Evita Peron’s burial site at La Recoleta Cemetery…A movie to remember…Comments for our 2000th post…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
We could see we’d found Evita’s family crypt.

The first mausoleum most visitors rush to see upon their arrival at La Recoleta Cemetery is Evita Perón, the first lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death from cancer in 1952.  We were no different than others and excitedly rushed to her site as soon as we discovered where it was located.

Here is information about Evita from this site:

“In this Argentine name, the family name is Duarte, and for married women, the married name is Perón.
Eva Perón
Eva Perón Retrato Oficial.jpg
First Lady of Argentina
In-office
4 June 1946 – 26 July 1952
President Juan Perón
Preceded by Conrada Victoria Farrell
Succeeded by Mercedes Lonardi (1955)
President of the Eva Perón Foundation
In-office
8 July 1948 – 26 July 1952
Preceded by Position established
Succeeded by Delia Parodi
Personal details
Born Eva María Duarte
7 May 1919Los Toldos, Argentina
Died 26 July 1952 (aged 33)Buenos Aires, Argentina
Resting place La Recoleta Cemetery
Political party Justicialist Party
Peronist Feminist Party
Spouse(s) Juan Perón (1945–1952)
Signature
Eva María Duarte de Perón (7 May 1919 – 26 July 1952) was Argentine President Juan Perón (1895–1974) and First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until she died in 1952. She is usually referred to as Eva Perón or Evita.
She was born in poverty in the rural village of Los Toldos, in the Pampas, as the youngest of five children. At 15 in 1934, she moved to the nation’s capital of Buenos Aires to pursue a career as a stage, radio, and film actress. She met Colonel Juan Perón there on 22 January 1944 during a charity event at the Luna Park Stadium to benefit the victims of an earthquake in San Juan, Argentina. The two were married the following year. Juan Perón was elected President of Argentina in 1946; during the next six years, Eva Perón became powerful within the pro-Peronist trade unions, primarily for speaking on behalf of labor rights. She also ran the Ministries of Labor and Health, founded and ran the charitable Eva Perón Foundation, championed women’s suffrage in Argentina, and founded and ran the nation’s first large-scale female political party, the Female Peronist Party.
In 1951, Eva Perón announced her candidacy for the Peronist nomination for the office of Vice President of Argentina, receiving tremendous support from the Peronist political base, low-income and working-class Argentines referred to as descamisados or “shirtless ones.” However, opposition from the nation’s military and the bourgeoisie, coupled with her declining health, ultimately forced her to withdraw her candidacy.[1] In 1952, shortly before her death from cancer at 33, Eva Perón was given the title of “Spiritual Leader of the Nation” by the Argentine Congress.[2][3][4] She was given a state funeral upon her death, a prerogative generally reserved for heads of state.
Eva Perón has become a part of the international popular culture,[5][page needed] most famously as the subject of the musical Evita (1976).[6]Even today, Evita has never left the collective consciousness of Argentines.[3] Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, the first elected female President of Argentina, and many other leaders attest that women of her generation owe a debt to Eva for “her example of passion and combativeness.”  

A few evenings before we visited La Recoleta Cemetery, we downloaded and watched the famous movie about her life, Evita, starring Madonna.  The film, an adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, portrayed the story of her life as the often beloved countrywoman, still revered by many Argentines to this day.

Some of these flowers, left at her site, were fresh, while others were artificial.

There’s a lot of controversy about Eva Perón that continues to swirl around her memory, but we won’t get into that here. You can read about the debate over the movie here at this link. 

Instead, we saw the representation of her life and death at La Recoleta Cemetery as she was interred with other members of the Duarte family. It was interesting to see, but we’re aren’t into “celebrity” all that much. 

Our perception of “celebrity” is that “famous” people are just like us; they just happened to be in the right circumstances at the right time, with specific skills or opportunities that aided in propelling them into the limelight. 

Could this be the 50th year from when Evita was interred at the Duarte family mausoleum?

And yet, in various countries, we’ve seen people lining the boulevards to get but a glimpse of a public figure of one type or another. I suppose that makes me no different. But, if seeing their beloved celebrity brings them joy, then its purpose is clearly defined. I get excited to see a warthog.

The street was so narrow, and it was impossible to get a shot of the entire mausoleum. However, it wasn’t as large or as flashy as many others.
On the other hand, Tom revels in the element of surprise and the unexpected, such as when we encountered, four years ago today, three dozen elephants walking along the road in Kruger National Park. See this link for photos and details. “Safari luck.”
As we wandered through row after row of ornate mausolea (yep, that’s the plural of the mausoleum. Who knew? We continually searched for the Duarte or Perón name, never knowing quite what to expect.
A commemorative plaque in honor of Evita was added in the year 2000.

