Simioni del Mondo! It's a small world after all!

 Mattia meets Veronica in Greece..... OMG!

We are back in the USA for just a few days when Mattia Simioni writes me from Greece where he is working for the summer.  He is from Rick's father's hometown of Castelfranco Veneto.  

He tells me this story:  At his hotel a girl checks in who ends up working with him.  Her last name is Simioni too so they start up a conversation. She live about 2 hours from his town.  She happens to mention that she had recently met some Simionis from the USA who came to visit.  

He replies:  You don't mean Nancy & Rick Simioni do you???  She says "YES!!!" And he tells her how we had just visited HIS family!

In Greece!  It IS a small world after all!
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Returning to the lakes: Maggiore & Como, with Lucas & Elena

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Florence

Michealangelo:

Pinocchio was everywhere.  Rick finally asked, in some basic Italian, why.  Well, it turns out the author of "Pinocchio" lived in Florence.

Speaking of books and Florence, we both read the true story "The Monster of Florence" by American author Douglas Preston.  It was very very interesting.  The book ended up being more about the legal system in Italy, and, relates directly to the Amand Knox case.  Read it all the way through if you can.

With the very narrow roads, some trucks are as small as motorcycles!


The Florence Duomo

http://goitaly.about.com/od/florenceitaly/a/florence-duomo.htm

And, a little side trip to Pisa (we just had to!)

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Bologna with Cippi

Rainy Rainy Rainy.   dang.  enough already!!!

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Lucas, Elena, Sergio... Simionis By The Lakes

 

We have visited so many fabulous places with Elena and Lucas.  Here are a few more.

and then to Lucas' cousin Sergio's.  Cavona is the smallest village I've ever seen.  Very old, and really spooky in a thunder and lightening storm!  ;)

and then, this little village of only 200 people has this museum:

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Bello Asolo

We took an afternoon trip up to this little, beautiful, mountain village.  The "Giro d'italia" would be coming through a few days later.

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Cittadella/Salvatronda/Castelfranco.... Birthday/Anniversary....

May 5 - Cittadella - Carlo/book/simioni strada with Gabriele

Simionis everywhere!

May 6 - priest: found desiderio(s); train to Treviso
Birthday party!

A good old-fashioned, down the basement, loud and fun birthday dinner with 6 homemade pizzas and 3 other Simioni families!
We may be related to the former NHL player Mario Simioni!

May 7 - castelfranco mercato; cemetary; back to emanuele's for dinner

No relatives here that we know of.  They move the bodies after 30 years!


May 8 - Basso?   dinner at Gabriele's?
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Finding Desiderio - Going to Castelfranco, Veneto, Italy

Having a fantastic time, and cannot keep up with the blogging....  see Facebook for now.

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Oscar, Annalisa, Silvia, and Federica Simioni - Cartigliano, Italy

Silvia is one of my most active Facebook Simioni friends.  We have connected with her family too, through her.  Last year her father, mother, sister, and Silvia, drove 7 hours to meet us for the first time -- in Rome.

This time they drove a half hour to pick us up in Thiene (where we were for the wedding) and took us down to Venice for the afternoon.  We went to a small, off the tourist route, seafood restaurant where they brought out platters of food for 2 and a half hours!  It was incredible.  We enjoy this family, but sure wish we could communicate more!  Only Silvia speaks both languages fluently. (Although, young Federica is coming along with her English quite well when no one else is listening!)  What a meal!  What fun!  

Then we went to walk around Venice and the rain started....  it got cold and windy too.  Little did we know we'd have rain off and on for the nest 17 days!

Annalisa is so sweet too -- but now try to imagine me with her for 4 hours and not being able to have a conversation on our own!  Still, we laughed a lot, and even spent the night at their home.  At Silvia's request, I made them an American breakfast:  eggs and toast!

We Skype with them now and then, but only if Silvia or Federica are there to help us.

Silvia Simioni and Nancy

Above, Oscar Simioni and Rick.

Below, at the restaurant in Venice.

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Simioni Wedding In Thiene, Italy

So many Simionis, so little time!

We really enjoyed meeting Simionis from Thiene, Italy!

We were invited to the wedding of Elias Lorenzin and Diego Simioni.

Rick, Roberto, Diego, Elisa, Nancy, Francesco

We stayed two nights at the home of Roberto and his family: Guila, his daughter was my first Thiene Simionis Facebook friend, then Roberto.  Eventually, I became friends with many of the cousins.  Unfortunately, Giulia was not home this weekend, but at work in the USA!  New York City.  

 Elisa and Diego

 Many Simioni Cousins! (but none related to Rick.)

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Italy! In Search of Desiderio.

Our long awaited trip to Rick's father's hometown has begun.

We arrived safely in Milan and spent a day and a half adjusting to the time change and seeing a few of the sites.  The best was the view and architecture at the top of their Duomo!

More Photos on Facebook.

Then, the train to Vicenza, and on to the Simionis of Thiene and the wedding of Elisa and Diego.
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