This weekend away with my Italian fam was definitely better than the excruciating weekend we spent in Pesaro. I think it helped that the kids were split up into two rooms, and that there were things to do at the hotel. It also didn't hurt that the parents didn't have any friends nearby that they could visit, so they spent most of the weekend close by, able to handle all the tantrums.
We spent hours at the pool, on the tennis courts, in the ping pong room and on the dining terrace (Provencal lunches and dinners are minimum 2 hours.) It was actually relaxing, and the hotel staff was extremely nice. I got to practice a little bit of French (tres mal) and tried different house wines with every meal. If you need a recommendation on a Provencal getaway- Chateau de Berne is perfection.
Marie Christine and Daniel, the kids' godparents, live in a house built into the side of one of the hills in Vence, near Nice, and they welcomed us for lunch and a swim on the day we were travelling back to Monza. They had an outdoor kitchen with a brick oven and a pool wedged into the hill with a spectacular view of everything from there to the sea. They served the traditional pissaladiere- a pizza-like flatbread with browned onions, olives and a paste made from sardines and anchovies. Don't make that face- it was amazing. Their little dog was named Phillipe, and he followed Daniel around whenever he moved. He also took a liking to me: I was the only visitor who received kisses. It made me miss Roxie :( haha.
I still can't say that the twins aren't fiendish brats, but all in all, the weekend was certainement agreable.
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