Friuli-Venezia Giulia Northeastern Italy

La Vita Friuli
(Living the life Friuli)

Happiness is a good medicine. But like all good medicines, it too has many side effects. It's never long enough. That's why we need to enjoy each day more than the last...And should you be blessed with such good medicine, and have several things to be happy for...just remember to thank the one or ones who have made it happen in your life....

Over the years I have had many happy moments... I've thanked the many who made it all a reality for me! My ex-husband who gave me three wonderful sons...and to my sons for the beautiful, sometimes emotionally shared moments of our lives together....to my eight grandchildren, for the joy of being forever young. Yes, all happy moments for me, and I will cherish them for the rest of my life.

I shared so many with my late husband before his death, eight years ago. Our short marriage was a total experience, always exciting and new.

To my father and mother, whom I adored... my two sisters, and brother who shared with me lots of good tasty medicine...as a girl growing up and long after. I'll carry that good medicine with me forever. To my wonderful and beautiful grandparents, who allowed me to taste only the best medicine, my beautiful nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins, one in particular who still makes me laugh from so much happy medicine in our travel's back too Italy. And to all my friends who have loved me unconditionally along the way...thank you all so much.
Sera`siempre mi alma tuya sola. (My soul will always be only yours)


Ah! And now I have found another good medicine, and it will stay with me until the last flicker of my candle of life. This good medicine is called "Friuli", by those like me, who have felt the presence of God in this beautiful place. I thought I knew God before, but I really know him now...for he walks and he lives in this place, called Friuli-Venezia Guilia... known by some and called by others, 'Delicious Italy.' It is Located in the northeastern region of Italy... bordered by Austria and Slovenia on one side, and the Alps, and the Dolemites on the other.
It’s not to say that God' does not live in other places! I believe he can be anywhere, at any time with anyone. It's just that he is so profoundly with me whenever I am in Friuli.

Inside Friuli

I have traveled with my happy medicine...to many distant lands, seeking out first this place, or that place but nothing really hit me so hard or touched my soul so deep, nothing! Until I was introduced to Friuli, I was just another traveler! Always on my way somewhere.
It was love at first sight, on that very first night. Her landscapes of such exceptional beauty left me breathless and gasping for air. Her beauty is so refined and well preserved you'd never know her age is well over a thousand years! Her river’s a delightful combination of jewels the color of emeralds, turquoise, and beryl, mix these fine precious stones all together and you will see a liquid sky that washes down from mountain springs the likes of which you've never seen. The colors that flow so intensely, like a blue sheet of gushing water with its many changing hues. Her striking beauty inspires me to write and to paint. Her loveliness...fills me with such longing and love that only being there can control my emotions.

How many times do I thank her? (Friuli) I do every morning, noon and night. How much will I miss her at trips end and I have to take that tearful flight? I do every morning noon and night, for weeks and months until the next tour, and my very next flight. She will never be my ex-anything; she is forever in my life.

The Livenza river

Her cool healing, water’s gently wash over me, soothing and caressing me and removes the swelling from my sore tired feet...after long hot walks in her sometimes humid heat. This is my favorite place to relax to seek the calm the quite and the tranquil peace, then to simply wander aimlessly among her rich and luscious greens. Yes they too were created by this living, flowing, sometimes gushing river with its several hundred streams. "T'amo, mia donna, sie la mia amica..." "I love, you my lady, you are my friend..."

Sacile

One of my very favorite places in the Friuli is a beautiful town called Sacile, in the province of Pordenone, and it was known at one time as the "Giardino della Serentissima", because of it's many handsome palaces, it's beautifully built Palazzi, and flowered streets. This period of splendor and culture flourished when the town was in Venetian hands in the 16th century. It was nearly lost during the bitter fighting of the First World War. But it survived, and has been described as the town of many small 'borghi'..(village)

I can wander around for hours through the Palazzo Bigilia, complete with it's frescoes...by Montemezzano, as well as an internal courtyard on the river. I can move among the history of Palazzo Ovio-Gobbi, for its library filled with historic archives and parish museum. Or just go looking in windows of stores with a variety of beautiful things, shoes of varied colors, handbags and charming rings.

