She stayed for a month!

She says it was her best birthday ever!  Really?  She’s 88 years old, and coming to Italy to see her sister and Italian cousins makes it the best birthday ever?  Well, I think I understand.  Italy has a way of capturing one’s heart, making one feel relaxed and appreciate the good things in life. Not to mention the fresh-brewed Moka coffee, made to order breakfast each morning and no kitchen duties at Casa Margaret (although one day she baked a big apple pie that Mike really liked). She even had her laundry done for her and was chauffeured around everywhere. How much better could it be?

When my sister Carol told me she wanted to come to Italy for her birthday, I was very, very happy.  She had had her Italian passport for three years and had not yet used it. 

Mike and I live in the Abruzzo region and have family in the Veneto region (my grandmother’s descendants).  While Carol wanted to visit us and see our new apartment, she primarily wanted to spend some time with the family up north.  So, she said, “I’ll just spend a few days in Abruzzo with you and then you can drive me up north and drop me off.”  Ha.  Like that was going to happen.  NOT. 

After several weeks and many talks, we managed to convince her to stay with us for a week, then drive her up north (but not just drop her off), and bring her back to our house for two weeks.  We drove to Oderzo, spent the weekend with Alberto and Valentina and family, and then Mike and I took off for a mini vacation (more on that later).  Alberto, Valentina, and their grandson Giovanni drove Carol to Mirano on Thursday (it’s a 1-1/2 hour drive).  Carol got to spend a couple of days with the family there (Lina, Sara, Massimo, Andrea, Simone, et al), and Mike and I arrived on Saturday.  It all worked out well.  She got to spend quality time with both sets of cousins.

THEN we drove back to our home in Citta’ Sant’Angelo, Abruzzo, about a six-hour drive, for two more weeks of “Carol in Italy”!

Please take a look at the photos to find out what a great time we had with our Italian family.  Words just don’t describe how wonderful it was.

Now, back in Abruzzo, we had Carol to ourselves again.  This time for two full weeks.

Back to the beginning:

When she arrived in Rome, I met her at the airport, having taken the 4-hour bus trip from Pescara.  There was a wave of people, and I was afraid I’d miss her.  But we did find each other at the information desk.  A brisk walk to the bus stop, a short wait, and we were on our way to Pescara.  I had packed lunch for us, and it was a good thing – she was hungry!

Mike’s smiling face met us at the bus stop in Pescara.  We drove along the Lungamare (a road along the sea) to show Carol what a beach town looks like off-season, and arrived home about 20 minutes later. 

As soon as she walked into our apartment, she relaxed.  And that warmed my heart because my intention was to create an inviting space for people to come to.  Her reaction confirmed that I’d done well.

We spent most of that first week showing Carol around the area.  Mike and I had some appointments (travel agency, mammogram, health card).  Carol either tagged along or relaxed at home.

One evening we drove to a hill town near us called Atri to attend a meet-up with English and Italian speakers.  The idea is let Italian speakers practice English and to let English speakers practice Italian.  I think Carol had a really good time.

One afternoon we had a video chat with our cousins Nancy, Gloria, and Ginny in America.  That, of course, was really fun.  We also had an Italian language lesson online with Francesca, a member of a meetup group I belong to.

One evening, Leonardo (our contractor) came by with a geometra and an architect to talk about plans for converting our attic into an apartment.  That was a lively conversation, and Carol got to be a part of it.

On Friday we headed north to Oderzo.  It’s about a 7-hour drive, with frequent stops.  But it’s a beautiful drive, mostly along the coast.  It was really nice to see everyone (and we did get to see all of them). Carol also got to go to the cemetery where many of our ancestors are buried.  Check out the photos of “Carol in Italy”.

Mike and I didn’t want to impose on Valentina and Alberto.  They are always so busy helping to take care of grandchildren.  So we left after breakfast on Monday for a Short Get-Away (click here).  First, we went to Cittadella, a medieval walled city that is still inhabited and active.  Then we drove to Vicenza, where we toured the beautiful and amazing buildings designed by Andrea Palladio.  Just breathtaking.  We stayed two nights in a boutique hotel that was delightful and had a full American breakfast (Mike loved that part).

Then we drove to Albana Terme, a town known for its hot baths.  Ahhh, two days and nights of nothing to do but sit by the pool and soak in a hot pool. The Romans really had a good idea here.  Far Niente.  We did find a mask museum that is very interesting.  Fabulous masks!

It was a short drive to Mirano, to Lina’s restaurant and bed & breakfast.  There, we met up with Carol again and got to spend some time with everyone on that side of the family.  Plus eat Lina’s amazing food.  YUM!

Our Italian family is so loving and caring and welcoming.  And so fun!  We really wish we could live closer to them.  But that’s a story for another time.

Back home in Citta’ Sant’Angelo, we took a few days’ rest, then, with intermittent days off, took Carol on tours of Abruzzo.  Not necessarily in order, but we went to the Museum of the People of Abruzzo in Pescara, drove along the beach road, went to Celano to tour the castle Piccolomini and the religious art exhibit, to Alba Fucens to see the ruins of a Roman city built in 300 b.c., went to Sulmona where confetti candy is made, toured a winery, and had some great food. 

There was not a convenient bus to get Carol to the Rome airport, so we all drove to Rome the day before her return flight.  I confess that my choice of a B&B was not the best, but we did find a nice restaurant and had a really good meal.  Mike and I made sure that Carol was through security, then waited until her plane took off before we returned home.

We really enjoyed having her here.  It was sad to see her leave.  I look at the photos and smile.