Usually I plan trips we take to Italy, and then speak with Laura to refine the idea, choose hotels, and destinations. It is really very much a joint project, and then I go about the nitty gritty work of obtaining flights, hotels, rental cars, and other reservations. This time Laura made friends with an Italian artist, Matteo Cocci, and that relationship which had been nurtured over the internet eventually became a visit to one of the great Tuscan Hill Towns, Colle di Val d'Elsa, which is south southwest of Florence. Show # 80 tells this story complete with an extraordinary video interview with Matteo and the owner of the gallery Arte A Colori, Francesca Sensi, which was exhibiting his work at the time of our visit in May. We designed this show before we even left the United States with a visit to the town itself and taking what I projected would be some extraordinary photos, going to the gallery in which Matteo was exhibiting, trying to do an interview on video, and then having lunch with him and his wife (which turned out to be his whole family). What had been planned at home became almost the replica of the eventual show. Although not an unusual occurrence based on my penchant for heavy planning, it was almost to the T the exact design. Even the part where my friend Luca would drive us to the town and do the translating had been factored into the concept. Actually the only part about which we were unsure was the inclusion in this excursion of our two traveling companions, Barbara, Laura's cousin and Barbara, our friend from Woodstock. The absence of Luca's partner, Mary, permitted the extra room.
The show came off without a hitch, among the very few perfect shows, and except for an inadvertent grammatical error I made that few would even pick up, my performance was very pleasing to me. Ellen did a perfect job as well, as I just viewed it at first totally and then skipping around. I believe my fans will find it very pleasing as well. I would really like to thank Luca for driving us to a gallery which even he had trouble finding in not remote Tuscany, but certainly an area much less traveled by most Tuscan tourists. Also my appreciation goes to Matteo and Francesca for their kindness to us. Colle is in an area in which I have visited many times making stops at nearby Siena, Monteriggioni, and San Gimignano, and even Volterra a bit further west and perhaps north. I loved the way the town looked in photos I had studied. There are two sections, a lower part where the scalo district is located where the industrial areas usually are located and an upper area, Colle Alta, where the medieval castle and buildings make this one of the most picturesque towns in Central Italy. The streets, buildings, and well preserved walls are absolutely charming and beautiful, and I believe all of that is captured in tonight's show.
Meanwhile this was show # 80, an amazing milestone considering I originally rejected the idea of a tv show when first presented to me many years ago. However, tonight Ellen and I spoke of a major modification in the weekly format. Because I am too busy to spend a lot of time planning new shows, and the fact that really there may be a limit to my ability to formulate newer and near ones, we decided that after next week we will do a once every two weeks original show and intersperse reruns throughout. This will give me the ability to sustain a continuous show until after Laura and I return from the projected trip in very late May, early June 2014. During that trip will once again endeavor to discover new and unique shows by visiting a plethora of small Tuscan and Ligurian towns, and also Lake Como. Since after we return I am able to put together enough shows for about 25 new shows, a once a week format makes sense. I will will still try to give my viewers quality, fun, and picturesque presentations, however, and it should be the same wonderful experience for me and for them.
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