The "Day After the Wedding" Parties

Believe it or not, after such a full day on Saturday, you would think everyone would crash on Sunday.  But not on this wedding weekend.  Our hosts had planned every minute to the fullest to keep us entertained.  We started with a 9 o’clock breakfast at Sergey and Elena’s villa.  More chances to visit and get to know the guests, as well as enjoy the cooking skills of Elena, Katya and Sergey.  And one more chance to enjoy that great view!

We could see Mt Etna in the distance, but couldn’t tell if that was clouds or smoke rising from the volcano.  Holly and Brett arrived to tell us it was definitely smoke.  They had seen the fire and lava spilling from the crater when they were out in the early hours that morning.  That didn’t stop our group however.  At ten o’clock we all boarded a bus and headed up the mountain.

Our guide explained that while part of the mountain was shut down due to recent activity, there would still be places to see.  We enjoyed the ride, especially since we were not the ones doing the driving.  

True to our promise, we did not touch our car the whole time we were in Taormina, nor did anyone else.  It was fun finding our way through the quaint village streets and everything was within a few blocks of our villa.  Yes, there were lots of steps and narrow passageways to navigate, but all that was nothing compared to maneuvering a car.

The bus reached the gondolas that would take us to the point we could climb the mountain.  We shared the ride with two of our favorite companions. 

It was there we first realized we were entering a ski area, not a hiking trail.  

We stepped out of the restaurant long enough to snap a few pictures and assure ourselves that hiking in our rubber soled shoes was probably not the best idea on packed snow.

Here are a few pics of that experience.

However, it didn’t take us long to realize, to be safe and enjoy the rest of our trip, we should get back on the gondola and head for the bus.

When we arrived back in Taormina, we had one hour to change and meet at the restaurant where Tatyana had arranged for us to participate in a pasta making class before dinner at an intimate little restaurant that was filled completely inside and out with our group. 

The chef and his aspiring students gathered in groups of five to don our appropriate attire for the class that was about to begin

First, he took great care to instruct us in the art of pasta making.

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Next, we cut ravioli and filled each with the spinach and ricotta mixture.

Was this really a cooking class for us, or a discreet way for Tatyana to begin her duties as "housewife" in true Italian style?

After all the kitchen fun, we were served the same dish as we prepared.  But to be safe, this dish was made by the chef. Tatyana, do you approve?

The evening ended with good-byes and hugs all around and we walked to our villa in pouring rain to pack for our return home.  Again, all part of the experience.

Sicilian Wedding Day

Ron and I have been known to bend over backwards to attend any wedding we are invited to.  We love being part of the guest list at a friend's wedding and have traveled great distances to be there if we are able.  But this Sicilian wedding of our Russian daughter and her Lithuanian fiance can only be described as most memorable in every way.

The wedding was held in the village of Taormina on the southern coast of Sicily.  By all accounts, a most charming location with its narrow, cobblestone streets and breathtaking views.

 

 After a look around our daytime surroundings and a visit with Holly and Brett, I decided to join the ladies at the hair and makeup for the wedding party.  Although not officially invited, I felt I would be welcome as they always make me feel like part of the family.  Since we arrived so late the evening before, I thought it might be my only chance to visit with the bride.  I popped in unexpectedly, but Tatyana already had a clue I was coming and she rushed from her makeup chair to give me a big hug.  The same came from her mother, Elena and cousin, Nastya, and of course, my Holly.  I met a few other girls who were undergoing the magical transformation as well.  Witnessing the entire scenario was something I wouldn't wan to miss.  The dress, the shoes, the flowers, the photographers, all seemed to be perfectly in place.

Here are some of my favorite shots:  Tatyana gives her opinion to her pretty mother, Elena, in the hairdo chair,  while Nastya gets makeup by the window. 

Three of the beautiful women in the bridal party.   These are her American sister, Holly, her cousin and maid of honor, Nastya, and her best friend from childhood, Diana.  You can see for yourself how lovely they are.  Wish I could share pictures of all the special women who were there for Tatyana.











These are some of my favorite shots of Tatyana.  Once she got her dress on, she posed by the window for the photographer to do his thing.

Next she took some time to gather her thoughts and jot them down as they would be part of the vows she and Rustom  repeated to each other. 

Then, she gathered up her poufie skirt and scurried out the door to meet Rustam for photos of the couple together.  Isn’t she the beautiful bride?

Finally, it was time for the ceremony to begin.  We gathered in the wedding hall where the ceremony would take place.  The official who would marry them took her place. 

Olga, Tatyana’s sister-in-law, with her one-year-old daughter, Barbara, were there, as were the cute American couple on the bride’s side. 

