Eleanor's Birthday Cake

On Tuesday Eleanor celebrated her 17th birthday. Peter and Vivian had timed their visit so they could be here for it.

Alexandra did not make Eleanor's cake this year, what with the tiny temperamental oven and easy access to cakes we don't get in America. Eleanor's cake was made with puff pastry and chocolate custard and vanilla custard, sort of like a giant eclair.





Before:













27 seconds later:




And the family in our living room.







Happy Birthday, Eleanor!

Michael

The newest Christian

This morning we went to Santa Prassede (Praxedes in English) for Mass; I have wanted to see this church since I first caught a thirty-second glimpse of it last year.  It's beautifully frescoed & faux marbled, and has a lovely altar.

We had a double bonus (or maybe a triple!): the boys were asked to be altar servers, and our sweet deacon was there -- and there was also a baptism!  The baby, Federico, was clearly of a mild disposition, given the lack of complaint over the various manipulations to which he was subject: apart from the jostlings, jigglings, wettings, and so on, he was used in the priest's sign of the cross in the final benediction!  He just put up with it all with nary a murmur.

After the Mass, we greeted the priest, who proceeded to tell me to call on him if we needed anything during our time here, that we were very welcome, and that the church was here to be a friend to us.  What a nice welcome!  As it happened, he was the same priest who performed the Mass on St. Eligius's feast day and All Saints' Day.

It is St. Martin's Day tomorrow; in honor of that, there is a huge market that runs all the way from Consolazione (at the bottom of the hill), up into the Piazza del Popolo, and down the Via Roma (back to the bottom of the hill).  Sadly, it's raining cats & dogs -- not a good day for an outdoor market.  On the other hand, in James's opinion, it's never a bad day to buy candy from a street vendor.

A sweet day to all of you!

Love,

Alexandra

Arrivals and the early Christians

My parents arrived yesterday!  It's such a treat to see them and to show them around our sweet town.  They had found a rental property next to the church of Santa Maria in Camuccia -- a church I have been told is gorgeous but I've never seen.  As it happened, the landlord was telling us about the lower level: a third-century church that was converted to a crypt/chapel later on in its life.  And as he told us, he peeked in the door ... and discovered it to be unlocked!

He couldn't resist taking us in to show us the frescos, the altar, and the in-progress excavations of the tombs (yes, once again there were skulls and long bones casually lying around).  He then took us even further underneath to show us the paving of a Roman villa which is in the process of excavation and documentation.  The hope is to convert the building/space into a museum in the future.  Part of the kitchen was also present, complete with the remains of an amphora (I don't think it's actually the correct term, since it was to hold grain, but I really mean a BIG jar).

It's such fun to get impromptu peeks at the hidden parts of the city!  And in who-knows-how-long, maybe we will hear about the grand opening of the Roman museum; I hope to see you there!

Love,

Alexandra

Light...and impressionism

The light is extraordinary here.  Being on the hilltop, the setting sun illuminates the buildings' faces, and sends a purple sheen over the valley.  This experience has really helped me understand and appreciate the impressionists' work even more than before: the same view is always different, and must be captured instantly because it changes so quickly.  The problem is, even if I were able to capture the colors, you wouldn't believe them to be real!

Fall has come!

The yellow was actually a bright salmon in real life.

Love,

Alexandra

Lace again!

The bobbin lace update:

I've finished my leaf, and I'm on to a border now which incorporates some new stitches!

The bad (and scary!) news is that my teacher, Laura, is having eye problems -- in her right eye she reports that she has only half her field of vision.  Since her livelihood depends directly on her eyesight, this is understandably terrifying for her.  The good news is that they have ruled out a brain tumor; she's hoping to find out soon what's causing it.

Love,

Alexandra

Styles

Over here, there is a quite broader range of styles for men and boys. In America, how many times do you see:
A forty-year-old man in a lilac suit
A thirty-something year-old man in mustard pants and a bright pink shirt (quiet a shocking combination, I agree)
Teenage boys in blue, purple, pink, green, red, etc. skinny jeans (Ben Wise would be quite happy here!)
A sixty-year-old man in bright green jeans
Silk scarves for men (bright colors, and bold patterns)
I like it that way because men and boys are allowed to show expression (no rigid fashion rules!)
It is quite expected that everyone wears color. Today I wore Eleanor's jeans to school, and most people were shocked that I knew how to wear jeans! But everyone in my class commented on how cute they were on me (well, everyone except for one person). I get a lot of encouragement from my friends, and nobody looks at me like I have gone mad, as I walk around town in my ankle length skirt and my conservative sweaters. I had one question about my skirt, but only one. I think that it is very nice not to get strange looks because I am wearing things that were in style quite a while ago.
I also get compliments all the time! It is so pleasant!
Ciao
F

All you holy men and women, pray for us!

Today was All Saints' Day.  Which is, of course, a holiday here.  Interestingly, there was no procession or anything really overt.  Michael & James went to Mass in the Duomo this morning, and reported that all the reliquaries were spread out on the altar.  I, of course, could not resist the opportunity to go to the Mass that would be held at the old cemetery -- just outside the town.

In the afternoon, the girls, Jeremy, and I went down the hill and through Porta Perugina.  Another 100 meters, and there we were.

Cemeteries here are very different from those found in most of the US, although older cities like New Orleans and Boston feature similar styles in some of their graveyards.  They truly are cities for the dead, with a surrounding wall, houses/shrines, roads, and open areas.  The location of this one has an amazing view (big surprise).

We started our Mass by saying a rosary in procession through the graveyard.  Then we repaired to the adjoining chapel for Mass.  Afterwards, I went out to take some pictures so you could get a better feel for what it's like. There are olive groves just beyond the wall, and many people had freshened up the graves with flowers: the expected chrysanthemums, but a lot of cyclamen, lilies, roses, and several orchids as well.

Have a blessed All Saints' Day -- and don't forget All Souls' Day tomorrow!

Love,

Alexandra