Can I just say it? I DID IT!
As you know, May was a very tough month for me, as I left my kids for 7 days to go to Europe, came home for 9 and then left to be in a wedding in Maui for another 4 days. Let me say it again… I did it! I did it! I did it! And, more importantly, the kids did it! They did it! They did it! They did it! But not without help! Thank you SO much to Grandma Oh-La, Auntie Amy, Dana, Auntie Sam, Super Jon, Auntie Kim, Maddie and Grandma Chuggles. If it weren’t for the people listed above, there is no way I/we could have done it. We trusted you with our hearts for an entire week. THANK YOU!
Ok, so leaving was hard. I might have cried the entire day while I packed my suitcase. I might have cried even harder when Roderick pulled out his Cars suitcase and began packing for Mckenna and himself. I didn’t have the heart to tell him he would have to put everything back so I just put on a pair of sunglasses to hide the tears and put a smile on my face.
OK, so I might have cried the whole 9 hours to London but once I stepped foot on European soil, I was done. In fact, I actually found myself trying to help Prita through her tears during a layover in London… Who was I? I kinda liked the new ME.
Can I just say this? I am SO glad we did it! Monte Carlo, France, and Italy were nothing short of AMAZING!
Highlights of the Trip (in no particular order)
- Watching my dad race his Formula 1 car in Monte Carlo’s Grand Prix
- Being able to say that he came in 19th place out of 42 cars in his division
- 4048 (enough said)
- Reuniting with our DEAR friends Tristan, Nadya, and Lyra Burns in France and Monte Carlo
- Meeting our new family in Italy! We can’t wait to see you again Alma, Daniela, Cesare and Pueblo!!!
- Touring the city of Favale as well as the abandoned hamlet in Arena where my Great Grandma “Nono” Nona was raised.
- Spending time with my husband
- Spending time with my family
- Getting to know Coconuts
- LAUGHING, LAUGHING, LAUGHING
- The wine, the expensive, no hang over kind of wine. And I used to think Smoking Loon was the best out there.
- Sono Bello… don’t ask
- The AMAZING views from all over Europe
Lowlights (also in no particular order)
- Missing the kids
- Not being able to meet more relatives in Italy due to time restraints (next time cuz)
- The rain storm the day of dad’s big race
- The cost of everything in Monte Carlo (Can we get one martini and 6 straws?)… Thank God for 4048! Why won't Nordstrom let me charge to 4048?
And that about sums it up folks. Way more highlights than low lights for sure. Thanks to everyone who helped make this trip possible!!!
The reason we took this trip. Hello Monaco! Hello Historic Grand Prix!
Our hotel pool at the Fairmont
Meet Coconuts (far right). "It clears up really fast around here. I have been living here for about a week now."
A day in the pits (dad must get his racing talents from me)
No "strapping" boys
Qualifying and the BIG race
The car that made it all happen
The man that made it happen (taken right after the big race)
The crew who watched it happen in a storm
The after party congratulating the driver
The real after party we were not invited to (a ball for the drivers and dates).
Who knew Monte Carlo would not have disco tech's on a Sunday night for us stragglers?
No Bueno
Nice, France with the Burns Family
Better than this view was the company. I LOVE this family!!!
Love this darling little girl
Day trip to Italy (Portifino, Favile, Arena)
View just outside of Monte Carlo
Portifino, Italy
Meet our new found Italian relatives!!! Alma and her beautiful daughters!
Furniture shop owned by our family members
Grandma and Family lived here after leaving Favale
More family from Italy in the town of Favale
Meet Cesare (pronounced Chez-A-Ray, not See-Zer) Our great grandmothers were sisters. How cool is that?
The beautiful cemetery where many family members are resting in peace
Grandma Nono's parents
I need some help remembering names but here we have Daniela, Pueblo, Pueblo's father Gino and his wife, Cesare, Alma, and myself.
The ONLY store, bar, pizzeria in the small town of Favale
Do you see that hill behind the little white and green house? That is Arena. Arena is where my great grandmother and her 8 siblings lived. I was told that Grandma Nono walked from Arena to Favale to go to school every single day. I understand why she walked... OMG. The unpaved rocky road was about 2 feet wide, the hills were curvy, the cliffs... I have to stop. It was SCARY but so worth the trip... especially since I survived!!!
A local man from Favale drove us to Arena in this little car.
The view from Favale to Arena
An old church near Grandma's abandoned house
Inside the church
An abandoned yet restored home in Arena
Grandma's next door neighbor's house
Side view of the home Grandma and her siblings were born in
View from her yard
Full view of the house Grandma Nona grew up in
Grandma was born in this room (upper right window)
Me, Alma (Grandma's niece) and Sean
Inside the house. We could not go on the second level, as all the wood was rotten.
Bed coming through the rotted floor.
Kitchen
Second level hallway
Inside the room where Grandma and all her siblings were born
Kitchen window
This is a picture of our Italian family taken right here in front of this house 70+ years ago. AMAZING! What is really crazy is that Alma had photos of Sean and I when we were babies that my Grandma must have sent her back in the 1980's. Today I am so thankful for technology which has helped bring us all together.
And that is how it is done friends.
7 days + Monte Carlo + France + Italy + Family + Friends + new family in Italy - anxiety x missing the kids = one thankful girl who glad she made this trip
