She’s Alive!

It’s been so long since I posted that many of you must
be making that comment to yourself. Well, indeed I am
still alive, still in Italy and still having a rocking
time. I’ve just been a busy worker bee since the last
post and haven’t had a moment to collect my thoughts.
But now we shall remedy all of that…


First of all, an announcement: I have decided to
extend my stay in Europe by about 2 months. The
opportunity came up where the Sada Sats needed someone
who could stay at the Borgo and I will be able to take
another Level 2 course and do some more studying with
them…and I just couldn’t pass it up. So I won’t be
state side again until after Thanksgiving. A few
practical matters related to this new development. I
was planning to run a massage special in October (see
my website for details www.flow-harmony.com), which I
obviously will no longer be able to do. However, I
will be running an equally exciting Holiday Special
when I return. If you would like to take advantage of
that opportunity please email me your mailing address
and you will receive a postcard when the details are
finalized. (Email: lumpkin_k@yahoo.com) Also, I will
begin teaching yoga classes in the Twin Cities again
in January 2008. I am very much looking for new
spaces to rent or teaching opportunities…so if you
hear of anything please let me know!


Ok business is done… On to the stories at last!

My second day in Lucca was a pretty lazy one. The 4
km wall that surrounds the city is completely intact
and you can walk (or jog or bike) along the top. It
could usually be completed at a fairly easy pace in
about an hour and a half. I took all morning…and a
good chunk of the afternoon. I stopped often to take
photos, to sit and people watch or to read my book. I
walked down into town at one point, found a grocery
and bought a picnic lunch, which I ate back up on the
wall. It was really quite a lovely day.


But I really felt like in the day and a half I had
been there I had seen all there was to see of Lucca.
So I decided that I would head back to Pisa a day
early… at least seemed to be a bit more vibrancy
there.


That evening as I walked around Lucca I saw in one of
the piazzas they had brought in a big boxing ring and
were having fights. It was a bit surreal to see this
disgusting, barbaric modern entertainment in the
middle of these ancient, beautifully crafted
buildings…but there it was. And it certainly had a
crowd…although I was not one of them. I almost went
and saw an Italian movie…but I didn’t think it was
worth 7 euro to sit in a dark theater utterly confused
for several hours…so I just headed back and went to
bed. (I did, however, have a fantastic risotto dinner
that night…mmmm)


The next day was Sunday and I had coffee and breakfast
(a croissant) in town before heading out. I happened
to be at a bar with wifi and noticed an American
tourist next to me on his computer. I asked if he
would check the train schedules for me, which he
gladly did. It really is amazing how kind and
generous people are if you just allow them to share
their grace with you.


And then. On the way back to the hostel I saw that
the clock tower in the center of town, which had been
closed the previous two days, was now open. And since
I happen to know a particular watch/clock
maker/repairperson…I thought I ought to climb the
tower for his sake. (Wes—I tried to get good pictures
for you…their on www.kelseylumpkin.shutterfly.com).
It was certainly a cool view of the city… and I
happened to be up there when the clock chimed…and
besides scarring the bee-geezes out of me, it was
really rather astounding. In another example of the
kindness you encounter when traveling; a nice
Australian couple took my photo and explained how to
set my flash to take a better shot in those particular
lighting conditions…neat.


Took the train back to Pisa…the only other person on
the whole train sat right across from me and chatted
the whole time. (Daniello, studying to be an
engineer, from Sardinia but going to school in Pisa,
hates Pisa, was in Lucca to practice soaring…or
whatever it’s called when they fly those planes that
don’t have engines…Mom…you know like Mark does…)

Got back to the same hostel/campground and actually
was in the exact same trailer, this time with 3 girls
from Ireland (my sisters homeland). They were a lot
of fun and I spent the next day hanging out by the
pool , wandering around Pisa and playing cards with
them. Going back to Pisa was a good choice because I
was able to go to the grocery stores and cook my own
meals rather than eating out all the time like in
Lucca…so I saved some moola.


The next day I returned to the Borgo, which was a long
day of traveling. And it was nice to be ‘home.’
Especially sine the next day was the 4th of July and
we had a rip-roaring barbeque! Ok…well…not really
rip-roaring. More like the three of us eating tofu
hamburgers, eating chips and drinking caffeine free
coke…and then watching the fireflies for fireworks.
But we still celebrated the heck out of America! Yea!
J (I think there are also pics of that on
www.kelseylumpkin.shutterfly.com)


The next week the Sada Sats had been hired to teach
morning yoga classes every day to a family who had
rented out a Villa about an hour away from us. When
this family heard that they had a massage therapist
living with them they also wanted me to come over
everyday. So for the next week and a half we were all
up and out of the house by 6 am and I sometimes stayed
and did three massages which meant that I wasn’t home
until late afternoon. But it was really great. And
it really reminded me how much I like giving massage
and how fascinating it is to work on different bodies
and figure out what is happening in their tissue and
(hopefully) make a positive change in the way they are
feeling. Man! Massage is so great!


Also in that time span we watched a couple of movies.
Gone with the Wind (which I had never seen all the way
through…can you believe it!?!) And the “Borat” movie.
Have you seen this? It is a movie that is so
incredibly offensive…and at the same time amazingly
funny. Most of the time you feel bad that you are
laughing…but you can’t stop laughing either. (I
especially like the scene where he is having dinner
with a southern family…they are just trying to be so
kind and open hearted…. Bless their souls).


We also spent part of a day in Assisi. I remember not
being so impressed with that town before. So this
time I decided to climb up to the fort overlooking the
town rather than force myself to go through the
churches. And it was WAY cooler. An amazing view and
I just find it so neat to see how they constructed
these passageways and lookouts…super cool. J

There was also part of a day in Arezzo. SSK and I saw
her chiropractor…and my body was SO happy about that.
My foot (which had been acting up due to an old
injury) hasn’t felt this good in a LONG time! Yea
Doctor Roger! I also bought a new pair of walking
shoes in Arezzo… which is probably helping the foot
thing too…


Ok I think that is enough for now. Coming up next
time: The Green Week Group arrives!


Hope all is well with you all wherever you are. I do
love getting emails and updates from home…(I don’t
usually have access to a newspaper so current events
are nice too).

Love and Blessings,
KNL