I've been wanting to visit my mom's home town during Easter for a really long time. This year we're finally doing it. There are 15 of us from the Bay Area, my Uncle Matt and Aunt Mary, my cousins David & Nicolle along with their kids Beatrice and Margaux, my cousins Michael and Marianna and their children Matteo and Milanna who is only 2 months old, my cousin Mark, and the four of us. We were the first to arrive and it was wonderful to be greeted by Enza, Mariucca and Guiseppie at the airport. The last time we visited Piana was 12 years ago when Dave and I were just engaged, so it's wonderful to be bringing our girls with us this time. We enjoyed the drive through Palermo back to Piana. Once we arrived we feasted on croissants with Nutella and espresso. We walked around town, visiting the old house where my mom used to live, and then we went back to the town center where we bumped into Paolo and were treated to gelato and more espresso. We had a gigantic lunch of pasta, vegetables, fruit, olives, and bread, with more espresso to drink! It was so wonderful to have all of the cousins together, Enza and Salvo with their university-aged children Rosanna and Guiseppie, Mariucca and Paolo, Francesco and Ornella and their kids Guiseppie (7) and Nicolo (4), and the four of us. The four kids enjoyed drawing together and even figured out how to play "Nascondino" (hide and go seek) together even though they don't speak the same language. Many giggles were had watching the kids play together. After a giant meal, we headed back to Enza's house to enjoy a much needed siesta. Later that evening we drove out to the Lago and enjoyed looking at wildflowers while the kids chased around a stray cat. We enjoyed another meal of fresh cheese and bread, olives, wine, and fresh fruit and vegetables. We had a great talk about politics and personal beliefs and it was so cool to discover I that Guuseppie and Rosanna are Bernie Sanders supporters just like me. The girls got to enjoy delicious canoli for dessert and had no problem staying up until 10pm with all of the excitement.

The rest of our Bay Area cousins (11 more) will be arriving on various flights this afternoon and we look forward to having everyone together to celebrate Easter.