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✩ ♥ ❀ be a better person ✩
I just now am relaxing down to write about my latest vacation days at the beach with my family, old and new friends. I spent twelve total days at Marina di Ravenna on the Italian Adriatic Coast. Also, I had four visitors come by to keep me and da boyz company that included two great friends from Bologna, and my husband and mother in law when they weren’t working.
How do you feel about camping? Do you like to have your vacation in a five star hotel, at the lake waterskiing, or do you prefer camping? I think camping for kids is a great experience. As adults, I think we get used to our comforts.
Since I walked into my home only three hours ago, I have what I call fresh eyes on the entire vacation. Even though we had a fantastic time, this is one of those vacations when you kiss the floor when you walk into your house.
all work and no play makes jb a dull boy ✿ ♫
I joked a couple of weeks ago because I said I won’t be too sad about not going to California this summer because I’m consoling myself going to the Italian Riviera. I got a couple of laughs out of that. Now I’m going to give you the entire story, the good, the bad, the heat.
The good.
I finished two books. Yay! I love to read. I finished The Power of Now by Eckhart Toole and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Both were excellent. I came home to some great news.
you inspire me ╰☆╮¤°.¸¸.´¯`»¸¸.·☆ Thx Tana!
For one, my friend Tana has dedicated a blog article to me and I love her for that, so sweet. Another friend of mine, Liz, bless her heart, sent me the film Julie & Julia because she knows I don’t get to see films here for months after they come out.
Next time, when I go on vacation, hopefully I won’t have to be without internet for five days. I didn’t bring my camera, because quite frankly I had enough on my mind caring for two rather small kids.
Okay. The trip.
We went to a place called Marina di Ravenna which is found straight east of here. You can drive it in about an hour. We stayed at my mother in law’s camp ground that is private. BUT there is NO running water in the camper, or better yet, no drainage. Well, there is running water, but I didn’t use it because I didn’t want to empty the containers by hauling waste. Yikes!
The GREAT parts.
I like to think of six impossible things before breakfast. ✿ ♫
We were walking distance to the beach that took no more than five minutes. My mother in law has a reserved umbrella set up with two chaise lounges available for the summer season.
Who is coming to keep me company?
The nonna is working so she has left the camp site to our complete disposition. That is so overwhelmingly nice of her.
Here in Italy, the kids have entertainment. The way it works is that you can leave your kids with counselors at the camp ground park 10 to noon and four to six. I never did though, except yesterday when my kids did some coloring.
In the evening around 9:00 p.m. there is music and dancing. The kids love this because they are free to roam around the camp ground. Literally, I think there were about fifty kids running around playing hide and seek. They found some cats. They exchanged t shirts. They made friends. They played endlessly.
The WORST part.
There was no running water. Or, as I said, I didn’t use the running water in the camper. That meant to brush our teeth we had to walk about three minutes down the gravel path to a common bathroom. Sure, it was super clean and organized but I just hated having people look at me while I brushed my teeth. I ended up brushing in the camper. Ugh.
It wasn’t so easy to get my kids to brush either.
Great
The Adriatic sea water was clean, salty ~ the air good for you. The kids got a little inflatable boat and spent hours upon hours playing in the light waves while I read.
Bad
There was too much sun and I don’t like being tan. I seriously don’t like being out in the sun too long. I stayed in the shade as much as possible worrying about my kids getting too much sun.
Great
Watching my boys being brothers. I cannot emphisize how happy that makes my mother’s heart. My little guys were playing billiards together, helping each other. Every time I look, they are together. We all spent HOURS on bikes. That was super cool because there was a shady bike path.
Overall
A nice Italian vacation on the coast? Well, why not. I liked it. I just have certain things I cannot live without, like internet, like my washer dryer, like running water, like a cool place to hang my hat.
Next time
Time share of course. I married a man with a time share. We still have two or three more weeks of vacation coming up and love my honey, we get four and five star treatment from here on in. Yay. We plan on going to the mountains to cool off and to Umbria that is just striking.
Well, thanks for reading, thanks for your comments.
My question to you is this. Camping? Can you take it? Does it build character? Best holiday? Worst holiday? Any stories you care to share are appreciated.
Julie
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It looks like we are getting a much longer vacation than the states as school is slated to start September 15th.
