I count myself as rather fortunate that I have been able to go on an overseas holiday this month. Both my husband and I didn’t get too excited as we weren’t entirely sure whether it would go ahead.  After all there is still covid 19 lurking around and there were tests to be done and negative results to be received. We are both fully vaccinated and thought it was worthwhile giving it a go.

Back in 2019 we went to Italy twice. We went to northern Italy to attend a family wedding.  Then later in the year we went back to the area we met 20 years before to recreate some of the places we had explored together.  The latter trip involved going to the Cinque Terre, La Spezia and Lucca.

But we hadn’t been back to the area where my husband grew up since Christmas 2017 and we had a new nephew that we wanted to meet.  Plus friends to catch up with.

As you can probably tell from the title of this post we were successful in heading to Italy earlier this month and we had a full on time of catching up with people.

It was great to be back. Some things have changed, like the selling of the family home that my in-laws purchased in the 1980s and sold a few months’ earlier. However, some things are just the same.

Although it did surprise me, and it really shouldn’t have, how grown up some of my children’s friends are!

Some highlights for me were:

• Meeting our new nephew and spending quality time with his elder brother.
• Two dinners at one of my favourite restaurants in Tuscania, run by my son’s godparents

• Daily morning coffee and cornetto at a cafe

• Going to a centre with natural hot springs for the first time
• Meals, aperitivi, chats and walks with close friends

Hopefully we will return shortly, as we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Although it was fairly full on.  Several people have also promised us they will come and visit us here in England too. Let’s see who makes the journey first.