Recreation

So, loyal and patient reader, I am returned from my foreign sojourn refreshed, relaxed and recreated.
I spent two weeks in a villa in Italy with nine other people. It was a refreshing experience and I did relax, which is something I don't find easy. I also recreated in that I knew a great deal more about myself when I came back than when I went away.
The villa was Le Gughe, a few kilometres away from Palombara Sabina in the Sabine Mountains. This is only a half hour commuter train ride to the east of Rome itself. The villa was set in gorgeous grounds with gazebo and pool and depp shady terraces. Three bedrooms were part of the main house and Ingrid and I had one of those and the other two were occupied by our friends, the Penroses and the Woodwards. We were the "grown ups"! The "children", our two daughters and their partners, were our neighbours in the gatehouse, a short walk away across a lawn and the driveway. Most luncheons and evening meals, if people were on site, were spent on the enormous terrace of the gatehouse as they also had the kitchen. There was a small kitchenette available to the grown ups but was only really suitable for those early morning cups of tea followed by the breakfast coffee. Breakfast was usually the three "grown up" couples sitting on the small terrace accessed directly from our three bedrooms.
The holiday idea was inititated by Jacquie, who is a remarkably bright and energetic person, who not only comes up with bright ideas but carries them through as well. She is also half Italian and is a fluent speaker of the language. Her passion and enthusiasm made the holiday happen and made it so successful. The idea had come as a result of one of our trips up to London to see a show and the children had come to see the show with us. (Probably the show had been a musical and the girls ahd seen the show with us while the two "boys" went off to see another show before rejoining us). As is quite usual with us, all ten of us took ourselves off for an evening meal at Da Mario's, an Italian restaurant discovered by David and Jacquie, before catching a late train out of Waterloo. During the meal we discussed the possibility of the Corrigans, Penroses and Woodwards hiring a villa together and it was Jacquie who then said why don't we ask everybody sat around the table if they wanted to come as well. I expected there would be lots of reasons put forward as to why it wouldn't be possible. We are a very close knit family and our daughters were subjected to family camping holidays in France perhaps a little longer after their sell by date (the holidays not the daughter), i.e. their mid teens (that is the daughters though might also apply to the number of holidays. Help! I am lost in my own rhetoric!) than was comfortable for all concerned. We were delighted therefore when the idea was unanimously agreed to and the summer of 2006 was the anointed time. It has been a long time coming and the anticipation has mounted steadily ever since the idea was broached over the pasta course in Da Mario's.