We’d failed to get a map of the facility when we entered, figuring we could weave in and out of the rows upon rows of sites. We finally encountered an employee with no luck, and in Spanish, I asked, “Dov’è Evita Peron?”  Immediately, he pointed us in the right direction. 

We weren’t too far away. As we entered the long narrow “street,” it was easy to see where her mausoleum was located with the crowd gathered at the site. We patiently and quietly waited our turn to take photos and read the inscriptions as shown in today’s photos.

Several commemorative plaques for Evita were added over the years.

La Recoleta Cemetery is worth visiting when in Buenos Aires. There are numerous affordable tours available online at several sites and tours offered on cruises that spend a night or two docked in Buenos Aires. 

As usual, we prefer to go at our own pace, avoiding crowded bus rides and tours. Some may say we’d learn more if we booked a tour, but we always read volumes of information about the venue from many reliable sites both before and after visiting. This works well for us. 

Many have ornate doors and entrances.
Some of the mausolea have granite or marble surfaces.

Keeping our lives relatively stress-free and uncomplicated is the gist of our world travels. If we can avoid strict time constraints, huge crowds, traffic, and waiting for extended periods in long queues, we’re most content.

Speaking of our lives of world travel, yesterday we uploaded our 2000th post. I can’t recall doing 2000 of anything other than having heartbeats, days or weeks of life, the number of steps taken on my Fitbit or number of meals consumed, etc.
Many of the mausolea were smaller and unassuming than others.

Two thousand posts? If someone told me seven years ago I had to write 2000 stories at a rate of one per day, including reasonably decent photos, to be allowed to travel the world, I’d have said, “Forget about it! It’s too much pressure! It would spoil the experience!”

This stone crypt was fascinating.

And yet, here we are, 2000 posts later and, each day, we are grateful for the opportunity to have shared yet another morsel of our lives on the move with every one of our worldwide readers.

In the center of town, La Recoleta Cemetery is a popular location for tourists to visit.

Many write to us expressing their gratitude for our daily stories as we continue to be vulnerable and revealing to the most intimate aspects of this humble life. But, we are grateful for all of YOU for inspiring us and providing us with an added purpose that only enhances the quality of this life we lead. 

Health provided, there will be 2000 or more yet to come.

May all of you join in good health with us as you share each day of our journey at our side.

Photo from one year ago today, January 17, 2017:

View of the Huon River from the veranda of our vacation home in Geeveston, Tasmania. For photos of the house, please click here.

Sightseeing at a most unusual place…Today is our 2000th post!…More on that in tomorrow’s post

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
This scene at La Recoleta Cemetery particularly caught our eye.

We decided it was time to go sightseeing again. With the days dwindling until we depart Buenos Aires (one week from today) and confusing packing ahead of us when we’re leaving the majority of our clothing and supplies behind at the Prodeo Hotel to pick up after the cruise,, we knew we wanted to get out one more time.

A few included a statue of the deceased, especially those of political or cultural significance.

We reviewed all of the possibilities deciding the La Recoleta Cemetery, one of the most interesting cemeteries globally, would be our top choice. If anywhere in Buenos Aires bespoke history and culture, this would be the place to visit.

The entrance to La Recoleta Cemetary is located in the Recoleta neighborhood of Buenos Aires.

Taking a taxi to the Recoleta neighborhood made the most sense rather than figuring out bus schedules. At a distance of only 5.5 km (3.4 miles) from our hotel, it resulted in a 20-minute taxi ride through heavy midday traffic at the cost of US $14.34 (ARS 270) for the round trip, including tip

As soon as we began the walk through the cemetery, we knew it would be an unusual experience from other cemeteries we’ve visited in other countries.

The driver dropped us off at the entrance to the cemetery (no entrance fee is charged for this venue), and the moment we peered beyond the door, we knew we were in for a treat. We’ve often visited cemeteries in different parts of the world when it provides us with an interesting perspective on the culture of generations often going back hundreds of years.

La Recoleta Cemetery was no exception. Here’s is the link to some fascinating information about this proud heritage for the people of Argentina, which is also a popular tourist attraction.

The blue sky and fluffy clouds were an excellent backdrop for our photos.

Upon entering the massive facility, it wasn’t easy to decide which direction to take when it was laid out compared to a neighborhood/network of interlocking streets. Each monument consists of a unique historical story, design, and architecture, almost like “homes.”

