Suffering major withdrawal

This is embarassing! I've been back for well over a week and I'm still suffering. I'm still checking the weather everyday in Italy (I'm secretly thrilled that it's still raining in Cortona). It seems that I don't want anyone else having fun if I'm not there and I've been re-watching all of my favorite italian DVD's:

1. Shadows in the sun (getting giddy over the fact I sat where Harvey Keitel's naked bum sat). Puzzling over the fact that the piazza in the movie looks so big when in reality it's quite small.
2. Under the Tuscan sun. A true classic! When I saw this movie at the theatre for the first time, my friend and I were lost in a fantasy world for 2 hours and we literally sat there staring at the credits when the movie was over, we knew that the minute our butts left those seats the magic would be over. That's when I knew that there was more to this world that I wanted to see. When I went to Tuscany for the first time, I was travelling around Italy by myself and decided to end my trip by staying in Cortona for 3 days. It was a thrill (between you and me, I'm a little embarassed to actually admit that), going to all the places that they filmed the movie and realizing that Cortona is so much more beautiful than in the movie.
3. Stealing beauty. This is the one movie that in my opinion truly encompasses the real vibe and feeling of being in Italy. Whether it's a night scene where you can hear the ciccadas in the background or seeing her drive her bike along a gravel road-it all brings back memories and gives you a true feeling of actually being there.
4. Love is all you need. Like a loser I couldn't wait to see this movie with my friend this week. It's an adorable dutch movie filmed on the Amalfi coast with Pierce Brosnan. I neglected to tell her that there were a few subtitles involved (there was some moaning and groaning when she found out) but we both truly enjoyed this cute little movie. Definitely a keeper when it comes out on DVD.
5. The talented Mr. Ripley. Total eye candy (actually a very smart, interesting movie) but who really cares when all you can do is salivate over the beautiful scenery and imagine yourself living on a small Italian island as a local.

Now I just have to figure out how to get back to Italy. Where would I go?  Back to Tuscany? Maybe try stalking Colin Firth in Citta Delle Pieve where he has a home. Discover Sicily as I've never been, or go to an island like Ischia or Procida and be a bum for a few weeks? Would I actually have the guts to bring Toby with me? Would I ever come back?

Until then I lose myself in my pictures..................

chickens in Ravello



Le Terrazze in Positano

 

Okay, so I couldn't stop staring at the bouncer at the club in Positano and snapped a shot when he wasn't looking...............

I apologize but I love him ....

Italy withdrawal

I knew it would happen but not so quickly-that utter feeling of depression, the feeling at the pit of your stomach that tells you that you're not in Italy anymore.  This feeling oddly doesn't happen when you get off the plane.  You're too excited to see your friends, to walk into your beautiful, cozy home, to see your pets (did I mention how badly I missed Toby)?  Oddly enough there is much pleasure to be achieved by doing 3 weeks worth of laundry...... in hot water..............

I knew I would crash after a week or so but not on my 3rd day home. I've been torturing myself by checking the weather in Cortona (it's 20 degrees and partly cloudy). So here I sit at my computer paying bills and taking care of all the necessary errands that need to be done, washing my windows as they're filthy from all the pollution of downtown life! Trying to figure out how on earth to pay a parking ticket that I got in Siena when the website is extremely complicated and in ITALIAN!!!!

I miss the feeling of adventure, waking up in the morning and letting the wind blow me in any direction. Opening up my windows whether in Le Marche or in Cortona and smelling burning wood in the air, church bells ringing and various birds singing. Just a few days ago I was in my little Fiat driving through a dream landscape that was too beautiful to capture in pictures, so I didn't even try. Some things really do need to be seen only with the naked eye so I keep those pictures safely locked away!

Time to take a deep breath, go on a long hike with Toby so that I can attempt to work off the calories obtained by eating pasta everyday and enjoy this sun that has been hiding from me for a good 2 weeks. As the days go by I'll slowly begin to go back to normal and start to appreciate this beautiful city that I live in, especially now that summer is on the way.

Who knows, maybe I can start blogging about life in Montreal. Sometimes I feel like I'm always searching for something when it's already right under my nose and I'm too blind to see it! We'll see, until then "Eh, va bene"!

The end

Ciao Bella Italia

Last time I was here I had the crazy nerve to drive up to Rocca D'orcia which was the scariest thing I've ever done. Today as I was taking pictures of it from San Quirico I mentally told myself "no way, never again"- well guess what! I couldn't resist.

 Well I have nothing really profound to say in my final blog entry. Just that I'm a really lucky girl to have had the gift of these 3 weeks. Before leaving I had the feeling that there was a purpose to this trip, something was compelling me to come here for 3 weeks. I'm not really sure what that purpose was- I mean I didn't fall in love, have a hot fling, pull a Frances Mayes and buy a house or find any profound answers to the mysteries of life.

All I did was live in the moment and got out to see a small but beautiful corner of the world. 

 

Val d'orcia

Okay, next time I need to stay in this part of Tuscany. I had been here before but always just driving through- never really taking the time to really discover different towns. I've taken way too many pictures today but I want to remember everything. When I'm feeling blue and need my "Italy fix" I'll at least have my pictures to admire. So here I sit in a beautiful little courtyard in San Quirico D'orcia- what a lovely little place.

This morning some interesting moments! Since I left really early this morning it was pouring buckets the whole way here. They were forecasting rain in the morning so I wasn't too worried, when I arrived at Bagni di Vignoni, I basically sat in my car waiting for the rain to stop (and I desperately needed to pee) so that empty Pringles can was looking pretty good. Not to worry, the rain stopped and the beautiful sun finally came out (and I made it to a bathroom)!

Bagni di Vignoli is basically an ancient roman thermal spring, this beautiful little town is built around it. If you really want to see a cute movie that was filmed here it's called "shadows in the sun". Not a very well known movie with Joshua Jackson and Harvey Keitel.  If you ever see the DVD just buy it for the eye candy alone.  Anyway I sat on the same rock that Harvey Keitel sat on in the movie (his naked butt I might add). Not that I'm really into Harvey Keitel!

Anyway, this afternoon just planning on getting lost....