Postcard from Tuscany
BY KIMBERLY YOST

On Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2002, Muhlenberg alumni and friends from around the country boarded a plane for Italy. Our first official meeting took place in the Frankfurt airport early Thursday morning – a group that had never before set eyes on one another but shared one common bond – Muhlenberg.

And so our adventure began and we set off together for Rome, where we would all begin to unify over hopes of our luggage arriving safely. Several hours later we arrived at the Hotel San Luca in Cortona – our home for the next seven days.
That first night was spent introducing ourselves, and of the 31-person group, 23 of us were from Muhlenberg College. Alumni from the class of 1942 to the class of 1999 shared stories and memories while looking forward to the memories that we were about to share in Tuscany.

Our days were filled with travel to local cities, museums, cathedrals and vineyards and lots of shopping. There were excursions to Montepulciano, Perugia, Assisi and Florence, to name a few.

Each day began with an incredible breakfast at 7 a.m., and we were on the bus by 8 a.m. headed to a new destination. We would return just past 7 p.m. and prepare for our two-hour dinner in the wine cellar. The food was beyond description except to say that none of us had ever before eaten quite so well! Carafes of wine adorned our tables and there was an abundance of laughter and story telling.

On Monday, November 11, the Office of Alumni Relations hosted a reception at La Saletta Restaurant for the Muhlenberg family and our newly adopted consorts. Red and white wines of the region flowed as we toasted to good friends and sampled a few local specialties: crostini, pecorino cheese and honey (it took us over an hour to figure out what the honey was used for), black olives and bruschetta.

That evening also marked another special occasion, the 81st birthday of Dr. Bertram Levinstone ’42.

During the reception I asked everyone to put down a few words describing their Tuscan experience:

“Good trip, good company, good friends.” Don ’48 and Joan Geyer

“Rich experience.” Ray ’53 and Chris Nyce

“I loved it!” Carolyn Johnson

“Great company.” Tom Johnson

“Hope others will respond in the future.” Don Stoughton ’48

“Great!” Vincent D’Annunzio

“Best trip ever…” Ron Cioe

“Wonderful trip!” Peg Malkames

“Excellent trip and company.” Gary and Diane Pugh

“Great Trip!” Dick and Peggy Ellis

“Beautiful hills, fabulous food…” Charlotte Coley ’66

“People, art, food etc. all exquisite!” Mary Kaduk

“Beautiful country, great cars, art, people, etc.” Bob Kaduk

“Pleasant company, Muhlenberg-type camaraderie and stimulating art and geography.” Bert Levinstone ’42

“Wonderful guides – made for a lovely combination of education and fun. I will remember what I saw and learned.” Patti Jeydel

“Allessandro!” Julie Kichline

Other travelers in the group included Bill ’59 and Joan Douglass and Luis Loayza ’99 and Danielle Fusco.

Thank you to everyone for being a part of this incredible journey. Perhaps one day, either on some distant shore or home at Muhlenberg, our paths will cross again. Ciao!