DoubleWhammy Visits

This weekend we had multiple visitors, really good friends from all kinds of different places! DoubleWhammy, infamous London photographer, came with charming Egyptian-English partner in crime (pictured at the bottom of the stairs there). Simultaneously, Zoozy, German dancer from Berlin came with her fabulous pal Geraldo (pictured at the top of the stairs, just down from Mystophur). Mystophur and I had the pleasure of meeting Geraldo last January: on our very first trip to Italy to scout locations for the Art Monastery we stayed at Torri Superiore, where Geraldo was living and working at the time.

Torri is an inspiring and mind-boggling ecovillage in a 13th-Century village. Started by German activists from the squat scene, it was Zoozy who recommended it to us. Staying there was like staying with a family: we were immediately enveloped into the fold. We stayed up late with them, quizzing them about how they got started and furiously taking notes on the volumes of valuable advice they bestowed on us. They recommended other communities to visit and that golden information shaped our trip. We returned at the end of our trip and a few months later Mystophur’s ensemble The Pacelli Project performed in their church, thus beginning what we hope we will be a symbiotic friendship. The Torris will always always hold a tender and special place in our hearts. If any of you plan to travel in Italy you MUST go and stay with them. It is a one-of-a-kind experience.

But that was more than a year ago and since Geraldo has moved to Berlin and then to his home town in southern Italy. We hope to entice him back to Calvi and into our garden, where he might employ his formidable knowledge and experience of permaculture and gardening.

We met up with our guests in nearby Narni. Yes, this is actually where C. S. Lewis was living when he wrote The Chronicle of Narnia and it really does feel like a fairy tale.

Adding to the fairy tale experience, we rendezvoused there with DJ Franky as well, who then had a quick business meeting with us (we never stop working. even with guests. even in fairy tale towns.), and provided us with all kinds of exciting opportunites for grants and sponsorships. DJ Franky always bears good news.

One afternoon, DoubleWhammy led us in a yoga session on the lawn. The image below is the end of our session in Corpse Pose. It’s a tricky one, but you too could work up to it!

The session was really wonderful and it left us all with fantasies of morning yoga at the Monastery– JuliaCesare and I developed the plan that we will start with a silent walk around the perimeter of the garden for warm up, ending in the center plateau for yoga. I can’t wait.

DoubleWhammy and his Egyptian goddess also made English Breakfast. And in a fabulous outfit as well. Double is the kind of guy who is restorative to be around (whether or not you do yoga with him). He is constantly cheerfully building the fire or not minding sleeping on the mattress on the floor or fixing that thing you had accepted in it’s not-so-great state. He and his lady were a breath of bubbling glittering energy and we can’t wait to have them back. (Who knows what he’ll fix next time!)

Unable to resist, Josie has singed her whiskers AGAIN! This time she got her little eyebrow also, curled right down to the nub. *sigh*This weekend we had multiple visitors, really good friends from all kinds of different places! DoubleWhammy, infamous London photographer, came with charming Egyptian-English partner in crime (pictured at the bottom of the stairs there). Simultaneously, Zoozy, German dancer from Berlin came with her fabulous pal Geraldo (pictured at the top of the stairs, just down from Mystophur). Mystophur and I had the pleasure of meeting Geraldo last January: on our very first trip to Italy to scout locations for the Art Monastery we stayed at Torri Superiore, where Geraldo was living and working at the time.

Torri is an inspiring and mind-boggling ecovillage in a 13th-Century village. Started by German activists from the squat scene, it was Zoozy who recommended it to us. Staying there was like staying with a family: we were immediately enveloped into the fold. We stayed up late with them, quizzing them about how they got started and furiously taking notes on the volumes of valuable advice they bestowed on us. They recommended other communities to visit and that golden information shaped our trip. We returned at the end of our trip and a few months later Mystophur’s ensemble The Pacelli Project performed in their church, thus beginning what we hope we will be a symbiotic friendship. The Torris will always always hold a tender and special place in our hearts. If any of you plan to travel in Italy you MUST go and stay with them. It is a one-of-a-kind experience.

But that was more than a year ago and since Geraldo has moved to Berlin and then to his home town in southern Italy. We hope to entice him back to Calvi and into our garden, where he might employ his formidable knowledge and experience of permaculture and gardening.

We met up with our guests in nearby Narni. Yes, this is actually where C. S. Lewis was living when he wrote The Chronicle of Narnia and it really does feel like a fairy tale.

Adding to the fairy tale experience, we rendezvoused there with DJ Franky as well, who then had a quick business meeting with us (we never stop working. even with guests. even in fairy tale towns.), and provided us with all kinds of exciting opportunites for grants and sponsorships. DJ Franky always bears good news.

One afternoon, DoubleWhammy led us in a yoga session on the lawn. The image below is the end of our session in Corpse Pose. It’s a tricky one, but you too could work up to it!

The session was really wonderful and it left us all with fantasies of morning yoga at the Monastery– JuliaCesare and I developed the plan that we will start with a silent walk around the perimeter of the garden for warm up, ending in the center plateau for yoga. I can’t wait.

DoubleWhammy and his Egyptian goddess also made English Breakfast. And in a fabulous outfit as well. Double is the kind of guy who is restorative to be around (whether or not you do yoga with him). He is constantly cheerfully building the fire or not minding sleeping on the mattress on the floor or fixing that thing you had accepted in it’s not-so-great state. He and his lady were a breath of bubbling glittering energy and we can’t wait to have them back. (Who knows what he’ll fix next time!)

Unable to resist, Josie has singed her whiskers AGAIN! This time she got her little eyebrow also, curled right down to the nub. *sigh*