On Thursday’s I walk among others on market day in the square and have lunch at cellina's, later sit in the courtyard at the rivers edge. I sit on the steps of the Duomo in the center of the square and watch the happy shoppers as they go about their day. The Duomo Originally built in the 9th century, was given a makeover in the 15th century, which has survived until this day. It contains priceless artworks, most notably a canvas by Andra Vicentino.

You must come to Sacile in August when the "Sagra dei Osei" is held. This cultural event is over 7 centuries old, and includes the wine and honey distribution. The Sweet Life Indeed! I could go on, and on, about Sacile, and my friends there you have to meet, but that would take away some of the surprises that are Oh, so sweet. And, so on to another town, another village-one you'll find is just as sweet.

Polcenigo

I dream of Polcenigo, and the hotel where Bonapart did sleep, I've slept there too. Palazzo Fullini Zaia was built in the 16th century and has been in the Zaia family for all these many years. It was to have passed out of the Zaia family and sold to big business magnets, but the owner Fossca Zaia, has changed her mind and will keep hotel Zaia in the Zaia family. The owners of the Palazzo, Nino and Fossca Zaia were our dear friends. Ah! Yes handsome Nino, whom I saw for the last time a few months before his death, I miss him dearly and his lovely wife Fossca, she too has left Polcenigo, without her sweet Nino. She has! I've been told returned to her old home in Florence...to live out the rest of her life. This is what I've have been told by some of the townspeople, but I'm not sure. God' bless you Fossca, and God' speed. Such beauty and wonderful memories of staying at hotel Zaia.

There are the remains of castle Polcenigo which stands at the top of a hill with a commanding view over the valley. At one time castle Polcenigo was a wooden fortress and served merely as a military base. Then many centuries later it became a stone medieval castle, and then into a Venetian Villa. The castle destroyed by a fire, was rebuilt in the 18th century. Today it is just a shell of its old self, but still beautiful as it looks over its small kingdom, seated atop the
hill.

Friuli Forever

I have found myself so very rooted to this area of Italy, and my love continues to grow year after year. I have traveled all the back roads of Friuli, where you can visit quaint towns and wonderful little villages, stop in a bar for cappucino or tea. The villagers are warm friendly people and often invite you to come in, and have a bite to eat and drink. The first thing they bring out is the wine and cheese...and wine and cheese is what they are so famous for.

Friuli is my place to rest, or take long walks in the country, to hop a train and be off to visit Venice, Trieste, Belluno, or the Alps and most important, too just be me. Here I'm surrounded by the sea, its color of light to dark green emeralds, topped by a white foam rushing around my feet, Playing with my toes as if kissing them one by one, she brings squeals of laughter to my lips, and a joy of profound happiness to my heart, I love her she loves me.

There are the frosty snow capped mountains of the Dolimites, so majestic and proud just waiting for the right hiker, a hiker so rugged and strong to scale her highest peaks. I'll pass on the hike, but I'll stand at her side looking over at the beauty beneath her far and wide.

Take me to her beautiful cities, each one speaking of it’s own ancient loveliness. Cities like Bassano del Grappa, Asolo or Udine, all ancient, all beautiful, all worthy of highest praise. Yes the flat plains of the Po Valley is of such a natural setting within its self, and of such an outstanding beauty that it bought instant tears even to a man who has never cried. Yes I met him and I saw him cry. To me Friuli is like looking at the face of a strikingly handsome man, or of a woman with incredible green eyes, those are two things that touch the very soul of me, and causes my heart to melt.

If you feel that you have seen life to its fullest, you have not, not until you have seen or met
Friuli Venezia Giulia

"I ask myself is this a dream? Will it vanish into thin air? Is there a land of such supreme and perfect beauty anywhere?"
Longfellow


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Sacile:
This attractive agricultural and industrial town is on the Livenza river, the banks of which are covered in lush vegetation, hence the town’s nickname of ‘the garden of Venice’. It flourished both culturally and scientifically in the Renaissance and still has its colonnaded streets and fine buildings that give it its peaceful atmosphere and reveal Venetian influence. Piazza del Popolo and the Cathedral are admirable architectural examples of that prosperous era. Its inhabitants speak Italian and the ancient language Furlan as well as German and Slovenian, which have speed across the borders that Friuli shares with Austria and Slovenia. 50 percent of the regional population speaks Furlan on a daily basis, and even more speak Slovenian.