Kayla’s Birthday

Today marks are youngest grandchild’s birthday, Kayla Marie Vacirca turned 7 in Italy! To mark this auspicious occasion, Auntie Cathy hung streamers and sister Addie helped Grammy make Nutella stuffed French Toast and Special scrambled eggs with Proscuitto.

Tonight we’re having a special formal dinner at the Villa complete with birthday cake. To celebrate the day Kayla wanted to go to the water park nearby. We all had good intentions of tagging along with the V’s, but the 100 degree heat was going to be a little too much for us older folks, so we opted for some air conditioned sightseeing.

We really haven’t explored the area since we’ve gotten here. There are small towns around us — none noteworthy, but all with long histories and traditions. They are charming, and ancient, and uniquely Italian. It has a special feel, a bit Ancient Greek, a bit Sicilian, a bit itself. The churches are built on 6th century ruins, but they are small and crumbling and not particularly beautiful and almost more interesting because they are so real.

It is a small area, but the roads are tiny and winding, it takes 30 minutes to get anywhere. The natives are accepting and gracious. American tourists are as rare as hen’s teeth, and you totally feel away. Like years away. I’ll leave you with some pictures.

We drove over to the sea for lunch at a local spot. After lunch, back for a pisolino (nap) before heading to the pool. And the day goes by…