Wednesday, May 26th, Arriving in Abbadia San Salvatore

Fifteen hours after departing San Francisco, we landed in Italy and were met by Pat’s brother (Ken) and his wife (Dianne). They had arrived six days ago, and spent most of the time in Rome. Taking a taxi out to the airport, they then met us outside the baggage carousel, and we walked to the rental car offices. We would share a Ford station wagon, which had just enough room for all of our luggage in the trunk.

The drive out of the Rome airport was exciting. We always enjoy being with Ken and Di, and exploring new lands with them is a lot of fun. They both have taken some Italian language lessons on their computer, and it has proved helpful in communicating with those we've encountered here in Italy. Of course, Ken and Pat have a big head start in understanding Italian. They heard quite a bit of it around the house from their grandfather and his children.

Our stay in Abbadia San Salvatore is off to a great start. You'll see on this first photo video (Abbadia San Salvatore, and from the full set of photos on Picasa at Abbadia San Salvatore, the setting for our rental home is idyllic. The exception is the driveway, which is not friendly to those unfamiliar with stick shifts, and stall-control on steep hills. But we can't really complain. The house sits just below the town on the road up to it, and our housekeeper (the owner's mother) is a perfect hostess.

Gregory

No WiFi in Abbadia de San Salvatore

Greetings!

Unfortunately, the phone internet connection at our house in Abbadia doesn't work. We'll be looking for access to the Internet at Lucca on Sunday night to upload our photos and text. Stay tuned, and we'll have lots to transmit.

Gregory and Pat.

ps. We're having lots of fun.

Return to Italy

Greetings!

On May 25th, Pat and I and her brother Ken and his wife Dianne will take Pat's mother's ashes to the Italian ancestral hometown on a mountaintop in Tuscany. We'll visit the area for four days, and then travel to Lucca for Ken and Di's 30th wedding anniversary.

Then we'll head south to Naples and Sicily, to eat our way through Italy for the next three weeks.

Stay tuned. It should be fun.

Sunday, February 28th, Birthday in Portland

Greetings!

Except for losing one of the two fobs which open the doors to the condo we're staying at (Sorry, Michelle), my birthday went outstandingly. Portland treated us to a sunny, windless day, and we took the streetcar to Washington Park and Nob Hill. Unfortunately, the local bus route within the park was not running on Sunday, and we were unable to get to the Japanese Garden, International Rose Test Garden, or other areas up the mountain. On the other hand, we saw something we probably wouldn't have thought interesting (Does the World Forestry Discovery Center sound interesting to you?). It should, because it was. Not only did I get to learn everything I wanted to know about chocolate (source and historical impact), but I got to try my hand at mechanized timber-cutting using a training simulator (I failed). The Museum has a beautiful, multi-story wooden structure featuring dozens of exhibits describing and providing interactive experiences focused on the world's forests. From tropical forest high canopy research to asian boreal siberian tiger haunts, the Center brings the environment alive.

Later, we enjoyed a great brunch near Nob Hill, and spent the afternoon browsing the shops on 23rd Avenue. Having taped the U.S.- Canada Olympic Hockey Final, we came home to raise a glass of wine, and watch our team give it their all. Sure, they lost by one point. But the world won as more people watched (or taped) the event than ever.

I've included at the head of this post a shot of some bright, bold flowers we saw along 23rd Avenue. I think we're going to have a great spring flower show this year, and this is just the first sign of it.

We fly home tomorrow, and here's the link to our last look at Portland: Streetcars and Nob Hill Flowers

Gregory and Pat

February 27th, Portland Waterfront

Greetings!

It has seemed like being a Senior Citizen has been just out of my reach. The practical side keeps eluding me as many services I use keep raising the age limit just as I approach it. Those offering Senior discounts are worried the Boomer generation is coming. What was 55 became 60, then 65. Pat alerted me long ago that we all look the same to anyone under 30. The white hair in my beard makes it easier too. But tomorrow is my 62nd birthday, and I'm going to start receiving Social Security benefits. I guess I've finally officially made it.

On the other hand, I'm living the life of an eight-year old. I go to school a few days a week for part of the day, take no tests, and don't do homework. I get to ride my bike, play games, watch television, and eat most anything I want to. Sure, there are some things that I can't do, but only because my body's reluctant. But that will change, I'm working on it.

I dream of the things that I'd like to do, of the person I want to become, and I can't see any reason why it won't happen. And you know the difference between now and when I was an eight-year old? Even though I did have an aunt around then, who was four years older, it's not the same as having a partner now whom I love with all my heart. Patricia and I get to weave our days and dreams together, and work together to share ourselves with the world. It's like the best friends we all found along the way as eight-year olds, only she and I aren't moving away anytime soon.

And talk about old friends.... now I can go about finding the ones I had along the way. It's time to see if they want to play again, without the worry of growing old. We finally made it.

Gregory

ps. for some photos I took today, visit: Portland Waterfront

Friday, Feb 26th, Portland's Pearl

Greetings!


It rained all day today, and we spent all of it in Portland's excellent museums. If you want to see Northwest Native American Art, you have to come to Portland. And you have to tip your hat to Elizabeth Cole Butler. She has given the Portland Art Museum thousands of pieces of art she collected over 20 years in the 1960s and 1970's. It's a national treasure that has to be seen to be appreciated. Unfortunately, the museum doesn't allow cameras, so the best I can do is ask you to trust me, it's worth the visit.

We ate tonight at Andino, one of the best Peruvian restaurants in the region, and it didn't let us down. Another great example of what a remodeled warehouse can become, we downed whiskey sours, appetizers, entrees, deserts, and local and peruvian wines til we were very glad we only needed to take our full and happy bellies a few blocks home.

Hopefully, the weather will clear tomorrow, and we'll do some walking in Od Town, the waterfront, and in the area's parks.

Thursday, Feb 25th, Portland

Greetings!

One of the advantages of being away from your home on travels is that someone else might be able to use your home. The Rabins of Portland asked if they could use ours when we visited France last year, and offered to let us use their condominium in the Pearl District in return. They wanted to attend a conference in Santa Rosa, which coincided with the last week of our trip to France.

We're very happy we said yes. The perfect opportunity for us to visit Portland arose when we wanted to have a short vacation on my birthday. For the next four days, we'll be hiking around the city (they did provide us with a nice car, but it really isn't necessary with the local transportation services), eating at some great restaurants, and generally enjoying a great city. Tonight's meal was at Oba!, a latin delight where a remodeled warehouse has become a spicy favorite.

Here's a few photographs of the condo: Luxury in the Pearl