http://calitreview.com/258 Book reviews, essays, and author interviews. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:24:28 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://calitreview.com/258/comment-page-1#comment-5708 Julia Braun Kessler Wed, 10 Oct 2007 01:34:14 +0000 http://calitreview.com/2007/09/12/notes-from-italy-running-rome-and-red-brigades/#comment-5708 A great pleasure to read Peter Bridges charming essay, "Notes From Italy: Running, Rome, and Red Brigades" since it brought back the most wonderful memories of my own adventures there when I lived with my family in the Centro, back in 69-70. We were in a huge flat at the Piazza Compitelli, near the Tartaruga Fountain. I certainly wasn't out at six in the mornings and thus never saw exactly what he did. My own experiences though were more leisurely. Once I'd gotten my kids, all three of them, off to their various schools each morning, I was free to wander among those same piazzas and vicoli that Bridges mentions. I would be wheeling my cart along everywhere because I knew that I must also manage to get my fruits, vegetables and groceries shopped before retuning home. And yes, I too would catch the local bakery as they brought out their fragrant breaads and cakes. And when he describes the moment he turned out on to the magnificent Piazza Navona, I gasped yet again. I used to think of those side streets as exquisite theater sets that opened upon even grander sights. What fine excursions they always were, filled with stops here and there to chat with the jewelmakers, or woodworkers and then,finally with the priests at the various local churches to locate the "capolavori" they could show me that morning. Peter Bridges' was a delightful outing. Thank you. Julia Braun Kessler A great pleasure to read Peter Bridges charming essay, “Notes From Italy: Running, Rome, and Red Brigades” since it brought back the most wonderful memories of my own adventures there when I lived with my family in the Centro, back in 69-70. We were in a huge flat at the Piazza Compitelli, near the Tartaruga Fountain. I certainly wasn’t out at six in the mornings and thus never saw exactly what he did. My own experiences though were more leisurely. Once I’d gotten my kids, all three of them, off to their various schools each morning, I was free to wander among those same piazzas and vicoli that Bridges mentions. I would be wheeling my cart along everywhere because I knew that I must also manage to get my fruits, vegetables and groceries shopped before retuning home. And yes, I too would catch the local bakery as they brought out their fragrant breaads and cakes. And when he describes the moment he turned out on to the magnificent Piazza Navona, I gasped yet again. I used to think of those side streets as exquisite theater sets that opened upon even grander sights.
What fine excursions they always were, filled with stops here and there to chat with the jewelmakers, or woodworkers and then,finally with the priests at the various local churches to locate the “capolavori” they could show me that morning. Peter Bridges’ was a delightful outing. Thank you.
Julia Braun Kessler

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