Giulio invited us and a group of his friends back down to his family's house in Framura, which is a little, old town on the sea, just a short drive away from Cinque Terre. Whatever fears I had about going away again were calmed as soon as we got to the beach... we did nothing but relax and swim in the most amazing water.
Here are some sights from the little town we were staying in. You may recognize this view from last year's post... hasn't changed much.
The first day, we all headed to a small, rustic beach... large stones instead of sand, and a narrow entrance to the water. There were no tourists - this was just a beach used for the most part by the residents of Framura.
The next day was a little more fun... we rented bikes and headed to a more popular beach. We love injecting bike rides into vacation, and this one took us through old train tunnels, alongside Italian villas, and past beautiful views of the water.
This new beach was crowded, and we couldn't find a spot big enough to accomodate our large group, so we camped on some large rocks, which, with a bit of careful stepping, led you right to the water.
We didn't stay on the large rocks for long, and soon found a spot on the normal beach. The water was the best part. It was cold at first, but once you got used to it, it felt perfect. The waves don't crash on the beach like they do in Florida... they just roll in, and allow for a really easy swim. Plus, the water is perfectly clear. You can see all the way to the bottom. And no seaweed!
We went into the little town (Bonassola) to grab lunch, and saw this cat in two different restaurants... one on the way from the beach, and another on the way back.
Back at Giulio's house, we spent time on the same terrace we loved so much last year. This time, the grapes were bigger, but still too bitter to eat (although we did try).
On our first vacation with Giulio, he told us we were not the American couple he was expecting. He thought Ryan would be a muscle man with an army hair cut, and that I would be blond and bubbly. And on this vacation, we apparently broke another stereotype mold... sunscreen. He, growing up in a coastal town, was used to American tourists overdoing it, and looking like lobsters by the end of the day. Instead, we coated ourselves with 30, while the Italians worked on their already very dark tans. We certainly paled in comparison.
Since we were vacationing with Italians, the evening meal was a big deal (they actually skipped lunch, presumably to make room). We ate at a restaurant right on the water, and took advantage of our location by eating lots of seafood. Here's the view, followed by my salmon and tuna tartare appetizer, the mussels and clams that I ordered after having appetizer envy over someone else's order, my seafood risotto main, Bizzy's pasta, and Ryan's monster crustacean with balsamic strawberries. YUM!
The really special part of the trip came at the end when we got to meet Giulio's parents. He's been a great friend to us, and his parents have not only allowed us to use their home, but have actually sent Giulio to Lugano with little gifts for us, including dinner, homemade jam (from fruit in their garden), and limoncello. It was a pleasure, and I just wish I could have fully expressed my appreciation in Italian (thank you so much only goes so far). When we were leaving, Giulio's mother actually held my hands and said, "arrivederla," which is the MOST formal way of saying goodbye. It's actually appropriate if you were leaving the white house, and wanted to wave to the president. After having it explained to me (I've never heard it used before), I understood that she was trying to show me a very large amount of respect and kindness. It was a moment.
The trip was amazing. It was the right amount of friend time, relaxing time, beach time, and last-moments-in-Italy-before-we-have-to-leave time. I wondered if Bizzy would feel out of place with a bunch of 30 year olds, but she didn't. She said she really liked having the opportunity to have an authentic Italian weekend, with actual Italians. And the lesson she learned? "Everyone smokes." Spot on.
In addition to the smoking, they are incredibly hospitable. Giulio has always included us when there was absolutely no obligation to do so. And each time, his friends have embraced us as one of their own. This trip was no exception, and we are very lucky to consistently find ourselves on the receiving end of this kind of friendship.
