The Chalice
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From my understanding, The Chalice (Calice) is a group of small communities near Santa Maria, Italy, set like a bowl within the surrounding mountains. This is one of the first sights we saw when we arrived via train from the Cinque Terra to visit our friends Rick and Donna, 16 Hands cofounders/studio potters who live part of the year in Floyd and part in Italy.
This could be Virginia.
But it also could be The Alps.
Conversation goes well with an afternoon spread on the patio of Rick and Donna’s home. Also, Rick has the best music playlist.
I didn’t get any pictures of the magical dinner on their top deck with beer and paraffin wick lighting, where we ate Donna’s eggplant specialty and Mars, Jupiter and Venus brightened the sky like a holy trinity.
Meeting the neighbors. Donna speaks fluent Italian.
Other neighbors were making tomato sauce from garden grown tomatoes.
Some sell honey.
Joe found his people. Like Joe, Rick and Donna are walkers. We went up on the ridge for a 2 mile hike together.
Donna showed us one of her favorite places, a sacred well not unlike the ones Joe and I visited in Ireland.
The cows all wear bells and when you see a group grazing together they all ring loudly and randomly, maybe making the cows a little crazy, Rick wondered.
From the views in the Chalice you can see Tuscany … and the sea!
Conversation goes well on a hike too, but sometimes we just hold hands.
August 15th, 2018 7:34 am
This is great! Hiking is the best! So wonderful you were able to meet up with friends in Italy. The neighborhood seems so friendly too!