In addition to listening to the church bells chime and the rooster crowing, today I am also listening to the voices of 60 or 70 school kids who are still here visiting. They are 11 and 12-year-olds from a school near Milan that is named for Pier Giorgio. It was founded around 1984, if I understood their teacher correctly. Every year, if possible, kids from the school are brought here to learn more about whom their school is named for. They visit the nearby park and will go to Oropa and spend the night there. It’s a great sight to see all of the backpacks lining the wall of the house and all the young faces wandering around outside. They enter the house in groups of eight or so, for obvious reasons of crowd control.

Seeing them here and watching them walk around Pier Giorgio’s rooms and take pictures and ask questions about his life – such as why there was no TV in his room! – is a good reminder of the vitality of Pier Giorgio’s role as model for youth. He loves them and has such a tremendous example to offer them.

On a more domestic note, because we enjoyed a very hot sun today, I had the experience of doing laundry the old-fashioned way. I can’t begin to explain how grateful I am for our American conveniences when I stare into the belly of the lavatrice (washing machine). I may kiss my clothes dryer when I get home! ///cmw