#85: Holidays, Birthdays and First Days
Dear Nonni,
I hope the weather is improving back in Melbourne!
We have finally said farewell to summer today, as after weeks of endless sunshine and warmth (how horrible) it is finally rainy and cool enough to wear a jacket. Which of course means that Lucca is filled with Italians in jackets and boots, and tourists still getting around in sundresses and sandals...
The last few weeks have been really fun. We spent a beautiful fortnight with Mum, which the kids in particular absolutely loved. We had a few days in Lucca to start, then all drove down the coast to Porto Ercole for a week, and finally finished up with a few days in Rome.
Porto Ercole was brilliant. We stayed in a house up in the hills above the town, which had a fantastic view back across the water towards the mainland. Our friends from Melbourne (Monica, James and five-year old George, and Mon's family) were close by for the week, so there was plenty of fun and catching up for everyone. We swam, we ate seafood, and one day we rented a speedboat and took a trip out of the harbour and up along the coast.
The boat rental process was hilariously un-Australian. The very friendly girl at the dock barely glanced at my drivers licence (no mention of needing a boat licence whatsoever) before handing us the keys, giving us a 3 minute demonstration of how to drive, and sending us off into the sea. The vessel was not small, with a surprisingly-powerful engine. It was fantastic, but honestly I feel like if two of the three adults on the boat didn't have experience on waterways we really could have made a meal of things. It still surprises me sometimes, living in a country where safety is calibrated a fair way above the lowest common denominator.
We were invited to a festa by Mon's Italian uncle. He lives in Rome, but has a beautiful property in Capalbio. It was fascinating, watching the mingling of his Italian friends with the Australian visitors. It was weird to be in a garden party / summer barbecue-style setting and not see a drink in the hand of every adult from the get go. In fact, no one drank anything much until David and James finally took the plunge and opened a bottle of prosecco.
We returned the invitation later in the week, and had people around for a casual dinner by the pool. Zio looked on in amusement (possibly horror) as everyone piled their plates full with everything all at once, as we do. It felt so natural, but also so strange to see through eyes that haven't been home for more than a year now. An Italian would never heap three different types of salads right next to their steak and bread, and then happily munch their way through a weird, semi-sloppy mix of all of them.
The few days in Rome were really brilliant. The eternal city is amazing, of course. We all know this. But I'd always been a little hesitant about taking the kids. The last few times I have been there it has been chaos.
It was an incredible surprise to really enjoy the city, more deeply than I ever have in the past. We did a tour of the Colosseum with kids in tow, but apart from that (and a quick whip through the Pantheon early one morning) we kept our adventures local. Although our apartment was close to Piazza Navona, the immediate surroundings felt lived-in and authentic. I can finally see the appeal of actually living there, and how it might be possible with a family too.
Our return to Lucca coincided with two things. One, my birthday, but much more significantly, the first day of primary school for Raffy and the first day of kindergarten for Leo. Sending them off that morning with their backpacks in their little grembiuli (smocks) was criminally cute. They both had a great start. No tears!
Finally, some language fun for you. A bit of Italian and a bit of English.
I learnt a new word the other day, from a lady in Porto Ercole. We were having breakfast at a little bar, and Raffy struck up a conversation with a woman sitting nearby. This is a frequent occurrence. Most people are surprised and delighted when she switches from speaking English with us, to speaking with them in Italian.
They were having a big discussion about our holiday with the visiting nonna (aka Flav), Australia, and her granddaughter who lives in Dubai. The woman turns to me and says with a huge smile that Raffy is a delightful chiacchierone. Chatterbox!
And on Raffaella, I scolded her the other day because she kept poking and prodding Leo after he'd asked her to stop. After giving him one more annoying jab, and me shouting "stop it Raffy!", she turns and says "I only brushed against him, like a curtain blowing gently in the breeze"...
All my love,
Kate
