Flight of Fancy in Roma

     It has been a while since my last post. Perhaps it is that we have fallen into a routine of life living in and around a Tuscan village known as Volterra. It has been a month of celebrations with my birthday having passed. A month of multiple dinners with new friends and one with an old HS friend and her husband. The month of olive harvesting and pressing to extra virgin olive oil. November is a special month. It is the month that most Ex-pats celebrate Thanksgiving. I had not taken the time this month to just look around and take in what is before me naturally. But, in the excitement of visiting our son in Rome for Thanksgiving, we decided to visit one of my favorite sites: Castel Sant'Angelo. It is special to me because 16 years ago I visited it for the first time, before the economic boom, when it was rustic and glorious in it's crude appearance. It was the place that I made my first international phone call. Weird, right? Well, not for me. 16 years ago, I had an infant son named Liam Mackey Soffer. In our plan to visit Italy, we had to make the tough decision to leave him with my parents in the US at 10 months old. I would use phone cards to call Liam just so he could hear my voice. Castel Sant'Angelo is where I would come to make the calls home.

So, here we are 16 years later revisiting this wonderful castle: former Tomb of Hadrian, burial site of many subsequent rulers, prison to later captives of war, and safe haven to the Popes following the sack of Rome in 1527. Still today there is a wall which connects the Vatican to the Castle. It was the escape route set up for Popes to run to escape capture or even death.

We experienced the excitement of bringing Liam to the Castle. We saw how much the exterior had changed in just that short while: gift shops, an indoor ticket booth,audio tour stands, relics on display, glass enclosures, refurbished Papal quarters and a public bathroom. One very beautiful thing happened when Liam led us to a room that he ventured ahead of us to see. It was a Baroque-style room called the hall of Paolina. Pope Paul III's sister's quarters. It was gloriously adorned with frescoes of pastel colored cherubs and ornate adornments. It bore the symbol SPQR  which symbolizes Senatus PopulusQue Romana meaning the government of the ancient Roman republic. I had never seen the room before as it was closed to the public years ago. I turned to a guide in the room named Petrpaolo (Peterpaul) to ask him how long this room was on display explaining, I had been there before but never seen this room. He replied "16 years." I was shocked, it must have opened shortly after we visited.We continued to converse in our equal versions of second languages: my broken Italian, his broken English. It was incredible. He explained that when he was a little boy, he used to visit there often and it was free to enter the castle. Now, it has a cost of 7 Euros per adult, kids under 18 years are free. Petrpaolo was proud because he has been employed there and was excited to explain where Hadrian's tomb once stood. The explanation was better than any audio tour I could ever buy. 

Following the elaborate explanations with big smiles and passion by Petrpaolo, Liam approached us once again, urging us to come out of the papal library and look outside. He said "Mom, dad, you have to come see these birds!" "Come out onto the veranda it's incredible!" So, we did! We ventured outside to behold something incredible! It must have been thousands of birds. They were seriously loud and determined in their work. They were performing what looked to me like air ballet. They would move in unison but with varied formations and flutter across the sky. It was better than fireworks! They formed what looked like an exclamation point, a running lion, triangles, tornado cones, and all in a wonderful stream of duty! I turned to see Petrpaolo by my side. He explained that this is a something the migrant birds do every year about this time in November. "They are preparing to migrate to Africa". Astounding!

To see video of this marvelous display view it here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sir-YM8400o

It was a wonderful way to see in nature the ins and outs of routine and ritual much like Thanksgiving but upon the canvas of the Roman sunset-filled sky! A memory I will not soon forget!

