Friday, August 03, 2007
The previous photo was taken in 1981, this one in 2007.
My room is the french doors on the left on the 2nd floor.
Time warps
Recently I was on a business trip to Europe for two weeks. For all of you who think that sounds fun and glamorous, I assure you it really isn't. I will admit that it is intersting but it's stressful and lonely. I had too many appointments scheduled and didn't have any down time which was great for keeping the loneliness at bay; however, it really added to the stress.
But I digress, that is not what I was going to right about. I did have one weekend free and I was able to spend it with friend in Italy. While these friends have a primary residence near Milan, this weekend I was visiting them at their vacation home in Bratto, a small village in the Alps. It was in Bratto where I stayed with them as an exchange student back in 1981, but I have not been back to Bratto since then. I had visited my friends in the 26 years---I saw them in 2000, and again in 2003---so I had accepted that they themselves had changed and aged over the years. Back in 1981, the children in this family were 3, 7, and 8. Of course, today that makes them 29, 33, and 34. Two of them are married.
I don't really know what I expected of Bratto---that somehow it would be exactly the same? Maybe so. At least I guess I expected it to be less changed. But, in truth maybe it isn't as changed as immediately struck me.
Bratto is much bigger and busier than it was 26 years about. It seems more commercial--more shops and restaurants, and of course, a lot more traffic. I think I am remembering the sleepiness of the traffic accurately, but I could be less than accurate concerning the commercial aspect. As an exchange student in 1981, I did not have much for financial resources so I was not doing much shopping--there might have been more shops than I remember but since I didn't go to them, they never really registered.
Despite the increased hustle and bustle, the area right around their home seems very recognizable and familiar. The trees are bigger, there are a few more homes now, other places have been remodeled a bit, but for the most part, it is familiar. And as for their home, Villa Amelia, nothing has changed and that was a wonderful thing. It was stepping back 25 years. Fine, a few things had changed. They had remodeled the kitchen and made a slight change to the living room, the furniture in my old bedroom had been rearranged...but nothing too dramatic.
But I digress, that is not what I was going to right about. I did have one weekend free and I was able to spend it with friend in Italy. While these friends have a primary residence near Milan, this weekend I was visiting them at their vacation home in Bratto, a small village in the Alps. It was in Bratto where I stayed with them as an exchange student back in 1981, but I have not been back to Bratto since then. I had visited my friends in the 26 years---I saw them in 2000, and again in 2003---so I had accepted that they themselves had changed and aged over the years. Back in 1981, the children in this family were 3, 7, and 8. Of course, today that makes them 29, 33, and 34. Two of them are married.
I don't really know what I expected of Bratto---that somehow it would be exactly the same? Maybe so. At least I guess I expected it to be less changed. But, in truth maybe it isn't as changed as immediately struck me.
Bratto is much bigger and busier than it was 26 years about. It seems more commercial--more shops and restaurants, and of course, a lot more traffic. I think I am remembering the sleepiness of the traffic accurately, but I could be less than accurate concerning the commercial aspect. As an exchange student in 1981, I did not have much for financial resources so I was not doing much shopping--there might have been more shops than I remember but since I didn't go to them, they never really registered.
Despite the increased hustle and bustle, the area right around their home seems very recognizable and familiar. The trees are bigger, there are a few more homes now, other places have been remodeled a bit, but for the most part, it is familiar. And as for their home, Villa Amelia, nothing has changed and that was a wonderful thing. It was stepping back 25 years. Fine, a few things had changed. They had remodeled the kitchen and made a slight change to the living room, the furniture in my old bedroom had been rearranged...but nothing too dramatic.
Wedding Festivities
One of these days, I am going to get around to sorting through photos and I will do creative things like make up a Shutterfly photo book, sort them by groups, post them on a website, blah, blah, blah. For right now I would be happy just to sit down and take a good look at them.
What a fun day it was, though! Both Ian and I wanted it to be just a casual event with family and friends that was more about the guests than about us. I like to think that we accomplished that. It was an odd wedding though. We know that.
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