we no speak americano.

Saint Pierre

Looking down on Saint Pierre

I went to Italy last weekend to visit Lisa and her family.. Saint Pierre is a small village nestled in Valle D'Aoste in the Alps. The weekend was, in one word, a whirlwind. I wish that I had had more time to.. adjust. I felt like I was consistently faced with the question of, "Are you okay?" I must have looked pretty wide eyed the entire time I was visiting, which I'm not sure translated into gratefulness.

I was in awe the entire four days. As the plane flew over the Alps on my way in to Turin I found myself reading one of my favorite verses in the bible and tearing up over how blessed I am to have been able to travel as much as I have in the passed few years.

Italian Alps

I was lucky enough to spend my first afternoon zooming around on Lisa's new moped with her - She's still deciding on a name for the silver beauty. After landing midday Lisa and I took to the streets and I got to see the local color. A couple hours on the moped and I was feeling a bit loopy so we stopped by La Chateau for an aperitif with Ciccio (Lisa's dad).

Friday we spent most of the afternoon on a white water rafting trip down a river that goes through the entire valley. No pictures yet, but there is a disc of rather unflattering moments captured during our journey. We went to Rhemes Notre-Dame for the evening and made a delicious meal of mushroom ravioli and cheese!

Toma cheese is my new favorite.

Halfway up.

Saturday was by far the best day I spent in Italy. Lisa insisted we hike to Rifugio Benevolo which is a summit in the Alps. We headed out from their chalet in Rhemes to climb to the top and despite a woozy head from the lack of oxygen I'm proud to say I made it all the way up! Rifugio houses hiking enthusiasts during their excursions in the Italian part of the Alps - my treat was easily the best lasagna I have ever consumed for lunch.

The Rockies don't compare to the tiny hamlets stuffed in every nook and cranny in the Alps. Even though I loved Colorado and would gladly go back, there was something magical about walking around villages that have been around since before the United States became a union. I was lucky enough to have Ciccio there telling me all sorts of interesting historical facts about the area too.

At the summit

My last day was kind of a blur. We spent most of the day at a family reunion for Ciccio's aunt and all his cousins, but my mind was focused on making it back to Timisoara safely. I did get to try some new cheese and grappa before we left for the airport which was cool though. I think a good time was had by all. Ming told me it was nice to have a fresh face around for a bit, and while Morphin frightened me in his stupor and I probably didn't say thank you enough, it was a necessary break and a blessing to be able to visit a place that has been so near to Lisa's heart her entire life. I'm really glad she was able to share a little bit of that with me.