A Path of Love!

 The following is an email I sent to all my children:

One of the hikes I'm going to do in Italy is between two towns in Cinque Terre.  And along one of the trails is a place to hang locks.....as in locks like we have on all of our gates.  After yu read the story I'm attaching, you'll understand better.  So....I asked c (my boyfriend and their father/father-in-law) to bring me a lock to hang on the wall while I'm there.  Days went by and I'd actually forgotten about it. 

Well, today he brought me the lock he wanted me to take to the wall..........and it is the lock from the house that has been hanging on the gate since the day we installed it.......at least 20 yrs ago!    How sweet is that??  that he brought it to me to "lock our love in"  and that he actually thought and thought where to get a lock from........and got it from somewhere that is so special to me!!!!   He's a pretty neat guy!!!

Now, read the article below to better understand this story...

                                  Lock Your Love on Via dell’Amore for Saint Valentine

Via dell’Amore, the Cinque Terre romantic path dedicated to lovers, is famous all over the world. Couples love to walk on this pathway and, as a ritual, sit on the lover’s chair (the sculpture with a kissing couple) and put locks on the various gates and railings.
These locks symbolize their eternal love for eachother. In fact, two lovers demonstrate their devotion by inscribing their name or initials on a lock, securing it on one of the many gates along the path and throwing the key away so that their love is locked forever.
Some people could think that this ritual trash the area, but I think that today this has become part of the history of Cinque Terre. Lovers, but also families, close friends come here to lock their relationship forever.

But, do you know how the italian padlocks of love trend has begun?
In Italy the love padlock enthusiasm came first to Rome because of a romantic rite mentioned in two novels by the writer Federico Moccia. These novels, “Tre metri sopra il cielo” (Three meters above the sky) and “Ho voglia di te” (I Desire you) were also adapted and transformed into a film.
As per the story, a young man trying to win the heart of a girl, tells her that there is a tradition of putting a padlock in an old bridge in Rome, and throwing the key in the river makes their love last forever.

I will be sure to buy one of these locks to replace the one on our gate.  And this is the one I will be taking with me to "lock our love"  after I've thrown the key into the sea!

I think I may be married to the sweetest and most thoughtful boyfriend in the whole wide world!!

 

Travel Guid

22 days and counting!!

I'm posting today mainly because I'm just now setting up this blob..er, blog.  I want to be able to record the adventures of my trip in a place separate from my real blob. Will make it easier to print out when the trip is over and save as its own book; as well as having a place for the kids and friends to go to and keep up with my whereabouts!!  They just THINK they're getting rid of me for a few months......haha.....nope, I'll still haunt them with my words, albeit the written word!
So............since I'm writing now, I'll tell you what I've got planned out so far.....

Sept 12:  leave home for Atlanta, where I will meet up with my SpokeHo....a best peep!, and from there we will fly overnight into Paris.  There, we will connect with the rest of the women participating in the Italy Retreat for Women to live La Dolce Vita. http://italyretreatforwomen.com/  We will all fly together into Pisa, and then road trip to Cinque Terre.  The picture above on the banner is in fact from Vernazza, one of the five towns that make up Cinque Terre.  My boyfriend and I visited there back in 2005.  The plan is to visit:

1. Monterosso al Mare

2. Vernazza

3. Manarola

4. Corniglia

5. Rio Maggiore

6. Camogli

7. San Frutuosso

8. Portofino

9. Portovenere

10. Chiavari

11. Pisa

12. Lucca

and that's all in 6 days!!  The last 3 days will be spent in Lucca, exploring the walled town. The retreat ends in Lucca. Crazy woman and I will journey to Vicopisano, where we have an apt. rented for the next week.  I have become good pals with the owner of the apt.....Casa Columba http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/italy/it4091.htm  and I am so excited at all the great things we've planned to do with her!  No details yet but included will be a cooking class IN our apt!!!  Franco, their resident chef/driver will take us to the local market to shop for ingredients, come back to our place for a 3 hr class and then we will enjoy the fruits of our labor by sitting down to enjoy the meal!!!  OH MY!! could I be any more excited??!!  Oh well .... maybe,....cuz we're also going to a restaurant outside of town with Franco driving us to experience a "concierge dinner experience".  We get to sit at a table  beside the kitchen and watch the whole meal being prepared while Franco and Marie translate everything for us.  All the while learning about wines with foods!!  I can't even remember how many courses there will be during the night!!

So.........enough for the first entry of this adventure blog.  I will leave you with some more images I captured on my last trip to the land of Italia!!