LOVE WELL: July 2010

Rainy day

Jul 31

What do you do at the beach on a rainy day? I had never really thought about it because it seems to never rain here, but this dilemma arose on Thursday as we had our first rainy day since I’ve been living in Spotorno (over a month). I thought the Earth was going to stop turning with the way that people were reacting. On Wednesday the lifeguards told me of the weather predictions, which are remarkably accurate here compared to the US. All around me I kept hearing the word repeated… “pioverá!” I’ve come to realize that many Italian families use the beach as a sole means of keeping their children occupied during the summer months of being out of school. The mothers sit around all day sunbathing and gossiping while their children run rampant playing and stealing each others toys or simply trying to find someone else to play with (usually me). So the thought of rain here sends panic into every mother’s mind.

Morning came and, sure enough, we were forced to eat our breakfast inside at the kitchen table due to inclement weather. I think this may be only the second time that we have eaten a meal indoors since we’ve been here. Luckily the rain let up by about 10am so that we were able to go onto beach. Granted, it still looked gray, rainy, windy, and cool to me, but as long as it’s not storming they’ll send out the kids to play. Crisis averted…the weather let up and was fine for playing at the beach all afternoon. But right before 6pm, I started hearing that word being spoken again all around me. Someone nearby said “It’s already raining in Noli”. Panic breaks out again. Sara and I gathered all the toys, the two boogie boards, the five towels, the snorkel masks and flippers, the extra swimsuits, and all the shoes to bring them inside. By the time I came back out to get the kids, pandemonium had broken loose. “Piove? … Sí, piove!!” The children loved it and were running madly with delight while playing in the rain. Parents everywhere were frantically chasing their children and screaming for them to come. I, of course, decided to just sit and watch the spectacle, meanwhile thinking this all could have been avoided if the families didn’t wait until the very last minute to go inside for fear of having to play with and entertain their own children indoors.

All joking aside, there was a pretty fierce storm that night. I already had dinner plans with my friend, Heather, so I ventured out with a jacket and umbrella to the bus stop. Apparently here people do not go outdoors when it’s raining…ever. They thought I was crazy. It looked like even some of the businesses had decided to close, although it was still just a drizzle at this point. I made it to Noli and had a lovely dinner of pizza, beer, and crepes for dessert. Yumm! The storm had passed by the time we finished so it was really no problem at all. And then came one of my favorite parts:

Heather had to go home and I had about 30 or 40 minutes before my bus was coming. To walk home from Noli takes about 30 minutes, so I figured I’d just wait and take the 5 minute bus ride. It was in this moment that I realized how close God wants to keep me to Him. It has been very hard for me over the past month to stay ‘connected’. There is no church here for me to attend and I haven’t met anyone yet with my same beliefs. My schedule is crazy, so my prayer and Bible reading times have been sparse and sporadic. But God still uses moments like this when he works everything together for me to be forced to be alone with Him. While waiting for the bus, I started walking along the coastline. I then took a detour off onto a rocky pier that jetted out into the sea. While sitting here, there was nothing but darkness around me and the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks. Best of all, God gave me an incredible lightning storm off in the distance over the water. I watched in awe. I could feel his arms of love wrapping around me and hear Him repeating His command in Psalms 46:10…

“Be still and know that I am God.” It’s hard for me to be still here. Very hard. Thankfully God is with me in Italy just as He was in Nashville and He knows my needs better than I do.

Of course after all of this, I then missed my bus and had to walk home anyway. But all in all, it was a good night!

posted under Culture, Humor, Spiritual | 0 Comments

Rest on vacation? Never!

Jul 27

Well I’m back in Spotorno after 9 days of travel. It was supposed to be a quick weekend train trip to Cinque Terre with Clay and then a quick weekend train trip to Nice/Antibes with Casey. However, I found out at the last minute that I was going to get the whole week off in between…so why not through Prague into the mix?! Haha, that made things a bit more difficult travel-wise, but it was worth it. I love that city.

