Sunday turned out to be one of those days – By that I mean you start out thinking it will go a certain way and it ends up 180 degrees different – but that is ok because in Italy it is always an adventure – especially if there are Gentiles involved.  Oh – by the way the cousin count went from 4 to 14 in a matter of 6 hours!

In the morning I went Kayaking with Luigi.  We walked to the beach - about 1 minute from the house!  We launched the kayak at the shoreline and took off out to sea.  Well not really out that far but we stayed along the shoreline and paddled the kayak down to Pioppi – which is about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) by road.  Pioppi is another beautiful seaside village.  I wish I could have taken photos but I couldn’t bring my camera along – too much water and no place to store the camera while we paddled.  We turned around and paddled back – total trip took about 2 hours.  The water was very clear and a wonderful temperature. 

The afternoon was spent relaxing at the house – ragu would have to wait until tomorrow.  However around 6 p.m.  Angela had made plans for us to visit the older cousins, Carmela and Angelina, first cousins to my mom.  I thought we would be gone a few hours – we returned home at 1:30 a.m!!  On our way to Casalvelino Scalo Angela tells me that this village is celebrating today for their Patron Saint – St. Antonio.  Each village has a patron saint and once a year has a celebration.  Hearing this I know the evening will not be what either of us had planned. 

We first visited Carmela.  Carmela is now 84 years old and her health, both physical and mental, has declined since my last visit.  It is sad to see but I am so grateful I was able to spend time with her.  We then go upstairs to Cousin Giuseppe’s house and visit with him and his wife, Caterina.  While we are there I hear a band in the distance.  They tell me the procession has started.  The town carries a statue of the patron saint through the village – starting at the church, going through the town and ending back at the church.  After the procession the festival begins.   It will be one night only.  There will be fireworks, music, food and rides for the children.  It is very similar to our town fairs but on a much smaller scale – and without the procession.  So I took the opportunity to video the procession from the balcony of Giuseppe’s house. 

A few comments on the video – in the middle it becomes very shaky.  At that point, Giuseppe tells me our cousin Antonio is in the procession and waving to us.  My excitement got the best of me and I forgot I was filming (duh) but I regrouped and if you look closely you will see a couple waving to us – that is Cousin Antonio and his wife Anna. 

(*Technical editorial - I tried to add the video but I could not get it to work so I have loaded it on YouTube and have inserted the link  - let's hope this works)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW2dX-N1Xhc&feature=plcp

We are now off to visit Angelina.  As we walk from one house to the next – maybe 5 blocks – we meet another cousin and her husband at the festival.  We visit briefly and continue our walk.  At Angelina’s we sit outside so we can enjoy the fireworks display going on directly across from her house.  Angelina is 81 and still remembers everything, which is fantastic.  She remembers dates and events better than anyone.  She is also my teacher for pasta making.  I tell her I will visit her again for another lesson. 

We decide to stay in the village for the band concert that will start at 10 p.m.  As we walk toward the concert we meet up with Cousin Antonio and others (more cousins).  The concert lasts until after midnight.  The band really didn’t play that long BUT after the very first number they took a break?!?!?!?  I came to realize there was a very important soccer match being played – Italy vs. England.  They had to stop and watch the ending in the local bar – seriously.  Thank goodness Italy won as who knows if they would have finished the concert if Italy had lost.  When the band returned to the stage they of course played the Italian National Anthem.  They love their soccer!!  So Italy is now in the semi-finals of the Euro Cup.  That in itself will be a story to write about in future blog updates. 

After the concert we gathered at the local bar to discuss an upcoming family gathering – I am not sure anything was decided as the Italian was flowing heavy and fast and I could not keep up.  I am sure Angela will tell me where I need to be and when.  In the meantime I need to go take a nap – I am tired from all the excitement!  I have also included a few photos of the beautiful festival lights in the village.