Crazy and true

Well its crazy and its true - in 5 days time I leave Italy and embark on the next part of this Sacred Divine Journey - I am off to Bali until the 27th June. Its amazing how much I have experienced since arriving here on 30 March and that this time is nearly over. My last 4 1/2 days will be in Venice and I am so excited to explore this ancient city that I have dreamed about but before then I wanted to write and share what I have been up to since the 9th May. After Damanhur I went to Torino for 2 days and it was interesting for me how I didn't want to leave the energy and the magic that I experienced at Damanhur - and since then have found everything that is city orientated completely insignificant - its an intriguing space to be in. While in Torino I utilised my time to write and reflect on my Damanhur experience and then moved onto to Milano where I have spend the last 4 days with a friend whom I haven't seen for 23 years - a long time. His name is Che Kahlil Behr, and we met in Cape Town in the 1980's when I lived there with Nicole - its a lifetime ago and it has been really amazing to spend time with him and connect after so many years.

And we have had such a wonderful time - hanging out and sharing and talking - it was a completely different experience for me to have someone to talk to and share with after being alone for much of the past 48 days of my journey. What has been so wonderful is that we both didn't want to spend too much time in the city and so we spend 2 days out of Milan exploring such beautiful spaces and countryside - I am realsing again how much my Damanhur experience has shifted me and I just find that connecting and being in nature with all its incredible beauty is where I need to be - everything else feels unreal and out of place. 

Che and I met on Thursday evening and went to a wonderful Nepalese restaurant, drank a bottle of wine and ate exceptional food, and we connected. Afterwards we decided to go have a drink and by chance discovered a little bar tucked away which just happened to be Senagalese and was like stepping into Africa ! and there was a Djembe drum. I was so happy and got to play - yay !!! the drinks were served in plastic cups and the bar stools were made from wooden boxes with old carpeting on the top - this was so authentic and not Italian at all - it was wonderful. Che's fiance - Francesca is from Milan and her brother Tommy lives there. He and his lovely girlfriend Sara,  joined us.

 

Northern Italy's Lakes District, between Milan and the Alps, is part of the Italian region of Lombardy. Lake Como (Lago di Como in Italian) is a lake that takes on an inverted "Y" shape just a half hour north of Milan. Lake Como is the deepest lake and third largest lake in Italy. To discover this lake we took a train on Saturday to a town called Lecco - when reading on the internet the information was that this town is quiet and off the main tourist track and there is a ferry/boat that leaves each hour to take locals and visitors around the lake to discover medieval towns and villages. Well that is not quite how it panned out - beautiful Lecco is surrounded by the most amazing mountains and rock faces, but it was packed with teenagers - and yes the information was correct, not the main tourist route, but full of locals - and there was a Rural Festival happening along the water's edge so there were lots and lots and lots of people. 

     

We were so happy we were going on the boat to discover the other towns and mysteries but that was not to be as their Ferry Boat only runs on Sundays - that was so disappointing and again the language barrier and google translation seems to have been unclear - so what to do ? We went to a cocktail bar, Che was called an "arse-hole" in Italian by a grumpy proprietor who was irritated because he wasn't sure what the difference between a frozen and normal dacari is, and I ordered a Jamacian Julip which was a complete fruit salad in so much rum - by the end of our cocktail experience we didn't really mind what the proprietor called us and he changed into such a sweetheart - we had fun and drowned our sorrows.

Lake Maggiore, Lago Maggiore in Italian, is a the largest lake in Italy's Lake Region. Lago Maggiore is a popular lake just north of Milan and reaching clear into Switzerland. Che's future parents in law - Lino & Louise Lamantia live in a little town on Lago Maggiore called Porto Valtravaglia where they run a Pasticceria & Gelateria. We decided to visit them for Mother's Day and see the Lago - hopefully to get the ferry ride we had missed out. It was raining and chilly - a pleasant shift from the extreme heat for the 2 previous days and we caught 2 trains to Porto Valtravaglia and walked next the Lago Maggiore to get to the Pasticceria - it is so beautiful and so quiet and peaceful - such an idyllic village. And what a wonderful couple - they were so happy to see us and welcomed us with open arms and delicious munchies. It was so amazing to feel the love of family and connection and to witness my friend in the loving arms of this Italian family - I am happy for him and for them.

And we got our ferry trip - leaving from a town called Laveno- Mombello sailing to Intra and then changed Ferries and went on an adventure around the Lake to an island - Isola Bella (Beautiful Island) where we stopped for an couple of hours - wow it was so beautiful - ancient, filled with history, flowers and amazing trees and of course wonderful birds and ducklings (cuter than cute) - and then to land at Arona and a train ride back to Milan - it was a memorable day.

Our last night in Milan we went to the most amazing little restaurant - I booked accommodation in Milan in the next street to where Che was staying in a fantastic B&B called Cocoon run and created by an architect, Mia Buzzi (http://www.cocoonbb.com) and based on her information we went to Ciribogo. What a wonderful experience - the decor, the food, the menu and they cater for vegetarians, it was a wonderful experience which I loved especially when I could order a chalice of red wine (a glass :-) - they have no website but check out http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187849-d796149-Reviews-Ciriboga-Milan_Lombardy.html

       

My time with Che was great and amazing to get to know someone after so many years - it works out that he and Francesca will be in Bali at the same time as me, and I feel really happy to get to meet her.

And now here I am in the most beautiful town Vecenzia with its ancient and amazing architecture preparing for my last days in Italy and the magic and dreams of Venice. I have a huge amount of excitement within for the next part of my journey and what will be unfolding for me.  As I sit and reflect on my journey so far, where I have been, the amazing experiences I have had, the incredible people I have me, how difficult it was for me in the beginning and how much I miss home, my loved ones and drumming, and the shifts and changes that I am undergoing with my new awareness, I allow my heart to open and I feel absolutely supported and guided in what I am doing.  However it unfolds, is absolutely perfect and I am filled again with gratitude and awe for this adventure.

With love and blessings, until next time, Ciao.