From Olives to....Apparitions

First a big welcome to my newest subscriber, Sofia (or Giulia, depending on who you ask)! I hope you enjoy tagging along on our adventures and occasional detours into mild chaos.

From Olives to...Apparitions

After our Tuscan olive-picking adventure, I was more than ready for a little downtime--or at least I was. I needed to recharge before the Halloween frenzy I knew was coming. And sure enough, the first spooky signs were already creeping in. On our way to Coop, Via Della Libertà had transformed into a parade of witches and ghosts.

Via Della Libertà

A Little (Free) Surprise

On a less scary note, look what I found at the Coop today.....a Little Free Library! Well not an official one listed in the app, but definitely one in spirit. About half the books were in Italian, the other half in German, so I'm planning to sneak in a couple of English titles as I finish them. Maybe I'll convert a few locals or fellow expats to the joys of free book exchanges.

Coop Little Free Library

"Leave in Order"

If you've been following my blog for awhile, you already know how much I adore these little  libraries. And it turns out I'm not alone--there are some truly inventive ones out there, and it looks like they're here to stay.  

The Next Chapter for Little Free Libraries

Naturally, I checked the app to see if there were any official ones nearby--and jackpot! There are quite a few scattered around Tuscany. We'll have to go exploring soon.

Little Free Library locations in Tuscany

Back to Halloween

Alright, that was more than just a little digression. Back to Halloween!

For my American readers--please note the third station on the local event poster: Le Brutte Persone (the Ugly People) The Creepy Wild West. I'll just let that sink in.

Halloween Poster

The shops along the way often add their own flair. This fuzzy bear, for instance, was not my friend. He gave me a start when I walked by....in broad daylight, no less. I'm such a scaredy cat.

Scary Bear

And if that wasn't enough, now we had the cats to worry about.

Cat Warning

We weren't sure which ones to be leery of, but several looked highly suspicious.

Futotta Neko
Fat Cat or Il Capo

Yuki-onna
Snow woman, beautiful, but deadly

Kage-shi
Shadow, Master of Disguise

I'm fairly certain we interrupted something.....

We definitely interrupted something....

Thankfully, since we weren't up to anything nefarious, they decided to let us pass.

And speaking of suspicious cats, Andrea and Melissa's feline Russell definitely takes his post seriously. Perched on top of his fence like a tiny sentry, he surveys the neighborhood with quiet authority. He's never officially shown his colors, but we suspect he could easily be a card-carrying member of the Ninja Cats. We'll have to keep an eye out.

Russell on duty

Stay tuned for a Halloween post and an apartment update coming soon! 

A dopo!



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