Back in 2015 we all went to Italy and I rented a villa in the northern outskirts of Rome. Having spent my formative high school years in Rome, it seemed like a fun thing to do that summer since my youngest son Thomas was studying in Rome for the summer. We did what we had done a number of times and at other locations, which was to rent a large villa that could accommodate 15 to 20 people, and we took it for two weeks with the idea that members of Kim‘s family would come one week and members of my family would come another week. I knew that being in Rome or near Rome for two weeks with no particular agenda other than relaxing and enjoying being in Italy would work very nicely for me. And indeed it did. One of the fun things we did that summer, which we had done many times before, was to bring along our dear cousins, Pete and Nancy Massicci. Pete‘s father‘s family is from Italy and with a name like Massicci, Pete was had spent his whole life in, Ithaca, New York, very proud of his Italian heritage. So, at the top of the list of things that Pete wanted to do with his first visit to Italy was to plan a day trip to his ancestral home in a town called Carpineto, which sits about 50 miles south east of Rome in the foothills of the Appenine Mountains. The day we chose for our Carpineto outing was an exciting day for Pete (and for the rest of us, by extension) and during the buildup and anticipation during the drive to Carpineto, we ended up declaring it Massicci Day. that whole story has become a bit of a family legend and everybody likes to declare any special day to be Massicci Day. It’s a testament to the fun we had that day, but it’s mostly a testament to our collective affection for Pete and Nancy.
That day we not only found Carpineto, but Pete also found his long lost cousin, Luca, who owned a restaurant in town called La Sbirra. When we finally found Luca in the little, otherwise nondescript town of Carpineto Romana, he made a special point when he knew we were actually there, to open his restaurant, which was otherwise closed that day, just to serve us lunch. It was a grand day and one that we all remember, especially because it was such a special day for Pete. We are always reminded of that day when we gather with Pete and Nancy, as we are doing out here on the hilltop this week.
This week we are being visited on our hilltop not only by Pete and Nancy, but also by our friend David DeCooman, who has become quite friendly with my cousins. Naturally, we are taking the opportunity to do several family gatherings during the week with other local family members who are always anxious to see Pete & Nancy. Today we are going down into San Diego to go to Old Town for dinner at Casa Guadalajara. We will be joined by Kim’s brother Jeff and his wife Lisa and by Kim’s nephew Will and his wife Ashley. Since I believe it was Will who coined the expression Massicci Day back all those 10 years ago, I’m guessing that in less than five minutes we will hear Will declare today Massicci Day. That will do what it always does, which is to make it an even more festive occasion. I only overshot by two minutes, it took Will only three minutes to invoke the Massicci Day legend and we were off to the races for an evening of fajitas, enchiladas and burritos.
One might think that Massicci Day requires the presence of Italian food, but that’s simply not so. We can make a Massicci Day over any meal. As it turns out, today we are headed down to the beach in Oceanside where we have a favorite restaurant that is neither Italian food not Mexican food. It’s sort of pan-Pacific food (if such a thing exists). But we will make up for it by letting Pete & Nancy pick up the makings for an Italian dinner of chicken parmigiana that is Pete’s nod to his Italian culinary heritage. We will be joined by my sister Kathy and her husband Bennett. They were both there for the original Massicci Day, so I suspect we will discuss those treasured moments yet again tonight around the Massicci Day dinner table.
Yesterday, I had some chores around the property to attend to, so Pete & Nancy and David hooked up with our neighborhood friends Mike & Melisa and Faraj & Yasuko for a 6-mile hike around a local lake. It’s the sort of activity they all like and pretty much the sort of thing I am always happy to find a way to avoid. Tomorrow we will show our guests the wonders of the eastern half of the county by taking a drive up to Julian in all its apple pie wonderfulness. That will be a prelude to a trip into the Anza Borego to see the sights of Borego Springs with its desert metal sculpture and its western desert town feel.
We are reserving our big grand finale gathering for Easter Sunday, which will be the ultimate Massicci Day. We will be joined by Kathy & Bennett, Jeff & Lisa, nephew Alex and his son Charlie, niece Stephanie & Ben and their two sprogs, Mila and Rhys, nephew Will & Ashley, Mike & Melisa and Faraj & Yasuko. We will hunt for Easter eggs and do all the usual things (other than go to church) that one usually does on Easter Morning. It will be just another example of the perfect Massicci Day.