Italian Festivals

I have not written lately, but we have been busy with festivals. The first one took place right in our front yard. And I mean literally in our front yard. The Festa de Soco took place right here in our town of Grisignano di Zocco. I would compare it in size the AZ State Fair. It did not have the livestock, but everything else compared. We were fortunate (NOT) to have most of the food vendors and beer vendors on our street. In fact, the beer shack was just to the left of our driveway. The festival began Friday the11th at 6pm. Once it started there was no leaving our house. Things started rocking about 9 or so. Not bad on Friday and Saturday night. However, once Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday rolled around the things starting to crank up at 9 was not fun. The poor kids slept through most of it, but not soundly. We had parades at 9:30, music and announcements cranking over the loudspeakers starting at 10pm, and then on the final night fireworks at midnight. I can honestly say I know what it feels like to be shell shocked and no wonder the soldiers in Iraq have problems when they return. The festival was supposed to end on Wednesday, but we had  days of heavy rain so they extended it one additional day. Yippee!! The roads are so little here and the vendors were so many that I had to do a 5 point turn each morning to get out of the driveway so I would not hit the tables set up in the street. I can honestly say now that I have experienced an Italian festival first hand. Next year we are going to invite friends over and grill out as we watch all the people up and down the street.

Not quite sure what these guys are, but they were part of the parade.

So, a few days after recovering from the festival in our yard I decide to take the kids to another festival to celebrate the movement of cattle from the mountains (Festa della Transumanza). This was an interesting celebration. There is a large farm in this little town and every summer they move their cattle 80km up into the mountains. In Sept they bring them back down to the farm and it is a huge celebration. The cattle were supposed to arrive at 4:30 tonight. Having worked with cattle in my younger years I knew this 4:30 time frame was very flexible and it was. About 4:45 as 1500 + people lined the street of this little town the parade began. First in line were the tractors. It started with the big farm tractors and then local citizens showing off their tractors. There were some pretty cool ones. Next came the band along with majorettes. Next were the shepherds and then the long awaited cows. Of course they had placed cow bells on many of them so they made a ton of noise. The kids loved it. They were only inches from these cows as we had camped out for over an hour to guarantee our spot on the front row. Once the parade was over we left, but the festivities continued with food and dancing late tonight and more tomorrow. I guess this is something we will have to put on the calendar for next year to share with Jeff. He was unable to attend the festival with us as he is on a plane on his way back to the states for a conference this week in Baltimore. We really missed having him with us and Madison commented how she can’t wait to tell Daddy about it and show him the pictures so he will want to go next year.

Italian life is GOOD!

I am a firm believer in the concept that life is what you make it. As an American living overseas this is sooooo true. If you are the type of person who just sits and gripes because of everything that is different or "inconvenient" to the American lifestyle you will have an awful experience. However, if you take those differences, embrace them, and use them to make lemonade, life can be pretty good. As I was cleaning up the kitchen this afternoon I really started to reflect on this concept and how I plan to embrace my Italian experience.

My next door neighbor is Italian married to an American retired soldier. She is super nice and such a huge help. I asked her one day about the Italian preschools here in the area and she told me all about the experience she had at the one in the town just down the street. She could not say enough good things about the school. I told her I would be very interested in sending Nathan there. She spent several days making phone calls to them to see if they had an opening. They did and she went with me yesterday to the school to translate for me. I liked the school and want to send Nathan. The only thing keeping us from committing is the fact that the school runs M-F 8-4. That means he would be in school 40 hours a week at the age of 3. If I worked full time that is what it would have to be, but this is a choice we have to make. This whole experience is for a different post, but where I was going with this is the comment that my neighbor made to me. She told me she thinks it is great how much we are embracing the culture and exposing our children also. I guess the previous tenants of this house locked themselves inside and totally ignored the Italian experience offered to them. To be told by an Italian they think what we are doing is great is so exciting. That means we are fitting in and not standing out like the ugly Americans.

The start of the school year was one of dread for me due to the ungodly hour we needed to get up every morning to get Madison on the bus. I will admit I still don't like getting up at 6, but it has actually been a good week. Once we get everyone out the door and started on our 10 min. walk to the bus stop life is good. The kids and I usually have a nice conversation on the walk and the kids love listening to the rooster crow as we walk by a yard with a bunch of chickens.  We live in a small country town. Literally 2 houses away is a line of stores to include gelato, florist, meat and cheese, jewelry, tobacco, tapestry store, and an eyeglass store along with a hotel and two restaurants. However, a block from there is this house with a yard of chickens. I guess zoning does not apply here. Once we put Madison on the "school" bus Nathan and I go for a morning run. Or rather I go for the run and he enjoys the scenary. The first morning we did this I chose a road that I thought woud just lead us down some residential streets. Instead, it led us right down this beautiful country road full of corn fields and farms. Nathan loves to look at the horses on the one farm and I enjoy the peace and tranquility the area offers. What a great place and way to start the morning in the middle of nature. By the time we finish and return home it is 8 and time to start the day. Each day is different, but still the time of reflection in the morning allows for a pleasant day. Also, I have always had a hard time getting Nathan to nap, but for the first time in probably a year or more I told Nathan to go take a nap in his bed. Usually he will listen and go to his bed, but for only 5 min. if I am lucky. Today he layed there and actually fell asleep. This early morning thing might just pay off.

One of the things I have learned about Italy is that life is not as stressful here. People take time to "stop and smell the roses." There are no drive through fast food restaurants, almost every store is closed on Sunday, people walk, take the bus, or ride their bikes, they stop and talk to others on the street. Life just seems a little more relaxed here and less stressful. Repair people or service people show up when they say they will (or even earlier) and tradition and pride are very important. This past week everyone on our street has been trimming the hedges in their yards. I asked if there was a law or ordinance for this and my neighbor said no, it is just pride in the area for the upcoming festival next week. They have been preparing for this thing for the past month and we have been warned there will be 100's of people on our street each night.  

Life is not perfect here or in the States, however, as an American living overseas, I am embracing it and enjoying it. Every once in awhile I think how much easier I could do something in the States, but then I stop and think that is only because I have been doing it for so long there. Let me just figure out how to do this and then it will be easy here too. Life is what you make it and I intend to make mine an Italian bed of roses for the next three years.