Monday, December 15, 2008

Naples revisited!


You may have heard...it' s raining in Italy!  It seems like it's been raining forever, with only brief sunny repites.  In fact, last Thursday it rained more in Rome in one day than it usually does in the whole month of December.  The Tiber River which flows through Rome threatened to rise over it banks and the local river beds which have ALWAYS been dry are suddenly swollen with boiling, churling foamy brown rapids and waterfalls!  Our cisterns were already filled in November, so all this water won't directly help us water our gardens come July.  We may just have to put in a well, but that's an expensive project as the water table is very deep (at least $15,000 worth of deep).

We DID manage to spend a mostly dry day in Naples yesterday.  Twice in three weeks...I guess we really like it!  My son is enthralled by the street with all the nativity pieces for sale...especially moving pieces which show a woman feeding the chickens, a man shearing the sheep, etc.  He wants to build a nativity "Presepe" this year out of painted boxes and pieces we picked up in Naples.  

We also were given a private tour of a church/monastary and a  nun took out a special vial which still contained some of Saint Patricia's blood, then solomnly held it out for each of us to kiss.  This previously Lutheran American woman did find that kind of strange, I must say.

3 comments:

"Diva" said...

Cool I am heading down to Naples today for 5 days. I ADORE the San Gregorio Armena area and am looking forward to getting new funny pieces for my Creche scene which the base came from the Kinder Chocolate Eggs I add on yearly silly little things from markets around. Got a sugar baby jesus last year in Belgium.

Diane said...

We adore the area too. There's an energy to Naples that is very special this time of year. Have fun!

Unknown said...

Well, it's nice to hear that he wants to build a nativity. Here in America, it's about the gifts, the elves, the north pole, santa, more presents, and one big headache. Everyone has lost its significance. At least in Italy, the "presepi" is the focal point of Christmas. After all, "Christ"mas is about Christ, not elves. Hope all is well. Stay dry. We just got snow here on the Island. Love the snow at this time of year! Rita