Many of the mausoleums had simple lines and designs, while others were ornate.

In essence, there are “homes” for the dead where they’ll rest for hundreds of more years to come. From time to tie, we encountered the mausoleums/crypts that were crumbling from age and were in the process of repair. 

Others were aged and degenerating, with perhaps no family members remaining. If so, those would want to or could afford to bear the expense of rebuilding the ornate structures housing their ancestor/ancestors.

Each mausoleum has its own story to tell.

Many were family crypts with the surname emblazoned across the top or entrance to the massive structures.  What is particularly unique about La Recoleta Cemetery is the fact that all it contains are mausoleums.  

Here’s more information about the cemetery from this site:
“La Recoleta Cemetery (Spanish: Cementerio de la Recoleta) is a cemetery located in the Recoleta neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It contains the graves of notable people, including Eva Perón, presidents of Argentina, Nobel Prize winners, the founder of the Argentine Navy, and a granddaughter of Napoleon. In 2011, the BBC hailed it as one of the world’s best cemeteries,[ and in 2013, it was listed among the ten most beautiful cemeteries in the world.

The monks of the Order of the Recoletos arrived in this area, then the outskirts of Buenos Aires, in the early eighteenth century. The cemetery is built around their convent and a church, Our Lady of Pilar (Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Pilar), built-in 1732. The order was disbanded in 1822, and the garden of the convent was converted into the first public cemetery in Buenos Aires. Inaugurated on 17 November of the same year under Cementerio del Norte (Northern Cemetery),  those responsible for its creation were the then-Governor Martin Rodríguez, who would be eventually buried in the cemetery, and government minister Bernardino Rivadavia. The 1822 layout was done by French civil engineer Próspero Catelin, who also designed the current facade of the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral.[ The cemetery was last remodeled in 1881, while Torcuato de Alvear was mayor of the city, by the Italian architect Juan Antonio Buschiazzo

There are only a few mausoleums of this style with varying structures for various family members.

Set in 5.5 hectares (14 acres), the site contains 4691 vaults, all above ground, of which 94 have been declared National Historical Monuments by the Argentine government and are protected by the state. The entrance to the cemetery is through neo-classical gates with tall Doric columns. The cemetery contains many elaborate marble mausoleums, decorated with statues, in various architectural styles such as Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Baroque, Neo-Gothic, and most materials used between 1880 and 1930 in the construction of tombs were imported from Paris and Milan.

Many of the mausolea appeared as small churches.

The entire cemetery is laid out in sections like city blocks, with wide tree-lined main walkways branching into sidewalks filled with mausoleums. These mausoleums are still being used by affluent families in Argentina with their own vault and keep their deceased there. While many of the mausoleums are in fine shape and well-maintained, others have fallen into disrepair. Several can be found with broken glass and littered with rubbish. Among many memorials are works by notable Argentine sculptors Lola Mora and Luis Perlotti, for instance. The tomb of Liliana Crociati de Szaszak, due to its unusual design, is of particular interest.”

Many of the streets appeared as a city block, neatly arranged.

While roaming through the network of “streets,” we met a lovely couple from Australia and chatted with them for a while.  They were equally in awe of the cemetery and also enthralled when we shared a little about our love of their people and their continent after spending over two years in and around Australia. 

With mausoleums added over varying centuries, the blocks were often of varying sizes and widths, as in this very narrow walkway.

Besides our English-speaking hotel staff, we’ve had little opportunity to converse with English-speaking people while out and about. And, in this particular area of Palermo, there are considerably fewer tourists than in other parts of Buenos Aires.

We gave them one of our business cards when they’d asked to read about our many experiences in Australia.  Then, last night while waiting in the queue for “40% off-happy-hour” at La Cabrera, we met another lovely young couple from Ireland who was on a four-month honeymoon after getting married close to Christmas. They were thrilled to hear we’d be spending three months in their country upcoming in spring/summer 2019.

There are statues atop most of the structures indicative of the deceased’s religious and spiritual beliefs.

Back at our hotel after dark, we grabbed my computer and headed to the hotel bar where we watched an episode of “Top of the Lake.” as it turned out, the four of us shared a table at the restaurant and had a lovely dinner together. It couldn’t have been more enjoyable. , There wasn’t another hotel guest to be seen.

A few were not the traditional grey stone exterior, as the case of this dark green structure.

