Lui ha SEI ANNI! He's Six Years Old!

November 29, 2025

It's hard to believe this big kid wasn't even two years old when we first met him. The time is flying by quickly.

This morning, we got a text saying Vincenzo is taking us all out for breakfast. Don't start imagining bacon, eggs, pancakes, waffles, and fruit, as that does not happen here. It's all about the sweets.

Mariella, Joe, and I rode with Ciro and Luisa in their beautiful Dacia they drove here from Naples. Vincenzo went ahead of us, and other friends met us at Vincenzo's co-op restaurant.

Caffè, macchiato, cappuccino... diverse beverage orders to accompany two things: panettone tradizionale and panettone cioccolato. I stuck with the classic and a caffè macchiato.

Breakfast with friends

The terrace and beyond, which includes a huge patio and swimming pool

Wall of wine

Terrace wraps to the right at the end

Animals provide food (e.g., ostriches provide eggs), as well as amusement for kids, on the land in front of the restaurant.

Enjoying artisan panettone and caffè

At the opposite end of the table, Ciro caught my eye and singled me out with a cute wave hello. I waved back. Last year at Nonno's funeral, he told me I was a donna brava, although I think he finds me a bit of a spitfire! As we left the restaurant, Ciro gave me a Strega chocolate. He was surprised I knew the story, the liqueur, and the Benevento territory. Luisa, his wife, was surprised and maybe a bit shocked how easily Joe commented that I'm a Strega and, in fact, that it's a nickname for me. Stregas get an unfairly bad name. I thanked Ciro for the chocolate and tucked it into my purse.

After breakfast, we stopped across the street at Vincenzo's cousin's orange grove production facility. Great quality oranges here have ruined them for me in the US. Vincenzo loaded his trunk with several crates, amidst Mariella's admonishments.

Loading up on oranges

There was a big floor scale that others stepped on to weigh themselves. They tried to usher me onto it; I answered "no, grazie".

"Ma perché no?" Why not?!

"Non voglio piangere," I responded. I don't want to cry. There's an expression in Sicily: You cry three times — once, when you arrive and see it's beauty; next, when you leave the gorgeous island; third time, when you weigh yourself after your stay.

We scurried back home, rested a bit, walked a little, ate a light lunch, then Joe and Vincenzo left for the vigne to play tennis. Evidently, the guys gave Joe some good play time, as it would be a while before they all saw each other again. Also evidently, Vincenzo (occasionally) smokes.

We all got ready for Ettore's birthday party! Again, it was at Cartoonino(?), Vincenzo's former orchard vending point and worker's apartments above, now a kids' amusement center. Lots of shouting, laughter, music, screaming, really good food, and a makeshift bar. We knew the drill from previous years, so we settled in with the adults and adult beverages, adding great tavola calda from Crispi (on via Cristoforo Colombo) to our plates when it arrived. Had my kids' parties included a bar in the young birthday years, things would've been far less stressful.

Setting up the bar. Kids' jumpy thingy in background

Tavola calda

Two pistacchio beauties

Giuseppe starts. The waxy squares are used to pick up and eat your food.

Elena, because she's Wonder Woman, made two sumptuous cakes; chocolate 'salame,' in the shape of a 6 and covered with M&Ms, and a traditional custard-filled/whipped-cream topped vanilla. Both really incredible.

My taste buds were tuned into the tavola calda, especially the pistacchio panino and arancino.

Vincenzo tried on younger Vincenzo's mod eyeware with Mariella's necklace, just because.

Young Vincenzo in the middle

Giuseppe made the posters at his company. Asterisk & Obelisk character theme (reminds me of the formula in old Popeye episodes).

Teà, mid air. I love this girl so much.

Ciro and Luisa, with Giuseppe's beautiful mom, Cettina, in the background.

The men's corner

At one point, Luisa, Mariella, and I were sitting amongst the guys. Padre Giuseppe looked across at me and asked something about campers (I thought), as Italians love to see territory this way. But the Sicilian accent isn't always easy for me to understand, so I answered wrong.

"No, no.," and he said slowly, "Donn old chtrUMP... che ne pensi?"

What do I think of Donald Trump?

I was stupified for an answer. But Ciro stepped in to help.

"Stronzo," he answered in one word. Imagine the meaning of "asshole," and put it on steroids. "Stronzo pazzo," I replied, adding demented to the description.

Women's section. Luisa. Cettina,

unknown, Anna.

Anna, in right corner, is Mariella's sweet Aunt Anna, who sews for Fendi.

Ettore, Alessandro, Rodi

Kids' table

14-year-old cuties, Raky & Sofia

Lights went out and the disco-esque illuminated butterfly dance began. Afterward, the cotton candy machine came out, just before Elena's desserts were plated and served.