Market Day

Jedd & Baby Jack

The Dolomite Mountains

Market Day in Aviano

Tuesday Day was Market Day in Aviano & San Quirino - and what a wonderful day it was! Jackets were hardly needed on this balmy 50+ degree sun-shiny day. I actually got a sunburn!

The smell of fresh fish, meats & cheeses filled the air as we walked through the busy outdoor marketplaces in each town. Vince,Trudy,& I walked from Heidi & Jedd's apartment to downtown San Quirino where villagers loaded their bags & bicycle baskets with fresh flowers, fruits & vegetables & plants, baked goods, fresh meats & cheeses,and spices. Leather Italian-made bags, clothing, toys, various pets & supplies, shoes & boots, were also available.

After we met Jedd, Heidi, Colton & Baby Jack, we all stopped for an espresso or cappiccino on the deck of a local restaurant.

While we were there, Colton, Vince, & I enjoyed some "playtime" around a small fountain outside the restaurant!

We then headed for Aviano to another, bigger outdoor market, then enjoyed some (real, honest-to-goodness) Sicilian pizza. Incredibly delicious!

Some of my favorite scenes are the quaint narrow streets in the small villages that seem to be unchanged for centuries except for the occasional road sign or traffic light. On the road, there is hardly enough space for two cars to pass, and the sidewalks only are wide enough for one person to walk at a time. I hope to design a quilt showing one of these avenues :-)

Many older homes have a wall right along the street with a gated driveway. Inside, they have a yard and often flower & vegetable gardens within. These homes are traditionally passed on from one generation to another. It is rare to see a real estate sign!

As soon as it is warm enough, most residents traditionally line their windowsills with blooming plants which adds to the romance and captivating atmosphere here.

You definitely get caught up in the "flavor" of Italy!

Most villages have a well-kept shrine located in a central area. Fresh flowers and incense are put there daily. Lovely! There are some older properties that have not been renovated in a long time. Notice the glass-enclosed shrine attached to the upper wall of this older residence.

We hope to visit Mirano, near Venice, in the next couple of days. Mirano is known for its beautiful glass. Also, Salzberg is on our list for next week! Join me in a day or two for more highlights :-)

Welcome to San Quirino!

I'm happy to report that all three flights (Harrisburg to Philadelphia to Frankfurt to Venice) were uneventful with no long "Jet Blue-style" runway delays. Heidi's father, Vince, and I were scheduled on the same flight from Philly to Frankfurt & enjoyed an entire row of four vacant seats to ourselves! We watched several movies (The Departed & The Illusionist) and several sitcoms since neither of us ever sleep well on airplanes.

The shot above was taken shortly after takeoff from Frankfurt, Germany.

As we neared Venice, there were many waterways & little in the way of land as you can see in this picture. It almost makes one wonder why they built the city below sea level in the first place!

After about ten hours of combined flights and an hour drive from the Venice Airport, we arrived in San Quirino, a small town near the Aviano Air Force Base where Jedd is stationed. Heidi is pointing it out here on the map of Italy. It took me a little more than a day to catch up on the sleep I missed on the flights, & I finally feel clear-headed again!

Jedd & Heidi live "on the economy" which means they do not live in Air Force base housing. Their four-bedroom apartment is in a gated complex in the town of San Quirino shared by Italians & American service men and women. The village of San Quirino lies on a plain of nearly flat green farmland, about 100 km. northeast of Venice. Not at all flat, and visible on a clear day, some 60 km. to the north, are the slopes and soaring peaks of the beautiful Dolomite Mountains, foothills of the Alps.

My son, Jedd & grandson Colton share some family moments in their home.

Later Sunday evening, the whole family went to dinner at Alpino's in the town of Aviano. The restaurant is also a hotel where Jedd & Heidi stayed for several months when they first came to Italy. The young man on the far left is Matt, Heidi's cousin, who is also in the Air Force in Aviano. To Matt's right is Vince Stone, Heidi's father, with Heidi on his right. Colton (grandson #1) is at the end of the table. Jedd is holding Baby Jack. Trudy Stone, Heidi's mom, is on Jedd's right, & yours truly is at the end of the table.

Italy is, of course, known for it's food, so I thought you might like to hear about some of the things we eat while we are here. The first picture is a dish called Bresaola which is a cured procuito-type meat topped with a salad mixture, olive oil, pepper, and lemon juice. This was one of the main courses preceeded by an assortment of pasta dishes and soups. It is interesting (if not less appetizing) to note that one of the pasta choices was topped with sweet donkey meat! Heidi said it actually quite good!The pork tenderloin with cheese & artichokes was marvelous!

The weather here is in the balmy 50's but still considered winter. I actually saw someone planting a garden on the drive here, and that makes me ready for spring. Lee tells me they are expecting a winter storm tonight with snow & ice in Pennsylvania, so I don't think I'll be starting a garden anytime soon!
Stay tuned for more in a day or two!

Jean's Italy Trip Introduction

Hi there family & friends! I will be departing for Italy today at 2:30 from the Harrisburg Airport & returning March 14th. My son, Jedd, and his wife Heidi are stationed with the U.S. Air Force just north of Venice, Italy, at the Aviano Air Force Base. Their second child, John (Baby Jack) Vincent Lucas, arrived on Valentine's Day, & I am joining Heidi's parents in Italy to help & to celebrate Baby Jack's arrival! While we are there, we will do some travelling to Rome & Florence. I hope to post some photos of the family & our travels around enchanting Italy!