On The Road - in Europa
(Written early June, not uploaded until early July.. having too much fun)…
Well we are nearly two week’s into the grand voyage now and have not yet gotten afro’s, tempting as it might be, although Gra did go fully yellow blonde before Glastonbury.
Somehow the first camera on the card was this. Heck, I’ld get one of those credit cards too if it gave me hair like that.
Stopped in Hong Kong for about 24 hours of mind blowing “East meets West” adventure, the highlight for me being dim sum after finding Luk Yu (lucky us!) a traditional tea house with turn of the century colonial charm and no other whities in view.
And the city scape light show with a thunder storm as the backdrop, seen from the expanisve vista of the very posh InterGalactic Hotel lobby.
Both involving food and beverage of course. Both very atmospheric and totally different to our day to day lives. The old and the new, the east and the west, the land of contrasts and all that. Just the thing to start the stone rolling off the moss (or mould as the case may be).
A brief bit of shopping and martial arts madness with our old mate Jackie Chan ended the visit perfectly. I’ve got a few new secret moves to practice with you Lee Loo!
Then Rome for three days. Loved it! Had a great first taste. Definitely back for more.
The dear Sorella’s at Il Rosario convent guesthouse were very sweet and we found ourselves in one of the best possible neighbourhoods we could have found. The kind of place we could live in, which oftens happens when we travel it seems (like the time we landed in Dorsoduro in Venice… and began scouring the real estate windows within days).
Gathering around the Piazza Madonna del Monti near the Colloseum for aperitivo on one of these loooonng summers nights, Bea bravely approached the gaggle of girls playing under the fountain. She made friends with Margot and opened new doors for us yet again. Margot’s local doctor/politician and actress parents Danilo and Alison invited us to dinner that night and back to their house, then Bea back to play after Margot finished school the next day. We might even see them in WA one day. A delight. Sad to say goodbye, but that’s how it goes with life on the road I suppose… for now… hopefully some new song lines will bring us all together.
And of course all the enormous monuments and life around the Piazza’s, the Villa Borghese gardens (peddling arouind in one of those hilarious three seater, four wheeled cyclecars), the traffic, the ancient little streets, the churches, St Peter’s - all beautiful and exotic. Great to catch up with Marco Mona too. He is as lovely as ever and, somehow not surpirsingly, lived in the same area. We were both suggesting the same restaurants and ended up back at one of his old favourites (which Danilo had rated highly - Taverna Romana, just near the Piazza.) Bea fell asleep on the floor!! Poor little love.
She’s been doing so well with all the walking and sight seeing. As long as we keep the imaginative games flowing and Gra’s wonderfully strong shoulders hang in there, we will be fine. I think we have a good little traveller on our hands there. As full on as ever, but just so engaged in everything happening around her. Whether it’s the horses on parade in the Villa Borghese or the double decker buses in Hong Kong, or best of all the gelati!!! she’s having a ball.
So much else has happened I might just do a bit of random list as the memories flood back. Lots of photo’s around the help with that. Will have to do a slide night or two when get back for those that are interested.
The SIZE of Hong Kong… Ohmygod!! I kept saying to Gra. “We’re just specks,” meaning earthly and cosmically so. And feeling kind of good about that perspective, humbled.
Gra’s strength and kindness… carrying that tired girl on his shoulders through the heat and humidity. (Everywhere we have been so far has been HOT!). A sight to see!
All the kindness and smiles and help we have had from people. Bea is no doubt the big drawcard here and we DO have to limit the lollies they all give her sometime. She was a bit spun out on HK by the attentions of some of the locals, but is getting used to her star status in a world that so far seems to really love children.
Bea in churches. It’s kind of a Mama and Child kind of thing. We dart in while Gra’s wanders off and get right into all the angels and Mary and Baby Jesus and how GRAND and peaceful and beautiful they are. Who CARES how crap the Catholic church is when you get to enjoy these palatial sanctuaries everywhere for nothing.
Ischia, Gulf of Naples, Italy
Kate & Andrea’s House, Casamicciola
Wednesday 1 June
Am now sitting typing this on the “1st Mate’s” berth in our “ship”, en route through a lemon grove harvested to make limoncello. This probably makes no sense at all until you realise what a maritime place Isola d’Ischia is. In particular, this family. Our amici Kate and Andrea have lived here with their two children for some four years, but this is Andrea’s ancestral home I suppose you could say. The “ship” we are staying in was created by his uncle Aurelio who lives above us. Andrea’s father Natale was admiral in the Italian Navy.
The house is a living museum and this ocean going whimsy, a small piece of it. To get to the “Crew’s Quarter’s”, we walk through a terraced lemon grove. The property covers several acres and has some 300 lemon trees harvested throughout the year to make the island’s famous lemon liquor. Right now I have two ibuprofen helping me recover from Nonna Claudia’s gift of an icy cold bottle served after dinner.
By day we see red poppies and other wildflowers lining the path. By night, fireflies light the way. The first time I saw them I was so surprised and delighted. As was Miss Bea, even though she says she doesn’t “believe in them”. They are a bit unbelievable I suppose.
This afternoon, Andrea is going to take us all out on their yacht, the key ingredient of course in the Scoula de Vela (Sailing School) he and Kate operate from Ichia - on the Mediterranean sea. We know we are in safe hands… not only does he have salt in his veins from birth, he’s also done a few Whitbread’s and been at sea one way or the other most of his life.
Haven’t been out for ages, so looking forward to it a lot. Including seeing how Bea goes. She’s made friends with Kate’s girl Reanin (6) and they prattle on to each other well enough even though Reanin doesn’t speak English anymore, but understands it. They might learn from each other.
Bea said last night after Gnocchi Bolognaise under the heritage listed pine trees - MMmm this is heaven.” Which might had also had something to do with the trampoline by her side and this day’s fragola gelati still drying around her mouth.
Still to come… French countryside (near Toulouse in the sunny south with Jack and Penny, Jasmine and all the mob)… very relaxing and culinary… canal boating along the Baise… Glastonbury music mud and mayhem…Based at the Melksham Hilton (Lorraine & David Charming’s love mansh’) - touring Wiltshire, Zoomerzet, Bath, Longleat (including a special viewing of Lord Bath’s psychadelic Karma Sutra room - with Rhino horns!)… LOVING ENGLAND… even if it has been freezing.
Off to Jazzy’s “Princess” birthday in Oxford today then London… to hopefully see some real ones!
Love and kisses
Libby, Bea and Grrra Grrra
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