Italy Trip--Part 2

After a very stressful interaction with the rental car company, we got on the road to head south of Rome to the Frosinone region.  This is where my grandma's (my dad's mom) family came from many years ago.  Two of my great-aunts were born there and moved to America as children.  I have long dreamed of standing on my great-grandparents' doorstep and seeing the town they lived in so long ago. 

We arrived at my grandma's cousin's home around 4:30 on Friday evening.  I had never met this part of the family before, but that didn't matter.  It was like we had always known each other.  They all welcomed us and treated us like royalty while we were with them.  We felt completely at home.  The best food of the trip was the meals that my grandma's cousin, Patrizia, made for us.  Pizza, eggplant parmesan, zucchini parmesan, rigatoni with a simple but amazing tomato sauce, wine cookies (a regional favorite that my great-aunts used to make each Christmas), and marinated zucchini.  There was more, and it was all delicious. Restaurant food didn't come close to her cooking!  We were very spoiled.  Within an hour of getting to her house, my cousins took us to go see Patrica, my family's hometown, which is a half hour drive from their house. 

It was quite a drive--up a mountain.  The whole experience was surreal--driving there, entering the town, seeing the houses.  But it was truly magical.  You park your car in a parking lot and walk into town, because Patrica is built on the side of a mountain and all the houses and shops (of which there are only a handful) are connected by narrow, sloped streets and LOTS of old stone steps.  We walked down quite a few before we came to my great-grandma's sister's old home.  We had the pleasure of going inside as it is still used by the family.  Everything was preserved from the 50s it appeared!

First view of Patrica!

Walking down the steps

My great-aunt's old home

Mallory playing inside

Walking down more steps towards my great-grandma's home

It is abandoned and boarded up, but still amazing to see in person

One of the most special moments of my life--standing on my great-grandma's doorstep

Views from the town

Awesome view

My cousin Mario with my kids

Upon returning to Patrizia and Alfredo's (our wonderful hosts) house, we sat down for the most delicious dinner.  We dined al fresco, as Italian families do in Italy, and it was lovely.  I didn't get a photo of that, and I so wish I had.  The food, like I said before, was heavenly.  But the experience of sitting around a big table outdoors with my Italian family was even better.  It is funny--several months ago I didn't even know these six people existed--I knew we had cousins in Italy, but I didn't know much about them or even their names.  Then my aunt in Florida gave me contact info for my cousin Eddy, who just happens to be my age, and we communicated my email.  He set up the whole visit for us to stay with his parents, and he, his wife, and brother drove eight hours from Milan to come see us and visit with their parents.  Then they all went out of their way to make us comfortable and show us a part of Italy that has always drawn me to it because of my family history.  They truly gave me one of the greatest gifts of my life--taking me to see Patrica and the house where part of my dad's family began.  My cousins' family began there, too, and this bond is part of what made visiting it with them so special.  I love that you can not meet a part of your family for thirty-two years and then when you do, it's like you've always known each other.  That's how we felt. 

The next morning, we woke up to breakfast outside.  Coffee and pastries and great company.  My cousins had decided to take us to see Monte Cassino, so we soon set off, knowing our time was limited as we had to get to our farmhouse in Tuscany where we had a reservation that night.  Monte Cassino is a beautiful site on top of a mountain that was first establsihed as a monastery in 529 A.D.  The abbey and the other buildings have been rebuilt due to the Battle of Monte Cassino during WWII. 

Beautiful doves--it gave me a feeling of peace in a place that was once ravaged by war

The Polish cemetery (see the cross shape?)

Inside the cathedral

Beautiful!

My sweet cousins with my kids

Our hosts--mia famiglia :)

After we got back to my cousin's house, we dined together one more time before getting on the road to our next destination.  We were beyond spoiled by the food and treatment we received from my family.  As I said goodbye to Patrizia, my grandma's cousin and our lovely hostess,we both had tears in our eyes. I told her I couldn't thank her enough and she said it was her honor to see part of her mother's family.  Words cannot describe what this whole experience meant to me.  I left a big piece of my heart behind in Italy.  Having family to spend time with was very special, especially because we are living overseas and are far from our families in the states.  I have always felt like I had to visit Italy and see Patrica--which I did-- but didn't know that the greatest part would be meeting family members that forever have a place in my heart now.  I am truly blessed.

Next and final post will be: Tuscany!