Chiudiamo oggi, io e Leo, la nostra prima settimana di vacanze, e da domani ci raggiunge la mamma e si va in montagna.
10 Giga di fotografie non basterebbero a raccontare Leo in questa settimana: divertente, buffo, allegro, esploratore, sorridente, curioso, tenero, ingenuo, entusiasta…
Alla fine ho scelto questa foto a chiusura di questa settimana, che, in qualche modo, rappresenta il Leo che sta venendo fuori e che sto imparando a conoscere: di petto e con il sorriso sulle labbra - verso le onde così come verso la vita che gli si apre davanti.
That of ‘the world is small’ is a recurrent theme in our Blog. I accidentally met friends I have not met for ages around the world in the most improbable places.
But I would have never thought of meeting Elena, an old friend from my times at university (who have not seen for the past nine/ten years) on the shoreline of Lido degli Estensi.
The world is small. And Lido degli Estensi is its centre!
Mathilde left yesterday. She went back to Rome. As she only recently started her new job, she has not yet accrued enough days of leave, so she could not take this week off.
‘No problem, I’ll go on vacation with Leo’ has been my position from the very beginning.
‘By yourself???’ was the astonished reaction of most of the people who got to know it. ‘How will you do???’.
Well, I don’t want to appear presumptuous, but the recipe is simple: clear division of tasks, and taking turns.
Although I have not been to Lido degli Estensi (‘il Lido’) for nineteen years, since the summer of my ‘maturità’ (my high-school leaving exam), il Lido is almost home for me. I have spent here the summers of my childhood, youth, and teens. Every square-centimeter of this place is soaked with memories. Every scent, every glimpse of this place evokes thousands of remembrances…
I’ll tell in another post the tempest of feelings I felt in coming back in this place after so long.
Certainly, as much as familiar il Lido is for me, as it is alien for Mathilde and Leo. And so, a little ‘family’ rickshaw-ride to familiarize ourselves with this new place…
- 21-28 July to the seaside, on the Romagna Coast: long and sandy beaches, warm and shallow waters, great food; - 28 July-4 August to the mountain, on the Alps: gorgeous hikes, good air, chilly nights; - 4-11 August to La Bourboule: grandparents, uncles and aunties, cousinettes, and… hopefully some rest for Matteo and Mathilde!
Apologizes in advance if we won’t manage to keep the Blog updated in this period. We’ll be anyway back in Rome on August 12th, with plenty of stories to tell and pictures to show.
(Ps: if any of you is in the outskirts during these periods and wants to visit us, do let us know - we have plenty of beds to offer!)
‘The longest journey begins with a single step’, once said Lao Tzu.
And today, after eleven months, two weeks and two days, Leo took his first step. Naturally. Apparently without thinking of it.
Of course still a bit shaky, hesitant, unsure. But by himself, without anybody helping him.
And we, silent witnesses of this new milestone, observed (a little bit moved) our little bird flying off - aware that this step will be followed by many many more.
Dear Leo, we wish you could walk through hundreds of countries, run dozens of marathons, reach dozens of mountain summits on your feet. Remember then, all started with a first step today…
It’s interesting to notice how the process of identifying new friends and establishing new friendships has changed since Leo has arrived.
Before what we were looking for in a new friend or group of friends was the sharing of an interest or of a hobby. The general feeling of mutual understanding or the curiosity for something different they would bring.
These all remain important elements. But now a critical pre-condition for exploring the possibility of a new friendship has become the presence of a baby of, more or less, the age of Leo.
This pre-condition fulfilled, we agreed to go on Sunday on a day-excursion to a nearby lake with two recently met couples: Andrea and Sibyl, a Florentine-American couple, parents of Pietro (11 months), and Kevin and Melissa, from San-Francisco-California, parents of Nico (18 months).
And, at the end of the day, we were pleased to observe that Andrea and Sibyl, Kevin and Melissa, not only had a kid, but were actually sharing a lot with us.
A friendship to be continued… (Photo credit: Melissa)
After a strenuous hike, the mountain dweller's meal: polenta e cinghiale (polenta and wild pork). Leo's mountain dweller training goes through this practical exercise as well...
They say that Italians have a strong accent when they speak English, but have you ever heard a French speaking in English?
Well, one of Mathilde’s (small) prides is that when she speaks English, very few think she is French. Actually the majority believes she is American.
Well, most of the merits for Mathilde’s American accent go to Ann and Neil, an American couple from Louisiana who hosted Mathilde for a few months during her youth, allowing her to learn and improve if not the language of Shakespeare and Dickens, at least the language of Whitman and Hemingway.
And many years after, we are happy to have been able to return the favour and to have hosted Ann and Neil here in Rome, even if for one night only.
We hope people will now think you are native Italian when you order a pizza or a plate of spaghetti at the restaurant.
Nice to have met you Ann and Neil, and please, come back to visit us again next time you pass by Italy.
This is a long due post. Ladies and gentlemen, we have the pleasure of introducing you a person that since November can be considered a full member of our family in all respects: Claudia, Leo’s nanny.
Do you think I am exaggerating? Ok, let me give you an example in support of my statement.
I had returned from a mission during which Leo hadn’t seen me for about ten/eleven days, and I was very happy and very proud to experience the warm welcome he gave me: he did not only not forget my face, but he seemed truly excited to see me again. But when the day after I observed that the excitement he expressed to me the previous evening was only half (or a third) of the excitement he expressed to Claudia when she arrived the following morning for her daily duty, I understood which place Claudia takes in Leo’s affective hierarchies.
So, if in addition to Italian, French, and hopefully English, Leo will at one point be fluent in Romanian as well, don’t be surprised!
We celebrate today Leonardo’s last monthiversary (le dernier moisiversaire; l’ultimo mesiversario). Starting from next month, we will start counting the ‘years’!
Happy (last) monthiversary, Leo!
(Ps: above, from our files, another of Mathilde’s favourite pictures, which I have been accused of deliberately not publishing. Again, I was just waiting for the right occasion...)
Chiudiamo oggi, io e Leo, la nostra prima settimana di vacanze, e da domani ci raggiunge la mamma e si va in montagna.
