The Run, and the Family Lunch.

Amazing everyone, Jeanne is up early to participate in a 5K run this Sunday, and we walk her to the start.  Many streets in town are blocked for the concurrent marathon run, and we see the elite runners go by with their motorcycle escort.  Jeanne is leery of setting off on the course alone, among strangers, without a knowledge of Italian, but we give her an Italian cellphone and send her off.  It rains, sometimes hard, while we wait for her to finish. She's very glad to have done it.

Back to the apartment for a changes of clothes before heading off to the family reunion lunch.  We pick up cousin Luanna on the way, and everyone meets up at small restaurant in a nearby town.  Three of my mother's first cousins are present, and several of my second cousins and various spouses.  We enjoy a multi-course meal of local recipes, and talk -- mostly in Italian -- about work, new grandkids, children off to college, aches and pains, language study itself.  By the end of it all everyone seems very happy to have come, and Nancy and I have two more dates for smaller get-togethers.
Photos: Jeanne finishing;  Cousins Franchesca and Manuela; the table; Cousins Vivianna and Gabriella.