Category Archives: Italy” “Italy” “Italy Trip” “Pittsburgh Airport” “Fanny Pack” “Boarding Passes” “Airport Check-in” “Clara Hinton” “Chris Hinton” “Journal Entries” “My Italy Trip”

Off to Italy! – Notes from My Journal – March 1, 2010

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Well, if you’ve been following along, you already know that there was no sleep the night before the trip. Too much excitement! Let’s take a peek into my journal to see what happened the morning of the trip!
March 1, 2010 – 7:00 a.m.

Coffee for me, tea for Chris, and then a bite of toast and then a double-check: Passport, camera, clothes, money (more about that later), checks to drop in the mail (hey, bills have to be paid!), letters to be mailed. Done! Oh, wait — let’s check the weather outside. We’ve had the worst winter in I don’t know how many years — a couple hundred inches of snow to be exact! I’m freezing, but it’s probably my jitters about the trip. Nope! Not so! My feet aren’t freezing because of my anxiety about the trip. It’s 23 degrees in Shanksville and still snowing! Oh, if Italy has sunshine, I’ll know there is a God! I honestly forget what the warm sunshine feels like! Please, please, please let there be sunshine!!!!! I’m craving it. I need it — I NEED the sunshine!

Chris and I did very little talking before piling our few bags into the car. I think it was an understood message between us that for the next 16 days I’d be looking at his Rat Tail, and he’d be looking at — well, he’d be looking at “ME”! I felt bad. I honestly felt bad for him at this point because I didn’t see the same spark of excitement in his eyes as I was feeling. For me, this trip was a dream-come-true. For Chris, it was a trip of an unknown outcome. I’m sure he was wondering as he glanced at me, “Am I gonna make it 16 days without killing this woman? I could probably get away with it in Italy! I’ve gotta come up with a plan just in case she starts driving me totally nuts!” Well, like it or not, Chris, it’s me and you for the next two weeks so get used to it, kiddo!

The drive into Somerset normally takes about 20 minutes, only today it took longer because of the ice and snow. GRRRR! Down 6th Street and what do I see? Nothing but that darned snow! I’m really sick of this weather, and I’m ready for a change! Italy, here we come! Did I happen to mention that I’m dying to see the sunshine? Italy, please, please have warm weather while we’re there! (Note to myself: I really don’t use the word “hate” often, but I’m using it now. I HATE all of the snow we’ve had this winter! There…I feel better just getting that off my chest!)

In the car, Chris and I talked about where we wanted to go in Italy, what we wanted to see, and how we thought things would be. For me…..I wanted to meet the people. Just walk among “my kind” and get the feel of what it must have been like for my grandparents, Franco and Angelina Lucca, who actually lived in Sicily before coming to the United States. I wanted to eat the food, hear the language, see the homes, walk along the sea, and listen to the beautiful music of Italy. I wanted to take in the sights, sounds and smells of everything. The Colosseum. The Vatican City. The Cistine Chapel. Rome. Lucca. Florence. Sicily. Ristorantes. Markets. Seafood. The wine and bread. Ahhhh…….my heart was doing dances just thinking about the awesome things in store for us!

Now, for any of you that know Chris, let’s just say he is not very openly expressive nor is he within the realm of what I’d call normal with his romanticism for life. In fact, there are times his bluntness and off-the-wall nuttiness kind of stuns me. This was one of those stunning moments!

“I want to check out all of the chicks, hit some naked beaches, and eat ten meals a day so I can get fat and see if the chicks still go crazy over me. Uh, I want to grow my Rat Tail down my back and twirl it around my finger real sexy-like, I want to grow a razzle-frazzle beard, and I want to flash my fanny pack and make the girls die for me. Oh, yeah….I’m also going to lock you up in your room once a day and go cruisin’ around at night to see what the night life is all about.”

Huh? Oh, wow! I had a sinking feeling that this could be the trip of my life, only not quite the way I’d imagined. Oh, Lord…..that was about all I could think. Please be with me, Lord. If he acts like this, I’m not gonna make it. I really won’t make it. If this kid wrecks up this trip by acting like a 30-year-old Rat Tail, I’ll lose it with him. I really will!
NOTE: Moms can say stuff like this because we’re moms. After going through the infant, toddler, pre-teen, and teen years, you kind of expect your kids to grow up a bit — especially when going to a place like Italy. Darn you, Chris! (You’ll just have to keep reading in the days ahead to see what happens.)

