The Big "U"

~Sunday, March 10, 2013

On Thursday, June 18, 1964 my parents boarded the S. S. United States—the world’s fastest luxury liner—as passengers and honeymooners on a transatlantic voyage from New York to France.

A couple weeks ago as I turned on the television and started tuning in to CBS Sunday Morning, something seemed very familiar about the first story of the morning featuring a massive ocean liner docked at Pier 82 on the Delaware River in Philadelphia; then it hit me!!!  My parents were on that superliner!  Married in California in December of 1962, a year of planning went into their epic voyage that would be part of  a three month honeymoon commencing with a cross country trip (by car) from California to New York (with one quick stop in Pennsylvania to visit my mom’s uncle Charlie from Sicily).  Hence, as Charles Osgood, the anchor of CBS Sunday Morning, spoke of the “who’s who” such as Harry Truman and Marilyn Monroe as examples of passengers aboard The Big “U”,  I thought to myself, “Leave it to my mom and dad!”  Over twenty years ago I attended a seminar where everyone was asked to write down the names of two people we admired the most in our lives.  I didn’t hesitate for a second: My mom and dad.  When they reminisce about their trip, they always bring up how their landlord of the apartment complex at the time offered them a purchase opportunity.  Well, it was either the trip, or purchase the apartment complex.  Of course, they packed their suitcases and never looked back—my heroes!

SALUTE!

By irony, I also took a three month hiatus in Europe when I was 20 years old and starting my career.  I remember thinking to myself, “How often are you presented the opportunity in life to take a three month vacation?”  I will never forget those three months I spent in my dad’s home town in northern Italy: visits to my grandparent’s house every day; partaking in the bimonthly “festa” on weekends; experiencing the true primal Italian lifestyle of bringing home fresh milk from the cows down the street from a small family farm; and watching my aunt’s daily rituals in maintaining the family home and ever- fragrant kitchen where lunch and dinner were prepared with fresh ingredients every day of the week—it was all about the experience that made it memorable.

Deluxe theater, first class dining room, and nightly dancing!

Likewise, it wasn’t speed alone that made the S. S. United States the superliner that she was.  Built in 1952, she was a champion of her time—designed for complete passenger comfort and enjoyment—a ship with unique and extraordinary beauty: The experience of a lifetime! 

When my parents disembarked at the port in La Havre, France, their car was presented to them stocked with snacks, a map, cologne, a full tank of gas, and toilet paper. (You would understand the toilet paper if you’ve ever had the chance to drive through Europe.)  They were more than ready for the next phase of their adventure (which I hope to continue in a future blog).  In one of the original pamphlets my mother kept as a memento, my favorite description of the S. S. United States was, “She hummed as a happy ship.”  What a perfect statement!

This was truly a blog I was overjoyed to share with my readers.  I don’t know which story was more exciting for me to tell: My mom and dad’s spirit of adventure, or the small piece of United States history featuring The Big “U”. 

Hum as a happy ship; indeed!

   

A Moveable Feast

~Sunday, January 6, 2013

Who would put a Christmas tree out on a pier?: You guessed it—Californians!  What a perfect setting for a family holiday getaway in Santa Barbara.  The vision of that Christmas tree will be engraved in my memory forever—reminding me of the book, A Moveable Feast, where Ernest Hemingway referred to the days he lived in Paris as a ‘moveable feast’ because the memories of those days stayed with him for the rest of his life.

This festive weekend all started as a plan to celebrate my parents’ 50^th wedding anniversary, and the more details we planned for the celebration the more we couldn’t wait to go, (and as usual my well-traveled client friends had a wonderful list of restaurants and ideas for our family visit in Santa Barbara!).  However, my favorite planning detail was color-coordinating everyone’s wardrobe for a family portrait which was to be the big anniversary “surprise.”  (It was a little tricky coming up with a small tale to tell my mom and dad why I wanted them to dress in  certain colors for a trip to a winery in the Santa Inez Valley, but given my odd requests the past year and a half for good book and blog material, they didn’t even question it.)

My favorite unplanned detail of the trip was the picture-perfect day we were gifted by the temperamental rainy morning that moved through the valley, resulting in dramatic clouds in the sky, vibrant shades of green on the surrounding hillsides, and shiny golden leaves dancing on the trees and sprinkled along a pond behind the setting where our family portrait would take place later that afternoon.  Oh… happy day!!!  I think our photographer was equally as happy with the nature-given setting that day, (her husband not so much when he slipped and fell in the mud carrying away one of the props--splat!).  For the finale, at the end of our posing and props, our chilled fingers and toes were happily treated to wine tasting served to us in the estate club room at the dining table as we enjoyed our lunch selection from a local deli--pretty darn nice!

Fine dining, fine wine—lots of love and laughs!  What more do you need to have a great family vacation?  Oh yeah….I almost forgot….and sunsets on the beach!  Not to mention all eight of us filing into the car together as we headed out on our adventures—my sister and my husband fighting over who got to sit in the back seat with her kids, (my husband just wanting to be one of the kids, and my sister wanting to keep the peace!).  Me?—I was just in it for the ride and the togetherness; because as we all know, togetherness moments are hard to come by in today’s world with the entire family—especially for three consecutive days!

I will never forget the smiles on my parents’ faces, and the happiness and radiance sparkling in their eyes as we celebrated throughout these days our family unity and love that was fifty years in the making:  A moveable feast indeed!

The Harvest

~Sunday, September 16, 2012

My father's Moscato grapes

As if Italians needed another reason to enjoy good company and good food, every year, all regions of Italy celebrate La Vendemmia:  An event centered on the gathering of the community at harvest time.  When fall grapes are ripe and ready, it is time to enjoy the bounty of work well done with family and friends!  

Wine tasting!

Much to our enjoyment, my husband and I joined my parents this weekend at their local Italian club’s Vendemmia dinner dance they hold in honor of this cultural yearly tradition.  Cocktails this evening started at the wine-tasting booth, consisting of its signature “arch,” adorned and constructed with clusters of grapes (which my father was soon to point out, "It's a little 'shaky' this year because I wasn’t able to help construct it."  My father is retired; however, has every construction tool made by man, and is the go-to source for all the neighbors for help and advice—yeah, yeah, I know what you’re thinking—he does help us at our house too!).  Getting back to La Vendemmia, after eating our antipasto salad and pasta, the hired band for the night struck-up some tunes, ranging anywhere between Italian ballads to “The Tango.”  (I have to admit, watching the older generations dance is a wonderful part of the evening for me.  I watch them thinking I am witnessing the true meaning of the fountain of youth.)  All night long these Italians are full of life—an endless flow of laughter, fun and jokes—with a mischievous spark in their eye, as if they were still teenagers.  And just when I thought I had seen it all, I came back from the powder room to find myself in an “I Love Lucy” scene:  women with their skirts tied up, and men with trousers rolled up to their knees, holding on to each other as they danced and stomped in grape-filled barrels!

I can’t think of a better description to leave you with in celebration of La Vendemmia.  The funny part is, this is how Italian’s celebrate the bounty of hard labor.  Can you imagine how they celebrate a family wedding!?!