After a very fitful night’s sleep warranting a 20-minute nap later this afternoon, we’re content to stay put today (until dinner) while continuing to research vacation/holiday home rentals for our upcoming lengthy itinerary.

It was equally interesting for us to see the older, more weathered mausoleums.

We’ll be back tomorrow with photos of Evita (Eva) Perrone’s mausoleum, which most visitors flock to when visiting La Recoleta Cemetery. It was a good day. Please check back tomorrow for more.

We want to mention a little more about today being our 2000th post in tomorrow’s post! We can’t believe it!  Can you?

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, January 16, 2017:

The scenery in Hobart, Tasmania, was breathtaking. We returned to Hobart, a 40-minute drive from our vacation home in the Huon Valley, at a later day for more photos. For more photos, please click here.

More tragic loss of life in Germany…Change in today’s planned story…Binalong Bay photos…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Entrance statue of Binalong Bay. Click here to learn more.

After hearing about the horrific news of yet another terroristic attack in an open market in Germany, we changed the subject of today’s planned story. We’d planned to include photos of the Penguin Market (open every Sunday throughout the year) where many holiday shoppers gather to purchase unique Christmas goods offered by locals in a variety of booths and shops. 

Binalong Bay in beautiful and expansive.

We’ll publish the pictures and stories of the Penguin Market another day. For today, we can’t stop thinking about the nightmare in Germany, details of which may be found in this article.   (Keeping in mind all the recent scuttlebutt about the media’s often inaccurate representation of actual events, we encourage our readers, as we do ourselves, seek information from a variety of resources).

We traveled off the highway when driving from St. Helens to Penguin to see the popular Binalong Bay.

With a commitment to avoid posting our political opinions on this site, there’s little we can say other than to express our heartfelt sympathy and prayers to the loved ones of those who lost their lives and to pray for the healing of those injured. 

We have repeatedly mentioned such tragic events on our website and will continue to do so. Without a doubt, there will be more. How did we get here? How did these scenarios so easily unfold when there’s talk of beefed up security in prone locations?

Vegetation rich surroundings.
We all have opinions on who and what is to blame, often not only the perpetrator(s) but also politicians who’s decisions may have impacted the possibility of such occurrences. We live in a world where blame often extends well beyond the parties who conceived of, planned and enacted such attacks.
A path toward Binalong Bay.

Most of us don’t hesitate to share those views when we’re together in groups, during times of socialization and even at celebratory times such as during any holiday celebrations. 

Green bean looking pods on this plant in Binalong Bay.

Many of us don’t agree on these topics which can result in disharmony among family members and friends. Even on Facebook, a medium frequently used for political views, I find myself backing away when I’d prefer to keep myself from outrageous negative comments spewed by those who choose to use this means of communication with “friends” to let everyone know how they feel.

The wind causes a rippled pattern on the white sand beach.
Perhaps, how we “feel” is less important than what we “do.” We may ask ourselves, “How can I possibly effect change in this terrifying world?” I don’t have an easy answer, but I do know this… If each one of us, with humility and lack of desire for accolades for our good deeds, reached out to one another with kindness, love and compassion, the world would be a better place.
The scenery is exquisite with many inlets and lakes.

May this holiday season (and also for those not celebrating Christmas) bring each and every one of us an opportunity to reflect on who we are, who we’d like to be and how we can change to make this a better world.
Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, December 21, 2015:

Last year, upon spotting this ship while moving along in traffic in Suva, Fiji, we were curious as to the purpose of this vessel. Upon returning home we discovered this: “The Yuan Wang 3 is at the Suva Harbour. The vessel is used for tracking and support of satellite and intercontinental ballistic missiles by the People’s Liberation Army, Navy (PLAN) of the People’s Republic of China.” For more details, please click here.

Part 2, a day in Normandy…Profoundly moving experience…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
The grounds at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial are meticulously maintained and a treasure to behold.

As we continue with the photos on Part 2 of our tour of Normandy, France, which was five days ago, the memories of that special day still flow freely through our minds. 

Omaha Beach.
Omaha Beach.

Without a doubt, the experience which I’d anticipated would not be of much interest to me other than deep compassion for the brave soldiers that died for our freedom, proved to be an experience we’ll both always remember. 

This view toward the land from the beach, that the soldiers had to navigate as the Germans lay in wait in bunkers throughout the area.

Not only were we moved when visiting the beaches and the grounds of the perfectly manicured and landscaped tribute to our fallen soldiers of so long ago, but we were also pleased to see the reverence and respect that have kept this site an important place for Americans and other citizens to visit.

