Keeping Up With the Sisters

Every once in a while life blesses you with an experience that lands in your heart, stays there and leaves you sweet memories. And every once in a while those memories reappear and you relive the magic.

In this case, the magic took place in August 2019 when my daughters (affectionately referred to here as #one and #two) decided that a girls trip to Italy was in order. Much to my delight, I was included in that category.

We chose the Cinque Terra, a beautiful cliffside destination composed of five villages. The planning was remarkably easy, mainly because #two daughter had visited previously and was well versed in where to stay and what to see. The “unknown” however, was would we travel well together? We had never before vacationed as a trio and feelings of trepidation were beginning to percolate. Would I be able to match the pace of these two dynamos who were bent on seeing and doing as much as possible?

Well, it seemed that the matter was entirely out of my hands anyway, as the flights and Airbnb were booked and we were ready for take off. It was official. Daughters #one, #two and Shauns (their affectionate nickname for me) were embarking on a journey we dubbed “Keeping Up With The Sisters!”

The Heat is On

The itinerary was ambitious, and there was a significant mitigating factor. We were faced with temperatures in the mid 30 degrees centigrade range for the entire trip. Most people, my daughters included, would be thrilled at the thought of warm weather, but I am not a heat loving person. I am capable of wilting in the mid 20 degree vicinity, let alone 30 degrees. Please keep that in mind as you read on.😊

Just the Highlights Please

I could bore you with details galore regarding out trip but I think it wise to just touch on the highlights…some of the best moments:

Where Are We?

Our journey began and ended in Rome. The streets in the Eternal City branch out in all directions and you need a detailed map and a strong sense of direction to navigate. My daughters were convinced that they would have no trouble but guess what? We were often semi permanent fixtures on street corners, staring helplessly at a map and trying to figure out which direction to follow, as lights turned from green to red and back to green.

I foolishly pointed out that we could have used the GPS on one of their phones but that was strictly forbidden. It would be far too expensive since no one had roaming coverage. Instead, we often found ourselves asking for help from young female tourists who of course always had a cell phone. Most of the time, they were very accommodating. Problem solved!

We ultimately managed to navigate some of the most famous sites in a whirlwind tour of the city but by the time we caught the train to Vernazza we were ready for a nap.

This is Heaven!

Our Airbnb in Vernazza was beautiful, overlooking a quiet bay on the ocean. In the street below us it was madness with tourists everywhere, while on our balcony it was quiet and peaceful.

Our days began with leisurely breakfasts basking in the knowledge that we could do whatever we wanted whenever we wanted, and they would end enjoying the spectacular view, with a glass of wine and lots of laughs. That is, until the sisters became restless. Uh Oh…I could see where this was going.

This is Hell!

I would have been thrilled to just sit on the balcony for the entire trip but my daughters had other ideas. I won’t go into the dramatic moaning and groaning performance I gave, because it was to no avail. They chose to simply ignore me and I was coaxed and cajoled into a few “easy” hikes.

We started off slowly with a hike up into the hills behind our village. Again I would remind you that it was really hot, but the view was spectacular and the girls were encouraging and patient, so I just kept climbing and climbing and climbing. Looking back, I am pretty sure that I was being “tested” in anticipation of the next big challenge, and for better or worse, I passed with flying colors.

Climb Every Mountain…

Because I had been bragging about my extreme fitness level and had passed the initial hiking test, I was now presented with something, as the girls called it, “a bit more challenging.” Unbelievably, they wanted to hike to the neighboring village. ( Am I repeating myself too much when I say that it was really hot?) It was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I was exhausted, I was dripping sweat and my face was beet red from the exertion but I was so proud of myself. It is one of those special memories.

Lessons Learned

When I think back on this experience I realize that there was much more to it than simply having the freedom to explore a new place at leisure, learning how to take the perfect selfie and discovering lemon gelato and Italian wines. My daughters and I now appreciate each other more than ever and if nothing else, they taught me, as they so sweetly put it, to “just chill Shauns.” They are remarkable, intrepid and lots of fun. I am very proud to be their Mom.

There is so much more to tell. So many beautiful, rich memories to savor and so many plans to make for our next trip. We’ve had three years to think about it and as of this moment Portugal is looking like it might be the winner. Stay tuned.

We plan on doing a new post each Monday, so stay tuned for our next one entitled Start The Car!