As we continued to drive along, Chris mentioned “Rick Steves” this and “Rick Steves” that. I had not one iota of a clue what or who he was talking about. Who or what is Rick Steves? A movie star? A famous composer? Somebody Chris knew from work? Somebody we were going to meet up with in Italy? A friend from college who was going to help us find hotel rooms? (No, we didn’t have one reservation made! We were entering Italy totally without a place to stay! Another Chris idea, of course! ) I didn’t know who Rick Steves was then, but I’d soon learn all about this character………….

Stay tuned for more of the “Adventures of Mom and the Rat Tail in Italy”! I assure you……this is not your normal trip!

Ciao!
Clara – “Bella”

Italy – Quotes from My Journal – Day 1

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Well, I’ve thought a lot about how to share my thoughts with you about my dream-come-true visit to Italy, and the very best way I know to do is to use my daily journal and quote from there. After all, those thoughts were the “real deal” — the thoughts I had right at the moment. So, let’s get started! I hope you’ll follow along with me, and “tour Italy” and “tour my heart” for the next several days. The trip was 16 days, but my blog will be more than 16 entries. Come on — I could write three blogs on Chris’ first few moments at Pittsburgh International Airport! What a boy! The Rat Tail Son takes Mom on the Trip of her Life! — How’s that for a good title? 🙂

Pre-trip Jitters – February 28, 2010 – Sunday

Wow! Off to Rome in just a few short hours. No sleep last night — way too excited! My mind is swirling and going in every direction. Did I forget to pack anything? Do I have my passport? Gosh! The passport! I cry every time I look at it. For years and years I’ve dreamed about seeing my face on a passport, and that dream has finally come true. I held it close to me when it arrived in the mail. Holding something in your hands alway makes it seem more real. Yes, I can touch my passport. That means it’s real!

Chris spent the night at the house on Sunday so that we could go over last minute details of the trip, and I know he was being “fatherly” towards me. He thinks I don’t know how to pack. UGH! Why don’t kids get it that their parents somehow managed to get through life without their guidance? I think I get upset about this part because it’s a reminder that I’m getting older and that creeping fear always makes my mind think, “The kids are patronizing me because they think I’m getting too old too fast and won’t be able to do stuff like traveling very much longer.” Hey kids — your mama isn’t dead yet! She has lots of life and spunk left in her so please don’t treat me like I’m an antique! Thanks! I just had to get that off of my chest! I hope that doesn’t sound unappreciative……you kids will understand what I mean when you get older, too. It’s a whole different world when you begin the downward descent of your life than when you’re climbing to the peak. Parents don’t want to lose their place in the family. They always want to be parents! I guess that’s a tip for anyone reading this blog. Always allow your parents to keep their place of dignity. Thanks.

Anyway, Chris bought me an extra memory card for my Sony Cybershot Point and Shoot which is the next best thing to my passport. That Sony is attached to me, and NOBODY will get near it, or they’ll see a crazy Italian Mama for sure! Thanks so much for the memory card and the trip to Walmart, Chris! Greatly appreciated ’cause I didn’t have the time to go there! Also, thanks a million for researching hotels, places to eat, plane tickets, travel itineray, and all the zillions of other things you did to prepare for this trip. I wonder if I said “thank you” enough to him? Chris, THANK YOU again and again!!!! I know he will never fully understand what this trip means to me, but I’ll be sure to share with him my thoughts all along the way. (I can just see him groaning already! My kids hate it that I talk so much! )

Packing was done by 1:00 a.m., then a shower, then WIDE AWAKE thinking about what it will be like. Will I love every minute? Will I get afraid since I have never traveled outside of the United States? Will I be disappointed? Visiting Italy has always been my dream — will it turn into a mini nightmare instead? Why do thoughts like these even exist, crazy woman??!!?? You know you’re gonna LOVE Italy! Well, I hope and pray I’m gonna love Italy! I know one thing….the trip is happening! The trip is really, really happening, and my heart is racing just thinking about it. This has been a dream of mine since I was about 9-years-old.

I can remember sitting under the grape arbor with Grandmom Lucca when I was nine. She was “babysitting” me while my mom was in the hospital after delivering my baby sister, Ruth. Grandmom Lucca never learned to speak English, so you can just imagine the conversation we had under the arbor. She flailed her hands and occasionally got out a word that I understood. And, I sat staring at her face thinking, “I love you so much, and I don’t even know how to tell you. I want to be like you. I want to vist the place where you were born. I want to talk like you. I want to know more about you. I want to see Italy!”

