L'arte di non fare niente

If you found your way across the ocean today and flung open our bright green shudders I might be a tad ashamed at what you would find.  Both of us sprawled out on our yellow comforter with two books and a bottle of coke.  I think we're trying to find a balance but some days we wander out at ten and weave in and out of bakeries eating as many varieties of la bouche con crema as we can find before coming home to take a nap.  Ben and I have our own rhythm when we travel and except for that time I got food poisoning in Moab and had to spend the night in a campground outhouse before being hospitalized, we are usually on the same page.
 We're a good one part food, one part adventure and one part blank page.  And without ever really having the conversation, we know it is important to both of us that we get to experience community.  That is one if the things we love most about levanto.  People are very welcoming here and within a few days you get beautiful glimpses into family life and Italian culture.  It feels like a unique privilege.
On Sunday we found ourselves on the winding street up to the local church.  All the grandmas we're in their best church clothes with beautiful dark haired grand babies in tow.  There are no English speaking services here but it isn't difficult to follow along with the program and it is especially moving when singing the hallelujah chorus in unison.  Had we inherited a great sum of money we would have flown out a hundred of our closest friends and family to get married at this church.  Although secretly at night since we're not catholic or Italian.

At the heart of levanto is a large piazza where all kinds of events are held from operas to circuses to small concerts.  Two nights ago we decided to to attend what we thought was a concert.  We found our seats and waited for it to begin.  There was a large heart constructed on the stage so when the first couple came out we thought maybe it was a dating game.  Finally we realized it was a talent show for local performers.  The older Italian man who hosted was hilarious and some of the acts were pretty funny (like the teenage girl who sang One Direction) but in between the acts the band would lead the audience in a song.  You can tell it is a very close knit community and it gave me chills to hear them sing in unison.  And they even put the words on a large screen so we could sing along, so now I am sure that we are a deep embarrassment to our homeland.