July 16, 2015

"Independence Day, Italian style...


So, ya know those "time hop" posts some make on Facebook?  Like "remember THIS from a prior year on THIS date?"  Even if you don't, trust me they exist.  The other day a member of my "Faux Fam" posted one of those.  And it TOTALLY took me off guard.  Because it involved me.  It was a photo of a trip to Tuscany we took SEVEN FREAKIN' YEARS AGO! How the heck did THAT happen?!?  Apparently time flies independent of whether I am having fun or not.  Which of course got me completely off track because I just HAD to go back and look at further photos from that trip And yes, yet again...the laundry didn't get done.  And since I am kinda uninspired by ANY of the photos I've been taking lately, I decided to go back and edit some from this particular trip from SEVEN FREAKIN' YEARS AGO.  When my family (both faux and real) ventured to a villa in Tuscany called "Il Rifugio".  In Cortona, of "Under the Tuscan Sun" fame.  This is what happens when I'm bored and use Google too much!  And this is why the Better Half breaks out in a cold sweat and puts a death grip on his wallet whenever he sees me on the computer.


"Il Rifugio"
Cortona, Italy



"Our Personal Wine Bistro with a View"
Il Rifugio







Seven freakin' years.  A LOT has changed in that time.  My Things have grown.  Family members have been added.  Family members have been lost. I did not even know what a blog was.  And I only had a "point and shoot" camera (ALL these photos are from that antiquated point and shoot). The Better Half was spending waaaaay too much time trying to talk me into stepping up my photography game.  It was annoying. It's even MORE annoying seven freakin' years later to have to admit he was right! Basically, it was the stone ages.  Not so surprisingly, I still liked wine.


"Golden Hour, Happy Hour"
Cortona, Italy


We were touring the Tuscan countryside for two weeks, using Il Rifugio as our home base.  Something I learned?  It was exhausting AND even a very young Thing #3 eventually got tired of pasta after two weeks.


"Got Pasta?"
Thing #3


So the Fourth of July couldn't have arrived at a better time.  We needed a break. We needed to relax. We needed a day to veg out, take a breath, enjoy each others' company AND the views we had been neglecting at Il Rifugio.




"Sisters"
Things #2 and #3






"The Better Half x 2"




"Poker and Wine"


And...we needed burgers.  We needed hot dogs.  Easier said than done in Tuscany.  Alas, burgers were a "no go".  But we did find a butcher who accommodated us with half a cow.  And we had an outdoor pizza oven that we commandeered for alternative purposes...




...and an amazing kitchen that up until Independence Day was gathering dust.  Well not totally, it was where we deposited our empty wine bottles on the counter.




"Friends Who Drink Wine Together"


So we celebrated Independence Day, Italian style.  Steak, hot dogs, panzanella and wine...








Alas, no fireworks when you are celebrating Independence Day in Italy.  Even better, the colors in the sky were provided by Mother Nature.  Who apparently speaks Italian.




"Nature's Fireworks"
Cortona, Italy


Perhaps the best Independence Day for moi to date!  No, DEF the best Independence Day even tho it was SEVEN FREAKIN' YEARS AGO.  And to that Faux Fam member who posted the particular "time hop" that prompted my trip down memory lane and this post...just so you know, your uncle broke out in a cold sweat and has a death grip on his wallet.  My wheels are turning AND yes...Google is involved.






Here's where I "link up" today



(Song-ography on Tuesdays.  Click on photo for a full description.)

17 comments:

  1. So it turned out that the photos from seven years ago were excellent. We did the same as you in Tuscany but only for a week and it is exhausting touring around every day. Your lunch looks divine by the way. I love that the kitchen bench was used to accumulate the empties :)

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  2. What a fun time hop!! Looks like you all had the best time!

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  3. ((HEAVEN)))
    I so enjoyed these superbly fabulous photos of Tuscany!
    Thank you for allowing me to live vicariously thru your adventure!

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  4. Oh wow! It's beautiful there....so are your daughters.

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  5. Wow, Kathy...what an amazing experience! Beautifully captured, of course!!

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  6. Great photos and everyone looks so relaxed and happy. I'm not sure that my children would ever tire of pasta, no matter how many weeks. Your Independence Day reminds me of all the times I attempted to recreate American holidays when we lived in Malaysia. Thanksgiving Turkeys were hard to find.

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  7. It speaks of a fantastic holiday..all those happy faces and delicious meals with many people around a big table! True Italian Style.

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  8. How fun to revisit great memories. Good luck with the pliers on that death-grip and google - and those point & shoots are case-in-point that it is not merely about the camera but the artist behind the viewfinder. Thanks for sharing.

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  9. What an amazing place! And what incredible photos. As Nicki says - definitely not about the camera...all about the person using it!

    Thank you for joining us for Photo Friday!

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  10. Hahaha - the death grip! Love it. And I can understand it. And see why. You need to go back with all the photography experience you gained in those seven years and take more of these gorgeous photos. Heck, I think you could pull it off with an iPhone these days :)
    Have a great weekend!

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  11. All I can say is WOW. And this was BEFORE you "stepped up your game" with photography? Amazing place, amazing photos!!!

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  12. Amaizing photographs and wish I could have been there. In fact, I felt I was

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  13. This looks heavenly! I can't even imagine what this must have been like in person. I'd venture to say you had the better 4th celebration that year. The food looks amazing!

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  14. These photos almost look unreal - like a postcard or a painting! You've certainly got me wanting to visit Italy!

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  15. I just came back from Italy recently and we visited Tuscany. This blog post was a really lovely reminder of how awesome it is there! Your photos are so beautiful, especially from a point and shoot 7 years ago! Wooowwww. Thanks for linking up with #WeekendWanderlust :)

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  16. These pictures are so beautiful! and make me miss my ability to say to myself, "we should go there next weekend" and actually be able to go.

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