Spring Break in Italy

In Portofino, Italy

I love spring... it's such a happy time of year.  Here in Sweden, we made it through another cold winter, the sun shines it's happy face a lot more often, people are generally a lot nicer to each other, and the flowers are filling the parks with beautiful color.  With that said, it is the most difficult season for me to be living here in Stockholm.  Even though the sun is shining for 12-14 hours (a complete switch from my November blog), the temperatures are not guaranteed to be warm.  As I look at all of my friends on Facebook, everyone is starting to wear their tank tops and shorts.  Spring WILL bring warmer temperatures in the U.S..... but here in Stockholm, it is still cold.  I wore my winter hat and coat to Chase's practice today.  As a matter of fact, last June 21st, when my sister Diane and Jimmy visited, it was so cold, we were wore winter clothes the entire week they were here.    As you all know, I am a warm weather girl.  I love the sun, beaches, and hot, hot air.  As I stated in my last post, I've grown to appreciate winter temperatures, but once the winter is behind me, I expect warmth.  So, all I need to do is make it through the next 9 weeks, pray for warm temperatures, and then I'll be in the states for the entire summer, enjoying the hot air.

This year we spent spring break in Italy.  I absolutely love Italy... it's by far my favorite European country.

The view in Portofino

 But, not the big cities.... instead, I love the small villages and towns.  I enjoy spending time with the locals, and eating at all the smaller family owned restaurants.  The food was so amazing!  Chase couldn't get enough of the spaghetti.

he ate two big bowls of it each day

The first part of the trip we spent in Milan, but on soccer fields.  Jake, and a few of his teammates, were invited to play with another Stockholm team in the Milano Futbol Festival.  Below you will see the flags of all the countries that were represented at this tournament.

We all arrived on the same flight.  After checking in, we were starving.  Thinking that finding a good meal would be an easy task, we all met in the lobby of the hotel and headed out to the main strip for some food.  Since the Italians (in the suburbs) seem to close their restaurants between 2pm-7pm, this task was not easy at all.  I'm embarrassed to say that our first meal in Italy was Chinese food.  We did manage to find a cafe afterwards for some coffee and tea though.  

the parents outside the cafe relaxing

The opening ceremonies were really well done.  Each team walked in holding their respective flag, while their National Anthem played throughout the stadium.  

Jake and the boys representing Sweden

You could hear cheers from around the stadium.  I was able to cheer twice, once for Sweden, and Jake's team.... and then again for the two American teams.  I loved hearing our National Anthem... it has been too long.

U.S. flag... swaying beautifully in Italy

We had sun and and windy temperatures the first day of the tournament.  The boys faced some tough competition, but fared well that day.  

Jake on the right in all black

Jake battling

Jake with the ball

I couldn't help but feel both proud and grateful that Jake has this memory, and this experience that will be with him for his lifetime.

Day two and three weren't sunny, as a matter of fact, it poured rain most of those days.  For a minute I felt like I was in Sweden watching a game.  Chase and Smith were so embarrassed to be standing next to their parents.

We are dorks... but we're dry!

Saturday the boys played a 10:00  and then at 7:40pm game.  With that big gap in the day, the moms were able to go shopping in Milan, while the dads took all the boys to see an Inter-Milan game.  Everyone was happy that day!  

One of the traditions for tourists in Milan is to put your heel on the bull's testicles and spin backwards three times (it's called spinning on the bull's balls) in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.  The Galleria was built in 1877 by Giuseppe Mangoni. " Unfortunately, Mengoni plummeted to his death from the scaffolding just weeks before the 14-year project was completed. So, to avoid similar bad luck tourists and Milanese alike head for the mosaic of the dancing bull (said to mark the spot where he fell) to grind their heels firmly into its testicles."

So here I am, with an armful of shopping bags, spinning for good luck.  What I didn't realize until now, is that I was suppose to spin backwards.  OOPS!  

The tournament ended on Easter Sunday.  

The siblings bonded on this trip

We all said our goodbyes, and the Paynes drove a few hours to Genoa.  We checked into our hotel, which was in a good location to restaurants and the pier.  We ate at Trattoria Pizzeria, and I thought the boys might turn into pizza, they ate it so much!  This was my only pizza splurge, and it was well worth it.  

Genoa was a city that didn't thrill me.  It could have been any city... there was nothing special about it.  We did stumble across an Easter Market at the pier, which was fun.  The kids enjoyed Italian treats and gelato.  We went back to the hotel, got a good nights sleep, and woke up for our day on the coast.  

This was, by far, my favorite day of the week.  The sites were breathtaking.... and the whole vibe in the towns and villages was amazing.

We drove from Genoa to Rafollo (about 25 minutes).  Windy roads with a lot more traffic than we anticipated.  The parking was tough.... we circled the one lot for a half hour before we could find a person leaving.  Once we were in the space, we realized it was only three-hour parking.  Knowing we would be gone for longer, we contemplated the risk.  We decided we had no choice, and we would take our chances.  Mainly because there wasn't a ticket or parking meter, so how would they know how long we were parked there?  We walked along the water in Rafollo until we found the ferry. 

