The last few years have been hectic. HECK-TIC! My partner Chuck and I have been furiously renovating our new home, figuring out how to parent teenagers and also figuring out how to cohabitate with each other. That left very little room to ponder and write about my trip to Italy with my sister Sherri. But after finally — FINALLY!!! — getting the time to go through the photos of our 2018 adventure it brought all those moments back to the forefront.
It was a special trip, but so very bittersweet. This was the trip my sister and I finalized with my mom three days before she passed. Mom had mentioned to us six months earlier that she had always wanted to see Italy but it didn’t look to be in the cards for her. I’ll never forget that conversation. I remember Sherri and I looking at each other, then at our mom, and saying, “Huh?? What do you mean it’s too late? Let’s go!”
How sad that moment is thinking back on it now. She was so young and healthy (or so we thought) at the time. The fact that she had given up on a dream to go to Italy seemed ludicrous. And yet, she never got there.
I don’t mean to start on such a somber note, but unfortunately, our Italian trip did begin on one… but it didn’t stay sad, rather it became a tribute to her memory. There was not a day that went by that we didn’t toast my mom or talk about her or discuss how she would have loved this place, delighted in that meal, been in awe at that statue or savoured that chianti.
“Mom, we never saw a Merlot, you would have loved it.”
It turns out, she did go with us. Her presence was everywhere we visited. I know I felt her with us at all times. Pretty sure Sherri did too.
I believe the time Sherri and I spent away from everyone else in our lives was cathartic. It was just the two of us exploring an amazing place, and it was also just the two of us working through our grief. A kind of solitary time to memorialize the loss of our small, but mighty, family.
We started our journey under the Tuscan sun. An area ripe with rolling hills full of grapevines and olive trees. Then we worked our way to the sea and Cinque Terre and its colourful villages. We finished off exploring the ruins of Rome and the religious might of the Vatican.
And like all good sibling relationships, we explored it all with a wee bit of laughter, a boatload of awe and curiosity, a fight or two (obvi), and a few tears. We enjoyed moments of reflection, moments of spontaneity and moments of surprise. Guiding us through it all was our mom’s spirit.
Thinking about it now, if ever there was a country that described my mom, it would be Italy:
A relaxed place where small moments are cherished, where people are passionate about creating amazing things with their hands, where simple ingredients are turned into amazing dishes, where all you need for a remarkable day is good company and a fine wine, where beauty is all encompassing and the heart is full of warmth and sunshine. An old soul with a modern sensibility.
Yeah, that was mom to a tee. And that is why I felt her spirit every step of the way in Italy…
Where small moments are cherished
Watching someone hang their laundry, taking a dip in the Mediterranean, glimpsing a cat snoozing on a window sill, chatting with some nosey pigeons, doing a little window shopping on a colourful street, sipping a cold drink and just staring out at the horizon. Small moments to cherish forever.
Where there is a passion for making things with your hands
Passionately making things with your hands is definitely in an Italian’s DNA. From the guy stitching and embossing a leather wallet for me in an old monastery to staring in awe at The David — created by a man whose hands were responsible for creating some of the most amazing pieces to ever exist — there was beautiful workmanship around every corner. Even the winemakers talked with the utmost of pride and love.
Up. Down. Whichever direction you look, Italy is full of meticulous handiwork. These are ceilings from the Vatican…
…and here are a few of its floors.
Oh, and here’s just a basic fresco. They’re a dime-a-dozen at the Vatican. (Just kidding! This is The School of Athens fresco from The Raphael Rooms. It. Is. Spectacular).
And then there are the statues. Too many to show, but these particular ones stood out to me.
Clockwise from top left: River god Arno (170-180 A.D.); The Belvedere Torso said to have inspired Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam (1 A.D.); Barberini Hera (5 B.C.); The Pietà by Michelangelo (1498–1499 A.D.); Laocoön and His Sons by the sculptors of Rhodes (40-30 B.C.).
Even the buildings are masterpieces made by artisans from another era.
And then there is Pisa… a building that probably didn’t get the proper permits. Still amazing, though!
Use simple ingredients to create amazing dishes
I didn’t take many food pics on this trip. Weird. But everything was delightful. Stuffed mussels from Cinque Terre, the bistecca from Tuscany, the ravioli from the Chianti region, any parmesan older than 24 months and cold Cuba Libres were the highlights to be sure.
Where a remarkable day can be as simple as good company and a fine wine
We booked the most delightful Tuscan wine tour through Grape Tours. It was small (8 people max), which makes a world of difference. We visited three wineries and lunched outside at Ristoro Di Lamole. It had the most amazing food… and view!
It was a sun-drenched day where we came back slightly loaded with new wine knowledge AND fully loaded on chianti.
An old soul with a modern sensibility
With so much history you would think this place is stuffy, dated, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s such a good mix of old and new and interesting and sometimes odd.
If ever there were a place with an ‘old soul’ it would be the Vatican. But how its run and organized is beyond modern. Right down to the nun who sold me a crucifix in the most efficient manner. She was all business, spoke no words to me and could work a calculator like an accountant.
The fact that the Colosseum was erected 1,950 years ago is mind-boggling. What a modern masterpiece for its time. All of the Roman ruins are.
Where their beauty is all-encompasing
This country has views for days. It’s so busy with people in September, but if you turn your camera just right, you can eliminate all that congestion.
With a heart that is full of warmth and sunshine
Ah, Italy, you’re such a beauty. Especially under the September sun.
♥️ CIAO ♥️
Related post
“Could we have a day?” That was my mom asking my sister and me if we could spend a full day touring Maui together on our last family vacation. We were completely taken aback that she even felt the need to ask. Of course we “could have a day,” there was nothing we were looking forward to more. She had been wanting to visit The Aloha State for years and it was finally going to be a reality. And we were thrilled to explore and share a place we love with a woman we adore.
