hadn't met their children prior to this visit, and it happened that twelfth night was the best night for us to have dinner with them.

They pulled out all the stops; they had been ill as a family over Christmas, so they had put all the traditional Christmas fare in cold storage, had canceled their usual party in England, and had brought the goodies to share with us! Last night we were treated to smoked salmon, British ham, an amazing roast, Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, fennel, cabbage, and (mmm) gravy. For dessert, Ann had made a delicious Christmas cake, iced with marzipan and then rolled fondant, along with a ripe brie.

Along with eating, we had a regular abdominal workout: constant laughter throughout the room. 

And, sadly, the Christmas season is now officially behind us. At some point this week I will need to think about pulling down the Christmas tree, putting the presepi away, and getting back to workaday mode. The kids are back in school today for the first time, my in-laws left this morning, and we have only a few days more with Eleanor.

Still...real life isn't so bad, either!

Love,

Alexandra