The walkway we took toward the American Cemetery and Memorial.
We walked through the garden and memorial in order the enter the area of the marked and unmarked gravesites.

As we walked in the sand on the almost barren Omaha Beach and Utah Beach, we could easily imagine the sorrowful struggle our soldiers bore as they stormed the beaches continually besieged by well planned German soldiers.

Us, on Omaha Beach, both grateful for the opportunity to visit historic Normandy, France.

The massive Allied assault on the Normandy coastline on June 6, 1944, aimed to liberate France and fight its way into Nazi Germany. Prior to dawn on June 6, three airborne divisions, the US 82nd and 101st and, the British 6th, landed by parachute and glider behind the targeted beaches.

Bronze statue at the cemetery, “The spirit of the American Youth Rising from the Waves”
View of the sea and Omaha Beach from the cemetery.

Allied naval forces including the US Coast Guard, conveyed assault forces across the English Channel. Beginning at 6:30 am six US, British and Canadian divisions landed on Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword Beaches in history’s greatest amphibious assault.

This was only a small section of the gravesites of almost 10,000 fallen soldiers.
Grave marker for Theodore Roosevelt, Jr, son of former President Theodore Roosevelt.

Over the next three months, the Allies battled German troops throughout Normandy. British and Canadian freed Caen, France, and the Americans liberated Cherbourg staging a dramatic breakout. 

Memorial building on the grounds of the cemetery. 

There is a wall of names such as shown here in the Garden of the Missing.

Many exquisite roses and plantings highlight the grave plots as they trim the Garden of the Missing.

Allied troops, joined by French and Polish units encircled and annihilated German troops at the Falaise Pocket while surviving units fled eastward. At this point, the way was now open to advance toward Paris and then on to Germany.”

Soldier statue memorial at Omaha Beach.

For more information on Normandy, please click here.

Another bunker.
Machine guns and cannons were hidden in the German bunkers.
Tom at another bunker.
Another bunker at Omaha Beach.
Interior of a bunker.

After we left Normandy, we drove to the nearby village where we stopped to meander through the small village, entering a historic church in St. Mere Eglise built in the 13th century where there was a memorial of a paratrooper who landed and was hanging on the church’s steeple. So sorrowful.

View along Utah Beach.
Cannon on display at Utah Beach.

“The town’s main claim to fame is that it played a significant part in the World War II Normandy landings because this village stood right in the middle of route N13, which the Germans would have most likely used on any significant counterattack on the troops landing on Utah and Omaha Beaches.

Rock formation at Utah Beach.
Path to statues at Utah Beach.
Utah beach was equally pristine as Omaha Beach.

“In the early morning of 6 June 1944 mixed units of the U.S. 82nd Airborne and U.S. 101st Airborne Divisions occupied the town in Operation Boston, giving it the claim to be one of the first towns liberated in the invasion.”

Statue and memorial to officers and seamen of the US Navy who transported all the US troops for the D-Day invasion.
The Pont du Hoc Monument is a granite pylon topping a bunker on a 100-foot cliff eight miles west of the cemetery. It honors soldiers of the 2nd Ranger Battalion who scaled the cliff to disable German guns threatening Utah and Omaha Beaches.

As Tom and I sat on a park bench facing the church, as we looked up at the memorial, once again we were touched by the powerful message and display remaining 70 years later.

St. Mere Eglaise Church with the Paratrooper Memorial which appears on the left of the church in this photo.

As shown in our photos, the historic church stands today as visitors come from all over the world to see the memorial and tribute to the brave men and women throughout the world who fought for freedom.

Alternate view of the Paratrooper Memorial.

Enjoy our photos as we enjoyed taking them, never for a moment forgetting the power of visiting Normandy and its surrounding area which in some manner or another, affected all of our lives.

The 13th-century church is in beautiful condition.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with Part 2, Stonehenge which includes some fabulous photos of more historic sites.  Please check back soon.

                                           Photo from one year ago today, September 6, 2013:

Hans and Geri, our landlord and his wife, invited us for happy hour to their third-story veranda in their home next door to us. From this vantage point, we were able to see the Indian Ocean, in Diani Beach, Kenya, a short walk from our house. For details, please click here.
Day #115 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…Is the “head in the sand” premise the best response during these times?…

The Borgias… Historical TV series about Italy… Reminds us of our location…We went exploring…More photos….