Instead, I ended up crying because she got frustrated with me because I couldn’t speak Italian. I couldn’t wait for my dad to come get me at 5:00. He spoke English AND Italian perfectly. “Why didn’t you teach me how to speak Italian, dad?” “Because it’s too hard.” End of discussion, but not the end of my dream!!!! Never the end of my dream!!!!
Stay tuned for more thoughts tomorrow!
Love,
Clara aka “Bella”
PS Dreams really do come true!!!! Never, ever give up on your dreams!

Petritoli — the Village that Won My Heart!

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A few months before visiting Italy, friends of ours from the States contacted us and said, “We’re going to be in Italy the same time as you, and you simply must come visit us. We bought a small home in Petritoli, and we won’t take no for an answer You will visit us!”

And, visit we did! There aren’t words to express what Chris and I experienced while in Petritoli, the small self-sufficient villa of 2500 located by the Adriatic Sea to one side and the Sibillini Mountains to the west. Talk about breathtaking! Talk about quaint, and historial, and warm, and giving one the sense of community! The essence of Petritoli is what I dreamed Italy would be, and it turned out to be even more! None of this would have been possible, of course, without the hospitality and friendship of Tom and Kirsten. It’s a small, small world and friends are an essential and beautiful part of that world!

Note: Choose friends wisely, and cherish those friends always! Tom and Kirsten, you always have a place to stay with me! And, I will always thank you for opening your home to me!

This blog, in order to do justice to the topics of friendship, beauty of Italy, and events we encountered while in Petritoli, will no doubt turn into several mini blogs as I want to include photos to share with you, also. The sheer beauty of this villa is enough to make your eyes pop right out of your head!

Stepping off of the bus onto the curb in the quaint town of Petritoli, we spotted Tom running to welcome us to Italy! We were all so excited to see each other that the conversation was lively, and filled with laughter as we drove to the local coffee house in the villa to meet up with Kirsten. Walking through the doorway to the coffee house was an experience in and of itself! Sitting on couches and comfy chairs were neighborhood friends, Kirsten sitting central among them as she and Tom were the villa guests. Francesa jumped up to greet us with a hug, a kiss, and a glass of wine! Ahh….you gotta love the people of Italy! One-by-one, the others gave hugs, kisses, offered more wine and cheese and crackers than we needed, and the chatter and laughter continued on into the night. (Keep in mind that Chris and I had gone well beyond 24 hours without a hint of sleep, but who cared? We were far too enthralled by the experience of it all to need any sleep!)

Note: Dogs are allowed in all eateries in Italy as we learned that evening. At first I wondered if everyone there needed a seeing-eye dog, but I soon found out that dogs are as much a part of the culture as people, and so they are included in all activities, including coffee talk!

Also Note: Italians have held tight to the art of conversation! My golly, how much I’ve been starved for that! I haven’t had an evening like this in years! Talking, laughing, sharing the events of the day, and openly and freely hugging and kissing! I cannot even tell you how much I’ve missed that element in my life. I grew up living in an Italian town with first and second generation Italians who held fast to the culture. Since leaving, I’ve found myself having to adapt to a hand-off, no hugging, no kissing, and very restrained “visit by invitation only” type of living. Thank you, God, for restoring my belief that there are people left among us who still spend evenings sitting around talking, laughing, and eating together and openly and freely welcome others into their circle of friends!

After getting warmed up with lots of wine for me (hot tea for Chris — he was a total teetotaler while in Italy!), delicious chocolates, cheeses, fruits, and crackers, we said our farewells for the evening to our newly formed circle of friends in Petriotoli, and off we went with Tom and Kirsten to their home for dinner.

Another thing to Note: Dinner is never served in Italy before 8:30 p.m.! The hours prior to that are spent chatting with friends, sipping on wine, and enjoying the home-baked delicacies of the day! I loved the Italian life-style already!

I’ll end the blog on this note for today. There was only one challenge that I had to date since setting foot in Italy — the toilettes! For the love of Pete, I got locked into every stall I used, and it took me at least 20 minutes each time to figure out the technique of “how to flush”! Tom and Kirsten’s home presented the same challenge. Not only was their toilette located on floor 4 of their home, BUT it was a pull string flush that didn’t always work! Needless to say, there will be an entire blog of nothing but “la toilettas” in Italia! But, for today…..Tom and Kirsten, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for introducing us to the ways of Italy and to the beauty of Petritoli!

Next item in the journal…dinner at 11:00 p.m.!!! Kirsten is world’s best cook — I’m totally convinced of that!

Love,

Clara

You gotta be kidding me — A “Winter Hurricane” — What’s next?!?!?!?!

