Month: October 2017

My bags are packed. I’m ready to go. I dropped by the casino this morning because I forgot to cash out. I played quite a bit yesterday and got to know the ins and outs of these funny slot machines. They’re designed to entertain,  to keep people from mindlessly hitting the button and watching their funds diminish. I only played on the free $20 I got from the casino and spent the afternoon going from one machine to the other. The most fun was when the machine seemed to take over offering “free spins” while I watched as the numbers went up and up. I can see why gambling is addictive. I got up to $35 from the $16 I put in at the beginning of the day. However the down side is when the excitement is over and the numbers go down down down. Before I got to that sorry state of affairs, I cashed out last night. I ended up with $12.78 and I forgot to take my coupon to the cashier last night.

I was in line behind a couple who’d cashed out with chips – real players – who pocketed thousands of dollars. I put my cash out voucher on the counter, slid it over to her and said. “Don’t laugh!”

Her reply? “I’ve seen worse this morning!”

Yesterday was fun. We three had an excellent Mexican meal with a delicious Margarita for lunch, which lasted us through the dinner hour. The other highlight of the day was seeing the Wes Winters show.

My sister and brother-in-law first met him at the Liberace Museum, where he was the entertainment. He was originally from Kansas, and never took a piano lesson: his grandmother had an old piano and a stack of Liberace LPs and he spent hours and hours in the barn mimicking them. In the winter he had to use gloves. He “studied” after school and during vacations.  When news of a Liberace competition was announced, the townspeople urged him to put in a demo, but he never thought he’d make it.  He was one of the finalists, and was flown to Las Vegas to perform.  In spite of all odds, and in competition with professional musicians with advanced musical training, he won the contest and got the gig.  When the museum closed down, he worked in other casinos, and my sister and brother-in-law were delighted to find him at the South Point.

He played from 6-9 pm without a break, sitting at the piano, dancing, singing, and excluding energy like I’ve never seen before.  He is quite a showman.  He has his regulars – ladies who would come to the stage and put money in his pockets.  He did a lot of laughing, and mischief making.  The time flew by.  People of all ages were in the dance floor, some young, some old, some in between. One lady was celebrating her 91st birthday  another was 79. They were both rocking to the music.

if you’d like to hear him, just google him and watch some videos  they’ll brighten your day!

Time to check my bags, find my boarding pass and get ready for the flight to San Francisco  back to reality!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a beautiful morning and my sister and I did a walk around the complex, stopping at the waterfall by one of the many pools. We were on an errand: we stopped at the sundry store to pick up a few items, then parted ways to get ready for the day. Her last comment:

”Don’t forget your coupon book!”

Most hotels or condos give out these books to offer discounts to their customers, which, of course, encourages them to use the facilities.  We’d decided to go to the multiplex and one of the coupons offered free popcorn but I had to buy a drink. Okay, that’s fair.

The multiplex is on the second floor of the casino, next to the bingo room, the bowling alley and the Krispy Kreme franchise.  It seemed more elaborate than the movie theaters at home. There were huge interactive billboards advertising the new movies.  Guess everything is more elaborate in Las Vegas.

My brother-in-law was getting interactive with the billboard. Oh, dear..sometimes he has to be watched.

Fortunately, it was not a busy time since we’d chosen an afternoon movie, so I was able to navigate myself through the drinks section without too much of a learning curve. Everything was on a touch screen: what kind of a drink do I want..sugar-free? Yes. Cola? Yes.  Coke Zero? Yes. Glad I didn’t have a line of people behind me. I felt like I was a hick from the sticks. It’s not that I don’t go to the movies. I’m a frequent movie-goer but these devices were new to me.

My sister warned me NOT to pull out the free popcorn coupon. The rule is that the vendor must do that, so I put down my coupon book gingerly, turned it to the appropriate page, and the clerk pulled it out for me.

We three entered the huge movie theater and stopped at the handicapped row. My brother-in-law rented a scooter for the Las Vegas vacation, which has been very convenient, but a decision had to be made: stay in the scooter or sit in one of the chairs? I decided to stay out of the way and sit in the row behind them in a non-handicapped seat so they could sort out this decision before the movie began. Navigating the scooter and moving into a regular handicapped seat took a while

The movie was a long one – over three hours – and the special effects were impressive on the huge screen. It was enjoyable even though I don’t normally like science fiction. It had had good reviews and I thought it was worth my time.

