Our Italian Adventure Begins

 The adventure continues! 

Sunday, Cecile and I will depart for Italy, where we will stay for two months in a tiny historical village in Tuscany. Boccheggiano is a hilltop village of less than 400 people that has roots that go back to the pre-Roman Etruscans. 

Our daughter, Gillian, has long dreamed of having a place of her own in Europe – ala “My Year in Provence.”  But rather than France, she focused on Italy where small towns are losing so many people that the country encourages “ex pats” to buy property.

So, with Gillian, we bought a small-but-comfortable apartment in a town that is aggressively working to make sure it is around for another few centuries. The town welcomes folks like us and produces a constant stream of cultural events to draw interest. This weekend, for instance, it is producing a tribute concert to Pink Floyd, a “peace theater” production and a festival of medieval fantasy. At least that is what Google Translate told me.

Gillian and her family are there now, but leaving a few days after we arrive. We will enjoy some time together (really together in this apartment), then take the handoff. While our grandson minds our Columbia house, we will explore a simply gorgeous part of Italy.

Meanwhile, between now and mid-October I will be posting updates on Facebook and on-and-off-again travel blog “Heard from Afar.” Ciao.