weekend in gaeta, italy

Marco's parents have been in Italy for the past month visiting family.  Last weekend we met everyone in Gaeta, Italy.  Marco's parents rented a villa in the small beach town, about an hour south of Rome. We flew to Rome and then trained to Gaeta to meet Marco's immediate family and extended family - who came from The States and Naples respectively.

The afternoon we arrived was Nonna's 91st birthday! We celebrated with a typical large Italian lunch and cake out on the terrace.  It was so special to see everyone, especially our nephew Luke, who we haven't seen in a year (they grow up so fast).  We sat on the terrace all afternoon catching up over coffee and wine.  We watched Nonna open presents and Luke play ball. After lunch we took an evening walk down to the beach.

On Saturday, Rosanna's friend Francesca from Rome arrived in the morning.  It was so great to finally meet Francesca after hearing so much about her.  Everyone enjoyed coffee and cornetti before heading to the beach for the day.  We rented some lounges and umbrellas, purchased some items from the roaming beach merchants, enjoyed fresh coconut and cold Italian Lager, and played waboba in the sea.

After dinner each night we walked to get gelato and then to the playground where Luke got to stay up late :) and play like the rest of the Italian children.

Some photos below from our weekend in Gaeta.  Thank you Westbrook family for great weekend. 

Part II - Rome, coming up!

 

 

 

normandy part II

Normandy part deux!  We started the day with fresh pastries and coffee and then hit the market in Caen.  We picked up some greens, (bull!) sausage, potatoes, and a roast for lunch and Marco and I stocked up on some gooey French cheeses to take back to England with us.

After lunch we drove to the coast to experience the D-Day beaches.  First we visited a few museums and then went to The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial that overlooks Omaha Beach.  The memorial was such a humbling and yet strangely peaceful experience.  Mélanie is from Épinal, France and it was interesting to hear a few of her stories about relatives living among Nazi occupation and listen to her contemplate how she would have lived through the experience - whether or not she would have the courage to join the resistance. 

Next stop was the German bunkers.  Situated high on the cliffs above the D-Day beaches, still intact, it was surprising to me that we could go inside the bunkers and climb on the cannons and guns with no museum supervisors or monitors present.  It was quite eerie to climb down inside the bunkers that led to dark hallways, rooms, and cells.

On our last day in Normandy, Marco and I stopped through the coastal town of Étretat before we took the ferry back to England  We enjoyed a few pints and bags of crisps on the windy decks of the ferry and saw beautiful views of The White Cliffs of Dover as we arrived home.