Back outside at the casino it was time for another coupon: my free $20.  I did not get cash but I signed up for the “club”and the money was put on a credit card.  I have played slot machines in recent years, but it took a brief refresher course to jog my memory. I decided to only bet $5 at a time and I could always cash out if I didn’t like the machine.  I ended up playing three machines until I found one I liked. At the third machine, I happily cashed out with $16.45 and I still have $5 on my card. I won $1.45 so far, and it’s their money.

We decided it was time for dinner, so we went to the seafood restaurant and splurged on crabs’ legs along with a lobster roll for me and clam chowder for my sister.  The Pinot Grigio I ordered went nicely with the seafood. Although we all shared the crab, Ed cleaned it up.  He was a happy camper and he put on his sunglasses to show his delight.  I’m not sure why he does this – Joe Cool? We all have our quirks.

I walked across the casino and got one cup of coffee ice cream with chocolate sauce.  Ed joined me and helped me eat it then Beatrice joined us, after playing off her 85 cent cash out credit.  We’re a big spender family!

We had one small detour to charge up the scooter so we could get home, then headed back to get ready for one more day of fun and frolic in Sin City.

Its now Friday morning and our last full day. We have lunch scheduled at the Mexican restaurant, some gambling and pool time, and evening entertainment by pianist Wes Winters in the showroom.  He is their favorite act so I’m looking forward to hearing him sing and play.

And I won’t forget my coupon book for my free Marguerita at the Mexican restaurant…or my free money!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was back at SFO today for yet another voyage, but this flight only lasted an hour. I flew to what my sister calls the Disneyland of the Desert to join the family for a few days in Las Vegas.

i have been here before but always stayed on the strip to join the circus atmosphere of excitement which comes with all the glitz and glitter. This time we are staying off the strip, at their timeshare in a quiet area called South Point, where there is a casino with all the usual amenities: gambling, restaurants, a multiplex movie theater, a bowling alley, pool..their timeshare is across the street and is called Grandview. It’s huge. Fortunately, each building has a number and a name.  By some complicated points system, my sister was “given”a second suite, so here I am, ensconced in NOT a room, but many rooms: living room, dining area, full kitchen, bedroom, bathroom with shower and a huge bathtub to boot!

I just had time for a brief chat and time to unpack when we were off to see the evening’s entertainment: the Déjà Vu show band.  The leader of the band and lead singer is one of the foremost Elvis imitators, who is invited to Graceland to perform twice a year, on Elvis’ birthdate and death date. He had two female backup singers -one is his wife – and a four-piece band.  The songs ranged from the 50s on and the act continued for three hours, with one break.

An interesting feature of the performance was the audience. They all seemed to be locals “of a certain age” who loved to dance. They all knew each other and were very effusive in their greetings. They danced well with great enthusiasm and seemed to be in their element. My sister has talked to the ladies before on past visits and she said that they don’t go to the strip any more – “it’s not like it used to be” so they’ve claimed this place and this group as their own. The evening was definitely a slice of local color. I thought I was watching a silver haired equivalent of “American Bandstand,” where everyone was dancing and having a blast.  To be fair, there were also younger folks there, practicing their fancy dance steps and mixing and mingling with their young-at-heart senior friends.

After the show we had a light dinner then toured the casino. The tables were much busier than I’d thought they’d be, since it appeared to be a low-key place.  We checked out what was playing at the movies. We looked at the menus at the restaurants. There appears to be a wide variety of choices. I got my yogurt and muesli combination and fruit for breakfast tomorrow.

What will we do tomorrow? Not sure. There are many options.

 

The day was cool and sunny, and, once again, we were on the move. Bleary-eyed, we had breakfast and there was a little time for a few images of the medieval streets of Trevi, as we begin our last day’s journey.  Our home for the last night was in an area of Rome known as Ostia, a beach area near the airport for easy transfer in the morning.

Our morning activity was visiting a Renaissance garden with a twist. In the town of Bomarzo, we visited the Park of the Monsters. Begun in 1552, the garden features a series of bizarre and grotesque stone statues meant to shock. It’s also known as the Sacred Grove.

“It is the work of Pier Francesco Orsini, who built the park after the death of his wife to cope with his grief. During the 19th and 20th centuries the garden became overgrown and neglected until Salvador Dalí made a short movie about the park and completed a painting based on it. The Bettini family implemented a restoration program, which lasted until the 1970s. Today the garden, which remains private property, is a major tourist attraction. ” – Wikipedia.

