Seven

Noah turned seven today. Seven seems so big and it is. It is forts, nerf gun battles, Star Wars Legos, sleep-overs, and lots of jokes about bodily functions. All sorts of big boy stuff which was making me feel kind of nostalgic last night. And then Noah showed me that seven means other stuff, too. Sitting at the dinner table last night, Noah started talking about how he couldn't wait to wake up in the morning to find his presents, birthday cards, and his number seven shirt. It caught me off guard. I hadn't made a shirt for him because I assumed he would think it too babyish. I was exhausted from staying up late and had to do lots of digging to find the fabric and fusible webbing, but it also made me smile. My sweet little monkey boy loves traditions as much as I do. And as I tucked him into bed, he reached for my hair, rubbed it against his cheek and sighed with contentment. It turns out seven is a mama-made t-shirt, dirty fingernails, and a Star Wars clone guy all mixed together. And I love that mixture. Happy Birthday, Noah!

Louisiana Saints

I am not a football fan, but I am a Louisiana girl and that is why I was up until 4am this morning in Italy to witness this. Funny how our weekend has been dominated by Italian and Louisiana Saints. I wish I was at home right now. I can only imagine the frenzy, the excitement, and the joy. I wish my dad had been alive for this. A very proud victory! Way to go Saints!

St. Agatha Festival

Candles, fireworks, crowded streets, balloons, intense devotion, stamina, horsemeat sandwiches, sweets of all kinds including the symbolic breast cakes, a city transformed into another time and place. The St. Agatha Festival was amazing. Still sorting through all of the sensory experiences and photographs from the night.

After just a few hours, we were exhausted. I have no idea how the devotees do it for multiple days and nights, but they do. Karen from Lost in Sicily has a beautiful post about their experience a few years ago when they did the full festival. We are already looking forward to next year and hoping to make it to sunrise on the last day when the St. Agatha procession stops in front of a cloistered convent. The nuns make a rare public appearance and sing to St. Agatha. Sicily continues to work her magic on us. One memorable experience after another. "Viva St. Agata"!

Watercolor Valentines

Art group made watercolor valentines today. Aren't they beautiful? A few notes for future: (1) these liquid watercolors are great, (2) cardboard works well as a protective barrier for the floor, (3) taping down the paint cups (applesauce/yogurt containers) prevents spills with the younger ones, (4) must invest in some good watercolor paper for future projects, and (5) be prepared to move quickly. The kids pumped out one valentine after another at a very quick pace which kept the mamas moving this morning...refilling paint, cutting out more hearts, trying to find enough drying spots,etc. We left most of them in the closet to dry. Can't wait to see how they will look when totally dry.

South of Rome

Some very good news to share: South of Rome is back and Karen was kind enough to feature our little blog yesterday. It's always funny to see how paths cross and mingle over the years. I had no idea when Karen and I met in Japan seven years ago that we would go on to "share" European adventures via blogging. I can't gush enough about how helpful Karen's book, In Etna's Shadow, has been for us as we settle into our new Sicilian lives. I haven't come across any other book that delves into the farmers markets, the food, the festivals, and the culture in such a satisfying way. And believe me, I am working my way through the Sicilian book collection at the library!

But I would also like to highlight what a great resource her blog is. If you are planning a trip to Italy, getting ready to move here, or just want to escape the winter doldrums with a virtual trip to Italy: visit South of Rome. Although, Karen is currently in the States she continues to have great advice, stories, and tempting photographs that will make you want to hop the next plane for Southern Italy.

Thank you, Karen!

Exploring: Burri and Fontana

Success! We made it back to Catania yesterday and finally got to see the Burri and Fontana exhibit. Alberto Burri and Lucio Fontana are two of Italy's most influential artists of the 20th century. It's an interesting exhibit in a beautiful space. I loved the mingling of the bold, abstract pieces with the graceful, traditional surroundings.The Pallazo Valle underwent a dramatic renovation between 2004-2008. I also loved having Camille with us. She flitted back and forth between the windows overlooking the courtyard and the gallery spaces where she was drawn to the geometric designs and textures, especially the large slashes and holes that characterize their work. We kept our visit fairly short because that's what happens when you have a four year old companion, but plan on returning in the near future for a more detailed visit.

If you can't make it to the show, here's a partial on-line tour. But really, like most things, it is so much better in person because you can see the textures, the size, and the beautiful gallery space. Here are the details for those in the local area:


Pallazo Valle, Catania, Sicily
8 euro entrance fee, 5 euro for English audio guide.
Free on Tuesdays and Friday evening (5-7pm).
Closed on Mondays
The exhibit is scheduled to end on March 14th

Viewing

We never got to see the Burri Fontana exhibit yesterday because the museum was closed, but luckily there was a fabulous photography exhibit directly across the street at the Palazza Del La Cultura. Fabrizio Villa is an amazing documentary photographer and his images of the St. Agatha festival are stunning. Images that make you gasp, smile, and stare in wonder. It got us pretty fired up for Friday night and also convinced me that the kids will be staying home with a sitter...enormous crowds, late night, lots of burning candles: probably not a good kid outing (at least not for our first experience of the festival). The exhibit is free and open until February 14th.

The other bonus of the exhibit is its' location. The Palazzo Del La Cultura is a beautifully restored monastery in the heart of Catania (a block behind the Duomo) that is now an exhibition space/cultural events center. We visited the center a few months ago for a fabulous bug exhibit but there didn't seem to be any English speaking staff members so we weren't sure of the history or even the current uses of the building. In addition to the photo exhibit yesterday we had the good fortune of meeting one of their staff members. She was in the midst of restoring a very old, wooden crucifix and body of Christ. Actually it was kind of an eery discovery. Walking down a hall of arches I saw a woman in a white coat working over a body:I thought I was going to get in trouble for taking photographs, but instead we were escorted into her work space and handed an English explanation of the work in progress. Below is a pic of Christ's arm with a selection of beautiful pigments. It was a wonderful work space filled with light and an interesting assortment of tools. It turns out however that we didn't need the paper. Her English was excellent and in addition to talking about her current project, she also gave us a private tour of the current exhibits and even showed us a corner of the building with a staircase descending into a lower level of the monastery that was believed to be St. Agatha's home.

I love these kinds of days and they seem to happen frequently in Italy. Days when our original plans suddenly vanish and are replaced with adventures we never imagined possible. And we aren't the only ones with interesting Italian discoveries. Check out Blogging from the Boot which has a selection of ex-pat blog entries from 2009. I submitted a couple of mine and was honored to make it to the finalist stage. I didn't realize it was a voting sort of competition so I feel kind of awkward about that, but I have enjoyed reading the mix of experiences and perspective. Take a look. No pressure to vote, but wanted to pass it along.