What I've Been Waiting For

 

Papa and Nonna (in my locket)

One of the main reasons we decided to take this trip is to meet and get to know my family in Italy. My Italian heritage played a part in my upbringing (especially where my Nonna and Papa were concerned), but not as big an influence as I would have liked now that I’m older. I feel like I’ve missed out on something that I’m entitled to, that I’ve missed out on something that is intrinsic to who I am. It’s taken me 26 years to get to this point, and I wouldn’t give up this opportunity for anything. So I guess, part of the reason I am here is to gain something back that might have otherwise died with my grandparents; our connection to Italy.

Meeting my family was all I’ve been waiting for. I’ve been in contact with my cousin, Gabriele, for the past couple of months, trying to coordinate our visit to Villa Latina. When he picked Erich and me up from the train station in Cassino with two big kisses and a classic pinch of my cheek (just like my Nonna used to do), I knew we would get along splendidly.  He promptly had us over for a big Italian meal cooked for us by his lovely and lively girlfriend, Rosetta. Gabriele became our guide for everything in Villa Latina and neighboring Atina, and became our most helpful link to the past. Gabriele and his family lived in Scotland for 17 years and when he speaks English he has a thick but adorable Scottish accent with an Italian twist. After World War II when Italy was in a state of great poverty and economic hardship, he and his side of the family were part of a big immigration to Scotland, while my grandparents were part of the immigration to Michigan. Gabriele and his family moved back to Italy some time ago and Gabriele kept in close touch with my Nonna and Papa and looked after their property.

The view from Atina (near Villa Latina)

Gabriele took us to Nonna and Papa’s old house (I’ll get to that more later) and to my Papa’s family’s cantina where the whole family used to work and live. I can’t even describe how amazing it was to see where they lived and worked, and hear stories about each family member. For example, I always knew my Papa’s nickname, Mesquite Papalone (I don't even know how to translate this...mesquite because he was small, and papalone is like big papa, don't ask me), but I never knew that he was known to so many people as such. Gabriele would introduce me to the older people of the village as the granddaughter of Mesquite and they would instantly make a connection. My Papa was a small framed man with a big personality, and he made friends with everyone so I shouldn't be surprised that his reputation spanned throughout the village despite the fact that he hadn't actually lived there in many years. I also learned that my Dad was called Gerarducho, a nickname I’ve been using to its full potential since I learned of it! His family here still knows him as Gerarduch.

Villa Latina and Atina were beautiful. Situated in a valley surrounded by mountains, the area was a quiet and peaceful break from the city with some great hiking and beautiful River Melfa. With such a pretty landscape all around it was impossible not to find a buona vista in every direction. This place is packed with history all its own, and on one of the trails just up from Atina's Centro Storico, we found a little stone hut in the forest, that we first thought might have been a well, but after using our brilliant archeological skills (for us, also known as common sense), we deduced that it was likely part of an old house (because it has a doorway). We're pretty smart cookies. Anyway, there are tons of cool old structures and artifacts (and little lizards) around every corner.

I have so much more to say on my time in Atina and Villa Latina. Much more than I have the time or patience to write about on this blog, but suffice it to say if the rest of this trip goes to hell in a hand basket, after visiting my family here, seeing where my Dad was born and where my Grandparents and their families lived for many years, it all will have already been worth it. Next up: Nonna and Papa's House!

 

 

The Eternal City

Okay, it's taken me a while to update the blog. There has been so much going on lately (we traveled the town where my family is from, I got a job teaching English, we were searching for an apartment, we found an apartment, I started training for the job and then started the job--in a nutshell)! Let me backtrack a bit so that I can stay in somewhat chronological order for my memory and my sanity. To the eternal city!

From the moment we arrived in Rome one night a couple of weeks ago, we were awestruck. Although I had been there when I was sixteen, it was like visiting for the first time. We arrived at night and all of the monuments were lit up and we could see just from this first glimpse that there is ancient history in every nook and cranny of this place.  As we passed the Piazza Venezia, I turned to Erich and said, "I want to live here."

