Viva Italia!

May rolled around quickly and thus our next scheduled trip to Italy. We had been looking forward to this trip for quite some time as we booked this months ago with B's parents who so kindly rented an awesome villa in Tuscany. B and I had been to Tuscany the last time we were in Italy in the summer of 2019. I was actually about 6 months pregnant with Cal at the time. We really wanted to hit a spot in Italy we had not been to yet while we were there so we decided to fly directly into Rome and stay there for a few days before renting a car and driving to Tuscany.

We were a bit nervous as this was our first flight as a family of four. We knew Cal would do alright but weren't sure how Kenna was going to stack up as a little traveler. The flight from Hamburg to Rome is just a little under two and half hours which is extremely manageable with the kids. Things went well on the way there, we had no delays and arrived that afternoon. We had a ride from the airport to the hotel and about 45 minutes later we arrived at the Hotel iQ Roma. It was a wonderful modern hotel in a great location. It was about a 12 minute walk to the Trevi fountain and a 12 minute walk to the Colosseum. We got situated in our room and then we freshened up so that we could walk around and head to dinner. One problem traveling in Europe with kids...especially places like Rome is that most people eat dinner super late. It is very common to go to dinner at 9pm there. We can't do that with children and we usually are hitting the early bird specials these days. We were given a great recommendation from the concierge for a restaurant nearby that truthfully we never would've stopped at otherwise. It didn't look like anything special from the outside and we were the first people there. It ended up being magnificent! We got some pastas and pizzas to share along with a liter of wine for B and me. The restaurant was packed by the time we left.

We had such a great time. It was just one of those dinners where everything went perfectly. Cal was engaged, Kenna slept a good portion of it to allow us to eat. We were full and so so happy. After that we stopped for Gelato (Obviously) to give Cal his first taste of the good stuff. He wanted Chocolate and it was so so messy but we didn't care, we were in Italy and frankly quite tipsy from all the wine! We made it back to the hotel and had the challenge of sharing a bed with Cal for the first time. This was AWFUL...I do not recommend ever. He would not go to sleep and when he did it was like a tornado of arms and legs flying at you every other minute. We eventually moved him into the pack n play and had Kenna in the hotel crib. It was a rough 20 minutes for him to calm down but once he did we finally got sleep. We were up and at it again early to seize the day!

We got out bright and early to walk over to the Trevi fountain. I had this idea it was going to be so magical and Cal and I would throw a coin in the fountain and make a wish. We got there and it wasn't too crowded yet. That is a perk of getting up early with children. However, Cal was not that into it, he didn't even want to throw a coin in the fountain! I did, and so I made a wish for both of us. It is said that if you throw a coin in over your right shoulder (I think it is right but I could be wrong haha) into the fountain you will come back to Rome one day. I hope so because I absolutely loved the city. After that we stopped for coffee and pastries at a restaurant right by the fountain. Another "no-no" as it was way overpriced and not worth it. Kenna also chose this time to have a blow out so sure enough I found myself in the dingy basement of this restaurant on the bathroom floor changing her diaper. She had poop all up the back of her brand new onesie and I idiotically did not have a change of clothes in the diaper bag for her. After a complete shit show (pun intended) of trying to clean her up we emerged from the restaurant dungeon naked except for her diaper and her little denim jacket. Needless to say, I threw out the onesie and we headed back to the hotel to get cleaned up. We stopped at a fruit stand on the way back and got strawberries, oranges and bananas for snacks at the hotel.

The kids took a nap and when they fell asleep B went and got us lunch. He found a sandwich shop called Bottega Nostrana. When I tell you these sandwiches were some of the best we have ever had in our entire lives, it is no exaggeration. They were incredible. B got a truffle pork sandwich that was touched by angels, I swear. We ate while the kids napped and then headed out for our second adventure of the day. We walked to the Colosseum and it is so much larger in real life than you can even imagine. It is so cool to see these things that are so incredibly old still standing. You really get a feel for how old Rome actually is. There are those prehistoric trees everywhere that you see in movies like Land Before Time. It is just a city teeming with history and you feel it when you are there. We didn't do a tour or anything just walked around this massive structure and tried explaining to Cal what went on there. He then saw a playgorund so we had to go there for an hour before we were too hot and sweaty. We made our way back to the hotel, got cleaned up and headed to our hotels rooftop for dinner. Again we were the first people there but they took such good care of us. The bartender and servers everywhere were so sweet to the kids and it made our time in Rome so special. We got stopped on the street so many times, especially by the elderly to talk to the kids. They were obsessed with Calvin's curly mop of hair. The Italians really are so friendly and they love children.

