Back from Magical Trip to Tuscany

I've been back a few days and figured I better write while it's all fresh. So much happens on a trip like the Y2Knit Experience Tuscany, and I find it hard to tell the story well enough to convince others of the magic.

Because we travel with our 87-year old mom, Jane, Jill and I forgo the train ride from Rome and instead are met by our friend and hired driver, Massimo, who drives like any good Roman, getting us out of the airport and to the A1 quickly. I mention this trip because I was so struck by Massimo asking us, "Do you still feel the magic when you return to Montisi?" (read that with an Italian accent)

Jill and I both replied that we do still feel the magic. When we returned for our third trip last year, I wondered if I would feel the same excitement and enchantment of this tiny medieval village. I had a lot going on and wasn't sure those emotions would rise in me again. On the drive from Rome, especially once we began to see the Tuscan countryside, I felt as Massimo said he does, "like Alice in Wonderland". This year the countryside was full of sunflower farms, golden heads bowing to the sun. Glorious wonderland.

Montisi, the magical village, is home to about 325 people. This year, being August, more were visiting, so the place was quite lively. The first week it was hot, so the streets were full of people late into the night while we waited for apartments and bedrooms to cool down. Even the small children were up with their parents, having napped throughout the day.

For us, connecting with the people we know is part of the magic. Massimo cooked lunch while we caught up with his partner, Liz Cochrane, a local artist. Liz taught a color class to the knitters each week and also some private painting lessons. Over the first couple days, we run into more familiar faces and are constantly reminded of how good is to be back.

One of the familiar faces was one of the Y2Knit participants, Mary Jane Escobar. MJ came to Montisi two years ago and stayed with us for two weeks. This time, she wanted the experience to be different, so she asked us if she could teach local children to knit. A natural extension of her life in Virginia, where she teaches kids in after school programs and craft shops to knit, this seemed like a wonderful opportunity. Being August, the kids were out of school and it was warm enough to hold classes outside in a convenient location.

Liz helped get the word out and 8-12 kids attended classes each day. Irma, 81, joined the group too, renewing her knitting skills. This was a wonderful experience and reminder of how knitting can bring us together.