We were in Rome for about a week before moving on to visit my family in Villa Latina. We had no idea if we would be coming back to Rome after visiting my family, or if so, for how long we would be coming back so we tried to see all of the sights hitting some of them on the last part of the Settimana Cultura, or Culture Week, when all of the national museums were free.

The Roman Forum (Foro Romano) was one of the coolest sights we saw despite the horribly constructed audio guide tour. We were running around from monument to monument, never quite sure of what we were looking at. If you ever go on a tour of the Forum, spring for the live guide. Despite our technical difficulties, it was amazing to see the grounds of public, private, and governing activities. It was a highlight for Erich, the college history major, who is loving all of the Roman history so far.

We also visited the Spanish steps (Trinita dei Monti) which were very pretty and fragrant. We got there just in time for the rain clouds to part and let in some sunlight on an otherwise dreary day. After sitting there for a good 15 minutes, we looked to the left and saw the building where the English poet John Keats died. It's now known as the Keats-Shelley memorial house. It made me wonder what else is just under our noses that we might be missing. Although the Spanish steps were lovely, I guess I don't really understand why they're such a hot spot. I mean, they're steps. Nice steps, beautifully decorated steps, but steps nonetheless. It could have something to do with the high end shopping located just beyond the steps at Via del Corso. Who knows?

Also cool was the Pantheon as one of the only pagan temples still standing in its almost entirely original form in Rome. Of course, this pagan style is not without contradiction as the Pantheon is now adorned with a Catholic altar and several other pieces of Christian paraphernalia. There's a big hole in the ceiling which lets in the outdoor elements, but there are also holes in the ground to let out water when it rains--these guys thought of everything. The Pantheon also holds the tomb of Raphael, the painter, not the ninja turtle.

And then there's this guy:

This guy hangs out at Piazza Navona (one of my favorites so far) and does a finger puppet show to MJ's "Smooth Criminal." It is hilarious. He is really serious about it, and I mean he should be, it is his career. It made Erich and I think of taking up finger puppeteering and take to the streets if all else fails.

We also saw the classic sights like the Trevi Fountain and made sure not to leave before making our wishes.
The Monument to Victor Emmanual II in the Piazza Venezia seemed like it could be seen almost everywhere we went our first couple days in the city. It is a good central marking place. From there it is an easy walk or metro stop over to the Collosseum (Colosseo) or Flavian Amphitheater.

En route to Roma

Our plan was to go straight from Firenze to a campsite in Siena. A decade ago when I was in Italy, Siena was among my favorite places so I was really geeked to go back. Unfortunately the weather did not agree with us and it was to be relatively cold and rainy in Siena and the surrounding area into the week. So, we had decided to go straight into Rome. While in Firenze, we met a new friend named Johannes from Munich. It just so happened that Johannes was driving to Rome but didn't want to leave before seeing more of Tuscany. So, Johannes offered to drive us through Chianti and Siena and right on into our mutual destination of Rome, and we jumped at the chance.

Just as the weather report promised, the rain was unrelenting. Yet, even in the rain and mist the Tuscan countryside was breathtaking with it's rolling hills and towering pine trees all surrounded by mountains. I didn't get many photos, but we got to see the countryside from all angles as we drove in and around the mountains. As the road was winding up and down, I was starting to feel car sick until Johannes had the great idea to stop at one of the vineyards in Chianti and try some of the region's famous Chianti wine. It was a delicious and  much needed stop. From there, we stopped off in Siena only for an hour, saw the major sites, and then each of us vowed to come back when there was more time to see everything. We ended up safely in Rome that night and got a fresh start to see the city in the morning. 

It has been amazing how many great connections we've made with people thus far. It's been so long since I've been travelling that I forgot about the community that it creates. It's like an open forum each time you meet a fellow traveller for sharing information on the best deals, the coolest sights, recommending restaurants and future accommodations, and anything else under the sun. Each introduction with a new person comes a new perspective on why and how they are travelling and almost instantly creates a a camaraderie based on one common interest: seeing the world. We've met a wide range of people from the U.S. to Singapore to France to England to Australia to Canadian (we have met TONS of Canadians) travelling for all different reasons. I hope we find no shortage of connections as we continue our travels!