World record Nativity place in Manarola, Cinque Terre

Must admit: I am not amused by the whole Christmas celebrations phenomenon, probably because my grandmother's family was both very Italian and very religious and, bless her, she forced us onto catholic marathons of micro, uber-boring events, spending those infamous three weeks between December and January amongst prayers and food. Tons of food. So we'd spend our days between escaping from auntie's atrocious breath and a rigid bench of an extremely cold church. Because Tuscans do not heat places, especially public places where you are supposed to stay still for hours. So I tested my strength and capability to sit down for two hours without either yawning and shaking. I also helped bringing grocery from Antonello's place to nonna's home back and forth, hundreds of times, and carried bags of unknown relatives who came and go, stayed too long and spoke of subjects that seemed the most vapid to me. They were having a certain kind of fun, something I would have discovered years after, it is actually way better than any disco or pub gathering with desperate teen agers. I was a magnificent nineteen mankind, exactly ten years ago, and I decided I would make the most out of my Italian Christmas time.

Read on the article on Wall Street International Magazine - Stuck in Tuscany for Christmas [Travel, Italy]