The Light in Tuscany

Do you have a happy place to visit on cold, rainy days?  Days when the washing piles up and your spirits sink down?  

I do…

They say the light in Tuscany is mesmerizing.

I found that difficult to understand.  Until one day, I saw the light.

Scarf wrapped tight to deflect the autumn chill, I sat sipping Prosecco crisp as the air while breathing in the warm, woody scent of roasting chestnuts.  I was surprised by a luminosity that crept peacefully across the Piazza.

The white marble Duomo glowed a pinkish red in reflection of the brick bell tower standing silently beside it.  The ancient stone buildings embraced the amber and golden hues of the leaves fallen around them.  The heavens were ablaze and I was watching through rose colored glasses.

As I watched the sun setting behind the crumbling walls of the village, it occurred to me that being in this light, this sunset, was spiritual, like an awakening to the wonderment around us.

And then it was gone, without a whisper.

Where is your happy place?

Love and light,

mamacino x

Hong Kong Highlights

Well, I just have to say…Hong Kong was AMAZING!

I feel so lucky that somehow, the planets aligned and gifted me a whole week to do what I love best…explore, travel, eat, socialise, learn about culture and drink cocktails!  

This week was spent without my family, just my friend and I and my Mum when she wasn’t working (she lives in Hong Kong).

I have to admit, that I was trepidatious for along time about leaving the country without my kids.  What if something happened while I was away and I couldn’t get back to them?  What if they needed me?  What if I needed THEM?  I don’t really feel comfortable being away from my children but I knew they were in great hands with their Dad and it was time for me to step outside my comfort zone.  I asked the universe to keep an eye on them just to be sure.

You know what?  It was wonderful.  I got to be just myself for a whole week.  I got to go out for dinner and stay out late.  I didn’t have to think past the next cocktail and I slept through every single night!  I thought of my family often and I got a bit teary when we chatted on face time once or twice but I was fine.  They were fine.  It was all…better than fine.

And so here are my Hong Kong Highlights…

Temple Street Night Market

On our first night, we made our way, by train, to the Temple Street Markets.  We had dinner at a restaurant (and I use that term loosely) called The Spicy Crab.  It was authentic, delicious, colourful and yes, I stuck to the vegetarian dishes…loved sitting on the road to eat and the complimentary toilet paper serviettes!

Getting my greens in!

Colourful and busy…the streets of Kowloon.

The Big Buddha and Tai-O

The Big Buddha is something I have wanted to see for such a long time.  To Climb those stairs and contemplate this miracle of a statue was awe inspiring.

Visiting Tai-O, Hong Kong’s last  traditional fishing village was suggested to us  by many people but not until we arrived did we understand just how magical this place was.  With many houses still on stilts it was like travelling back in time with surprising modern gems hidden amongst the traditional market stalls…a fair trade, environmentally friendly, fashion forward clothing shop, a coffee shop with biblical inspiration displayed in it’s surrounds and a hair salon boasting the services of the hair dresser to Miss Hong Kong, 1975!

Streets of Hong Kong

Hong Kong is certainly a melting pot of different cultures and influences, a strong indication of it’s colourful history.  We stayed in the Mid Levels area which is really very western with so many English, Australian and European ex-pats, you sometimes forget where you are!  There are restaurants of every kind of cuisine and streets that would sit comfortably in Sicily or the suburbs of Paris.  I loved it!  I couldn’t keep my eyes still there was so many interesting things to note…the people, the food, the quirky street scapes…I can see why my mum loves it there so much!

Hong Kong Taxis…I’ll just say it was an experience and leave it at that!

We were treated to the most fabulous Champagne brunch at Totts  by my gorgeous Mum.  What a view!

The shopping…oh my, the shopping…

I know what you’re thinking…where is the food?  Well, don’t worry!  My beautiful friend, Bev has captured me eating my way around Hong Kong…but I really think my food journey deserves a post all of it’s own!  Stay tuned!

Have you been to Hong Kong?  Would you dare to travel overseas without your children?  Tell me!  I’d love to hear about your adventures!

