(Interview continued...)

How about the food?
Liz said her family ate in restaurants when they were out touring, but also cooked at home, and both experiences were equally wonderful. They especially enjoyed entertaining her nephew and a few teammates at a barbecue at their villa.

Her favorite meal?
Well, the worst meal of the trip actually turned out to be the most memorable. The entire family was ravenous when they descended upon a little hotel where no one spoke English and the kitchen was out of everything.They finally managed a plate of meats and cheese, and some bread. It was the culinary low point of the trip (especially for Liz, a vegetarian), but it was the meal they all still talk and laugh about. However, the real best meal of the trip, Liz said, was in Godo, on the day of her nephew’s ball game, at a little house with long communal tables; the entire town was there!

What was your favorite place or activity?
Without hesitation, Liz said the highlight of the trip, for her and her husband, was simply experiencing life in their Italian hometown. “We absolutely love the village of Tredozio and its warm and friendly people,” Liz said. “My husband has a new friend in Giorgio from the tabaccheria.” For her sons, the highlight was traveling independently; they took the Eurostar train to Rome for an overnight. 

“I could go on for hours about our trip,” Liz said. “Thanks for making my mother’s dream come true!”