Victoria’s Blog

Palio di Somari… Donkey Races!

It was a warm, sunny, convertible-ride sort of day in late March. We drove through rolling Tuscan countryside, enjoyed a superb lunch in the garden at La Grotta near Montepulciano, and found our way to the small town of Torrita di Siena for the annual Palio di Somari — donkey races. (Torrita di Siena is…

Epifania… A New Beginning

Each year on January 6 — Epiphany — Christians worldwide remember the wise kings who followed a star over two thousand miles to worship and bring gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. This year Epiphany fell on Sunday. Larry and I arrive early at the small church where we have been attending…

Sciopero!! Strike!!

I was up at 4am to take Larry to the Terontola station to catch the 4:45am train to Rome for his long flight to Accra, Ghana to help lead a week of important meetings. At the train station, instead of time and track, the departures board said “SOPP.”  SCIOPERO! Train strikes in Italy are legendary,…

Oh, NO… BEES!!

When bees move in, who do you call? A local bee-keeper, of course! Earlier this week, Daniela, our housekeeper, came running to the house holding her arm. A black stinger remained in the fleshy crease of her elbow. She had opened the bathroom door in the guesthouse to give it a last once-over before our…

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