DAY 97

Sunday 16 October 2011

We got up early (6:45 AM) and had some of Roos and Henri’s hot cereal packets which they had sent  along with us at the start of our journey. Checking out of Camping Villagio Assisi where we were charged 30% less thanks to Dian’s Camping International card, we headed to Piegaro. We skirted the capital of Umbria, Perugia, and arrived in Colleen’s village at about 10 AM. The van wasn’t squeaking or smoking at all and we were glad to have finally made it to L’Antica Vetreria.

The vendors were just opening up for the final day of the 10-day Chestnut Festival and we were escorted to Colleen’s villa by not one but two locals who kindly called out at both Colleen and her friend Lisa’s doors, but to no avail. Charles called on the cell and the next thing we knew, Lisa was getting to know us over a cup of cappuccino and we were learning about her and how she came to live in Piegaro.

Our home for the next 2 weeks

Nicole's room

We met Colleen at her apartment and found her to be in great spirits despite being stuck in a wheel chair after breaking her ankle a month earlier. She is quite a dynamo, and admitted she considered her fall in Assisi to be a wake up call from Saint Francis to slow down. She gave us the keys to our two story apartment with kitchen and balcony overlooking the pool, and valleys and hill country beyond, then said she’d meet us with Lisa for a quick walk through the festival before going to Mass.

The church was small but had some interesting reliquaries and a giant cross that the young men carry through town once a year. The experience of following along with the prayers in Italian but knowing by heart the words in English was interesting for Dian and Charles (who share a background in Catholicism.)

There were enough sweets at this festival that you could forget where the chestnuts were!

The festival was in full swing when we emerged from church but we opted to have lunch at di Juni’s, one of Colleen's favorite haunts and one of two four-star restaurants in that small town, which was featuring dishes made with chestnuts. Delicious!!! Charles especially loved the chocolate-chestnut cake filled with chocolate truffle.

We took in the sites and a mesmerizing glass blowing demonstration by two masters near the venerated glass museum – showing artifacts from the town’s heyday of glass production starting in 1295. They had a photo exhibition by local artists and our own Lisa had two in the exhibit (featuring only 20). The age old craft of weaving baskets around the bottom of the blown glass vessels was also being demonstrated. Charles and Dian bought some gifts of glass for family and a magical ring for Nicole as an early birthday present.

One ring to rule them all

Miniature caricatures of old glassblowing folk

We brought some clothes up from our van which we left parked at the edge of the “old town” and after putting things away, sat on our balcony in the early evening chill to watch our first sunset.  To quote another of Colleen and Tom’s guests, “We had one foot in paradise and the other foot in heaven.”

We joined Lisa around 10 PM for the dancing and live music in two tents (thankfully we were no longer TOO TENSE),  but only stayed a little while as we were tuckered out and ready to hit the beds with down comforters. After a quick spaghetti snack we fell asleep to the church bells of Piegaro.

Weaving