“Italy” is misspelled.

I am not at all sure where to begin with my trip to Italy. Explaining how it should be “Eataly” could be one starting point. However, I will tell you about this experience instead.

Many of you know my close friend Bernie. Bernie married Roo six years ago in Vernazza, Italy, have a daughter Ruby about 2-1/2 and little Mei, who is weeks old. Roo’s parents, Ruthie and Richard, spend a part of the summer in Tuscany each year, and this year, I was part of the lucky few who got to stay with them.

As my arrival time was a little unpredictable (is there any hope for a flight from Athens to Rome to run on time? This is why the world needs Germans or least the Swiss), they sent a cab driver who came to get me. He spoke no English and I no Italian, so the ride was quiet. But however quiet it was, it was as breathtaking. I was stunned with every turn we took (my amazement only interrupted by a moment of envy when I saw two women driving a 2010 Z4, top down). About ¾ way through the drive, the driver Anileo turned to me, head cocked downward, big brown eyes upward, and asked, “Bootifool?” And drawing on my extensive Italian, I said with great enthusiasm, “Si! Si! Molto!” He grinned broadly, nodding in agreement.

Just before sunset, I arrived at the house, waiting for the family to come. Bernie called to let me know they’d be late. They were coming from Montepulciano, where they had enjoyed a medieval wine-barrel rolling festival. Naturally. They arrived: Roo & Bernie, their daughters, Ruthie and Richard, and Roo’s brother Bo. We enjoyed sunset from the wall, and we had a light dinner. I enjoyed a great rest with the windows open, giving way to as much fresh air as I possibly could.

Breakfasts were spent under the tree at a long table, where good coffee and conversation never ran short. We made a quick one that morning, because we were off to the coast to see some more of the Rogers clan. A two hour drive included a pit stop in a tiny town for, what else?, espresso. We made our way through wine country. We arrived to find another Rogers brother, Ab, his wife, Sophie, and daughters Ella and Lula, who doted over their cousin Ruby. Cousin Ernesto and wife Arianna greeted us with broad smiles and hugs to match. Their 18-month old twins, Martino and Teo, were being minded by Roxie and Rocco (pardon me as I cannot remember the relation of these two!). We changed into our suits (big thanks to Ruthie here!) and off into the sea we went to cool off.

The swim and beachtime were followed by lunch. Ernesto and Arianna had prepared Linguine di Mare and Octopus. The table of 15 was set outside, or al fresco, under pine trees. The conversation was as spirited as one could imagine. I felt right at home, with multiple conversations happening at once, the wine pouring as freely as the intra-family ribbing. The conversation turned toward the “Toto,” a type of toilet that cleans one so well that no paper is necessary. I will spare you details of the conversation, only because this is a story better told in person. Suffice it to say that I really enjoyed myself, the family table conversation only enhanced by the family table wine.

We spent the next couple of days using the house as a base. Simply watching the sun play with the shadows across the countryside made me so content. Bernie described the countryside as “Playmobile: Tuscany” as we felt we should be able to reach out to move the bales of hay or the tractors along what looked to be a completely fake landscape.
Ruthie is the owner and chef of a famous restaurant in London, and so we ate very well. We talked about food being simply prepared, without lots of sauces or complicated flavors. We talked about being on stuck on an island, and discussing what would you take with you if you just had one food to take. Bernie added to the mix of asking “butter or oil?” We enjoyed eggplant, roasted tomatoes, fresh arugula, and porchetta. Oh and the porcini mushrooms! When more guests arrived, Ruthie greeted them with her famous fried zucchini flowers which is a hit with everyone, especially Ruby. Ruby is a fan of all things fresh, including the blackberries we were picking along our walk.

Good eating aside, I am reminded at how fortunate I am. First, I was visiting a friend I have had the good fortune to visit with in Zihuatanejo, Tuscany, and Rome—this year alone. She is a friend and confidante I have had for 25 years. As I told Ruthie, Richard and Bo in the car ride to the coast, I have had the benefit of Bernie’s good counsel for all of those years. She is a wonderful friend, and I am so very lucky to have her as a friend, and now her husband Roo too. And that I got to play with Ruby and hold Mei for as long as I did, well, I am reminded at how precious life is, and that no matter how much how may have materially, relationships are what make life worth living.

Link to full Italy photo album (including time with Ernesto in Viterbo!!) Some of the captions didn't come through (will have to fix...)

More to come...