One Last Time – with Family!

Jane and I have been to Italy 5 previous times, a couple with friends, and they were special. However, this coming trip will be with family making it extra special. They have only heard the stories, seen the pictures and I know that deep down they wanted to also experience what we feel and know about ‘our’ Italy.

Going with us will be our daughter, Kari, and her daughter, Isabelle, or Izzy. Below are each persons’ expectations, the prior experiences, the anticipation for the upcoming trip. We will try to create regular posts of our trip, so keep checking back.

Jane

Why am I so excited to return to Italy? In a few words….the people, the food, the glorious countryside, the way it touches my soul.

This time we are traveling with family for the first time, and it will be a joy to show them the land and the places that have captured our hearts.  I can’t wait to see their reactions.

The Italian people are special.  They savor the day…early coffee and a sweet something, then a siesta often after noon, then dinner later at night where family gathers (even babies are expected at restaurants), followed by a nightly walk (la Passaglia), to digest the food and commune with all generations of friends and family.  Very little hustle/bustle.   I relax there, I feel welcome there.

I look forward to visiting innkeepers that I now consider friends….in small towns in Umbria and Tuscany, greeted with “Ciao” and an Italian kiss.

“Love and understand the Italians, for the people are more marvelous than the land.” E.M. Forster

Everyone knows the food is fantastic.  Honor the regions.  In Rome, it’s carbonara, amatriciana, and cacio e pepe.  In Florence, it’s pici pasta with cinghale ragu (wild boar).  In Venice, it’s seafood all the way.  All fresh, all homemade.

Tuscany, and especially the Val D’Orcia, a small valley in central Italy between Siena and Grosseto (Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site), took my breath away the first time I saw it.  It still does, when I initially glimpse the rolling hills dotted by rustic gold farmhouses and a line of cypress trees, each time I visit.  I can’t describe it.  I just feel at home Tuscany seems to sing to my soul.   As Irving Stone described it, “Tuscany is a state of grace”.

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” Albert Einstein.

Kari

A year ago, my parents asked me to travel with them to Italy. It wasn’t the first time they had extended the invitation, but for years I always found a reason to say, “Not now.” I hadn’t traveled to Europe since I was in my twenties, and now, at 56 years old, after recently undergoing cancer treatment, I realized that “not now” was no longer the answer.

This season of life has reminded me that some opportunities are too meaningful to postpone. As Taylor Swift sings in one of her songs, I’ve been “saying yes instead of no.” For the first time in a long time, I decided to do exactly that.

I am absolutely over the moon to be traveling to Italy this summer. More than anything, I am excited to experience this adventure alongside my parents and to see through my own eyes the places they have loved and spoken about for so many years. I have heard countless stories about the towns, the people, the food, and the beauty we will encounter along the way, and I can’t wait to finally be part of those stories myself.

I know this trip will be filled with unforgettable sights and experiences, but what I will treasure most is the time spent with my parents. After everything we have experienced, the opportunity to create new memories together feels like an extraordinary gift. I am grateful, excited, and ready to embrace every moment of this journey.

Izzy

When my grandparents invited my mom and me to join them on a trip to Italy, I knew I was going and I was immediately excited. As the trip gets closer, I find myself counting down the days until we leave. This will be my first time visiting Italy, and I can hardly wait to experience everything I’ve heard about for so many years.

Growing up, I have listened to countless stories from my grandparents about the places they have visited, the people they have met, and the memories they have made throughout their travels. Now, I get the chance to see those places for myself and share in an adventure that means so much to them. I am most looking forward to seeing Italy through my grandparents’ eyes. I know the sights will be incredible, but what I am most excited about is the chance to make memories together.

It feels especially meaningful that my mom will be on this trip too. Having the opportunity to travel with both my mom and my grandparents is something I know not everyone gets to experience. Life can get busy with school, work, and everyday responsibilities, so having several weeks together to explore, laugh, and enjoy new experiences feels like such a gift.

As I prepare for my senior year of nursing school, this trip also feels like the perfect adventure before stepping into a new chapter of life. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity and for the chance to spend this time with the people I love most.

More than anything, I am excited. Excited for the places we’ll see, the memories we’ll make, and the stories we’ll tell long after the trip is over. I know this will be an experience I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Ron

One more time’ could, well, just may be, ‘One last time’. I hope not, but when you are getting up in age and have been to Italy 5 previous times over the past 12 years, you know that there will be at some point a ‘last time’. Our experiences have been a true blessing indeed. Jane and I, and with friends, have visited the major sites and cities and hill towns of Tuscany, and have spent time on Celebrity Cruise ships exploring ports throughout the Mediterranean. But, we are going ‘One more time’. This one will be extra special for we will be taking our daughter, Kari, and our granddaughter, Izzy with us for 3 1/2 weeks of adventure on land and on sea. 

I am personally looking forward to spending time again at two special locations, Assisi, with Lara and her family at Hotel Ideale, and Montichiello, with Francesco at La Casa di Adelina. When you have made friends in a distant land it makes it extra special to know that you are very welcome and that they are looking forward to your visit also. And, to visit other ‘hill towns’ in the area, Pienza and Montipulciano, and to take in the scenery of Tuscany, WOW!, what an experience to again look forward to. 

And then, to introduce Kari and Izzy to Florence and Venice!! Another, WOW! Venice will be introduced to them with a water taxi trip down the Grand Canal to St Marks Square. And, I have to admit, that the girls are looking forward to the shopping!

We will try to keep you up to date with periodic posts, so keep checking back.