Medieval Feast

Above photo by KittyKat. Flower & fruit arrangements by RadiantJewel & Bammers, who used local flora.

Friday was a busy, beautiful day. The first day of the wedding festivities! Pretty much everyone had arrived from the USA, Germany, Netherlands, UK, and all over Italia. We convened at an incredible buffet at La Locanda del Francescano in Calvi. (Mystophur and I had asked the owner there to put together a simple local cheeses, meats, and fruits lunch– we were met with an astounding and gorgeous array. What did we expect?

Photo by TigerTooth

The group of about 40 then trooped to the plazza and were treated to a tour of the monastery museum and gardens led by none other than our pal Vice-Mayor Luca Racanicchi. These were the first moments that it began to hit me that all these people from all these different parts of my life were here together, in a much more pleasant version of Sesame Street’s “This is your Life!”

photo by TigerTooth

Since the tour, as people send me the photos they took, I have the special treat of seeing these sights that have become extremely familiar with the fresh eyes of people arriving for the first time. I can’t tell you how invigorating this is. More views of Calvi and views from Calvi on the “Renew” blog entry.

photo by KittyKat

After the tour, the members of Hartkeriana performed a Vespers for the Feast of Saint Francis in the Chiesa Santa Brigida attached to the monastery.

photo by KittyKat

Then we all trooped to the Casale Santa Brigida (Guest House of the Art Monastery Project and our prototypical location while the monastery is undergoing restoration, aka Wedding HQ!) for the Medieval Feast! While we had been touring the monastery and listening to the sweet sounds of Hartkeriana, Bammers, JuliaCesare, and TipTap had been slaving away; preparing a menu centered around Morino’s porchetta that was historically accurate; transforming the simple restaurant of the Santa Brigida into a medieval hall; and solving the problem of the simultaneous arrivals of 120 guests and rain.

photo by Steve Double

photo by Keno

The infamous Porchetta da Morino did not disappoint!

Entertainment for the evening was provided by, once again, Vice-Mayor Luca & his medieval band! Made up of suspiciously adorable relatives, they are the Calvi version of the Partidge Family.

photos by Djwanna

video & photo by KittyKat

photos by Djwanna & Val

The toasts. The toasts were so touching, so perceptive, and so revealing, that I just about lost it in them moment and I just about lose it just remembering them. Our friends and family, it turns out, not only love us, but they really, really know us. These are some witty, eloquent, well-educated folks with which we’ve surrounded ourselves! Go us!

My peeps from the homeland, my mentors and heroes, ex-colleagues and dear, dear friends: KittyKat and TheBeast.Above photo by KittyKat. Flower & fruit arrangements by RadiantJewel & Bammers, who used local flora.

Friday was a busy, beautiful day. The first day of the wedding festivities! Pretty much everyone had arrived from the USA, Germany, Netherlands, UK, and all over Italia. We convened at an incredible buffet at La Locanda del Francescano in Calvi. (Mystophur and I had asked the owner there to put together a simple local cheeses, meats, and fruits lunch– we were met with an astounding and gorgeous array. What did we expect?

Photo by TigerTooth

The group of about 40 then trooped to the plazza and were treated to a tour of the monastery museum and gardens led by none other than our pal Vice-Mayor Luca Racanicchi. These were the first moments that it began to hit me that all these people from all these different parts of my life were here together, in a much more pleasant version of Sesame Street’s “This is your Life!”

photo by TigerTooth

Since the tour, as people send me the photos they took, I have the special treat of seeing these sights that have become extremely familiar with the fresh eyes of people arriving for the first time. I can’t tell you how invigorating this is. More views of Calvi and views from Calvi on the “Renew” blog entry.

photo by KittyKat

After the tour, the members of Hartkeriana performed a Vespers for the Feast of Saint Francis in the Chiesa Santa Brigida attached to the monastery.

photo by KittyKat

Then we all trooped to the Casale Santa Brigida (Guest House of the Art Monastery Project and our prototypical location while the monastery is undergoing restoration, aka Wedding HQ!) for the Medieval Feast! While we had been touring the monastery and listening to the sweet sounds of Hartkeriana, Bammers, JuliaCesare, and TipTap had been slaving away; preparing a menu centered around Morino’s porchetta that was historically accurate; transforming the simple restaurant of the Santa Brigida into a medieval hall; and solving the problem of the simultaneous arrivals of 120 guests and rain.

photo by Steve Double

photo by Keno

The infamous Porchetta da Morino did not disappoint!

Entertainment for the evening was provided by, once again, Vice-Mayor Luca & his medieval band! Made up of suspiciously adorable relatives, they are the Calvi version of the Partidge Family.

photos by Djwanna

video & photo by KittyKat

photos by Djwanna & Val

The toasts. The toasts were so touching, so perceptive, and so revealing, that I just about lost it in them moment and I just about lose it just remembering them. Our friends and family, it turns out, not only love us, but they really, really know us. These are some witty, eloquent, well-educated folks with which we’ve surrounded ourselves! Go us!

My peeps from the homeland, my mentors and heroes, ex-colleagues and dear, dear friends: KittyKat and TheBeast.