The Holidays

I know it is a little late for a holiday post, but there was enough going on that I felt I needed to share a little of that season with you.

We attended several dinners and parties at friends’ houses. I think they took pity on us. We attended a dinner at Paola and Gianfranco’s house before Christmas (Natale in Italian), where we played games and ate and drank and made merry. On Christmas Eve we were invited to dine with our friend’s (Stefano) aunt and uncle Paola and Maurizio, who have also become good friends. Christmas Day was spent at Stefano’s mother’s house where we had another wonderful meal and met new friends. New Year’s Eve we celebrated again with Paola and Gianfranco at a restaurant in their home town of Novoli just a few miles from Lecce. And then on New Year’s Day we went to the Adriatic coast with Stefano and his lovely partner, Sally, for the view and an incredible meal at an out-of-the-way restaurant near the Adriatic. In the recounting of the events, I cannot stress enough the warmth and inclusion of the people here. We were invited into their home and treated like family, and most have only known us a few months. Their generosity and openness is truly wonderful and we appreciate and value it greatly.

Nativity scenes (Presepe in Italian) are spotted nearly everywhere. Every home we went into had a small one of their own:

While we were in Malta I found this ornate one in a cathedral:

A city in the US could probably not get away with this (you know, the war on Christmas and all), but in the ancient Roman amphitheater of Lecce, they built a full-sized replica of Bethlehem. Like most that we saw, it is peopled by not only the standard characters, but many locals also. Here are some views of not only the construction (yes, those are real stone houses). but some of the characters, the scene in the snow and at night:

Scenes around town and elsewhere:

Piazza Sant’Oronzo at night

Holiday market

Small restaurant and the owner had a guitar, Maurizio played and sang

Yes, we got snow

New Years Eve in Novoli with about 30 other people:

Dressed up for the evening

Gianfranco, Paola and their lovely daughter, Camilla

God help us, this is the village undertaker

Holly, Camilla and Paola

Selfies are big everywhere

New Year’s Day on the Adriatic with Stefano and Sally:

Stefano, Sally and me with the Adriatic in the background

Path to the lighthouse

The rest of the crew

The lighthouse

Sally and Holly

The Adriatic. They say on a clear day you can see Albania, I have yet to have proof.

The restaurant

For Holly’s birthday we went to Bari (the largest city in Puglia with a population of about 315,000). Bari’s patron saint is Saint Nicholas and the Basilica di San Nicola is one of its big attractions not only for tourism but also as a pilgrimage site. In its crypt lies the purloined remains (or relics if you chose) of good old St. Nick (taken from a site in what is now Turkey somewhere in the 11th century for “safe keeping”). That is correct, Santa Claus is buried here.