Yesterday was International Women’s Day, or as it’s called here in Italia, La Festa delle Donne.  There is a tradition of men giving women bunches of mimosa flowers as a sign of appreciation.  I started my day yesterday with two men at my bar offering to buy me coffee, which was sweet.  Then later, my new landlord Massimo gifted me with some of these beautiful yellow blooms.  But the highlight for me was dinner out with my Italian women friends.  The men folk were left to their own devices as the women prepared for a night of fun.  I went with Gabriella, Antonella, Caterina and Rosella.  Rosella organized our group and led the caravan of cars to the nearby town of Cetona.

I was told it was dinner and a spettacolo, which means show, and they said the word spogliarello more than once, so I figured it would be some sort of male striptease.  I think that’s what they were hoping for anyway.  It turned out to be dinner, dancing, and four cute waiters who were fully clothed in tank tops and jeans.  At one point, two of them shredded their shirts and Caterina joked that we’d just seen the spettacolo.  The food wasn’t great and the ladies of Montepulciano, who are spoiled by the delicious vino here, barely drank the horrible wine offerings, but it was a fun evening and, more importantly, an opportunity to laugh, talk, and spend time with girlfriends.  The women ranged in age from the barely legal, to some in their mid seventies.  There was one seventy-something in our group of twenty five women who was a riot.  She danced and enjoyed herself all night long.  It was great to see everyone out of their shops, done up with makeup, and looking relaxed and happy.  Our ringleader Rosella seemed dissatisfied with the way the evening had turned out, especially the food, so I joked with her that next year, we would make sure to find some nude males.  We eventually made our way home and this morning I awoke to snow.  Happily I have my bright yellow mimosa flowers to remind me that spring will be here…eventually.

A gift of Mimosa flowers from Massimo, my new landlord

Antonella and me as we hit the road for Cetona

The entertainment...four cute waiters

Caterina, Gabriella and the tipsy seventy-year old that no one seemed to know

Some of the women get the dancing started...

I know I drank a bit last night, but I'm pretty sure this snow wasn't here when I got home in the wee hours