Cinque Terre: I was met at the train station by Barbara, our friendly landlord for the next couple of days who didn’t speak any English. This was normal to me, but as I walked around for a bit I started to hear English speakers everywhere and realized I could communicate with people! So I started up random conversations with all kinds of people and made some friends while waiting for Clay – who was several hours late, by the way. Good thing he eventually showed up! We made the hikes in the middle of the hottest part of the day from Vernazza to Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The first one was a doozie, but it was a beautiful accomplishment. We stopped in each town to look around and take coffee or a snack and also stopped just before Manarola to go for a swim. The clear blue Mediterranean water was just too tempting on a hot day like that. After exploring Riomaggiore we took the train up to Monterosso for another quick visit. This town was very different from the others because it seemed more public and commercial. It was larger and had many beaches stretching along the coast. The other beaches were much smaller and more secluded…mostly rocks and cliffs. I personally prefer the other towns. We stayed in Vernazza for two nights and found it to be a beautiful village bustling with people while still able to hold its ancient charm.

Genoa: We were only here for a few hours so not much to say. But I’d like to go back sometime. It’s a big city with lots to do, cool architecture, history, good shopping, and it’s on the beach! What more could you ask for?

Milano: Again, we were only here for a night, but it was the only night that we had air conditioning so I’ve got to give them credit for that! There are some very stunning sights here like the Duomo and of course good shopping if you have some money to spend. I’ll be going back next month so maybe I’ll see more then.

Prague: I’ve been to Prague before and knew it was worth going back. The city center has pretty much been taken over by tourists, but I still love it! It just has a great feel to the city. New buildings and shops mixed with an ancient castle, cathedrals, and synagogues. Of course, I was most excited about the food! I think I have mentioned that here in Spotorno (and Alba) the only food you can find is Italian. Italians think that they have the best food in the world, so there’s not much variety. In Prague, however, you can find just about anything. My first stop was KFC, and yes I was very excited about this. We also ate Mexican food, Irish, Czech, and American. It was all delicious! And of course you can’t make it out of Prague without participating in a Pub Crawl (at least I apparently can’t). All I can say is that good times were had and keeping Clay out on the dance floor until 4am was a particularly fun accomplishment!

My flight from Prague to Nice was a bit complicated because I had to book two completely separate flights and stop in Rome for about 4 hours. I think I spent the first 1 ½ hours trying to figure out where I needed to exit if I was just coming right back in. My flight to Rome arrived right beside the gate where my next one departed, but I had to go around the world and back to get there. Then I spent the next hour or so being followed by a Sicilian named Luca…those Sicilians are just a different breed. Next I waited in line for Easy Jet to open the gate for about an hour while they discussed whether or not to cancel my flight. Luckily, eventually they let us on board. Better late than never!

Antibes: Casey and her boyfriend picked me up from the airport and we arrived at their home in Antibes around 10pm to find a delicious dinner waiting for us. This was prepared by the two couchsurfers from UGA, Chelsea and Brad, that were also staying with them for a night. I love the whole vibe of traveling Europe and the people you meet along the way. They will be traveling around the world for an entire year with just the packs on their back. Great conversations that night! Check out their blog at www.driftingduo.com. The best part of Antibes was probably walking around the port at night and seeing all the enormous yachts that park there (do you call it parking?). Apparently the biggest ones always go to Antibes instead of Nice because it’s the same feel, but a little less ‘in the spotlight’.

Cannes: We saw the sights here and walked around until we got too hot…then spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach. Good choice I’d say! Cannes is a nice town though. It is bustling in the summer with tourists and of course during the film festival every year, but for the rest of the year I hear that it is pretty much deserted. We saw all of the stars’ handprints and the red carpet for the film festival. It was also here that I tried the delicious French pastry, Macarons. Yummm…it’s probably a good thing they are so expensive or I would have eaten much more.

Nice: This was Casey’s old stomping ground before she moved to Antibes, so she was able to show me around from an insider’s perspective. The old city is very different from the rest of Nice, but they are both worth checking out. There are great views of the whole area from the top of Colline du Château. And one of my favorites parts was the boardwalk, Promenade des Anglais, that runs along the coastline. It is always filled with people day and night…walking, jogging, and rollerblading with a beautiful ocean backdrop. Oh, and did I mention the crepes in France!? If you didn’t already know, I’m kind of obsessed with crepes and there was a creperie at almost every other door. Both sweet and salty, and so many different kinds to choose from! I had my fair share before heading back to Italy.

