Balloons Over Todi

Just wanted to share these cool pictures of the hot air balloons....that have been lifting off every morning between 6 and 7 am....all around Todi......They are supposed to be here for 2 weeks...and then on the last day...they will all lift off together.....
It was incredible.....We got up super early...yes, 6a.m. is early for us.....
And took off toward Todi.....we chased the balloons as we drove across a mountain ridge.....
It was spectacular....

Going to get up again in the morning.......see if I can get some more pictures....

Talk about a "Find".....

Okay...

So I'm so excited.....

Two days ago, I went into the local Tabacheria (Tobacco Shop) to buy a greeting card.... yeah.....here...(only place I can find them) and in Italy things are a little diffferent....only the Tabacheria's can sell cigarettes..because of how they tax everything here...no sales tax on most things...but some things they do tax on and you have to have a government permit to sell these items....

Well cigarettes is one of those items...and also in these shops you will find phone cards, postage stamps, lottery tickets, greeting cards(the only place I have found a greeting card), sheets of wrapping paper...weird stuff like that....and it's the only place you can find these things....

Anyway, I was in there getting a greeting card and a padded envelope (again only place to get these too)...when I noticed the collection of the Stephanie Meyer Twilight books..the entire series...of course they were in Italian...but I had been looking for that 3rd book forever.....

So, I asked the sales clerk if they had books in English..something like..."Libri in Englesi?"...okay that might be choppy but she got the message....no one in this shop speaks a lick of English...but no problem....But she tells me "no, they don't have any".....

Then the owner (wife) comes over and somehow we manage to communicate that if I told her what books I wanted or by what author...she could go into Perugia and pick them up for me.....again..completely in Italian....or hand signals..or grunts...or by whatever means necessary......

We were able to conclude (with the help of the husband...who I will just add is much nicer and more patient with me than the wife...she gets frustrated very easily.....) Anyway...able to conclude that I would bring them back a list of books the next day and she would go into Perugia and see what she could find....

I went in there the yesterday.....and she already had 4 books for me....I am in the process of reading one of those books already..and had already read another....but managed to walk out of there with 2 new books in English........

And you might not get the full grasp of that accomplishment....but we can't find books in English here....there is only one place in Perugia in the middle of the square...which we only go to on special occasions......so we are down to reading crap...because it is the only books we have left that we haven't read this year....

And after 6 months of living in here...finally found a place (albeit the Tobacco Shop) who will delivery them to me right here in Ponte Rio (at the bottom of the hill of Todi) I don't even have to drive to Perugia...

Anyway...a huge success for us! HOORAY!

Piddle's New Favorite Spot

Okay,

This is Piddle's view from his favorite chair on the patio.....

It's by far the best view in the yard, I mean our "Giardino"

He and Roger may have to fight for it in a few weeks...

Fran and Roger will be here in less than 20 days....We are so excited!

Buon Compleano "To Paolo"

Well,

Happy Birthday to Paolo....

His birthday was last month and we are a little late celebrating it......

But....we went to a Jethro Tull Concert in Todi...

Beautiful night...

Jethro Tull was different...I actually hadn't heard any of their songs...but of course Piddle and Paolo had....He wasn't bad.....

The ambiance rocked.....

Like the cake we made him? Hey...you gotta use what ya got......and then we couldn't find not one candle in the entire place....that is surprising for me...but we had to use this Woodwick candle that I got for Christmas last year that I brought with me...thank you Teresa....

Anyway....nice night....nice company...nice moon...nice town....and in Italy!

Sunflowers and Castles

Okay....

So you know how we have been a little out of touch lately.....

Well, it's not because we have been 'oh so busy'....it's because we have been oh so lazy.....we have become accustomed to "Living on Italy Time....slowly......."

We have been taking a lot of roadtrips....just in the area.....there are so many cool things....but lately I have become fascinated with Castles and sunflowers of course....how could you not be......

There are 300 castles surrounding Todi....alone.....they were once used as look-out post.....so just tons of castles around here....seems like a castle on top of each hill....generally there are some little shops...usually a bar.....sometimes just a few families live there..and no retail at all....but all of them are cool and so very old.....hundreds and hundreds of years.....

Feels like I've told you this before.......I'll have to reflect back on some posts....

Anyway....the castles are amazing...and the sunflowers are gorgeous.....

Had no idea the sunflowers were so huge....bigger than your head and the plants are taller....now they are all pregnant looking...and the center is just bursting out...most of the flower petals are gone...I'll have to send you some pictures...I'm anxious to find out how they harvest them....stay tuned...

And I'll send more castle pictures...sorry but you must endure!