My sisters Kathleen and Karen and I made it to the little town in Italy where Momma was born!
Back in Rome we were able to bust Karen out of the hospital where she spent two nights under the free care of the Italian medical system and although her three broken ribs will take time to heal, they said she will make a full recovery.
“I love who we are and how we are in the world and I believe much of that is because of what Mom demonstrated in her own life.”
We made it to where Momma was born.
Karen was eager to be outside so we took a long slow walk through the winding alleys and bridges of Rome enjoying the local food scene and thankful for our family being together again.
Our original plans included two days in Assisi but that was destined to change. Since we needed to extend our trip in Rome, our hotel reservations in Assisi were surprisingly CANCELLED. Needing to shift gears the only openings available were in a small town nearby called, Cortona. We booked the rooms and figured we would just have to make the drive to Assisi from there. Well, our unexpected treasure was an unforeseen magical old world village and a welcoming villa hotel which received us with open and loving arms.
Needless to say we skipped Assisi and were so happy we found this beautiful Shangri-La instead. We then ventured north to our intended final destination of Bagni di Lucca and reached the villa in the birth place of our Momma. Here are pictures of our adventures which I will continue to update until Mother's Day.
As I drive through the rich Tuscan countryside I feel grateful for the beauty I have seen in my travels. I believe the best places are where we feel welcomed and appreciated. Why else do people gather day after day in the same local hangouts? These gems exist only because caring people have worked very hard to create them and the beautiful surroundings assist us to feel connected to our heart and each other.
Our mother was one of those caring people and a gifted host for whenever guests showed up, her Italian Momma side turned on as well. You always had to have something to offer people and you never allowed company to leave hungry.
I must say that I appreciate Mom passing on those treasures to me, my brother and sisters. I love who we are and how we are in the world and I believe much of that is because of what Mom demonstrated in her own life.
ciao
I connected with a street musician in Cortona, Italy who invited me to sit in and jam with him on the amazing HANG DRUM.