THAT'S A WRAP

Pop-A-Long (Dad)

What can I say? This two week adventure with Kevin and Idalis was indeed that, an adventure. I felt that Kevin had taken upon himself responsibility for Carmela and I, but he really didn't have to feel that way. Well, anyway, we are coming to the end of this two week journey and his responsibility will return to just himself and Idalis.

I will keep my entry short as to document a period of two weeks and all the experiences taken in would just take up an enormous amount of space on the blog. So, I will just highlight some of my favorite ones and I will start with my favorite spots. If you ever go to Italy, you need to come to the Cinque Terre and give yourself a full day to walk the trail of the five towns. One of my most memorable experiences was when we walked along the “Via del Amore”, or the Walk of Love, between Riomaggiore and Monarolla. Part way through this walk you come upon a place where you can fasten a pad lock to the railing to declare your love for eternity to your special love. Kevin brought two pad locks. One for him and Idalis and one for Carmela and I. When Kevin surprised Idalis with this special event in time, I was especially touched to see Idalis' emotions kick in when she got all choked up and cried. The love that these two have for each other was very obvious at this moment. What you do is put each name on each side of the pad lock, lock it on the rail, and then throw the key over the side of the cliff into the ocean. Oh, by the way, Carmela and I did the same thing. We stayed in a beautiful resort by the name of La Francesca. This was a very pleasant experience.

My next favorite area of Italy was the city of Verona. I'd call this a city of love. Visiting the balcony of Romeo and Juliette was quite special. We wrote our names on pieces of paper to express our love for each other and stuck them to a wall where thousands of other love notes are placed. This was quite unique and fun. This area is full of young, vibrant adults and just an overall nice place to visit. When you are my age and visit a place like Verona, the smiling faces and atmosphere just make one feel young again.

By far, the best experience was being with my son and his special love. Spending prime time with family in a special place like Italy is the best!

Vagamom (Mom)

Ciao Italia!

I hardly know where to begin as write this blog entry. But let's begin at the beginning. Arriving in Rome was exciting and knowing that we would soon meet up with Kevin and Idalis for two weeks here was the best part of our trip.

We spent three days exploring all or as many of the sights as we could, each one more magnificent than the last. here we stayed on a condo on the third floor of a beautiful building. It had high ceilings, and art work on all the walls. We had a kitchen and enjoyed shopping at the local market and preparing our own meals.

Then we were off to the Cinque Terre. This proved to be a favorite spot for us all. We stayed in a mountainside cabin in La Francesca. Again, we had a kitchen and cooked breakfast and dinner together. We ate our meals on the balcony with an unobstructed view of the sky and sea. At breakfast, we were bathed in sunlight. And ate dinner under a full moon and star lit sky. The Cinque Terre area was breathtakingly beautiful, lots of walking and steps to climb! We spent a day at the beach in Bonoassola, with beautiful crystal clear water and smooth stones of every size, shape and color. I couldn't help but think that Jeremy would love collecting rocks here!

From there on to Verona, another one of our favorite spots. This bustling city, a mix of old and new, was incredible. If I were to move to Italy tomorrow, this is where I would want to live. Maybe, in an apartment in a beautiful old building overlooking a piazza filled with life. (But not traffic!)

We also saw the Tower of Pisa, again beautiful!

Finally on to Florence. This was a city in constant motion. It seemed almost impossible to find a quiet, empty spot, and yet a city filled with beautiful architecture, churches and museums. I think we all were so happy to spend the afternoon in Boboli Gardens. It was the perfect spot to see the city below, which seemed more beautiful from above.

I forgot to mention Venice. Again, this was an incredible place to see. We visited Murano the afternoon we arrived and saw a glass blowing demonstration by a Maestro. He truly made it look simple.

We are now preparing to fly out in the morning for our return flight home. My heart is filled with mixed emotions. The thought of returning to ur family and friends, our home, is a happy one. Yet, thinking of leaving Kevin and Idalis as they continue on their way is difficult, as we will again be back to missing them.

But go home we must, and continue they must. So goodbye to beautiful Italy and to our precious Idalis and Kevin.

Idalis

THAT'S AMORE!

So far, more than any other place we've visited, Italy has taught me about love. Love for family and friends, and for your companion in life.

While visiting the Cinque Terre, I experienced the most beautiful display of affection ever! While hiking between two of the cities (Riomaggiore to Monarolla), we took the famous “Via dell Amore.” I wondered why this was called the “Walkway of Love” and just assumed, when I saw the poetic, romantic graffiti gracing its tunnel, that this was the reason why. I soon learned I was only partly right. We came upon a bench (overlooking the azure Ligurian sea) that had hundreds of padlocks chained behind it. What was the significance of this? I soon found out! Couples, from all over the world, write their names on padlocks, lock them, and then throw the key into the sea to signify their undying, eternal love for each other. Unbeknown to me, Kevin had carried two heavy padlocks all the way from Miami for this romantic moment – one for the two of us, and one for his parents. When I realized what was happening, I was overcome with emotion (what a surprise!). I was shocked, touched, and felt extremely overwhelmed – all in a good way! So much so, that I cried all the way to our next city!

In Verona, where the story of Romeo and Juliet comes from, Kevin and I, as well as Gary and Carmela, stuck our love notes (with chewing gum!) to a graffiti and post-it note filled wall, where thousands of others have professed their love for each other.

I think the greatest love experienced these two weeks was the love of family. I've always liked Kevin's parents, from the first day I met them. But on this trip, I grew to love and appreciate them in a much deeper sense. There were some hectic moments (driving in Italy can be both confusing and nail-biting!), but what a great experience we all had together. Amor: thank you for being such a great driver and tour guide. Gary: thank you for keeping us laughing with your renamed Italian monuments (Bowl of Salad for Bona Solla, Pizza for Pisa, etc!) and your impromptu midnight laugh-fest! Carmela: no matter what, you always looked at the positive and had nothing but nice things to say, even in Hotel A-crap-olis!

Thank you Gary and Carmela. Your son is a gem. Kevin is the nicest, most noble person I've ever met. Now I'm completely sure of where he inherited his wonderful qualities from.


Kevin

I will try to sum up my impressions and memories of Italy in this list and in no particular order...
Autostrada, shiny shoes, upturned collars, tapered jeans, mopeds, noise, ruins, fashion, food, wine, cathedrals, narrow sidewalks, gelato, W/C (bathroom) fees, Murano glass, sparkling water, expensive, confusing street signs, menu touristico, limoncello, Birra Moretti, mozzarella, traffic, admission fees, Chinese entrepreneurs, long lines, twisty roads, cypress trees, tolls, Autogrill, wine (oops, I said that already), kiwis (go figure), self serve produce, American reject music, FB I shirts, expensive (oops, I said that already too), cappuccino, pointy shoes, cigarettes, small showers, small elevators, Armani, citrus trees, line cutters, and handbags.

All kidding aside, two weeks in Italy has changed my life. I had the opportunity to visit a country that is part of my heritage. I learned about the people of Italy, which intern taught me more about myself. Italians are robust, proud and courageous. I have acquired a sense of pride for who I am and from where I come. I also got to spend two weeks with three of the most important people in my life, my Mom, my Dad and my beloved Idalis. I also learned more about each of them than I knew before. I learned how important love is. I learned how much family means. And, I learned that as different as we all may be, we are more alike. I am so grateful for this experience and my time in Italy has given me memories that I will cherish for a life time. Mom, Dad and Idalis, I love you more than you will ever know!