The summer has seen the visits of the grandparents here in Reading, first Nonna Anna, then Nonno Giannetto e Nonna Patrizia.

First timer Nonna

In July, Nonna Anna came for the first time in the house we bought during the pandemic. I was out in Singapore, so Nonna has been an incredible help for Franz to handle work, life, and Vinnie.

And most importantly, Nonna and Vinnie had room and time to bond like they’d never had before.

Unfortunately, no one in the household thought of taking decent photos, but I see this as a great sign that they didn’t have time to waste taking selfies.

To compensate for the photo gap, here are some pictures of one of the things that Vinnie can do best:

Stranded grandparents

Nonna Patrizia and Nonno Giannetto have been planning to visit us in Reading since last March, taking advantage of our previous bank holiday of the year.

We had fun going blackberry picking, doing some shopping, and eating the usual extra food.

Again, Nonni didn’t waste time taking photos or selfies and instead lived every breath of their grandchild, creating lovely memories.

On Nonni’s departure day, a malfunction in the national air tracking and security system left them stranded at Gatwick. They had to reschedule the return flight, and theirs was cancelled.

Despite their disappointment, Nonni saw the bright side: three more days with Lavinia. And then the pictures came in (that’s a selection).

Next stop: birthday?

Nonna Anna’s work duties will most likely prevent her from coming to celebrate Vinnie’s fourth birthday.

We know for sure that Zia Sara is planning to visit, and Nonni are evaluating that, too. As if the pandemic didn’t do enough damage, travelling after the lockdowns has been tricky, convoluted, and extremely expensive for everyone, so we’ll see.

In the worst-case scenario, we’ll gather all together again for Christmas.