Family, Genoa and Bologna

After saying goodbye to Milan, we continued our journey heading to Offlaga, Italy which is a town in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy. We looked forward to spending time with the first of many cousins on this vacation.

The trip was not too long and took us along country roads dotted with farms. It is a much quieter, rural area then the hustle and bustle of Milan, and you will share the roads with large farm equipment every now and then. A relaxing ride after the city and a good way to feel refreshed for our visit.

We arrived just before lunch and were greeted by Alessandro's wife, Lucia, and her daughter's boyfriend, Luca. Although John speaks Italian, I do not. In spite of this, we do manage to understand one another for the most part. After his cousin woke (he works a late shift), we visited until his daughter, Luna arrived home. Luna and Luca speak English fairly well, so I was able to converse with them more easily. It is wonderful to see them get together again after five years. There is a lot of joy, and stories to tell, with a lot of laughter mixed in. Luna wondered if I knew what John was saying as he told one of his stories. I let her know that although I did not know many of the words he was saying, I could understand which story he was telling by his tone and mannerisms. 

We headed out for lunch at a small restaurant not too far from their home. We had a very leisurely and delicious meal filled with pasta, seafood, bread, wine and much more. There is nothing better than enjoying a great meal while listening to the melodic sound of the Italian language swirling around you. It is a very warm, welcoming feeling.

After returning to their home, we visited for a while longer before hitting the road again. It was difficult to say goodbye, but we needed to move on to Genoa as we were going to try and see his cousin Armando.

Genoa, what can I say? It is very crowded and congested, and finding our Airbnb was no easy task. After climbing an extremely steep street, with cars parked on both sides, and barely enough room to drive through, we finally connected with our host. He had us park in a very small, gated parking lot and then said we had to walk down the street. It was down the street, up through another locked gate, up another hill to the locked condo building, and into the elevator that needed a key. You needed a road map just to remember which key unlocked what door, elevator, gate, etc. The worst part, we had to go back to our car to get what we needed for the night. I thought he was going to have a heart attack before we got back into the condo. Needless to say, we did not go back out. Unfortunately, his cousin Armando was not there when John called him - he was in Sardinia working.

Our next stay would be in Tuscany, however, we decided to take a small detour to stop in Bologna. A few sights, and a nice peaceful lunch, then we were on our way.

Family ❤️

Porta Galliera (City Gate)

Staircase at Parco Della Montagnola

Old City Walls of Bologna


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Garden Delights - Traditional Greek Salad (Horiatiki/Xoriatiki)

Image
Greek salad is also known as “Horiatiki or Xoriatiki” or village salad, which means that it is a rustic dish, made simple with a few good quality ingredients. If you want to make Greek salad like the ones served in Greece, then you will want to try this authentic Greek salad recipe from www.mygreekdish.com . With our gardens filled with fresh vegetables it is the ideal time to enjoy a delicious salad! Traditional Greek Salad (Horiatiki/Xoriatiki) Author: Eli K. Giannopoulos 3 tomatoes, cut into wedges 1 medium red onion, sliced into rings 1 cucumber, sliced into thick half-moons 1 green pepper, sliced 16 black or green olives 7 ounces block feta cheese 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon dried oregano sea salt Cut the tomatoes into wedges, slice the onion into thin rings, cut the cucumber in thick slices, slice the green pepper, and place everything in a large bowl. Add the olives. Season with sea salt (be careful not to add too much as the feta and
Read more

We Do Have Some Control

Image
We have all watched the news media sensationalizing the cost of living today. It seems as if they are trying to create havoc and fear. Although the price of the things we purchase have risen, the truth is we do have some control over how it effects our budget. We need to remember that the pandemic played a large role in the exorbitant increases we have seen on everyday items. The shortages that were created during this time allowed companies to charge much higher prices for what little was produced compared to normal manufacturing quantities. Plus, those who were out purchasing more than they needed and hoarding it also contributed to higher prices. If we listen to all the gloom and doom on our evening news, we will believe there is nothing we can do to ease the strain on our daily cost of living. The truth is, we do have some control on how we spend our money and how to save on everyday items. First of all, I am no different than millions of other people. There have been many times in
Read more

Another Decade

Image
Soon I will face another year 'round the sun, where did all that time go? Seems like yesterday I celebrated this, perhaps it was only a dream. Each year time seems to pass more quickly, is this true or just an illusion? Spring turns to summer, then fall is here, with winter rushing quickly in.   I look in the mirror and see changes, and know that decades have passed. But the image that greets me most often, is that young girl from so long ago. My mind sees things as it did years ago, but at times the body tells a different tale. They say that you are as young as you feel, which story will each new day bring? This year seven decades have come and gone,  this reality boggles the mind. I know that just yesterday the big 30 arrived, how could 40 more have slipped by? Take each decade in stride, cherish the time, for each one passes by more quickly. It will do no good to lament and worry, for that will only steal all of your joy. There will be time enough in years to come, to look back
Read more