Socks Tied In A Knot....

Thursday 11, September: We went to Florence today to do the official paperwork at the American Consulate. On the drive there (beautiful Tuscan hills by the way), Annie comments that she has called several times to be sure the Consulate will be open, since it is 9-11 and there might be some sort of observance. I ask do we have an appointment?...oh no, you can't make an appointment, it is first come first serve....oh that would be why we are flying down the hill at dawn without the benefit of coffee! We arrive in time (and one piece), take our place in line, only to learn...yes...by appointment only!!!! Annie is wildly waving her hands and Francesco is glaring from across the street. I am able to understand alot of "I can't"s and "emergency"s and finally we are allowed in. Well, allowed in after I emptied the backpack of every impliment and electronic device we had brought to Italy (who knew!!)...yes including knitting needles!!! We swore our offical oaths, got the apporpriate papers stamped and headed out. Before heading back to Volterra we had tripe panini and some totally amazing gelato (see Grom gelato!!!). The rest of the gang arrived around 6 and the fun began! We had a wonderful dinner and a lot of laughing about everyones adventures while we were apart.

Friday, 12 September: We all spent the day looking at the ruins and touring the town to show everyone why we love Volterra! And of course...shopping, shopping and then of course, shopping! It sprinkled a little today, but eveyone says it's going to be clear tomorrow.

Saturday, 13 September: Italian lesson for the day: "Sposa bagnata, sposa fortunata" Everyone is telling me...Sposa bagnata, sposa fortunata (Francesco says that everyone says that just so the bride won't cry). It is not raining it is POURING!! We poncho-up and go and look for a black umbrella...I'm thinking that our wedding attire is casual but maybe a poncho, while red, is a little too casual for the occasion. We find a lovely umbrella at the outdoor market and all is well. We just relax and plan on getting ready leasurly at 3. I go to shower...no hot water! Evidentally the plumbing doesn't work so well when it rains! That's ok, minor glitch Jim says, don't worry everything will be fine...plug in the blow drier and that's what it does...blow up! Actually it will work but only in the plug next to Jim's side of the bed...nowhere near a mirror or mirror like object...so much for the hair! I'll just curl it with the curling iron my mom had to buy earlier (a similar electrical reaction to plugging in her US version!)...it heats to about the temperature level of Alaska...Jim says its OK, it's raining again so in two minutes you'll look like a drowned rat anyway, but the flowers I ordered in italian are pretty (and don't include any Peperoncini as was feared earlier)! The photographer arrives (in the rain) and takes a few pictures...and the clouds part and the sun shines for the walk to the City Hall.

The ceremony was beautiful (I will include copies of the poems Jim wrote in the next blog). Everyone cried and it was perfect! The entire ceremony is in Italian and Annie then translates each part as they go. (Jim didn't realize that part of Italian Civil Code 143 requires that he lives with me....) Jim claims he received bad legal advise from his attorney/uncle, Giacomo Simonelli, who just told him to reply "Si" to every question. And at the end of it all....Annie introduced Mr. and Mrs. Leonardini!! The photographer walked us all over Volterra (he took 280 photos...about 265 more that Jim has had taken in his entire life!!) and then we went to dinner.

The dinner (if you can call it that...don't just see "Big Night" watch it twice!!) was at Ristorante Enoteca Del Duca. There was a Prosecco toast with antipasti in the Ingresso. Then when we were seated a traditional antipasti plate with wine was served, followed by pennetti arriabiata, gnocchi con tartufo, more wine, bistecca fiorentina and wild boar with Tuscan white beans and roasted potatoes and more wine, and finally, four hours later, the traditianal wedding torte with, yes, more wine, a dessert moscato! We left the ristorante and walked back to our hotel...using our new umbrella for the first time.

Sunday 14, September: No one ate breakfast...not even Uncle Jim, who ALWAYS eats!! To work off last night's caloric catastrophy...we went shopping! Uncle Jim took Jan, Bill, Pam and Rose to Siena and then home by way of Siena (50km there...70kms back).."that was the longest god@**# 50km I ever drove!!!" Everyone spent the afternoon tying to figure out how to get everything back home on the plane. We had dinner at the local wine bar La Vena Di Vino...singing, drinking and way too much fun (Rose danced like an Egyptian!). We said our thank yous and our good-byes since we will leave early in the morning for our Honeymoon in the Cinque Terra.