The ferry company we used as our "transportation" service was Servizio Marittimo del Tigullio.  It was great.

Me and the boys on our trip to Portofino

Chase loves his daddy

The ferry left each village once per hour.  So we decided how long we wanted to stay at each port, and then we caught the next boat to take us to our next village.

View from the boat at Rafollo

From Rafollo (where we parked our car) we took the ferry to Portofino.  The trip was roughly 15 minutes.  

The view from the boat pulling into Portofino

We spent the most time in Portofino.  

We ate at one of the many restaurants in this town.  The food looked and smelled amazing in all of them.  I bet you can't find a bad meal there.

After our meal, we decided to stroll the village.  The cobblestone streets and narrow allies made it even more adventurous for the boys. 

The boys loved this stairway to "where?".....

Chase posing in the middle of our climb

we made it to the top

The view from the top

I love elderly people!  I find them so cute, but also so interesting to talk to.  They have so many stories to share and adventures to tell about their many years on Earth.  I especially love the Italians.  They are so sweet, they walk around with their cute little sneakers, strolling the streets that they've walked for 3/4 of a century or more.  Steve and I loved this cute little lady with her laundry hanging out of her windows.  She stood on her balcony just "people watching" the afternoon away.

When in Italy, you must eat GELATO.

 I personally can't eat it, but my boys love it.  Smith and Jake love the lemon flavor and Chase and Dad will only eat chocolate (boring).

strolling the waterfront in Portofino after some gelato

After a short hike, yummy food, and a stroll through the streets, we were ready to move on to our next village, Santa Margherita.  We all know Steve's track record with lost keys and car rentals in Italy, so we decided that he should go back to Rafollo, get our car, and drive to Santa Margherita.  The boys and I headed straight over on the ferry.  He would park there, meet us,  and then we would all leave from Santa Margherita and explore another village on land.  

the ferry from Portofino to Santa Margherita

This beautiful village was unique in that it had more of a beach atmosphere.  The boys took one look at those rocks, and I knew where we were heading first.

It took Steve a total of 30 minutes to get the car, park, and meet us on the rocks.  While the boys climbed and then played soccer on the beach, I lounged on these rocks and soaked up as much sun as I possible could.  The weather was warm in the villages, but cool on the boat rides.

Jake being a good big brother and helping Chase on the rocks

all the kids had the same idea

I really liked this village.  We found a cool restaurant and pool-side bar that had lounge chairs, a great pool, and the ocean only steps away.

Hotel and pool-side bar

 I lounged a bit longer, this time on lounge chairs,

as Steve and the boys climbed a different set of rocks.

 I know this place must be amazing in the summer.  We meant to find out the rates and ask about availability, but we forgot.  We were too busy enjoying a Prosecco, in the sunshine, taking in the view around us.  

We stayed in Santa Margherita until the sun began to set, and then headed to Camogli where my friend Eli recommended we eat Focaccia.  The trip was beautiful as we drove on very mountainous roads.  The traffic, was insane though.  It took us over an hour to go a distance that should have taken 15 minutes.  The amount of motorcycles that Italy has on their roads blew my mind.  I do understand why, it's easy for them to zip through traffic.  But, you couldn't pay me enough money to get on one in that country.  Italians are THE craziest drivers by far!  We never made it to Camogli because the car-sick buggers in the back seat needed a break.  So instead we stopped at Recco and ate the most amazing focaccia.  I can't fully express how amazing it tasted.  The next time you see Steve, ask him what he thought of it.  If he could marry this focaccia, I would be dumped on the street so fast I wouldn't know what hit me.

Chase enjoyed some pasta, which by the way, he ate at EVERY restaurant on this trip.  The pasta bolognese in Recco was the best of them all.  The sauce had amazing flavor.  He ate this huge bowl and wanted more....

My happy Italian baby

The next morning we checked out of the hotel in Genoa, but not before we found a local breakfast/cafe a few doors down.  I love how friendly everyone is in Italy.  They love life, and they let everyone know it.  The owner/ or manager was so helpful, and recommended a delicious breakfast.  We had scrambled eggs with the best croissants, fresh squeezed orange juice, and organic vanilla/berry green tea.  While we were eating, I couldn't help but watch these two old men, dressed to the nines, having their morning chat over a good cup of coffee.  They were in such deep conversation, that if one didn't know the way Italians speak to each other, one would think that they were fighting.  It brought me back to the days of NY, when I was a little girl at Gram's house.  All of the men would sit around in heated debate, shooting the breeze.  They always looked like they were mad at each other, but of course, they always ended the best of friends.  I felt so nostalgic watching these two men.  It made me smile.

After breakfast, we loaded up the car and headed back to Milan for our last few days.  I rented an apartment about two blocks from Duomo, and the main square.

