Twenty Years of Tuesdays

 exquisite medieval stone work in Ascoli Piceno

Todi in April

“Sorry, I can’t come to that appointment on Tuesday – any other day is fine.”   “Sorry, I need Tuesday to be my free day from teaching.”  “Sorry, Michael needs the Monday – Wednesday – Friday slot for his tennis and swimming lessons.”  “Sorry, you can’t make that delivery on Tuesday – any other day is fine.”

And so it went…. More and more Maurizio’s business appointments, my high school teaching and tutoring, the childrens’ sports and music lessons dominated our every day  – weekends included.  School was six-days a week, every Sunday was Scouts’ Day. We were suffocating –  seven days a week with rarely a day for ourselves – or, at best, a day that was free only at the last minute…too late to make plans.

Something had to be done!  We set aside Tuesdays.  Twenty Years of Tuesdays.  Tuesday was our day – a day to use for our delight!  We vigilantly kept Tuesdays free – refused and avoided making any and all appointments for that day.   With advance planning we delighted in exploring new places, revisiting favorites, finding amazing country restaurants, attending special art exhibitions, visiting remote abbeys in idyllic settings, hiking, fishing for trout in a mountain stream, visiting lesser-known museums in small towns, traipsing across fields armed with our cameras in search of that perfect photo, enjoying a relaxed picnic by a frolicking creek, sampling regional culinary specialties, exploring fascinating Roman and Etruscan ruins, browsing flea and antique markets, or wandering blissfully and aimlessly…always on the lookout for what was unique to the various places!   We touched areas of the Marche, Tuscany as well as distant corners of Umbria – myriad places suitable for day trips – less far-ranged on shorter winter days – broader choices of itineraries on longer days.  Heavenly!

wandering, wondering and meandering down mysteriously enticing paths

stumbling upon an unexpectedly fresco-rich country church near Gavelli

Classmates’ parents generously offered to pick up the children at school, including them for lunch, homework and play time…and upon occasion, even for dinner.

exploring a remote area of Umbria on an early spring day near Due Torri

the excitement of coming across a remote and intact church from the year 980 near Caso

Twenty Years of Tuesdays – pure delight and happy memories!