Andiamo Francesco!

                                                           

                                                  
                                                   

This year I did something that I dreamt of doing my whole life. I took a trip to Italy. Although it was my first time out of the country, I was not alone. I took the two ghosts that hang out in my attic with me. My father and mother never had the chance to return to their home while alive, so I took their spirits with me when I went on the Leisurely Rome and Tuscany tour offered by Globus and Starr Tours.

                                                              

                                                            

This was a big step for me, especially because I deal with a compromised immune system, plus and this is more important than my illness, I have a habit of getting lost no matter where I am. My husband, who is well aware of my bad sense of direction, kept reminding me before the trip to stay close to the tour guide. Dan was worried that I'd wind up in some other part of Europe. I was excited and scared to death at the same time because I was going alone, but I needn’t have worried. New friends were waiting to meet me.

                                                                

                      from the left: Tonya, Me, Mary, Ken and Virginia

The van ride to the Newark airport gave me a chance to chat with the other New Jersey people who would be part of the Leisurely Tour. One of my new friends, Virginia, was interested in writing and most of the ride to the airport was devoted to the opportunities that awaited her. After the long plane ride which included a disgruntled passenger complaining about the food, which I thought was very tasty for air travel, we landed at the Rome airport where we grabbed our luggage and headed over to the first of the hotels our group would be staying at.

                                                             

The first thing I did as soon as we arrived at the Villa Carpegna was to order a cup of cappuccino. After we were assigned a room, we met with Francesco Nardin, who was to be our tour guide for the entire trip. By this time, Mary and Ken, Virginia, Tonya, Tracy and Sharon and I had become buddies with the other members of our tour group. My fears of being alone were soon gone. I had met the nicest people and the trip had just begun.

                                                             

                                 Francesco, Me, and Wendy doing a photo bomb

Rome and the Vatican were more beautiful than I had expected and I was so excited about seeing the Colosseum. Our tour guide, Francesco, was so learned in the history of this city, but he also had the help of a local tour guide to answer any questions we had about the St. Peter’s Square and the Colosseum historical events.

                                                                

I was trying to connect with the spirits attached to the Colosseum, but I didn’t want to freak out my new friends and I had to keep up with the tour group...maybe next time

                                                       

The next hotel we stayed in was in Montecatini, but first we stopped at the Vicchiomaggio Wine Cellars for a Tuscany lunch. We also got to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Square of Miracles before arriving at the hotel.
                                                            

                                                 

At the Astoria Hotel I was happy to discover that my room had a balcony. It also had a female ghost, quite a lovely woman, who wanted me out of bed the first night I slept there because she needed to make the bed. I convinced her to wait until morning. She told me that she had worked at the hotel a long time ago. She loved the place and so she stayed. There was also a ghost in the dining room.

                                            

She was also a sweetheart who explained to me that she originally lived in a house on the land the hotel was later built on. She was connected to the land, but loved the comings and goings of the guests. Neither ghost bothered any of the guests. They only came to me because I can see them. When I go back to Italy, I intend to stay at the Astoria Hotel again because of its quaint ambiance and lovely hotel staff.
                                               
                                                             

                    From the left: Me, Virginia, Mary and Tonya                                           

One of the best memories I have of this vacation is when a few of my friends and I played hooky from the main tour to ride the train up to the mountain top to visit Montecatini Alto. Tonya, Mary, Virginia and I spent the loveliest afternoon visiting the old churches and the shops. Our lunch was the highlight of a peaceful day.

 

Every day, our wonderful tour guide, Francesco, would take us by bus to visit a new site. When we would lag behind, we would hear him calling out, “Andiamo! Andiamo!” That’s Italian for get your butts moving. Florence was a treat, although we had to watch out for the gypsies. Francesco also made sure that people, like me, who had special dietary needs, were always served the correct food. I have diverticulitis which means that when I eat the wrong foods, I can wind up in the hospital. I was so touched by this young man’s vigilance in keeping his charges healthy. Thank you, Francesco.

