Christmas Spirit

I hopped on bus 13 on my way to the city center. The bus was crouded with young recruits 19-20 year old young men on their Saturday night furlow get away from the structured military life. Their lively exchanges reminded me of my young soldier at home. Their accents clearly from other parts of the cocuntry and their short haircuts were clear give-aways. They asked me (probably because I was looking at them with a friendly smiling face) where they should get off and I asked them if they were stationed at Ponte Florio Montorio and they said yes. I didn't tell them that I was born in Ponte Florio 50 years ago, in a house across the street from the Caserma. I didn't tell them that I have a son in the National Guard in Virginia who may, some day, serve hand-in-hand with them in some distant part of the world. I kept all that inside of me and just smiled, and told them where they should be getting off to get to Piazza Bra.

Piazza Erbe always takes my breath away. This was just like any other time. The display of Christmas lights hanging over the piazza makes it appear as if it was snowing ....just more pictures to capture the magic...

I walked up the steps of the Tribunal and followed a small group of people to a display of nativity scenes from schools across Verona and Provincia. This was no ordinary display. A green theme was obvious thorought, and the children, and their helping adults, had used all kinds of recyled material to constuct their project. From computer mother-boards to plastic gloves, to empty coke cans, to pasta shapes. The display was quite large, occupying ... sqt of the building.

I rushed to find the source of music I could hear, and found a group of very young children singing Christmas carols. These were Italian traditional carols, and the children, wonderful in their pink, blue, and green smocks, performed well with fresh and well rehearsed voices. These were MY Christmas songs, the same songs I had sung many many years earlier not too far from there. What a warming and touching gift.

How could I escape the Christmas Spirit after a day like this?

Link to Palazzo Della Ragione

http://guide.travelitalia.com/en/guide/Verona/559/