And last, but not least, the nervous groom took his place waiting for his bride..

This one’s a bit fuzzy, but shows the happiness on the faces of Tatyana and her father as he walked her down the aisle.

After the official read the articles governing marriage in Italy, we left the wedding hall and waited for the bride and groom to appear.  They came down the steps to the traditional shower of rice and flower petals and we headed to the reception. 

The reception was held in a hotel a short walk away.  First, we rode the glass elevator to the roof for toasts and traditional Russian wedding  rituals.  Waiting for the elevator gave us a chance to get our picture made with the bride and groom.

Elena, Sergey and Olga presented the couple with a loaf of bread of which they were to partake.  Olga sang a lovely folk song as part of the ceremony.

The sky, the city, the water viewed from the rooftop and the great, glass elevator  were spectacular.  I couldn’t resist photographing my other favorite couple at the wedding..

After that we enjoyed a lovely five course dinner in the elegant dining room.  For the next five hours we experienced a little bit of every country represented through the toasts, skits, songs, dances, stories, gifts, and other traditions.  The most prevalent one was the chant from the crowd, “Gor-kuh! Gor-kuh! Gor-kuh!” much like our tradition of ringing a bell to encourage the newlyweds to kiss again and again.

We were very honored to be asked to sit at the “parents’ table” with Tatyana’s parents, Rustam’s parents, and Nastya’s mother.  They were such warm, lovely people that we couldn’t have enjoyed it more.  From time to time we interacted with the younger guests as we came to know each a bit from their participation in the celebration. 

At last, the cake was brought in and served to everyone—a delicious taste to top off the night.  By this time, it was after 11, and you might think the evening was coming to an end.  Oh no, it was only time to move the party to another location.  We all adjourned to a local nightclub for more dancing.  Ron and I made the scene there, but we didn’t last much past midnight.  Some of the guests (named Levanto) lingered until 3  or 4 in the morning.  This is just a small glimpse into a magical day that Ron and I will never forget.

Toll Booths, Tunnels, Hairpin-Curves and Parking Places

Every day is an adventure.  And every day the adventure has to do with driving.  People questioned whether we really wanted to rent a car in Italy.  We decided to anyway.  I won't say it was a mistake, but it has definitely taken a front seat, so to speak.  We try to plan our trips ahead of time, but there are always surprises, even with google maps, a GPS, and instructions from friendly Italians.  The GPS has become our new best friend.  We trust it, above all else, to get us to our destination eventually.

Most car trips this week have been less than one hour . . . just getting us to the landmark we want to visit and back again.  This always includes multiple stops at toll booths, fishing for coins, and hoping we are going the right way.  Nothing is easy when cars and motorcycles are whizzing by in all directions and pedestrians think nothing of walking out in the middle of traffic.

Today's adventure centered around a 9 hour car trip.  We started at our hotel in Sorrento and drove along the famous Amalfi Coast for the first two hours,  then hopped over to the main highway leading to Messina where the ferry crosses to Sicily.

The Amalfi Coast was everything we expected and more.  Breathtaking views, amazing cliffs covered in quaint villages, and narrow hairpin curves to make the heart beat faster.  We are glad we did it, but as Ron said,  "This is driving by faith."  You cannot see what is ahead, and you hope there will be a space wide enough for you to get through.  Once, there wasn't and we had to back up on the narrow road, so a bus could get by. (seen here)

Leaving the natural beauty behind, we opted for the quick route to the tip of the toe of Italy.  We made good time.  The reason there are no hairpin curves on this highway is there are numerous tunnels through the mountains.  At one point I think over 50% of our drive time was spent in tunnels.  We made good time by going the speed limit of 130 km per hour (80 mph in US terms).

Finally, we found the ferry we needed to take us to Sicily, so we were feeling pretty proud of ourselves. Well, our friend the GPS had other plans.  It seems the winding multilevel streets of Taormina were too much for this satellite.  He kept us going in circles for about 1 1/2 hours without locating the villa.  We tried to stop and ask directions, but didn't find many friends.  At last, a shop keeper had mercy on us and called the owner of the villa who came and rescued us, leading us home at last.

Our car is now parked for the weekend.  I am happy to say we plan to walk everywhere in Sicily and give that baby a rest.  By the way, parking is a whole 'nother story.  I actually had to jump out and claim this parking place until Ron could maneuver the car around to take it.  I'm giving myself credit for holding the place while stopping traffic for him to back up a one way street.

We didn't get to meet Tatyana's guests since we arrived so late tonight.  Holly made it.  She said when people asked if her parents were ok.  She said,  "Sure, my parents are very religious.  They drive like they want to meet God sooner rather than later."