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I think I’ve about heard it all now. First two feet of snow. Then, three feet of snow. Then, the blizzard of 2010. Now……..the “winter hurricane”! What’s next?!?!?!? The winds raged, the snow fell to the tune of 18 more inches, the drifts in my driveway are over 6 feet high…….and all roads that lead into town are closed. Bare ground has not been seen since December 1, 2009, and it’s now February 26, 2010. I don’t know if I should laugh or cry or just pull the covers up over my head and sleep away the remainder of the winter.

Doesn’t life throw all of us curves like that from time-to-time? It sure has happened to me more than once, and I’m sure it’s happened to you, too! I can well remember the day when 5 of my kids broke out in chicken pox all of the same day. UGH! Or the time when the car broke down and had to be towed three different times in one week — and all I was doing was trying to get the kids to the doctor because they had been vomiting for a week straight! Sure, I can recall the time the power was out for 5 days during a blizzard and the house was so cold you could see your breath. I kept the two babies bundled in snowsuits and had no way to heat their formula and they froze their little bottoms off just getting their diapers changed.

Stacks of unpaid bills. Sick kids. A broken down car. The flu. A killer migraine. And, then unexpected company standing at the door! We’ve all been there — at the place of near collapse wishing that we could just hibernate until all of the problems go away!

But, the truth is we know that we can’t hibernate, and as along as we’re living and breathing there will be blizzards, snowstorms, and even winter hurricanes that will surround us, trap us in for a while, and try to crush us. BUT, you know what? We manage to make it somehow. We really do! And, sometimes we just need some reminders that life won’t always be winter and storms. The sun will come out, the flowers will bloom, and the sky will be blue!

If you’re getting slammed by winter right now like I am, try to relax. Sometimes there’s nothing we can do but “get through” and hold on to the knowledge that this too shall pass. Winter won’t last forever and spring will surely arrive!

I’m still snowed in, and you know what? I stayed in my pj’s all day, drank a little wine, indulged in a lot of chocolate, listened to some awesome music, and took advantage of a day off from work. I had a “winter hurricane party”, and the night is still young! Hey, why not make the best of a bad situation? Wanna join me? Hop on your snowmobile and come on over. Happy hour begins around eight!
Love and hugs,
Clara

Sometimes you just gotta get away from it all!

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Sometimes you just gotta get away from it all! I know. I know every excuse in the book because I’ve probably used them all. “I don’t have the time. I don’t have the money. I have too much going on. I can’t leave the kids. I can’t leave my family. I feel guilty for thinking of myself. The time isn’t right. I’ll wait until next year. My car won’t make it. I’m too afraid to fly. Everything’s too expensive.” And on and on the excuses go!

The truth is that sometimes you just gotta get away from it all or you’ll go nuts! That’s just about how I was feeling when I left for the beach a few days ago. This winter has been long and hard and cold and brutal. I feel deprived and grumpy when I don’t see the sunshine and blue sky for long periods of time. I need to feel the warm sunshine as much as a baby needs to feel the warm hugs of his mama . Winter takes its toll on me, and I knew that it was time to get away from it all for just a few days.

No, my bank account wasn’t ready for this trip. It’s NEVER ready for a trip. But, I knew if I didn’t let a bill or two go and head for the sunshine that I would be emotionally and physically bankrupt in another two weeks. So, I decided to cast all reason aside and fly the friendly skies to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina!

What happened? Well, I can tell you this much. I saw the sunshine every day! I walked the beach for miles and miles. I got up at 6:00 a.m. each day so that I could be on the beach with my camera in order to catch the first glimpse of the morning sun. I found hundreds of awesome seashells (and brought every one of my treasures back home with me). I laughed and smiled and joked and enjoyed meals with friends. I made new friends and laughed some more. I walked to the end of a pier and took hundreds of pictures of the ocean and sand and sea. I went to bed listening to the sound of the ocean waves lapping up against the shore. I woke up to the music of those same ocean waves beckoning me to come enjoy another day of play. And I played hard. And, I got revived.

The light in me that was beginning to flicker and dim is now shining brighter than ever! Yep, I have those same bills to pay. I came home to the same dirty dishes and laundry I left behind. The snow was still piled a mile high. The same problems I left behind were here, and even some new ones arrived. BUT, I’m revived!!!! I’m alive and revived and my mind is more clear, my heart is happier, and I weigh 5 pounds more. And, what a trip! What beautiful memories! What awesome experiences! What a nice retreat away from the grueling winter. What a sweet taste of the beautiful spring that is soon to come!

Do it! Don’t postpone any longer. Sometimes you just gotta pack up and get away from it all!

Love and hugs,
Clara