Happy travelling!

mamacino x

Apricot, Almond and Oat Slice and a little secret…

I have a secret.

Well, not a secret exactly, but something I haven’t told you.  Something I have been keeping quiet about. Tomorrow, I am going to Hong Kong.  For a week.  Without my children!  I am nervous and excited, but maybe just a little bit more excited.

The reason I have been so quiet about this amazing, once in a lifetime trip is because I couldn’t quite believe it was really going to happen.  But we’re checked in.  Phew.

My great friend, who is also a mum and I are going to stay with my mum for a whole week where we intend to climb the steps to the Buddha, eat dinner at The Spicy Crab where they give you toilet paper for a serviette and drink cocktails in high rise bars overlooking the magnificent city.

I haven’t got around to packing yet but I have made a few snacks to take with us.  I know, I know…but we have no children!  Well, my friend and I need to be fed regularly to be happy and I’m not going to rely on plane fare!  I have roasted almonds, apples from our tree, raw chocolate bliss balls and these delicious Apricot bars.  and if they want to give us a gin and tonic when we get on the plane…we won’t say no.

Apricot, Almond and Oat Slice

This recipe is from Jude Blereau’s book Wholefood for the family…a really wonderful book which I think should be on every family’s kitchen shelf.  I have substituted almonds for the walnuts that Jude recommends in the book.

Makes 16 pieces

1 1/2 cups organic dried apricots, roughly chopped

1 teaspoons of lemon juice

1 cup plain spelt flour

1 cup of rolled oats

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup rapadura sugar

80g unsalted butter melted, maybe you could use coconut oil?

1 tsp natural vanilla extract

small handful of almonds finely chopped

- put apricots in a small saucepan with 1 cup of water and bring to the boil.  Remove from the heat, add 1 tsp of lemon juice and allow to cool.

What to do:

- pre heat oven to 180C and line a 20cm square tin.

- put flour, oats, cinnamon, baking powder and sugar in a bowl and mix well.  Add the butter and vanilla essence and mix again.

- spread 2/3 of this mixture over the base of the tin pressing down with your fingers.

- Spread the apricot mixture over the base – you might need to mash it a bit with a fork to mix the water in.

- add almonds to remaining crumble mixture and top your slice evenly with it.

-Bake for about 20 minutes.  Cool in the tin before slicing into 16 pieces or less if you prefer bigger bars.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Have you ever travelled overseas without your children?  It’s a really big deal for a mum!  Why don’t you  come with me!  Follow me on instagram (@mamacino) if you want to see the real Hong Kong!

Bon Voyage!

mamacino x

A word about Religion…

I wouldn’t say I was a religious person, but I am interested in religion.  And any kind of spiritual practice – not just my christened faith of Church of England.  Though we attend services at Christmas and Easter, I’m certainly not a regular.  Today I went to the Holy Communion service at my local Anglican church and it has kept me deep in thought for much of the day.

I have always loved history.  Story telling, art, philosophy…it’s absolutely my cup of tea and I imagine it is where my interest in religion stems from.  When travelling in Italy, my daughters and I developed quite a fixation on Mary (well, it’s hard not to…) which began with seeing Michael Angelo’s La Pieta in St Peter’s for the first time.  This sculpture of Mary, so publicly suffering with a grief so raw over the death of her only son who she holds in her arms, is so powerful it bought tears to my eyes.  I was struck by a sense of overwhelm, a sense than one mother’s grief is felt by all mothers, the bond between us is so strong.  And that is what I find so interesting about religion and about faith, it’s ability to evoke emotions you didn’t even know were there.

La Pieta by Michael Angelo

At the service today, the sermon was about being good, but taking risks…even if your ‘goodness’ was at risk, it was worth it to grow and expand and fulfil your potential (well, that’s what I took from it).  The prayer was for those suffering in times of war and despite the politics, a reminder that we all share the same history.  There was a blessing for a young woman about to depart on an ‘overseas adventure’.  Almost the entire congregation joined in the blessing and prayed for her safe return…now whether you are religious or not, that’s go to make you feel better about getting on an aeroplane!

