September 2008

ITALY!! Finally we were going to get the chance to see where Francesco was born! We made the journey with my parents and his parents. We had a lovely time meeting all his family and seeing all the sights! Still we couldn't squeeze in everything-oh too bad we'll have to go back!! We started off in Rome at a lunch with about 40 family members in a very charming restaurant. Everyone was so welcoming and very friendly. Enzo was loved by all even though he had a bad case of the grouchies due to jetlag!! We fully enjoyed each day in this beautiful city so rich in history. Each day we enjoyed a very leisurely lunch and then toured the city afterward. We saw the Coliseum, Forum, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain in the day and St. Peter's in Vatican City which we climbed to the top of the copola and saw breathtaking views of the city. Francesco and I even went on a date (thank you Mom and Dad!) and enjoyed a quiet meal and a romantic walk ending at the Trevi Fountain. We also saw the hospital where Francesco was born and the first apartment he lived in! The three of us took a day trip to Tivoli and saw Hadrian's Villa and Villa D'Este. We marveled at all the amazing structures and statues but the fountains were extraordinary! We finished our time in Rome with a delicious meal at a cafe we found by hopping off the tour bus and getting ourselves "lost" deep in the city streets. Then we boarded a train north to Venice where we met up with my parents.


There we toured as much of the city as possible in our short stay. We took a water bus to Piazza San Marco where Enzo discovered the sport of chasing pigeons! He enjoyed himself greatly much to the dismay of the birds. The highlight of the trip was when we went on a gondola tour which took us on the small, quiet canals as well as the Grand Canal. It was truly amazing to see this city in person. Next time, we all agreed a longer stay is a must! Off again on a train to Milan to meet up with Francesco's parents and to meet more of his family.


The three of us stayed at his Zio Renato and Zia Franca's home. They had an adorable bed set up for Enzo complete with welcome balloons! We attended a lunch with another 40 or so family members at a beautiful restaurant in the countryside. It was so great to meet them all. This time Enzo was well rested and really had a good time playing with the other kids. For the rest of the trip we took in all the sights the city has to offer including the castle and beautiful Duomo which we went to the top of and got a close up look at the very detailed architecture. How amazing! We walked through the Galleria and spun on the bulls private parts for good luck! We were also treated to another date night(thank you Joanne!!)and went out with Francesco's cousin, Nicoletta and her friends. She also took us up to Lake Como to meet up with my parents and had another amazing day. We rode the water shuttle up the lake to Bellagio seeing all the lakeside properties and beautiful mountains along the way. And of course another great meal! A couple of days later we took a trip to Iseo where Franceso's family would vacation lakeside in the summer. It was a charming little town with breathtaking views of the mountains. How lucky he was to of spent a month there each summer! Then we made our way to a neighboring town for lunch that day. It was in the countryside so we were surrounded by rolling hills and vineyards. So naturally we visited a winery and took a tour after our lunch.


How quickly our two weeks went but the memories will last a lifetime. We had such a great time visiting all of his family. They are all such warm, friendly and very welcoming people. It was really nice to have met them and to have had them meet our son was equally wonderful. Although Enzo probably will not remember being there we thoroughly documented it for him! My Dad took video at all times and we took a ton of pictures! (1200+)!! It was very sad to leave but we know we will return. And so we traveled home...