We stopped to walk among these statues with the aid of a park map. It was a fascinating stop and much enjoyed by the group.

Our next stop was for lunch at a restaurant in a quaint picturesque village. As we were eating, the restaurant  became crowded with senior citizens.  We later discovered that it was Grandparents’ Day. We joined in the merriment and celebrated the end of the tour at our last lunch by enjoying all the delicious food and the company of our traveling companions.

Our last stop, mid-afternoon, was to our hotel on the seashore of Ostia.  We had a room with a view!  It was here that I turned on the TV and heard about the shootings in Las Vegas. Ann was off to walk by the seashore. I enjoyed the view from our terrace.

After printing off my boarding passes and completing the last steps for my flight home, we met for a nice twenty minute walk along the lido for our farewell dinner. It was a gorgeous evening.  Since we were at a seaside restaurant, we had seafood for dinner – a calamari salad,  and pasta, of course, with crème brûlée for dessert. Alice told us that the reason that we were the only people at the restaurant was because they opened especially for us  they’re usually closed on Mondays.  We were treated royally by the staff.

We strolled back after dinner and said our goodbyes to our lovely group of fourteen travelers. I was to be the first one up, at 3:30 AM, with airport pickup at 4:15. The faithful Alice, our fantastic trip leader, was up to make sure I was off to the airport in my own private car!  I wrote you from the airport, so it appears the cycle is finished, and the trip is over.

I hope you enjoyed your trip to Bologna, Parma, and the back roads of Tuscany and Umbria. It was a wonderful experience for me. I even had a few kickass experiences along the way, Carrera and the truffle hunt with proseco and scrambled truffled eggs on the top of the mountain among them. It was a lot of fun.  Thanks to my traveling companion Ann for putting up with me for almost a month.

I don’t have any other big trips planned but I’ll be flying to Las Vegas soon for a few days to meet my sister and brother-in-law, who are flying there today, and I will be spending part of the holidays with them in Hawaii.  Will I report on it? You betcha.

Any comments, questions or suggestions for improvement of this site are always appreciated.  If you’d like more information on a topic, you can always google or ask.

Take care and happy and safe travels!

As I think back on the beautiful days spent so recently  in the countryside of Tuscany and Chianti, I was constantly reminded of my early days growing up in Vallejo, so reminiscent of the Napa – Sonoma area. I grew up fifteen minutes away from Napa and it’s always been my go-to place for short trips with visiting friends.  As I come home and watch the fire coverage on TV, with wildfires still raging and uncontained in the Napa – Sonoma area, an hour’s drive from my home, my heart goes out to those family and friends who have been evacuated and are in danger of losing their homes.  Mother Nature can be deadly and our lives are precious and precarious. I awoke to the smell of smoke Sunday night from the fires and the Bay Area is still at all time highs of smoke pollution. As I write, there is still no containment.

It’s a crazy world. Take care of each other.

 

 

The OAT people have a program called A Day in the Life,     where travelers are exposed to the lifestyles of people who live in the country visited. Today we are heading up to the Apennines to experience life as mountain village people have experienced them for centuries.

Our van and driver took us back to the area near Spoleto, then up into narrow curvy mountain roads where we met two guys and some 4 x 4 vehicles. We continued up the mountains and stopped at a compound of houses and outbuildings.

We are invited in to the home of Mack and Francesca and learn their story. Mack, a New Zealander, met Francesca on his trek through Italy after university.  Fortunately, he’d been in Italy for  while and knew the language. They married and settled here in the village of Pettino, where her family has occupied the land for several hundred years.  The young family, with their two children Polly and Dante, follow the traditional lifestyle: they tend their sheep, make pecorino cheese, fresh pasta, gather truffles and mushrooms from the land, and hunt. They live in a compound with Francesca’s family where they all work together.  Over the years they have built up a tourism business where visitors come to hunt, see the community and stay at their lodge.  They also have a game hunting tour.

We went truffle hunting with Mack and Francesca’s cousin Luca..and, of course, the dogs.  Pigs are not used because pigs eat the truffles; the  dogs are trained to trade the truffles for doggie treats, which Luca keeps in his pocket. We had a lovely stroll through pristine countryside while Mack, Luca and the dogs did all the work.

