In May, I had the good fortune to spend a week hiking in Umbria with a very dear girlfriend. We met when we were 14 and remained tight all through high school and some years beyond. Life took us in different directions but our bond held, bolstered by yearly birthday calls, visits when I headed back south, and in recent years more frequent phone calls, texts and emails. We had a total blast. giggling, laughing, talking long into the night. Lots of deep listening, great wine, and delicious pastas. Re-entering our teen selves as the wise women we are today felt so solid. A total gift.
P.S.
Night had settled in by the time Karen and I walked back from dinner in town to the agriturismo where we were staying. Fireflies twinkled everywhere. We made a delightful observation: Italian fireflies blink at half-note speed. Blink-blink-blink-blink-blink! It makes perfect sense. Italy is a felicitous, bubbly country. The people are warm and vibrant. To my ear, spoken Italian sounds like champagne. So why wouldn’t Umbria’s fireflies twinkle at a quicker pace than their whole-note American cousins who flicker Blink. Blink. Blink. Blink. Blink.
photo: Debra Darvick
photo: the very cute waiter who brought us our Aperol spritzes