What would you do with the money if you won the lottery?  One friend claims winning the lottery is her retirement plan.  As for me, I would set up the Get A Life Foundation and serve as its executive director.  Proceeds would fund friends' visits to Italy, to get a life.

Until that happy day, we are happy to find our way to Tuscany each year and work on living Italian style.  If you forego city hotels for rural agriturismo accommodation, it's cheaper to live in Italy for three weeks than it does to stay at home. 

This year, family and friends totaled 20, including Rogier and Esther's bambino, Gjs.  For a few photos, see the album for Italy 2009.

The 2009 cultural highlight was the della Robbia exhibit in Arezzo.  Never really focused on just how many artists named della Robbia there were until now.  The ubiquitous glazed terra cotta sculptures were produced by three generations of artists, losing favor only when oil painting emerged the winner in the arts and crafts wars.

The real find was getting to the Bialetti store in Florence when it was aperto! Difficult to find gaskets for 10-cup Bialetti coffee pots at home so Bill brought his pot with him to make sure we got the right size.  We later discovered the Bialetti outlet store at our exit off the A1--the only real shopping we did besides the local markets. 

And, most importantly, we finally learned why the sunflower fields of Tuscany are disappearing--the government subsidy was eliminated! Photographers now must settle for endless golden fields interrupted by roads lined by cypress.  Such a tragedy.

Originally posted @ Ann Oliveri