Dalai Lama…said beautifully.

I enjoyed the opportunity to reflect, to think a little deeper in a quiet space and to share the feeling of community and belonging.  I left the service feeling quite uplifted and well, good, kind…patient.  These feeling ran out at around 4pm when I found myself hiding behind my dressing gown in my dark walk-in-robe from a wailing, sticky toddler who was not coming to say ‘peace be with you’ that is for sure! Maybe once isn’t enough…I better go again next week…and maybe the week after as well….

Are you interested in religion?  What does it mean to you? Love, Kindness, Gratitude?…I would love to hear your views…

Love and light,

mamacino x

 

Shopping in Italy…

I don’t sleep very well.  

When I drag myself into bed, exhausted at the end of the day, I feel like my body is so ready to let go and drift away into a deep sleep but my brain says ‘just kidding!’  I lie awake for hours thinking of all kinds of things…usually all the things I did wrong in the day and how I can be a better Mother, wife, sister….Sometimes I plan dinner parties.  This can be fairly meditative.  But last night my mind drifted back to Italy and more specifically, to shopping in Italy…it was like having a beautiful dream, only being awake at the same time.

Roma

Driving from the airport to our apartment in Rome was such an experience, in many ways!  Coming into our neighbourhood and watching the day unfold was wonderful.  Our street was lined with all different kinds of shops…gelati, pizza, cheese, fruit and of course…coffee.  It was like arriving in Heaven.  This is how people shop in Rome…in speciality stores.  Supermarkets do exist, but are not easy to find.  You may walk right past one, the only sign it’s there being an nondescript open doorway. Once inside, it is so exciting to discover that all of the items are Italian!  The service is abrupt and not terribly friendly…especially if you do not weigh and label your pomodori before you bring it to the cashier!

Flower Stall in Rome

And then there are the markets…my favourite way to shop.  Filled with colour and life, you will find fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds and flowers of every kind.  You will also probably witness a terrible argument between an elderly lady and the vendor who tried to cheat her by selling her a peach that was not perfectly ripe.  Italians take that kind of thing very seriously!

Hanging out at the Campo De Fiori, Rome

Sicilia

Where we stayed in Ortigia, Sicily, there was a market almost every day.  We would walk through the streets scented with the perfume of  clean laundry hanging above our heads, collecting wary glances from locals wondering who on earth we were and what on earth we were doing.  We tried so hard to converse in Italian, much to the amusement of the market stall holders…some of whom were friendly and some of whom were down right scary!

Buying Fruit and Vegetables at the Mercato di Ortigia

Hmmm…oh well, we bought some anyway!

We loved it!  The busy-ness, the chatter, the sense of purpose, feeling like we belonged if only for a moment.  And despite a few mishaps (a ten dollar baby watermelon amongst other things) we were successful!  We discovered the Cheese Man, our hero,  who would offer his customers tastes of his fresh Buffalo Mozzarella and order his Mamma out the back to make the Cannoli fresh for us each day…did I already mention Heaven?

Our good friend, The Cheese Man

Toscana

In Tuscany, it was a fight to see who would go each morning to buy the foccacia from Alessandra’s bakery (usually because that lucky person could scoff a bomboloni (jam doughnut) on the way home without anyone else knowing!)  We had better access to the supermarkets in Pietrasanta and would risk our lives walking along the busy roads to get to them when our gorgeous friend Toni wasn’t available to take us.  I could spend hours just looking at all the different products on the shelves and in the fresh bakery sections.

Allessandra with her two biggest foccacia fans…Francesca and Lucia…

In Italy, you wait patiently, then when it is your turn, you take your time asking as many questions as possible, sampling different things and asking advice as how to best prepare and serve your chosen item.  I remember waiting nervously once for my turn to buy bread, only to fumble my Italian and get all flustered and embarrassed.  When I turned to the other customers to say mia dispiace , sono Australiana, mio italiano è male (I’m sorry! I’m Australian..my Italian is terrible!), the customers couldn’t be more supportive and encouraging, insisting that I take my time.  I’m not sure I ended up with what I wanted but I didn’t care!

