A few things linger after a fantastic vacation.
The laughs had and memories captured through photos. Time spent hugging your newly acquired pair of shoozies. Daily skype sessions from missing mummy again. And of course, the extra layers of blubber developed gently from a gelato-a-day and a week of carbs. We've spent a lot of time in Europe this half of the year, but no city had the energy that Roma did. It's such an ancient city, and its old architecture inspires even the newer buildings to glamour and greatness. Our experiences in Roma were a perfect balance of food, culture, history, and shopping (!), and we got so lucky with the timing of the summer sales! wee! My daily guilty pleasure was a duo-scoop of gelato from Ciampini's, and my trip's guilty pleasure was 50% off shoes! I loved walking around the streets with my family (those cobblestone ones are like natural reflexology when you're wearing flip flops!), sharing squeals of delight of another good purchase with mum, and my daily gelato with daddy. On the coast, the pace was different, and everyone there treated us like family. When we left, we got gifted with parting gifts (most notable was the little Angeline doll my mum got wishing for a grandchild next year?) Super impressed with the drivers and their ability to navigate narrow cliff-side streets, and so envious of how they all live in their summer dresses and shorts all year around. You know you're on vacation when the biggest worry you have is what you're going to eat (fresh seafood galore), and when did I last reapply sunblock?! (Dru had "white face" syndrome most of the trip, haha) Amalfi had the most beautiful scenery I've ever experienced, and we can't wait to go back. It was seriously like waking up to a postcard every day - nothing more soothing than that! Thank you to my lovely fam-lie for 8 days of bliss! I keep revisiting the photos and reminiscing, and then remember that with our great friends here in SF, life can be like a vacation here too.
