Good Memories...

Alessandro

..are what fantastic vacations are made of!

I would say that everyone could agree with this statement. I don’t claim to have originated this idea, but I thought it would well fit this short entry, a couple of days after my last note on this digital space.

Our weekend brought us to an escalation of excitement that started with the visit to Stefania’s house and her beautiful home, to a quiet morning on Saturday and then our biannual visit to another old friend of mine: Paolo (detto Felipe!) who is now the proud father of a 50-day old gorgeous boy, Alessandro. Paolo is an friend who always reminds me of an era in my life when, besides fewer years on my shoulders, I lived a bit of music excitement with concerts and the whole deal of shows, that his group – Ladri di Carrozzelle – started over 20 years ago.

Michele and Zoe play together

He lives in Frascati, a hilly town 20 minutes from Rome, in a house he is restoring, bit by bit, from the work of his grandfather and father, an old farm in a vast property that is turning out to be a lovely dwelling indeed (I added some pics in the picture show). Roberta and Alessandro now make up a great deal of his new life, giving a different meaning to the projects around the property, but still filling the days with a realization that he is blessed with a good life.

My kids know Paolo from past years, and the visit to his place is a mandatory step in our travels. Paolo owns a small studio where Michele and Marco enjoy playing the real instruments, like drums and guitars, chase the dog, visit the chickens and turtles and ride on his motorcycle. Paolo is indeed one of my “cool” friends according to my kids.

So Saturday afternoon was spent in this idyllic setting for a brief ice-cream visit. And the kids would not have wanted to leave any time soon, had it not been for the fact that later in the evening they were going to spend the night at another friends’ family which took them to Calabria for a whole week of added fun by the beach.

I called them last night and they were heading downtown the small village of Santa Maria del Cedro, for dinner and a show in the main square. Speaking already as true locals would.

Marco and the "real" Guitar
Hero!

As I was saying I trust that our kids are truly having the time of their life, and every year that passes by, the summer in Italy leaves a deeper stamp in their identities and remains with them to build the citizens of the world that Nick and I hope they will soon become. We believe that surrounding them with positive and valuable experiences will impact their beliefs, their decisions and assist them in makings good choices in life. And even as the heat continues its devastating effect on a couple of quieter days at my end (soon Nick will join us and suffer with me too!) I know that their happy memories make me feel as happy and as filled with joy, even in a vicarious way.