Eze: Another beautiful town in France...this one set up high on top of the cliffs overlooking the sea. It was about an hour hike to get up there and we were dripping with sweat by the end (as always). But the town was worth it to see. Besides, I needed my exercise to make up for the crepes I was consuming. The old city is very small with lovely winding stone walkways between the buildings. Many of the shops are still built with stone and wood from long ago and were selling the traditional locally made soaps, perfumes, and spices along with clothing and art. Also, even though we were there on a weekend during the summer, there still weren't too many tourists. There was an amazing garden set on the edge of the town sloping down the cliff. Casey described it as the 'Alice in Wonderland' garden because of all the bizarre animal sculptures and fountains. There was even a giant chess board on one of the levels in which each piece was larger than me.

Ventimiglia: I almost forgot about this little stop because I was only there for an hour – and that was just because the ticket line took so long that I missed my train. It turned out to be one of the most beautiful little places I have found. I was there right at sunset and found it very picturesque with the sea in one direction boasting lots of true Italian fisherman and the Alps in the other direction. Another reason why I love this area of Italy!

Then finally, I was back home around 9pm on Sunday night to greet the little ones that had been without me for a week. At least two out of the three were really happy to see me. Claudio came around after a few minutes. J So that’s about it…very long but I still have much to to say. Another time…

Check out my new pics on Flickr! Putting some on Facebook soon also.

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Vacanza!

Jul 16

It’s amazing to me how accustomed I’ve become to hearing only Italian spoken around me at all times. I can hardly understand anything, but it doesn’t even phase me anymore. After about my first week here I was in such shock I thought I was going to lose it. I was walking around stalking tourists to try to find some English speakers because I craved communication. However, now it’s become almost a normal part of life. I’ve also noticed that children have no understanding of language barriers. Kids talk to me all the time and are never fazed when I tell them I don’t speak Italian. They just keep talking for 10 or 20 minutes, and they don’t even notice that I’m not understanding a word or that I’m talking back to them in English. It’s quite humorous!

Anyway, tomorrow starts my first vacation and I’m very excited to get away for a bit and do some traveling. It was a nice surprise to get so much time off, but because of that I didn’t have much prep time for planning my trip. Both weekends were already scheduled, and I just filled in the blanks. So, I’ll be with Clay for the first half of the week and my old friend from London, Casey, for the second. Rough plan…Cinque Terre, Pisa, Milan, Prague, (layover in Rome), Nice, Antibes/Cannes/Monte Carlo. Could be a little tiring, but I can’t wait to catch up with my friends and hear some native English speakers!

I won’t have my computer with me and who knows if my phone will work while I’m traveling. So I’ll be a little out of touch. But I’ll let you guys know how the trip goes! By the way… I have a Blackberry and I’ve heard that you can do free instant messaging to and from any Blackberry worldwide. Is that correct? If so, any of you that have one should keep in touch with me that way! Ok, here we go! I’m off to see how I’m going to fit 9 days worth of stuff into a carry on sized backpack. J

posted under Humor, Kids, Travel | 1 Comments

Contrasts

Jul 13

Generally when you think of Italy you think of ancient towns with history, fascinating architecture, winding cobblestone streets, etc. At least that's what I always think of. Spotorno meets all of those criteria except for one thing...Luna Park. Luna Park is the random, gaudy, neon lit amusement park on the edge of town. I can always here the park announcers over the loud speakers from my house. The flashing signs are reminiscent of the famous 'Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas' sign. This place really caught me off guard when I first saw it. Just doesn't seem to fit in. But hey, every town has got to find some way to please the children.

We took a little risk tonight with the kiddos and decided to take them to play (against our better judgement because they're always really tired at night, then they get cranky and don't want to walk home). Tonight, however, all was well. Claudio was terrified of the Indiana Jones kiddy coaster we took them on. He started out silently shocked, but by the 5th lap he was crying hysterically in his mom's arms. The girls loved the trampolines with the harnesses that pulled them up into the air when they jumped. And then my favorite part...the fun house. At Sara's suggestion, I got to take the girls with me into the fun house. ;) Talk about childhood nostalgia! I loved those things then, and I still do now. It turned out to be much harder than it looked too. Ginevra at one point ran into one of the clear walls so hard she almost started crying. And then again when we got stuck on opposite sides of the plexiglass and she couldn't figure out how to get to me. But all in all, we loved it. Good times.