Once the dogs did their work, we piled into the vehicles once again, for a hair-raising off-road ride to the top of the mountain, where we found sheep, sheep dogs, a sheep herder, and more beautiful unspoiled country.  It was time to taste our newly foraged truffles.  How? With scrambled eggs, Francesca’s pecorino cheese, olive oil and grated truffles on top.   To toast the event, we were given proseco, of course.  Is this a kickass adventure, or what?!

After taking in the views and enjoying our breakfasts, we careened down the hills once more, back to the compound for our cooking lesson – pasta -making, in a special two room building where Francesca’s cheese is also being aged.  Francesca was our teacher this time.

While we were learning, we sipped on some of the red wine offered to us.  The dog even participated in the lesson!

I wandered the property to take some pictures of the other animals.  I’d heard about Martina the family pig but hadn’t yet met her.

Lunch time! We adjourned to cousin Fabiola’s house for a lovely salad, pasta and tiramisu lunch, with wine, of course.  It was fresh from the farm and delicious.

We finished our meal and had to say goodbye. It was a very exhilarating day, filled with new experiences and memories. Before we left I asked our guide Alice to have her picture taken with one of the men from the village. Why? I think they bear a striking resemblance to George Clooney and Julia Roberts –  do you agree?

if you’re interested in learning more about this adventure, see their website: wildfoodsitaly.com

We drive back to Trevi, where we found rain and cooler temps. People were leaving the palio but were lingering at the pizza parlor at the bottom of the hill.  We weren’t hungry after a day full of eating so, after a last walk around the village, we prepared our packing. We were about to drive to Rome and spend our last day in Italy!

It may be the last day of our trip but it’s not the last day of our adventures. Stay tuned!

 

“Palio is the name given in Italy  to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighborhoods of a town or the hamlets of a comune  against one another.  Typically they are fought in costume and commemorate some event or tradition of the Middle Ages and thus involve horse racing, archery, jousting, crossbow shooting, and similar medieval sports. ” -Wikipedia

We learned about the palio which was to be held the weekend of our visit to Trevi when we arrived and Friday night rehearsals took place, with lots of folk music and drumming, so we were able to hear a preview of coming attractions  Trevi is a small hillside hamlet and, as we were at the top of the hill, we could hear the sounds coming from 2-3 blocks down the hill from our room.

The parade is the first event that takes place, Saturday night, and then the race itself is held on Sunday, during the day. We were scheduled to be gone most of Sunday but we would be able to see the parade on Saturday.  The stands and flags  were put up Saturday while we were gone on our day trip, but we saw them when we returned.

We had a nice dinner at a local restaurant on the upper piazza and Alice got tickets for us to view the palio. There were two sets of tickets, to the upper piazza and the lower piazza. The upper piazza seats were sold out but Alice got us seats to the lower piazza. The people at Overseas Adventure Travel actually paid for our tickets, which was a nice gesture.

There are three groups competing against each other in this palio and the families and shields of each group, which are called contrada in Siena, are brought out in their medieval costumes to display their families and the young men who will actually be participating in the race.  The parade was scheduled to begin at 9:00 but ran a little late. The weather was still balmy so we weren’t cold.

Unfortunately, the parade took place in the dark, so we weren’t able to see their costumes very well. There was a big screen TV set up so we could see them arriving in the upper piazza, with lights, but after an hour we decided to call it a night. We’d had a busy day!

The race the next day was to be an ancient chariot race. I will include a photo of the vehicle here with some of the people in costumes  we saw in the streets. These pictures were downloaded from the internet.

We weren’t able to walk directly up the hill because that was the parade route, so Alice led us around the village following the ancient walls. The village was packed with people. It was THE event of the season!

Palios are held throughout Italy in the summer and fall to pay homage to the medieval roots of the citizenry. The biggest one is in Siena July 2 and August 16, and we saw the parade for the palio in Parma September 17.

As a traveler, it’s fun to be able to see and enjoy these local events, which are part of the culture of the country.

 

The town of Spoleto is a unique mix of remnants from its Roman and medieval past which goes back to the Bronze Age.  It’s an ancient hilltop city with sparkling Umbrian views and a population that swells during festival season. The Festival dei Due Mondi – the Festival of Two Worlds- with rich offerings of music, theater, dance has been going on since 1958 and brings in the crowds from around the world. This ancient city marches to a different drummer as music,  dance and theater lovers from around the world visit each summer to attend these events.

As we approached the town, I was surprised to see a distinctly modern addition to the landscape: escalators.  These so-called travellators wisk the visitor to the top of the hills – very handy for the modern concert-goer. Up we climbed..effortlessly.  No huffing and puffing. When we got to the top, I also spied elevators.  Very handy.

