Dessert in Italy

November 5, 2014

This is David writing;  Kathy and I got home safely on Monday, November 3 from a delightful week in Italy--an extension we funded ourselves to celebrate (belatedly) our 30th anniversary.  A few highlights of that week:

--10+ miles of walking in Rome to see the major sites over two days

Piazza Navona in Rome

--an afternoon coffee/dessert meeting in Florence with musical colleagues David had met in Korea at the World Symposium on Choral Music in August.  We talked with Federico (a conductor) and Leonardo (an opera singer),  directors of a choral festival in Florence.  We talked about possible collaborations in the future.  The delightful conversation led to Leonardo hosting us at a friend's restaurant for the most fabulous meal we have had in our lives (seven courses, with plenty of prosecco and Chianti)--complete with conversations with the Italian neighbors and friends in this popular, small neighborhood restaurant:

Leonardo, Kathy, and David feasting on Florentine cuisine

--Worship on Sunday, November 2 (All Soul's Day) at the San Marco Basilica in Venice, where we by chance met a group of St. Thomas University students--including one that David had worked with last year when subbing for their director.

San Marco Basilica in Venice

 This week was a real gift to us--a real vacation when we didn't have an agenda or responsibilities (just to get to the next place, which is always an adventure in travel)--but truly a dessert and decompression for us before returning home.