Market in Pietrasanta

So it is true, the Italians live their life around food.  Shopping for it, preparing it and eating it.  They take it seriously, it is so important to their daily life.  They search for the best produce, they prepare it lovingly and respectfully, they eat with family and friends.  It’s collaboration and celebration…just the way it should be!

Want to read more about our adventures in Italy?

Meeting our family in Sicily…

Christmas in Tuscany…

Harvesting olives and the Goddess of Fertility…

If anyone would like to sponsor me to return to Italy and bring you home more wonderful stories about life there, I’m totally open to it and available, no prior notice necessary!

Happy travelling!

mamacino x

Bella Lucca…

Do you have a favourite memory?  A day that was so perfect.  An experience you shared with your family that you love to reminisce about?  I have quite a few…but one that I think about often, that I dream of reliving one day is bike riding around the walls of Lucca.

Family day in Lucca…

We stayed just a hop skip and a jump away from Lucca when we visited Italy in 2009.  Actually, it was a train ride to Pisa and then another train to Lucca…or was it Via Reggio?  Now I’m not sure.  Anyway, it only took about half an hour and so it was an easy day out and we did it often.  Lucca is the most beautiful town.  Still surrounded by a large wall, originally built for the town’s protection..it holds so much history in it’s cobbled streets, churches and buildings.  It is also picturesque and leafy. It was such a pleasure to be within those walls.

Riding our biciclette around Lucca was such a dreamy experience but it wasn’t the only reason we loved to visit…Pizza da Felice, our favourite pizza shop was to be found (not easily) down a small backstreet.  It was a tiny little cafe brimming with locals.  We bought our pizza margherita by weight and we were generous.  We feasted on cecina, a local pizza/crepe made from chickpea flour, served with olive oil and lots of crunchy salt.  We let the girls drink lemonade while we washed our lunch down with a glass of red before heading off to work off our excesses riding into the cold, our noses red but our tummies full.

Waiting for a spot…it’s worth the wait!

Yay! Cecina!

We had some fun in Lucca.  It was hysterical to see my mum on a bike (sorry mum!)…My mum is not the most confident of riders, probably because she has a habit of veering in to anyone, young or old, that comes within her vicinity.   We went ice-skating when the winter began, we browsed markets and ate gelato.  Many, many machiati were enjoyed and many hours passed window shopping in the sophisticated stores.

On the bike with Francesca in the back…

It was wonderful to experience Lucca as a family but it was also really beautiful to be riding on the bike, soaking in the sights and sounds of this beautiful Italian town and taking the time to reflect on this most amazing journey in peace and solitude.  It was inspiring and so good for the soul.  I would give anything to return one day.  It will happen, I know it.  I couldn’t be more sure.

Would you like to read more about our trip to Italy?  If you do, have a look at these posts…

Christmas in Italy

Olives and the Goddess of Fertility

My Italian Family

Winter in Italy – a story in pictures

What is your favourite memory?  Do you have a place in the world that has a special place in your heart?  Feel free to share your special moments with us, because that’s what keeps our precious memories alive.

While they were sleeping…

Tomorrow, I am going to Byron Bay… with a friend…sans children and I’ll be sneaking out before they even wake up!

Beautiful Byron…

I’m freaking out!

It’s not that I don’t want to go.  I really do want to go.  I can’t put my finger on it exactly, but the thought of being away from my children for three nights is making me hyperventilate! I don’t feel guilty about going, I really need the break.  I’m not worried that they won’t be well taken care of…my husband is a fantastic father and extremely capable of looking after the kids on his own, even if there has been a worrying amount of talk about sausages and chips.  So what is it…what’s holding me back?

Is it the thought of Leonardo waking in the night and his mother not being there to comfort him for the first time in his life?  Is it the physical distance that will separate us and the fact I can’t be by their side in an instant if there is a tsunami or someone vomits? Is it the possibility that they won’t miss me at all?  That they won’t even notice I’m gone.  That maybe, I’m not the center of their universe after all.