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment

These are the locked iron gates closing off easy access to the church. To get closer to the church tower, we’d have to walk through dense weeds. Knowing there are many ticks in the grass, we chose to drive to the other side with still no way to get closer to the church.
This unattached separate building on the church grounds may have been the original church on the grounds based on the above inscription near the entryway.
A portion of the entrance to the larger church.
This gate was also locked, preventing us from getting inside the church.
This translates to:  “the companionship SS V Del Rois,”  appears to be the name of someone of significance to these church grounds.

It’s ironic that we chose to begin watching Showtime’s series, The Borgias, a historical piece on the raucous lifestyle of the papacy in the late 1400’s Italy. Although filmed in Budapest, many scenes are of renowned Italian cities, many of them now familiar to us. 

The back view of the church and clock tower facing the cemetery.
Overlooking the iron railing around the cemetery prior before entering.

Able to download full episodes (with no commercials on any of the TV shows) on Graboid, a $19.95 a month download service, we’ve enjoyed watching one episode a night as we catch up from Season 2 and 3, having seen Season 1 in the US. 

Another view of a portion of the cemetery from the iron railing. A gate was also locked to the main entrance, but we able to enter through an unlocked side gate.
These steps were much steeper than they appear here, more so than many of the steps on the walk to Bar Ferrari in our neighborhood.  At the bottom of these steps, we found the unlocked gate allowing us to enter.
These were the first gravesites we spotted as we entered the cemetery.
Tom, ancestry.com obsessed, was fascinated with the stories revealed by the many headstones, names, dates, and photos.
Many gravesites had these oversized headstones.

Each night after dinner, we place my laptop on the coffee table in the living room to watch the highly entertaining series. The sofa in the living room, more than 100 years old, is lumpy and uncomfortable, but with the addition of a few well-placed pillows, we’ve managed to make it work for us.

The name Ferrari, as in the local bar, was depicted on many of the headstones.
Some of the headstones were quite impressive, both old and new.

With no appropriate plain wall in this house, we haven’t used our mini projector.  With 100’s of movies and shows downloaded on our portable hard drive, we’ll be able to continue to enjoy a few shows in the evening when we spend our upcoming nine months in Africa.

It was surprising that many of the headstones here in Boveglio weren’t older. The earliest date we saw was in the early 1800’s.  However, the oldest of the markers were embedded into the surrounding wall and difficult to read due to their age.
Most of the flowers were artificial as often is the case except for significant dates and remembrances.

Watching The Borgias, we’ve marveled over their use of the sound of the clock towers clanging while filming the show. Often, we’ve assumed it was the sound of one of the two bell towers we hear four times an hour, including during the night.  Located outside of our bedroom window we’re surprised how quickly we’ve become used to the sound which doesn’t awaken either of us at night.

Looking carefully, we could see this may have been born in 1832, passing on in 1898.

 

More Ferrari family members from Boveglio.
This may have been a husband and wife, or a father and daughter.

After one month in Boveglio we’ve posted many photos of this church and tower that our house overlooks.  Since arriving, we’ve wanted to have a closer look at the 100’s year-old structure and cemetery. It’s one of those places you can see, but it’s not easy to get today.

This old basin was working, we surmised it was most likely used for watering flowers.
One of these lost souls was born in 1844.

A few weeks ago, we drove down the steep hill only to be shooed away by some woman sitting in her car with the door open. Worried we were on private property, that the church had been sold as residential property, we left, not wanting to intrude.  With no one to ask about it that speaks English, we assumed we wouldn’t be able to get closer.

The view backed up at our home and the clock tower next door to us that clangs four times per hour, not necessarily at the exact same times, including during the night.  

On Saturday evenings, as the bells clanged loudly for over five minutes on two occasions, only minutes apart, we saw a man in a red shirt with two children, inside the tower. Unless they are the owners of the church, we decided that today, we’re taking our chances and driving down the steep road, to walk the remainder of the way to see the church up close.

Before driving back up the steep hill we stopped for this shot which was our only unobstructed backside view.

Satisfied that we’d seen all that we could by car and on foot, we maneuvered the steep inclines to return to the main road. With the sharp angle required to depart the narrow driveway, we had no choice but to travel much further down
the winding mountain road to a tiny turnaround spot we’d used on other occasions.

Each day as we write from the veranda with the fabulous views of the mountains covered with a wealth of lush vegetation, a perpetual fluttering of white butterflies, the melodic sounds of myriad birds, and the endless buzzing of bees flying around our heads, we are content.

Every 15 minutes or so, the clock towers clang as a reminder of the history of this magnificent area, the lives lived and died in Boveglio and the memories any of us are lucky enough to treasure in our hearts and minds forever.