At the Villa of a Contessa!

Late last month, the 30th of May to be precise, the lovely Contessa Dawna De Luca planned a special afternoon party. The place: her villa in Castrovillari, Italy.


There were splendid cheeses which melted in your mouth!

And fruit so delicious, the taste lingered inside your mouth long after you swallowed it!

And the flowers! I must say, like Mrs. Bennet exclaimed over lace at the balls, I exclaim after the flowers at parties! I can hear Mr. Bennet begin to proclaim, "No lace! No flowers!"

Grapes graced the tables and hung from the vines at the windows! Nothing could compare to the bliss it brought!

Figs and coconut cookies!

The juice of grapes was sweet to the mouth!

And the chocolate! I asked the Contessa where such delicious chocolate could be found. She replied and said she had traveled to Belgium to find such sweetness!

The art was simply breathtaking!

We put together small cards of Italian sayings, for Contessa De Luca's guests ranged from American to English and they loved being able to thank the Contessa properly!

Again the flowers! And again Mr. Bennet's voice, "No lace! No flowers!"

The table in all its finery!

After announcing the lovely Contessa, the joys of her villa party begin! The guests began to eat! And they ate and they ate and they ate!

This, William the Writer, a famous author from America! Ah, so far away! Should like to visit sometime!

The lovely Miss Hannah, a well known singer from Ireland.

And the lovely Contessa Dawna De Luca herself.

This, charming gentleman, is a duke, or general, or . . . someone.

Mrs. Katie, the wife of a millionaire back in the states! But a quiet family, theirs.

And a gentleman of high regard! He told so many fascinating stories and kept changing his name, I don't think I ever understood where exactly he was from. One of those adventurers, like that professor or someone, Dr. Jones? Yes. One of those.

The Contessa presses her own delicious grape juice right there at her Villa! Wonderful! Wonderful!

The millionaire, Mr. Ken. Happy looking, isn't he?

Have a nice day!