Well…it is Byron…shame I don’t eat dairy…

Oh dear…this is just making me feel worse!  I need to focus on the positives, after all, it is only three nights.  And it’s Byron Bay!  My favourite place, my spiritual home.  We will walk and talk and eat and drink.  There will be no sleep times to work around, no ‘behaviour management’ plans to enact (I hope…) There will be time to think, time for ourselves.  It will be wonderful…we are so very lucky.

Do you panic at the thought of leaving your children…I mean, we all fantasise about it…but to really, actually do it is hard.  I’d love to hear how you handle the situation…please leave a comment if you have any thoughts or advice.

See you in a few days!

mamacino x

PS I will be posting to the mamacino facebook page and instagram while I’m away so

Winter in Italy – A Story In Pictures

It’s cold and raining here today.  The perfect weather to snuggle up in front of the fire with a cup of tea, simmer soup slowly for dinner and leave your Ugg boots on ALL day.  Well, that’s what I’m doing anyway…and…I have been gazing longingly at some photos of our time in Italy.  We spent a winter in Tuscany and it was wonderful…I thought I’d share some of my favourite photographs with you…

One door closes…and another one opens….

My favourite doors in Pietrasanta, we have SO many photos of doors and windows!

Winter Wonderland…

The hill town above the walls of Pietrasanta…the view from our Piazza…

You mean this cake’s for me?

When it came to brioche, we had to restrict ourselves to Wednesdays, Sundays, Birthdays, special occasions or if we really, really couldn’t resist…

The view from my bedroom window…seriously!

Our Street…Via del Pogetto

Well worth the short trek up and down for an espresso or gelati…

Hanging out in the Piazza del Duomo…

This is on the steps of the church where people like to hang out….

La Casa Bella…our home in Italy

I know, we couldn’t believe it either!

It’s never too wet or too cold to make the dash to the Piazza for a cappucino

Best friends…fun in the garden

Our furry friends…frequent visitors to our garden

An angel sleeping…

These are but a few of the many beautiful photos I have of our amazing time in Italy…it was a few years ago now but I truly can not get over it.  I am constantly dreaming up ways of how we can return…

I hope you have enjoyed this little rainy day trip down memory lane…do you have a place in the world that is special to you?  Tell us about it…we could all use a little cyber holiday….

mamacino x

A Simple Life

I’m moving to Bali.  There is a school in Ubud called The Green School where they teach children about sustainability and how to live holistically.  Each student has their own garden plot where they learn to grow and tend to organic fruits and vegetables.  We will live in a simple Balinese style villa and I will ride my bike through the green rice paddies to the market where I will gossip with the local women and they will share with me their traditional ways of cooking the beautiful produce I buy.  I will go to yoga every day.  Every day.  I will have long conversations with my husband over cool wine on balmy evenings and I will love spending time with my children, laughing, reading, swimming because there will be nothing else I should be doing.  Who knows?  Maybe I’ll even have another one, just for fun.

This will be me in Bali having my fourth baby which I will be completely calm and cool about...

Okay…I’m not really moving to Bali but this is my dream.  It is my dream for a more simple life.  A life without the pressures that have crept upon us unnoticed.  Money, work, stuff…more stuff.  It pays to be mindful of what you sign up for because a deals a deal and once you’ve committed to certain choices…school fees, mortgage, blonde highlights…they can be hard to back out of.  Not impossible, but difficult.  When I ask people around me how they are, almost always they will say busy.  Crazy busy.  So much on at the moment.  Never have a moment to myself.  This is a real concern.  It’s almost like if we are not busy, we are not doing enough.  Not important enough.  I think it’s alienating to tell people you are busy all the time.  I’m sure they think they can’t call you, drop in for a chat, ask your advice, invite you to dinner because you are unavailable.  I make a point of saying oh, you know…just cruising.  Not a lot on, looking forward to some fun on the weekend.  I want to be invited to dinner.

What is important to you, really important?

