Our last day in Todi

I'm hardly able to believe that I'm writing this so soon, but we just finished our last day here.  I finally purchased a painting that I admired on the way up and down the hill every day for three months.  The painter is Albanian, as it happens.  As we were chatting, he mentioned his collaborations with Daniele, the intarsia artist.  It turns out that they're pretty good friends -- convenient, since their shops are 20 m apart. 

Eleanor, Simonetta, Ugo, my dad

Signor Ivano, the banker

Our violinmaker was called out of town, but we met his daughter and granddaughter -- and they promised to say goodbye for us.  I couldn't hold the tears back when we came across our Cinzia's dad.  He was just so so sweet and warm. 

Angelo in his alimentari

In the afternoon, we had a recital for the kids.  The usual combination of music interspersed with poorly tuned violins and piano mishaps.  But Jeremy did well, particularly considering that it's his first recital!  Eleanor also sang, both in a solo and as part of her women's quintet. 

Eleanor in her choir

Alessandra of La Scuola di Musica

Carlo, the choir director and manager of the Scuola

Elizabet called and wanted to wish us "buon viaggio", so we'll see her in the morning before Mass. 

A view of Todi from the distance (a humid day!)

A farewell to Vinca, and various other neighbors.  And then on to our restaurant with Simone (our favorite waiter).    Way too much food, of course, but it was hard to choose!  We went ahead to Piannegianni for a last gelato while my parents finished their wine.  And then when my dad went in to get coffee, we ended up having another last gelato!  And this time, they were overfilled.

Simone, our waiter at Cavour

A quiet, meditative walk through the town, talking about our time here.  Our summing up came to the conclusion that, while it is true that you can have community anywhere, Todi is has its own very special aspects that have appealed to us.  These include the high concentration of artists and artisans, the international component, the strong sense of community that permeates the town, incredible views, the charm of the unexpected twists and turns that the roads take, the depth of history, the small size (and concomitant accessibility to everything), the safety (see "strong sense of community"), excellent theatre and other performances, and a relatively low cost of living.  While individually, each of these could be found in various locales throughout the world, it is rare to find all of them together. 

Staying for three months, we have had the opportunity to experience daily life.  This includes ups and downs, as you have anywhere:  kids who misbehave, laundry that needs to be washed, dirty dishes, and schoolwork.  These are pretty much the same as anywhere else, of course.  However, not spending multiple hours a day  in the car has freed up my time (and patience), which increases my strength for the rougher times.  Let's face it:  five kids in a moldy house don't sound like a formula for a great time.  But, at the end of our stay here, we are unanimous about how wonderful this experience has been.

That said -- don't give up on the blog!  We still have a week in Italy.  Tomorrow, we're off to Sorrento!

Love,

Alexandra

A view from our window

Another day, another view from the same window!