Things here are getting better each day. I had a wonderful weekend with friends. I enjoyed a nice stroll at the market this morning, which I love! Although, it's a good thing I didn't bring much money with me. And to top things off, I am on vacation all next week! I leave on Saturday for my little adventure and come back home the next Sunday. I don't have many plans set in stone yet, but I'll tell you more later. God is so good to me and His timing is always perfect. :) Goodnight for now...

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Afternoon siesta

Jul 08

Ok, I just got finished writing a giant update and then my internet closed before I could save and post. So this will have to be much shorter. Everyone here vacates the beach in the afternoons because the sun is too hot, so I get a few hours off as well. The parks are full of people napping on benches in the shade and all of the shops close down from about 1p-4p. I usually spend my time taking a quick nap or getting things done, but today I thought I'd send you guys a quick update...and paint my toenails. :)

Life here in Liguria is finally beginning to become routine. The kids are in the groove of playing at the beach with other children and the girls do their homework in the afternoons. Claudio is finally sleeping a little longer so he's not as cranky during the days. And I was able to get him to use the toilet like a grown up a few days after we arrived here, so we've been working on trying to potty train him some!

My heat rash has gotten better each day and my skin is finally healing. I have developed ways to fight the heat such as keeping a cold wet towel with me in my room. I also now know which doors and windows to keep open so that the air circulates through my upstairs room. Italians don't really use air conditioning so that's taken some getting used to for me as I'm very warm natured anyway.

I have learned my way around Spotorno (which didn't take long) and I've also had the opportunities to explore neighboring towns like Savona, Bergeggi, Noli, Finale, and Allasio with my friends. They are all unique and beautiful in their own ways...and so full of history. There are still walls, gates, streets, and castles here that were built in the 900's. Via Aurelia is an amazing and beautiful drive that winds around the cliffs along the coastline all through Liguria. I still can't get over the views here!

Well, I'm looking forward to another lovely weekend here with more exploring to do. Then before you know it, I've got my first visitor coming to see me next weekend and go to Cinque Terre. Can't wait!

Alright, time to go back to the beach!

posted under Culture | 3 Comments

Exhaustion

Jul 02

Yep, we all get there at some point. That point has been this week for me. Did you ever wonder if it's possible to get sick of going to the beach every day? Well, it is. I have spent all day every day here on the Italian coastline since last Thursday, and after nine days I've reached my limit. It's not nearly as relaxing as it sounds when you throw 3 small children into the mix that always go in separate directions. On top of this, I have a nice American heat rash all over my body that looks ridiculous and itches like crazy. These Italians just tan instantly with no problems! I have found that all of this has been causing me to stress and try to figure out how I'm going to make things work here in the coming months.

There will always be moments like this throughout our lives. And it's amazing how just when you need it, God moves and gives you a break. In my readings this morning, I was reminded of God's providence and his mercy. In the midst of a storm, that is when we see His Glory.

Never dread any consequence relating to absolute obedience to His command. Never fear the rough waters ahead, which through their proud contempt impede your progress. God is greater than the roar of raging water and the mighty waves of the sea. - F.B. Meyer

This was such a good reminder to me to just let go (again) and let God be in control. Today turned out to be a great day. We had a lot of fun on the beach. Sara's been pampering me because of my heat rash and she has bought me all kinds of products, cremes, and pills to try to help. She also bought me a hot pink long sleeved tunic thing to wear on the beach so I can stay covered. It looks funny to say the least, but it gets the job done. We had a wonderful dinner of pizza on the beach at sunset. Yummy!! I have been granted tomorrow and Sunday off so that I get a break from being in the sun. I've got some fun things planned for the weekend with friends. I am now sitting outside on my wonderful rooftop terrace (can you tell I like it up here?) writing to you before I go out with my friend, Heather, to check out the scene in Noli.

I am so thankful for God's little love notes!

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