I’m learning to really focus on the things that are important to me.  I don’t need a lot of stuff, in fact…too much stuff makes me nervous.

Stuff: Those who have been to my home will tell you it is always so clean, so tidy.  This is not because I’m a clean freak – I hate house work as much as the rest of us.  But I just can’t function in a state of chaos.  I need space and order or I start freaking out.  My environment is really important to me.

Food: Food is also really important to me.  Nourishing my family with healthy, wholesome, organic, home made food is a vital.  It’s not always easy and I’m not always good at it.  It takes a lot of time, but to me, it’s a priority.

Yoga:   Yoga is the only thing in my life that is purely for me.  When I am locked in the hot room or yoga studio, no-one can get to me.  No phones, no computers, no…dare I say it…children.  Sure, it’s sweaty and it stinks but it’s so good for my mind and my body.  I just can’t give it up.

Coffee: (or rather, decaf, skinny, soy latte) Coffee.  It’s my one thing.  My reward, my prize…the thing I look forward to every day.  It’s also about connecting.  Where I live, you can’t pop down the street for a coffee without running in to at least three people you know and I love that sense of community.  I never go home feeling lonely.

Family and Friends:  It goes without saying…or does it?  This is the part of my life I would like to focus more on.  More one on one time with my husband (if he’s ever here) listening more deeply to my children and having time for my friends (texting does not count!) because I love them so much and they lift my spirit and make me feel so good about myself even though I have not phoned in, like, ages (I’m so sorry Cars xxx).

This isn't me...it's Julia Roberts in Eat Pray Love. I have this picture next to my bed to remind me of my dream...and one of Javier Bardem too...just kidding!

So…what can you live without?

The idea of giving things up sounds counter productive.  Isn’t this what we’ve worked so hard for?  Why give it up?  Well it’s great if you don’t have to, if you are happy, and healthy that’s fantastic.  But if you are looking for more time, more space in your life for the things that really make you happy…some difficult questions may need to be asked.  So, what can you live without?  There’s always something.  Here are a few ideas to think about…

Don’t commit: It’s okay to say “let me think about that and get back to you”.  Will you be on the School Parents Committee?  Can your kids play soccer at 8am every single Saturday morning? Want to commit to a 24 month Pay TV Contract?  Think about it.  And if the answer is no, just say, no thanks…no long winded, guilt ridden explanation required.

Get rid of the List: I am so guilty of this one.  How many things do you have on your list every day?  Even if you do 9 out of ten of those things, you still feel guilty about the one you didn’t get to!  I try to have a rough idea about what I would like to achieve.  I am a results kind of girl…I love ticking the boxes, the before and afters…the thrill of achievement.  I used to think it meant I was driven…now I just think it means I need to get a life!

Be kind, have fun and tell the truth: Remember your husband and your kids are on your team, say no to housework and yes to lunch with the girls.  Listen to music, eat, drink, celebrate.  Find one thing you love and do it everyday.  And tell the truth…about what you think, what you need, how you are feeling.  Be kind to yourself and be a bit of a rebel.  Yeah…put the colours in with the darks if it saves you some time…I DARE YOU!!!

So, with the move to Bali remaining in my dreams for the present…I will have to shop at my own beautiful Farmer’s Market, tend to our own little vegetable patch and have long conversations with my husband via email…and as for having another baby…you would have to be freaking kidding!

What makes you happy?  How do you simplify your life?  What sorts of things have you learned to live without?  We would love to hear from you…leave a comment and share the love!

mamacino x

My Italian Family

Ever since I can remember, I have been fascinated with all things Italian.  My Grandfather comes from Sicily and even though he left his home to live in Australia when he was only a boy, I have always felt a strong connection with Italy.  The language, the food, the people…if there was a book, I would read it, a movie, I would see it…I won’t admit to the number of times I have seen Under the Tuscan Sun!  When we travelled to Italy in 2009, we were determined to find our family.  We had a name and an address given to us by Aunty Lena…though she couldn’t be sure if these people were still alive!  With hope and optimism we began our search and the experience that followed, I will remember forever.