We made our way back to the hotel to pack up and get ready to leave the next morning. We headed to Tuscany, San Gimignano to be exact. It was a three and a half hour drive but the views were breathtaking. We were able to drive along the coast and then into the rolling hills of Tuscany. It was something out of a painting. The kids did pretty well and fell asleep most of the drive but the last 45 minutes were tough. Calvin woke up and got car sick. He kept complaining his belly hurt and sure enough about 5 minutes from the villa he threw up all over himself. There is literally never a dull moment with these kids. I cleaned him up and we continued on.

Grandma and Grandpa were already there waiting for us to arrive. It was beautiful! The property we stayed at is called Sassi Bianchi. It was this old rustic Italian farmhouse that was just so perfect. There were actually 4 houses on the property but because it was early May, the week we were there we happened to be the only ones staying there. There is a pool that we had all to ourselves and beautiful grounds to walk around on. The views from the back patio were stunning. The hosts were an older Italian couple named Concetta and Paolo. Paolo is basically the groundskeeper, he is very involved in the landscaping of the property, he tended to a chicken coop up the road and brought us fresh eggs. He played with Calvin and would goof around with him whenever he was driving around the property. Concetta is actually a physician and thank goodness for that because we ended up needing her to take a look at Cal after he developed a nasty heat rash one day. She was able to make a house call and prescribe him some medicine that B had to go pick up from a pharmacy in town.

We spent a lot of time lounging around the house, sitting on the patio talking and of course going to the pool. Watching lizards run around the outside of the house was always entertaining. My mother in law Anne did a lot of cooking for us and every meal she made was delicious. We went into the town of San Gimignano one day and walked around the hilly brick streets and let Cal run around the square. We did a bit of shopping and then headed to our favorite restaurant there, Le Vecchie Mura. We had come the last time we were in Tuscany and the food is exquisite along with more breathtaking views on their patio. We had another wonderful meal and then headed home.

B and I were able to get away one day (with Kenna) and so we headed over to our favorite winery in Italy thus far, Podere La Marronaia. We had done a cooking class there along with a full wine tasting in 2019 and just had the best time ever. I was pregnant at that time as well so it was nice to be able to actually indulge and enjoy the wine without any guilt. We did a tasting again and it was a perfect afternoon. We got to see our girl Vittoria who did our tasting and cooking class with us the last time. She came down to say hello and absolutely remembered us from 3 years prior. She now has a 2 year old daughter and told us to bring Cal next time so they could play. We definitely will. The winery is family run and just incredible. I highly recommend a stop there if you are ever in that area of Tuscany. We left with a case ordered to Germany, a bit tipsy and incredibly happy.

One evening Concetta and Paolo came over and Concetta cooked us a full authentic Tuscan meal. We had fried sage and eggplant, bruschetta, Bolognese pasta, Veal Saltimbocca and capped it off with Panna Cotta and two homemade apertif's. It was by far the best meal of the trip and we had a blast conversing with our hosts. We also went to another restaurant recommended by Concetta for lunch called Agriristoro Ferri. It was about a 5 minute drive from where we were staying and had incredible pastas. Calvin had a Bolognese that was to die for and I inhaled a truffle pasta dish so fast you barely saw it. Definitely more of a locals spot. No frills, just really good food.

Other than those few outings we spent most of the time just relaxing and spending time together as family. It was a wonderful trip that we will have memories of for a lifetime. We left on Sunday the following week and drove back to Rome. We ended up stopping at this little seaside town called Orbetello to grab breakfast about half way there and we are so glad we did. The place we stopped at was called Gagu Cafe and had the cutest little outdoor dining area where we sat. It was the perfect stop on the way to Rome airport and such an interesting tiny seaside town.

The flight home was uneventful, we had a small delay which is always challenging with children but we eventually made it back to Hamburg. It was sad to leave but we truly believe we will be back again. There is something so special about Italy, it truly is one of our happiest places to visit. For now, we set our sights to our next trip in July. We are going home!