Dear family and friends,

Amazing to think that four months have passed in Europe and we are beginning to plan our return home. The boys are nearing the end with their cyber school program and I have completed my residency art projects. I have written a proposal for the 2010 NCECA conference comparing the studios I worked and have posted that synopsis in our travel blog.

Our agenda is to travel to the Adriatic Sea and east coast of Italy for a few days of beach time before visiting Venice. We are planning to travel along the coast of the Mediterranean as far west as Barcelona with a few stops in places like Cannes before heading north via Paris, London and Amsterdam. We have a July 15th deadline to return the Volvo to Gothenburg but are estimating that it should only take 3 or 4 weeks for the drive so we are thinking we should be back home by the end of June. But then again, we thought we were only going to spend 4 or 5 days in Rome and spent almost two weeks.

We truly miss our family and friends but the cobblestone streets and wandering amongst buildings from the 12th century has not gotten old. Susan and I will certainly miss our stroll after lunch each day to the local cafe for a cappuccino. We will miss sharing with the boys a simple dinner prepared in our apartment each night or the occasional two hour version in a local restaurant. The boys won’t miss watching movies on the computer cuz they don’t understand the local TV.

But most of all, we are going to miss some of the genuine friendships we have developed here. From Massimo and Marianna in Reggio Calabria who welcomed us into the Chindemi family with home cooked dinners and help locating Susan’s relatives. To Sally and Roberto in Tuscany who not just helped get us access to the Uffizi Museum and Medici Library but prepared 3 hour dinners so we could share conversation with their college aged sons. Or Sally (who teaches English in the 15th century building they filmed “Room with a View”) taking Susan into all the little used clothes shops in Florence. I will forever have etched in my memory the farewell lunch setup in the studio at Scuola d’Arte Ceramica prepared by the young artist from Greece where following another 2 hour meal folks sat around the table and recited poetry in their native language (I did Collin’s “Horizon”) then Maestro Romano Ranieri played guitar and sang Italian love and folk songs. Special times in a special place.

We look forward to hugs and the Italian kiss on each cheek from each any everyone this summer when we host our annual clam bake in August. Do drop a note and let me know you have received this cuz some folks are reporting spam filters blocking my emails from Europe. Thanks.

Ciao……………………frank