From the modern to the ancient: at the top of the hill, we viewed the ancient 13th century aqueduct and bridge, il Ponte Delle Torre.

As we walk from top to bottom, we see the beautiful 11th-13th century Romanesque duomo cathedral of S. Maria Assunta, which was cut off from us because a film crew was in residence. The most popular TV soap in Italy, Don Matteo, is filmed here because it is considered to be the purest of all Italian cities, not having been spoiled by tourism. Not to be thwarted, our ingenious Alice knew of a back route to the cathedral, so we followed her lead, and, with our guide, were able to gain entrance into the interior and learn about the stunning frescos at the altar made by Filippo Lippi.

We had time on our own to wander the streets and check out the local population. There was a small produce vendor selling his wares and people relaxing in cafes and strolling into shops

Time for lunch!  After all that walking, we needed to fortify ourselves..but first, more local color shots.

Okay.  On to the food!

Fortified by pasta, roasted vegetables and delicious chocolate dessert and having that slight glow from the never-ending glasses of wine, we propelled ourselves to our next activity: rafting on the Nera River for some, enjoying the unspoiled village of Scheggino for others.  Guess which activity I chose?

Vicki and I had time to visit the truffle museum, wander the winding roads of the village, do some nice photography, pop into the local church, watch the ducks and visit locals playing cards. Of course, we had a gelato. Very relaxing.

Later, with Irene and Marcel flanking Vicki on the bench, we awaited the return of the rafters.

And here they come. Everyone agreed that it was an exhilarating adventure. Kickass, in fact.

The day isn’t over but this post is. After dinner in Trevi, we had seat reservations to the Palio, thanks to Alice. I’ll tell you all about it in the next post. Being a temporary local in a small village and having a great guide can be very advantageous.

Ciao ciao for now!

 

We say arrivederci to Pienza and its wonderful small hotel, the Piccolo Hotel la Valle.  Tonight we begin our tour of Umbria and stay in Trevi.  I enjoy my last cup of cappuccino from one of the hotel’s beautiful cups.

Our first stop is Assisi, home of St Francis, to see its magnificent 13th century basilica built in his honor. As you can imagine, this is a big tourist stop, especially for pilgrims.  We had a local guide explain some of the frescos by Giotto. We also went into the crypt to see the tomb of St Francis.  There are actually two houses of worship, one on top of the other.  The frescos in the lower church are more plentiful but more subtle in colors.  I preferred it to the upper church, though it was also magnificent.

Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos inside the building, but it was composed of floor-to-ceiling frescos depicting the life of Christ.  The interior is spectacular.  Try googling to see interior shots.  The Umbrian landscape around the city is spectacular and the city itself is filled with tourist shops, not all of a religious nature.

We departed for Cantina Dionigi, a family-owned winery producing white as well as red wine.  We enjoyed delicious bread with olive oil, coldcuts, and delicious lentil soup for lunch, along with three tastings. This winery architecture was ultra modern, out in the vineyards with lovely views.

Our last stop was to the unique and charming medieval village of Bevagna. There is a yearly fair where, for the weekend of the fair, the residents use none of the conveniences of modern times.  They live without TV, internet, electricity – what we consider necessary modern conveniences.  There are many craftsmen who have set up their ateliers making products the way they used to be made.  We visited a fabric maker and a paper maker.

Our new home for three nights was the hilltop village of Trevi, with architecture spanning Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods.  We were staying at a hotel at the top of the village.  The luggage had to be brought up by small cars. As we trudged up the winding cobblestone roads to the hotel and got our key, we were delighted to discover that we had not only a room with a view, but two views, with an extra light-filled reading room, complete with a chair and table.  Nice!  I am going to like it here. We also discovered that a Palio, or medieval competition, was to be held over the weekend. Oh, my. More adventures!

Next stop: Spoleto!

 

 

 

We stayed in the picture-perfect tiny village of Pienza in southern Tuscany for three nights. It is in the Val d’Orcia, between Montecatini and Montepulciano and is the ideal base for exploring the area. Even though we were off during much of the day on side trips, we always had some time to return to this lovely village. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site for its depiction of a utopian Renaissance city.

