Family

This is where I take a moment to reflect on our experience of Vasto.

I am not sure why I have such a itching desire to see where my family came from. I wonder where I will stop. I don't think i'm ready to take a genetic test and walk the path back to Africa but I am really riveted by the people who wandered out on pilgrimages to unseen lands. I think the world sees California as a land of prospectors and to a certain extent we are. Being in Vasto I kept wondering who my Great grandfather was and why he got on a boat to go to America with his brother, sight unseen. There are the obvious reasons why people move, but then there is the unquantifiable part that separates those that leave from those that stay. Somehow I can relate to this man i've never meet. Maybe we share a gene that seeks to look for more than just the mundane in life. Josh will wake me up in the morning and ask how my "almost mid-life crisis" is going. I have to say it is going really well. One evening we walked into one of the old piazzas in Vasto and found a man putting on a small puppet show, hand made marionettes and the whole bit. The last act was a story where the "old man" puppet had two apples in front of him and the puppeteer asked him to choose an apple. While the old man stood hesitating a calendar behind him changed though years and decades. In the end all you heard was a slow train moving, then and the indecisive old man's chest opened up and he flew over the crowd and into the after life. Even the kids were awestruck. Somehow this kids puppet show seemed validating of our voyage into the unknown. I don't feel like I have figured out the meaning to life but I do think I share some genetics that enabled me to at least pick an apple and go. It is a funny thing to start to see family as a whole entity. I will post some pictures below...

Wedding Pilia

Made it to Pulia, a region in the south of Italy for a friends wedding. We drove out of the mountains of Abruzzo and into a mostly flat landscape. If you have never been there think of stone walled gardens and fields, fruiting cactus, crystal waters, heat and the best mozzarella/ food ever. It is obvious that this area missed the abundant times of the North but what is there is an Italy that hasn't changed itself for tourism. The food is amazing and in this dry land we found the abundance of Italy alive. The Southern Italian wedding was like a dream. Both the bride and groom couple live in the valley but had family come from everywhere. The group was midbogglingly global. It was so fun to see so many people from so many places and languages enjoying friendship together. It was a reminder of how rich life can be because of our differences. We ate and danced, and ate and danced, and ate and danced. A really sensational occasion to be a part of!

Finally a moment where my energy has outpaced the family and I can write. The gang is having a siesta now. We have found this to be most important in Italy since most restaurants don't open till 8pm for dinner.

Where did we leave off? Ahhhh way back in France on our exodus from Spain. After a night in Perpignion we made it to Josh's friend in the south of France in Toulan. We had a wonderful chance to hang out with friends and make others. This is where the kids discovered the Mediterranean. What a treat, accessible, safe, warm sea water. A couple weeks latter and we still can't get over it.

From Toulan we drove a rainy day to Vernaza (the town where Josh and I married) in Italy. It was a treat to show the children the church where we got married, hike to neighboring towns, boat, dinner with Il Priete and just be in a very magical place. On first arrival Angelo couldn't believe how the kids of the town could play around town with ought their parents. By the end they were feeling the liberty's of Italy and racing around town independently.

After Vernazza we decided to head to Vasto (a city on the adriatic coast where my Grandmother's family is from). We made a couple day stop at a farm outside of Montepulciano and enjoyed the Tuscan countryside, wine, and hot springs. A short day drive and we made it to Vasto. We figured we needed to sit still for a while, organize ourselves and take a vacation from traveling. This may seem like a funny idea but being a homeless vagabond with three young children carries with it an intensity. Our high moments are so high and our low are so low. One minute where getting carjacked and the next watching a beautiful fireworks display. We have experienced so much I think we all needed a break. Thus Vasto for three weeks.

I think we are all getting introspective at this point about what this trip means. Apollonia mentioned that her friends must be wondering who she will be when she goes home. I asked her what she meant and she thought for a while before answering, "Like now I am kinda French". "French?!" "Yeah, I'm the type of kid that wears bikini bottoms with ought the top." For me I know that European kids start school the middle of September and I would like to figure out where we will stay. Josh has just started the Job hunt but all of Europe it seems is on Vacation for the month of August. We'll see what happens but employment aside if we all had our druthers a year in Italy sounds pretty good.

The eight O'Clock church bell has rung and the kids are up from siesta so it is time to sign of for now. More sooner than latter... I promise. Four stops in three brief paragraphs is silliness. Thinking of you all at home.