Esperienze Volterrane/ Volterran Experiences

   Wow, November 1st! It has been a beautiful, fun ride! Volterra has to be one of the sweetest, strongest and most lovable medieval cities to live in and we are enjoying it greatly! I wanted to give some insight to local life and tourist attractions before too much time passes!
    Once we arrived in Volterra, It was a delight to walk the streets of this ancient Medieval walled- town. The buildings and the stone pavered-roads curve in unison. Beyond every curve is something new to behold. I still find hidden gardens, courtyards and homes everyday. Our two youngest children are being educated in two very different ways. Our daughter, Siena, is attending the school San Lino Elementare. It is a public school completely in Italian. I love traveling to the school because it is located inside the city walls and you have to travel through a huge stone opening that has giant wood doors about 3-stories high that could close snugly if the town so chose to. It has restricted car access to only those who live within the walls and availability to drive in during limited hours. But, trust me you want to walk into the door way and to the school. SO much to see. Siena absolutely loves the school! She goes to school 5 days a week with only one long day from 8am to 4:30 pm on Mondays. All other days school dismisses at 1 pm for what is called Pomeriggio: the time in the afternoon where families return home for lunch and local businesses close shop for the period of 2 hours. A lovely custom. The second day of school, Siena begged us to stay for the whole school year. We are very tempted! She has the assistance of an English-speaking teacher but as time passes, she is given less and less support. Siena communicates with her new friends very well! She has joined Modern & Hip-hop dance classes and actively participates in the local youth basketball league. All so much fun to experience!

Beautiful gateway into Volterra: Porta San Francesco

Siena's School: San Lino Elementare Front doors

   

Our 16 year-old son, Liam, however is gaining his education on-line using a school called Christa McAuliffe Academy School of Arts and Sciences. An excellent option for Precalc, Science and even Italian! While Liam is not completing school projects and exams, he can be found around town. He is known by many as the large-haired guy who CAN DANCE! He is learning Italian and communicating with the friends who speak Spanish and English. Otherwise, Liam has taken up a new sport: WaterPolo! He practices for 2 hours, three times a week and is getting quite muscular, fit and thinner (if you can imagine that). He comes home dead tired and hungry. Soon they will be competing with other towns. Another venture of Liam's is to attend a Manga animation school. We are fortunate to have one nearly 20 minutes from home and others in both Lucca and Bologna. He will attend one of them very soon. Very Exciting!

    Other experiences around town include the many festivals: White Nights (Notte Bianca), Volterra 1398AD, Red Nights (Notte Rosso), various food festivals and Volterragusto Tartufo bianco, the truffle festival. All great delights of turning back time and reliving medieval life, live entertainment, wonderful foods to sample and buy, museum and palace openings to visit complementary of the commune di Volterra.

Siena and I in Palazzo Priori during White nights!

The Museo dei Etruschi which displays many urns of the dead found in the ancient tombs of the necropolis!

Palazzo Priori !

Cheese Race!

Black truffles YUM!

delicious fresh homemade sausage!

    Saturday conveniences include various vendors who come to town and sell everything from textiles, electronics and clothing to artesanal meats and cheeses and farm fresh fruits and vegetables. We often go there to get what we need and to meet up with local friends.

We have come to know some pretty fabulous friends and neighbors here. Francesco Groncchi and Annie Adair. Both are Tuscan wedding planners. He is a professional Sommelier, She is a licensed Volterran tour guide often found on youtube and referenced by Rick Steves for tour groups. They helped us know where to go and what was happening around Volterra when we first arrived! We are forever grateful to them!

We have met and become great friends with a local family who lives right in the heart of the necropolis: Marmini. Francesca and Paolo and their three sons. We have enjoyed lunches, dinners, and birthday parties with them. Recently we joined them picking olives on their farm they tend. I will dedicate a special posting to that wonderful, rich experience!

Pizza//bread oven at Paolo & Francesca's farm used for the pizza making party of
many visitors from Poland!

Beloved Fruit: Caci. the rich texture of persimmon but the flavor of ripe Papaya

Insalata Caprese

Of course we have met and had dinners with other families who have children which are friends with Siena. We are having a wonderful time visiting beautiful family homes and enjoying every minute.

In my subsequent posts, I will note our experiences in Pisa, Lucca, Roma, San Marino, and other distinct happenings and industries of Volterra.

We especially want to thank our oldest son, Grant, for inspiring this whole journey as an intern with Virtus Roma. Thanks for welcoming us to tag along at a near distance within the same country of lovely Italy!

All of us together on the Spanish Steps!!!