Sitting in Mr. Aliberti’s apartment in Ortigia, Sicily, we decided we must do something about contacting our relatives.  We couldn’t come this far and not give it a go.  It might be our only opportunity…who knew when we might be back in Italy again?  With only a name and address, it was a long shot, but we decided to send a post card on which we wrote, in very bad Italian…

“Buon Giorno…we are your relatives from Australia.  We are in Sicily.  Would you like to meet us for a coffee?”

We were laughing as we sent it…if you have ever experienced the Italian Mail System, you would know anyone receiving anything is a minor miracle.  Surely, we wouldn’t hear anything but what could we do?  We lit a candle, said a prayer to the Madonna and then went off to the Piazza for a glass of wine, all but forgetting about the chance to meet our family.

Mr. Aliberti's Apartmento...

And so you can imagine our surprise when only two days later, we received a phone call from our cousin (and I use that term loosely) Mattia!  They had received our card and were so excited that we were in Sicily.  We must come to meet the family and stay with them in Ragusa, at the insistence of Mamma!  We were up for an adventure so we agreed and made all the arrangements for the five of us (my husband and I, my mum and our kids) to travel there by bus the following week.

We had no idea what we were getting ourselves in for.  We had read so many stories of these kinds of reunions…we didn’t know these people and we didn’t really even know how we were related to them or even if we were related to them!.  My mum was getting cold feet imagining herself in an apartment with goodness knows how many noisy Sicilians…I had a good feeling about it so off we went with an open mind …and lucky we did as it turned out to be  one of the best nights of our trip, if not our lives!

After a lengthy bus ride made so by the drivers insistence of stopping at almost every bar we passed for an espresso and a cigarette, we arrived in Ragusa and were met with kisses and hugs by Mattia and his Mamma, Ermina.  Apparently it was obvious that we were the Australiani.  They had reconsidered our accommodation and to ensure our comfort, took us to a beautiful boutique hotel overlooking Ragusa Ibla, the old town.  We were to be ready at 8pm. Mattia would pick us up and take us  to the family home for dinner.  Mamma had been cooking all day…this was looking promising.

Beautiful Ragusa...where my Grandfather was born...

And so, as promised, we were collected at 8pm.  It was getting late…the girls who were only 3 and 5 were normally in bed by that time and we hadn’t even eaten…We drove around, Mattia pointing out the cities attractions until we got the call from Mamma…the dinner was ready, we could come home.  We arrived at the family home which was lovely and not unlike our own home in Australia.  Everyone was there…at Mamma’s insistence.  All the introductions were made and we were welcomed with open arms to Angelo’s home, Angelo being my Grandfather’s cousin, we think.  And so with fifteen of us around the table, dinner was served…thank goodness, because with Mattia being the only one to speak English and our Italian being really, really bad…the conversation was slightly awkward.

We began with anti pasta, then lasagne which we all devoured not realising how many more courses were to come.  Mangiare, mangiare…and so we did.  My husband ate so much lasagne he almost burst but had to continue on with wine, roast porcetta and vegetables, salad, cheese, cannoli, torte and finally, grappa.  It was exactly like I always dreamed an Italian family meal would be.  Delicious, warm, fun and very noisy!

La Famiglia!

By midnight, we were exhausted and almost bursting.  Mattia delivered us home to our hotel and promised to collect us the following morning for more sight seeing.  We were overwhelmed with the warmth and hospitality our family had showered us with.  Family is everything in Italy…even the family you never even knew existed!

The streets my Grandfather might have walked as a young boy...

Meeting our Italian family was such a special part of our trip and we still talk about it all the time…we marvel over actually finding them…what were the chances?  We reminisce about that magical dinner and how we would love the opportunity to return the favour.  I still chat to Mattia on facebook – I’m supposed to be practising my Italian but I cheat and use google translate – and I quiz him on everything his Mamma has made him for lunch and dinner that day begging for the recipes.  It’s a connection, a chapter in our family story…a story that hopefully, we can add more laughter, fun and memories to in the years to come.

mamacino x