Pienza was founded in 1300 when it became the property of the Piccolomini family and in 1405 Aeneas Silvias Piccolomini was born. An Italian humanist later to become Pope Pius II, as pope, he changed its name from Corsignano, and had the entire village rebuilt as an ideal Renaissance town, with the core of the city anchored from its central piazza. He meant for it to be a retreat from the stress of ruling in Rome. Today,  day trippers come to enjoy the views and architecture, but those who stay here get to enjoy it as temporary residents.

We enjoyed visiting the Palazzo Piccolomini, the family estate, and it was only recently when I got home that I realized that some of the rooms were used in the classic Zefferelli film version of Romeo and Juliet, filmed in the late 60s.  The gardens at dusk were spectacular.  Family lived in the home until the early 1960s.  Unfortunately, we were unable to photograph the interior.

We had some free time one of the mornings when we were there, so we had  lovely walk in the countryside surrounding the village

It was a pleasure to visit Tuscany and to be able to come home to this ideal village each night.

I’m at Rome airport, and I’ve checked in for my first flight to Paris. I’ll fly nonstop to SFO after that. There’s something good to be said about arriving at the airport at 4:30 AM. I’m flying Air France with economy plus which was discounted dramatically by the OAT people – $50 per seat for what others are paying 900€! – which entitles me to Sky Priority treatment. I jumped the line to get my bag checked. I waited five minutes. Amazing..

Since I have free time, a rarity these last three weeks, I decided to write about one of the most interesting day trips we had on Wednesday September 27.  This was optional, which means we paid extra, but it was well worth it. I’d never heard of these two places in italy and I imagine you haven’t either. There were eight of us; the rest of the group decided to stay in beautiful Pienza and explore the village.

Our first photo stop was at the walled tufa city. This almost perfect site was startling in its complexity: seeing a walled city like this reminded me of a carefully constructed sand castle.  We drove to our first restroom stop in the village, where we stopped at the Italian equivalent of a bar and small convenience store, where we either had a quick espresso or picked up a bottle of water as payment for using their facilities, and we had a few minutes to stroll around the street.  I found a nice local to capture digitally and a cat as well, of course.

Our first tour was to the Sovana Archeological Park, in the city of tufa, where there was an Etruscan necropolis.  We met our local guide there. It is a unique place for both lovers of nature and lovers of archeology, and the tombs we saw encompassed  the various levels of society during the Etruscan era.  Our guide showed us the tomb of a common person, and then the tomb of someone of high standing in the society, the Hildebrand tomb, which resembled a temple.  We walked around and looked at what had probably been headstones, scattered throughout the park.  Most of the graves are empty, because the bodies had been taken by tomb robbers throughout the centuries.

The rock in this area is called tufa, which is a soft kind of volcanic rock. We were in two tufa villages this day.

Another amazing thing about this park were the caves, that allowed the Etruscans to navigate between one part of their city to another. These caves were used even in recent history, and partisans hid in them – we saw a date : 1945, carved into the soft stone.

The town of Pitigliano was voted as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, which it is. It is also a historical treasure trove of information about the Jewish population, which was thriving and coexisting nicely until the Medici family came into power. They were segregated into a ghetto, which was later called the “little Jerusalem,” which is now a museum.  We were able to go underground to see the structures where the people lived and worked. They were able to go out into the village during the day, and in 1773, a new ruler, the liberal Catholic Grand Duke of Tuscany, Pierrot Leopoldo, officially recognized the Jews of Pitigliano, which meant they could come and go as they pleased. By 1799 the ghetto was desegregated and by 1850 there were only 400 Jews in town, roughly 10% of the population.  The population shrank in 1866 when a unified Italy meant that Jews were granted equal rights and were allowed to move about the country.  Many left for the bigger cities. In 1938 when the Fascist racist laws were applied there were only 60 Jews living there, and one poignant photo shows a Bar  Mitzvah during this time.  Catholic families in the area saved these people from the Nazis; others hid in caves.  In fact, the only Jews from the village who were killed were those who fled.  There is a synagogue here but services are no longer held.  The family of Elena Servi, age 82 is the only surviving Jewish family in town;   she has dedicated her life to preserving and restoring her hometown’s Jewish history.

An aside: I’m home now as I finish this post.  I found a fascinating article in The NY Times called “A little Jerusalem in the Heart of Italy” if you’d like to google it for more information.  It’s a detailed article about a unique place, well off the beaten track of the usual tourist itinerary.

We had lunch in the village and a little time to explore on our own before returning to our hotel and village of Pienza.

Just before we left I captured a few more photos of this beautiful special village.