Fabulous Fabriano Part VII

Our trip to Fabriano, Italy, continues...

(Here are the links to past posts, just in case you are just joining this journey:  Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI)

We exited the second floor of the museum down a side staircase, walked back along the courtyard, and into the gift shop.  This time, it was packed with eager shoppers.  So many in fact, that we decided to make our purchases when the museum re-opened after lunch.  

It was baffling, still, for us to imagine that this now crowded space was the vary same gift shop that we entered just a few hours earlier, when we were greeted and ushered into a movie viewing room all to ourselves.

Upon the advice of the gift shop's cashier (a younger, very personable, English speaking gentleman), we left the building and headed for a cafe located in a piazza around the backside of the museum.  On the way, as I mentioned in Part VI, we stopped by the car to pick up my tangling supplies as I wanted to make a gift for our tour guide, Claudia.

Our car was parked on the east side of the museum, this street was on the north side:

It opened up onto a quaint cobble stone piazza with a pretty, central fountain (to the left in the photo below) and straight ahead was the corner cafe.  

The cafe was packed.  Many of the patrons wore name tags that identified themselves as the featured watercolor artists (from all over the world) whose work was currently on exhibit at the Paper and Watermark Museum.  Their beautiful pieces were on display in the hallways of the second floor.   So much excitement in so many different languages - it was invigorating.  But there was a line to get a table, and nowhere to sit to wait.

Standing where I took the photo above, this was our view to the left ~

And the museum was to our right...

...the evidence of the once Benedictine monastery in full view.

Just beyond the corner of the building, I noticed a small ledge at the base of an iron fence.   Lou stayed in line for a table and, in search for a quieter spot, I perched myself on the far end of the curb and began tangling.

From this vantage point, I was catercorner from the cafe, in view of Lou when he waved that a table was open for us.  Lou took this picture from where he stood ~

A note here about yet another magical event in this journey.   When I was packing my art supplies for the trip, I opened a bulk pack of zendalas that I had ordered last month from Zentangle®.  To my complete surprise, the top four tiles were watermarked.

That was a first.  In the years that I have ordered and tangled on zendalas, not once have I used, or even seen a watermarked tile.

The standard 3.5" square tiles used in CZT seminars and at zenAgain carry the watermark - a special treat from Rick and Maria.  One CZT told me that one in forty of those tiles are watermarked, as tiles are cut from larger sheets of the Fabriano paper.

When I pulled those watermarked zendalas from the box, I could hardly believe my eyes.  It prompted me to grab one of my Tickled to Tangle frames and stash it in my suitcase, knowing that it would come in handy to display one of these treasured tiles.

Fast forward to Fabriano, and here I was, sitting on a stone ledge, outside of the Paper and Watermark Museum, and now tangling on one of those watermarked zendalas.  Claudia, I was certain, would appreciate the gift of it.

I finished the tile after we enjoyed a delicious lunch - and because we were in Italy - a lovely glass of wine. Yum!

I love how tangles capture moods and moments and this one fit both just right.  My tangle Uncorked sprung from the middle and I embellished it with Zinger and Ahh.

I spread my scarf on the edge of the table, placed my zendala on it and took this photo~

And this one of the back ~

The watermark is visible to the top left.  One little Ann (my first and very sentimental tangle) graced the back.  With so much to be thankful for, I added "Grazie".  When I wrote that bottom line, my eyes stung with tears and I must confess, they still do when I read it.

I mounted the tile on my frame, re-wrapped it, and we headed back to the museum with two goals:  to thank Claudia with this gift, and to purchase paper from the gift shop.

At the Paper and Watermark Museum's front door,
holding my framed, watermarked zendala
in Fabriano, Italy

To be continued...