Spring arrived all at once!
The seasons in the northern Italy are very different from Oregon where I used to live. In Portland winter rains turn to spring rains and the luscious green pervades all. In the Piemonte we had a true snowy, cold winter replaced by a warm, blustery and flowering spring. The town of Alba is a showcase of colors and fashion and a delight of people watching.
The celebration of Easter is called Pasqua and the day after Pasquetta. It is kind of like Christmas eve and Christmas day reversed. The big celebration is Easter Sunday, and the Monday after is called Pasquetta and almost everything is closed. No advance signs or notices, it is one of those holidays that is just understood. The shops being closed doesn't stop people from taking their walk to town. for exercise, to socialize or to show off the family. They call it the passeggiata and it is a wonderful part of life here throughout the year. But especially on Sundays and holidays where time moves very slowly, and having family in the house encourages the occasional walk to town to break up the day.
We have have been adopted by the family of our friends and spent Sunday hanging out, and enjoying food, wine, conversation and sun, and Monday we all talked about going on a diet.
...Spring, Easter, Pasqua, Pasquetta