Kenmore Undressed

A Kenmore Treasure: Saint Edward State Park

Yesterday, the weatherman was wrong. It was supposed to be another gray, rainy day in the Northwest, but fortunately Helios managed to hold off the clouds. This gave me an opportunity to spend some time at one of Kenmore’s wonderful landmarks: Saint Edward State Park. Confession time: I’ve never visited this wonderful park before. I’ve driven past it hundreds of times, and I knew there was was a Catholic Seminary on the premises, but I was never inclined to visit. I think my recent trip to Italy inspired me to take a closer look at the Romanesque brick buildings on the property. Also, I needed a few quite moments away from all the NOISE in the world. I was not disappointed:

The pictures above are examples of the Romanesque Revivalist style of the Saint Edward structures. One sees these types of arches and pillars all over Italy. In some ways, it’s odd to see such an old-world structure in Kenmore:

Just for a comparison, the next picture is from Lucca, Italy. These arches are spectacular examples of Romanesque architecture. You can see their resonance in the seminary details.

This wonderful Seminary was completed in 1931 and operated until 1977 when its 316 acres were sold to Washington State. This is truly a must-see part of Kenmore. I hope you have an opportunity to visit it someday. Make sure you bring your walking shoes.

It’s the Simple Things that Matter….Really

Sometimes being on vacation means just that: BEING ON VACATION! I believe we Americans suffer from the I-must-always-be-working syndrome. I’m particularly prone to this malady. So today I just want to share some simple things with you:

Peace!

Lucca in Tuscany: Yes, it really is THAT nice!

My grandfather, Tranquillo Lupori, migrated to the United States at the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, only my great uncle, Pete Lupori, and I have returned to reconnect with the Lupori clan. We first met in 1981 when my girl friend (my current wife) and I participated in a foreign exchange program in northern Germany. At the end of the courses, we travelled to Italy and met my mother’s family in Torino and then made our way to Lucca, Italy to meet the Luporis. I had no idea then, what a deep and long-lasting impact the visit would have. Check this out, a picture from 1981:

From left to right: Guido Lupori, my father’s great uncle, Luciano Lupori, me and Primo Lupori. Luciano and Primo are Guido’s sons. In the mirror you can see Primo’s wife and my future wife!!!

Many years later we,ve managed to stay in touch with my family even though it took many years to return. Now all my contemporary cousins have families and all the children are girls (with a few exceptions). I want to share a few pictures of the home (and area around) of my cousin Natalia and her husband Ivano. La vita dolce:

A Simple Thing Makes a Big Difference: What time is it?

If you travel to Italy (or most of Europe) the homes have exterior shutters on the windows called serranda.  So what, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you, they literally destroy my biological clock. When Italians settle-in for the evening, or when the sun is beating down (it’s been 95 degrees here in Torino) the serranda are closed……..the interior of the house becomes completely dark. I’m talking NO light.

What makes them so difficult for me is that they intensify my jet lag. I have no idea when to get up. It takes me several days to adjust to being in Europe. My relatives think I’m joking when I tell them the American home doesn’t have this type of shutter.  ”How can you sleep without them?” They also think it’s strange that I never close them all the way.

The home above is a perfect example of the serranda in full use. I’ve wondered if Europeans are actully less sleep-deprived because their homes are so closed-up at night. Perhaps we should adopt them, get a better night sleep and relax a bit more!