                                                             

The trip to Lucca and Vinci and then to Assisi were magical and again we were treated to a special guided tour by one of the local guides who knew everything about Leonardo Da Vinci. The streets of most of the towns we visited were steep and I actually lost weight from all the walking even though I was eating and drinking my way through this vacation.

                                                                   

The last night was spent in Rome at the Pineta Palace. There were no ghosts, except for Fred and Lucy. The Farewell dinner was wonderful as were all the dinners and, we did get to walk through Rome one more time before we left. Tonya and I got to share a special Italian treat; roasted chestnuts. When poor Francesco got too weary from losing me, he gave me the flag to lead the tour. I guess he thought he could keep a better eye on me.

Conclusion

I don’t know why I waited so long to go on this trip, but now that I have traveled overseas, the travel bug has been awakened in me.
                                                                   

My father is now pestering me to visit the town of Maratea. This is where his family is from and where our last name comes from.
                                                                  

I'm saving for the next Italy trip, but if I can’t get my husband to go to Maratea, I’ll just do what I did this time. I’ll take Fred and Lucy. I'm sure they'll introduce me to more ghosts when I'm there.

Life with Fred & Lucy, Part 25: Uncle Ralph Meets King Kong

                                                             

                         

                                       Grandpop Enrico on left...Uncle Ralph on right

When I was around eleven, Uncle Ralph, who is my maternal grandmother’s brother traveled from Naples Italy to the States. Since Uncle Ralph was only able to visit for a month, my Aunt Ann, Uncle Mario and my mother planned all sorts of activities for him. Most of the time was spent visiting family, but once in a while my mother would hand over Uncle Ralph to her spawn. Leaving that poor elderly man with us wasn’t a good idea.

                                                        

Uncle Ralph understood and spoke very little English, so right now I’m guessing you have some idea where this episode is going. My siblings and I understood some Italian, but not enough to help Uncle Ralph survive a trip to the neighborhood movie theatre for the weekly Saturday Double Creature Feature. Why my mother thought that sending Uncle Ralph to a kiddie matinée with four out of control kids would be a pleasant experience for him is something I’ve never understood.

                                                                                                                                            

Lunch bags packed with boloney sandwiches, TastyKake chocolate cupcakes and of course a bruised apple (read earlier blog # 21) we took hold of Uncle Ralph’s hand and walked to Broad and McKean. After we purchase our tickets, we tried to get Uncle Ralph to sit in the back of the theatre, but his eyesight wasn’t that good and he wanted to sit up front.

                                                             

       

We tried to explain to Uncle Ralph that the seats he had picked were dangerous. We were sitting right under the balcony, but he was adamant about his choice and since he was the adult; we did as we were told. Uncle Ralph, unprepared for what was about to happen, opened his lunch bag and took out his sandwich. We four kids warily looked over our shoulders and up to the balcony. We knew from experience what would happen next.

                                                                           

As soon as the lights went down and the first cartoon came on, the food fight began. The balcony brigade began the battle with the tossing of buttered popcorn. The kids right under the balcony retaliated by pitching ‘Sugar Babies’ caramel candy and Jujubes candy back at the enemy. My Uncle Ralph, who was now covered in sticky popcorn, had dropped his lunch during this ruckus.

                                                               

The movie ushers, accustomed to this weekly event, swiftly appeared on the scene with their flashlights, which they used to identify and intimidate the culprits. After the ushers gained some control of the theatre, the first movie began. It was the 1933 King Kong film. Uncle Ralph had never seen King Kong. I don’t know if Uncle Ralph had children of his own, I think he did, but I’m pretty sure they behaved better than we did.

                                                                           

Lucy sat on the right side of Uncle Ralph, so she had no choice but to behave. I can’t say the same for Jane, Mike or me. We were squirmy kids and didn’t sit still the entire time. When both features had ended, Uncle Ralph stood and brushed off the remains of the early bombardment of buttered popcorn. He didn't smile or speak to us the entire walk home.
                                                                     

                                                              
 After we arrived home, he asked my mother for a shot glass of whiskey and then he went to bed. I don’t know if Uncle Ralph ever squealed on us to Fred and Lucy, but my mother never left him alone with us again.