A Week in Italy

After we visited our English relatives this summer, we met friends in Italy for a week. The boys were so excited to go to another place and of course eat all the pasta and gelato they could get their little hands on. Here are a few photos, if you’d like to see…

We found a pair of stone houses owned by a lovely family right outside Montepulciano. The property had a beautiful pool, six bedrooms total, and lavender bushes with buzzing bees.

Our group had five kids and seven adults, including the lovely Sharon Beesley, above:) The first night of a group trip is always slightly nerve-wracking for me, as the organizer — will the kids get along? Will the adults click? Will we get stuck in a vortex of small talk? Luckily, everyone immediately fell into an easy rhythm, and I was so glad.

The mornings were usually pretty laid-back with people eating cereal, drinking coffee, and reading books. The celebration above occurred when our friend Sean figured out how to work the video game system. Kids are still kids, no matter where you are, haha.

In the afternoons, we’d swim or play card games by the pool. Here, we’re playing Cheat. Any other games you like?

The view was so beautiful, and we judged many handstand competitions.

And this photo made me laugh: right as I took a photo of Toby and his friend, Anton swam up and posed. His crossed arms, hahaha.

We also explored the surrounding area. In Italy, each region has its own specific dishes and ingredients, and one day, the boys and I went to Pienza, the nearby town famous for its pecorino cheese. We ate crostini with sharp, nutty aged slices, as well as an arugula salad with younger pecorino, which tasted mild and grassy.

One of our favorite meals was ravioli with butter and sage. Sometimes the simplest dishes are the best, don’t you think?

As a side note, my packing strategy was to bring a stack of lightweight button-down shirts and a stack of jean shorts and skirts. Then I just mixed-and-matched for the whole trip. This shirt, especially, was a really nice blue.

One evening, a few of us adults snuck off to Podere Ciona winery in the heart of the Chianti Classic wine region. During our hour-long drive through the Val d’Orcia — full of rolling hills, fields of sunflowers, and hilltop towns — I kept saying, “Oh my gosh, you guys, wow, omg, the view, I’m having an out-of-body experience.” At certain moments, I honestly felt like I was dreaming. It was just so beautiful and so vast.

The winery is run by a married couple — Lorenzo, an Italian, and Jennifer, an American (and ex-New Yorker). We tasted their rosé, white and red wines, while snacking on frittata, grapes, bread, and cheese. How stunning is the scenery?!

At night, we’d play Rummikub, watch movies, or just soak up the laid-back time together.

Finally, we said goodbye to our friends and spent our last night at a hotel two hours north of the Rome airport, where we’d be catching our flight the next day. I considered just booking an airport hotel, but figured we might as well try to squeeze in a final adventure.

I’m glad we did because our hotel (which was super comfy but had terrible food, fyi) was up the hill from a small beach club. The club was filled with Italian families, teenage boys, and older couples. I love that every woman, of any age, shape and size, was wearing a string bikini — everyone was just living life, swimming in the sea, and enjoying the sun.

Also, this group of friends playing cards made my heart swell. Can this be us in 25 years?

Thank you, Italy, for such a beautiful week! Of course, not pictured: sibling squabbles, mosquito bites, jet lag, long drives, getting violently ill the first night with the stomach bug I caught in England, etc. But it was all worth it x a million. Italy, we love you and felt very lucky.

P.S. Five family vacation ideas, and the #1 trick to enjoying family travel.