What are Ilvolover’s fondest desires?  To see Gianluca, Piero, and Ignazio in concert….yes…to see them face to face and get a hug at a M&G…..absolutely….to have some real time mingling, visiting, touching, looking into those dark Italian eyes, and watching them interact to our hearts’ content?…..dare we hope?

Well, it happened to Mary and Jane (and  a few others) last Sunday. They pledged their contribution to the Public Television Station in St. Paul, Minnesota, and got $120 worth of heavenly time with our favorite guys.  We were fortunate enough to arrive at the station a bit early and got a great table in the room where we would have  precious time with THEM.  But the best was that we were there to see them come through the door to the lobby with Barbara.  Of course Mary had to rush out and greet them….it was the polite thing to do, right?  Piero didn’t seem to mind that she immediately enveloped him in a hug (you have to grab those opportunities when they pop up).  Mary gave him a poem that she had written for him, knowing full well that finding time to read it was probably not going to happen.  Someone from the station came and took them away, paying no attention to Jane and Mary who were saying, “come back, come back.”  Oh well, we knew that they would return and we would have our time.

Time for that first hug!

So, back to the meeting room to wait.  Other people were arriving, and we were glad that we had grabbed a table when we did.  There were lovely appetizers to munch on and wine and soft drinks.  We visited a bit with some of the other guests.  One couple and their daughter had come from Ohio just for this event.  It seems that the daughter had been Piero’s “Maria” in Tennessee when they brought girls up on stage to sing to while doing that song.

TPT Reception Room 

Joyce and Bonnie

Anne and Mary (Daughter-Mother)

Jane and Mary

Suzy, Allene and Joyce

Aubrianna, (Tennessee Maria) her father and mother

And then, a hush came over the room as we saw our darlings coming through the door.  They were dressed very casually and giving us big smiles as if they were glad to be there in spite of just having come from delightfully tropic Miami to the frozen northland.  Ignazio wasn’t feeling well.  We know that he suffers the most from jet lag.  Barbara told us that he had a touch of the flu, and he left shortly to have a rest before the filming.  But Gianluca and Piero were in good spirits and kept us very well entertained.  Some people were there who spoke fluent Italian and they had a great time talking to the guys.  Jane and Mary wished they had  boned up on that language, but as we all know, GG and Piero are well versed in English and we were able to visit with them and stare into those gorgeous dark eyes. 

While the line was forming to speak to the guys, Mary and Jane took the opportunity to have a chat with Barbara.  After hearing Jane tell her where she had recently traveled in Italy, Barbara said that she has not even seen some of those places!  She said that now she is traveling the world over, but someday when she is through seeing the world she will see the sights in Italy that she has never seen before!  When asked if they wake up in the morning at their hotels and wonder what city they are in, she said, yes, indeed that happens.  That it is a hard thing to do to travel so much, but they all love it.

A little blurry, but you get the picture!

Autographing snowing in Minneapolis photo  for Mary

Joyce, you know who and Mary

Signing autograph

Allene in Seventh Heaven!  (How adorable is this?)

Audrey with handsome three!

Suzy in the midst of Italian utopia!

Joyce surrounded by Italian charm!

They thought it was humorous as Jane was describing the “narrow roads of Naro!”  

Joyce showed the guys a picture of her little dog named “The Queen of Naro.”  Ignazio says, “why not Queen of Marsala?’  Joyce said she would work on that and has since posted a photo on Facebook saying in December her little dog would now be called the Queen of Marsala with surprises coming in January!

What was so totally unique about this evening was that there were only 30 guests there.  That’s it…30 of us… with 8 of the total, representing the Minnesota Flight Crew ,with the guys all to ourselves.  Never have the odds been so GOOD and  never have we been to an event where everything was so relaxed and not rush-rush!  When the guys finished getting photos with each guest they (excluding Ignazio) hung around, snacked on the goodies and  mingled with us even more!  We kept looking at each other saying, “I don’t believe this!”  

Of course when  that part of the program was over ( all too soon), they left us blissfully satisfied by what we had been given.  The guys were taken into another room for the filming of the program that was to be shown live in  the Twin Cities area.  The station had provided a huge screen in the visitor’s room so that those of us who wanted to stay could watch the 1 1/2 hour program.  Of course we wanted to stay and stay we did until we were the last ones left and the station people were cleaning up around us.

The Minnesota ladies staying until the final moment!

To say that it was a wonderful evening would be an understatement .  To have that much time close to the ones that we admire and adore was Nirvana.  And now we still have the concert in March to look forward to….our “cup runneth over.”

 

Mary’s Poem

TO: PIERO

RE: RED GLASSES

When I first saw you in Milwaukee,

All bushy haired and kind of gawky,

I fell in love.  Yes, I’ll admit it.

‘Twas your youthful exuberance that did it.

And something else got my attention.

They gave your face a great dimension….

Glasses of red!  A bit disarming,

But on your face completely charming.

They neatly framed your gorgeous eyes,

And so it came as no surprise

That you captured me in just a second.

Red glasses reached out to me and beckoned,

“Take another look and you will find

He’s not the ordinary kind.

His future bright still lies before him,

Thousands of fans will soon adore him.”

Red glasses you were right it seems..

You were there when he followed his dreams.

Glasses of red became his trademark,

Giving him a special bright spark.

Now that he’s maturing will we find

That red glasses  will be left behind?

Giving place to current fashion,

Forgetting that red was once his passion?

Piero remember how the masses

Adored you in your brave red glasses ?

Oh, yes, we’ll love you in any color.

You’re just as handsome in any other.

But the red ones have a special place

That time and style cannot erase.

Please keep them close and once in a while

Wear them again, ignoring style.

Reminding us of the beginning

When hearts of fans you first were winning.

You’re famous now, but as time passes,

Don’t forget your old friends–the RED GLASSES!

 

~~Mary and Jane~~