View from my bedroom window

 The drive back to Milan was quite treacherous.  My husband is an amazing driver... he not only had to tackle these these very scary roads, but also had to be alert to all the motorcycles not following any rules, and also the crazy Italian drivers and the traffic.  Following directions on our GPS was so challenging for me that when I was in charge, we always made wrong turns and got lost.  Eventually, he had had enough of me and decided to do it all alone.  He was driving a stick shift with one hand and trying to read my cell phone at the same time.  If he wasn't with us, the boys and wouldn't have seen anything in Italy.  The views along the way were quite pretty though.  Since I was busy being a bad navigator, I was only able to snap one picture.  

We arrived in Milan around 2:00 and moved into our apartment.  The weather was warm (60º's) and the sun was shining.  We all headed out to shop.  Jake is growing like a weed.  We pulled out his spring clothes from the storage bins and we cracked up laughing at how short everything was on him.  Priority number 1 was to shop for Jake.  Smith just loves shopping, and even though he gets all of Jake's hand-me-downs, I still always manage to buy him some of his own things.  The little guy, well, he's the baby, and he doesn't want for anything.  

For the kids, they loved shopping in stores like GAP and Zara, where Steve and I were more interested in the non-chain stores.  Either way, we all went home with lots of new clothes.  You can't come home from Milan empty handed.  

Jake looking all cute before dinner.

It was such a great day with the boys.  All of us were relaxed, with no agenda, and enjoying our time together. 

me and my big boy

strolling the streets

Smitty and Chase

brothers

My little soccer star

We strolled around the Duomo (Milan Cathedral) and marveled at its beauty.  

That evening we decided to try the restaurant across from our apartment.  We walked in hoping to get a reservation on the spot, and they had a table available.  It was so delicious.

Our last day was spent at the Sforza Castle.  It was built in the 15th century and then later renovated and enlarged.  It became one of the largest in Europe.  It now houses several museums and art collections.  

the boys were amazed by the stray cats

so cool to be around something so old

They loved rolling down the hill too.

The grounds around the castle were so pretty.  We spent a lot of time just imagining what life was like all those years ago.  

Directly behind the castle grounds, we stumbled upon a nice park.  Our intentions were to play soccer  

and chill in the park for the rest of the day, and the boys loved it.  So did Mom and Dad.

 I was prepared and brought my book.  So while the boys played and ran around, I sat in the sun and read.

I caught this little guy taking it all in and snapped a picture when he wasn't looking.

And Smitty looking all cool in his new shades.....

On our way back to the apartment, we walked through the Duomo and the Galleria for two reasons.  One was, gelato, of course.  I decided since it was our last day in Italy, that I would splurge and eat some myself.  I loved the pistachio.

The second reason was so that the boys could all "spin on the bull's balls".  

inside the galleria was beautiful

Smith begged me to flip our glasses

Chase refused to spin.....

These two men were analyzing Jake's spin

Our last night in Italy, we went to Verger.  My friend Eli told me about it, and it was so delicious.  We loved the atmosphere, and the area of Milan that it was in.  The pictures don't do it justice, but here are a few.  There was a lounge area, with couches behind Steve.  The walls and windows were decorated with bookshelves, cool art, and rare furniture pieces. 

Since the menu was in Italian, we decided to ask our waiter (whom I also think was the owner) to recommend meals for us.  He did NOT steer us wrong.  The food was not only delicious, but very unique.  We loved this restaurant and highly recommend it to anyone that finds themselves near Via Varese 1, Milano, Italy.

I forgot to mention that we decided to take the bus to and from dinner that night.  We weren't sure where or how to buy tickets, so we decided to just go and wing it.  When we got on the bus, we looked at the driver and asked if we could purchase tickets on the bus.  He didn't speak any english, and he sort of just waved us to the back.  We felt bad, but figured it wasn't a big deal in Italy to ride the bus for free. hahahaha

It was time to say goodbye to Italy and our stress free week,

and head back to Stockholm with it's cold, wintery temperatures.  We were pleasantly surprised when we stepped off the plane and it was much warmer than we expected.  Temperatures were in the 50's that day, with sunshine.  It made coming back to reality a little bit easier.  A few days later, I got caught in a hail storm on my way to pick up the boys.  The hail was whipping my face as I walked through the park.  That's Stockholm for you... never know what the weather has in store for us.

I will end with the funniest thing I've seen in a long while.  The day we arrived home, I mentioned that it was around 55ºF.  I walked to the grocery store to restock the fridge after being gone for a week.  On my way, I see an old man (at least 70 years old) riding his bike in the street with nothing on, but a bathing suit.  (And for those of you that know European men, their bathing suits are about half the size of American mens' suits).  He went cruising by so fast I couldn't get my phone out quick enough to snap a picture.  I glanced around, and people were staring and laughing.  It was hysterical!

We are now mid way through April.  There are eight weeks of school left and then the Paynes are home for the summer.  But before that, my cousins Juliana and Jen are coming for a visit.  We are so excited!  Stay tuned for that blog......