Mack Goes to Italy Part 2: Week 1 Round Up
Thursday, August 16, 2012 at 5:01AM 
Greetings from the Italian seaside! To claim this as a "week round up" isn't perfectly honest. I arrived in Florence on Sunday morning and was greeted by my strapping man at the airport. We had lunch with his parents and then drove directly to Campiglia {aka my happy place} to start our vacation.
Jet lag robbed me of sleep this week, so I have grown accustomed to an early morning routine. I lay in bed and watch the day arrive and listen to the clock tower ring in each hour. Once the sun rises I go for a run around the small hilltop town. I make myself a cup of coffee and take my book out into the warm morning sun. By the time I have passed multiple plot points, Bernardo has the cooler packed with cold waters, watermelon for snacking and our umbrella tucked into the back seat of the car. We're ready for the beach!
I honestly can not get enough of this view. The house is at the top of the hill and looks over the red tile roofs of the entire town. You can see the horizon perfectly, the wandering coastline and acres of farms below.
In Italy, August 15th is the peak of the summer holiday. The beaches are full, the water is warm and happy children are building sand castles within inches of each other. We arrived at the beach early to stake our claim on a spot. Bernardo's brother and their friends arrived from Florence within a few hours. We passed the day playing volleyball, swimming and munching on yummy beach food. The perfect Italian beach lunch? Cantaloupe and prosciutto crudo.
The beach of choice yesterday was the local favorite Sterpaia. One side is miles of sand dunes and the other is the intimate Mediterranean Sea. My favorite thing about Sterpaia is Il Nano Verde {The Green Dwarf}, a beach bar packed with tanned Italians and the sound of hot cicadas. After we were worn out from a day in the sun we gathered at the small shack and enjoyed what can only be described as the world's greatest mojito. It probably isn't, but after a long day on an Italian beach with my man and our friends, it sure tastes like the best mojito in the world!
And what would an Italian dinner with friends in the backyard be without a little bruschetta? I am honored and thrilled that My Italians love my bruschetta and asked me to make it. Sono brava!
I'm off to the beach now! Starting another book today. Oh, how I adore summer holidays.
Until next Thursday! Baci!
MacK
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