Don't get me wrong I adored Riccardo and I know a lot of people reading this will be like "Helloooo this is what you signed up for????" but I didn't. I signed up for looking after a baby for around 8 hours a day and then having enough free time to go exploring. I mean if I had had my weekends off for the two and a half months I was there think of how many places I could have visited but that was never the case.
My days with Riccardo in Brescia pretty much consisted of selfies, teaching him to clap, trying to force him into walking (even though all he wanted was to sit on his cute little bum) and eating. I was bored as hell. I kept myself high on caffeine and his gorgeous little face was the only thing keeping me going. For children playing with the same toys every day in the same space isn't THAT boring they are so excited to explore and so in awe of everything like one day he would look at the toy and shake it and be like woah this makes a noise when i shake it and then the next day he would throw it across the room and find it hilarious that he could throw it across the room and then crawl and pick it up again and continue this cycle endlessly but for me I was ready to claw my eyeballs out..
I just can't stay in the same place for too long if I stay inside my own house for too long never mind anyone elses I start to go slowly insane.
When Michele got home they had a classic Italian row. I had no idea what the fuck was being said (sorry Nanna) but I do know that there was a lot of shouting and name calling and red faces etc. I mean they were so angry with one another that I thought any second now smoke would blow out of their ears. I was stood inbetween them the whole time in the lobby of their block of apartments surrounded by cases thinking like do I take the stuff outside?? like you guys I just got Riccardo to sleep and you're gonna wake him do I move him to a different room or??? so I settled on just standing there pretending to stare at a really interesting spot on the wall. I mean wow this wall looks great, what a pretty wall, that colour tone wow... I was fooling nobody. It ended up with Erica storming back off upstairs and slamming the door I mean seriously guys I just wanted to get in the damn car after being the one to carry everything to the lift and take it all downstairs alone I was knackered I just wanted to sit in the car and fall asleep and as more time passed my car nap became more and more distant because once Ricci woke up I would have to occupy him in the car and I was too tired for that right now. So instead I took to standing around like an absolute penis waiting for them to make up.
^Me and Riccardo being productive during packing :)
After finally leaving Brescia and driving around six hours with breaks at petrol stations to pee and having dinner at one of the motorway diners we finally arrived at the first hotel, I was happy to see I got my own room and so I did a workout at about midnight (yes I am addicted to getting my workouts diddddd!) and then I showered in an amazing hot power shower and slept peacefully in the most comfortable bed I'd slept in in ages!!! In the morning I woke up and went into the room set up by the family that owned the hotel which had a few tables in and a breakfast buffet of cakes, pastries, yoghurts, juice and coffee. I tried blueberry juice (amazing!) with a selection of the mini pastries (because I'm a fat bitch and I couldn't resist).
Once we were all dressed we went for a walk towards the beach but the wind was terrible and after fifteen minutes we headed back to the car, packed up and left to drive for another five or so hours- with breaks etc. We then arrived late afternoon at the second hotel and managed to fit in a bit of sunbathing, I was told to relax which I was incredibly relieved about after trying constantly to entertain Riccardo in the car with several toys (none of which worked). Erica's Auntie came to see us at the hotel which made me happy because not one member of her family that I met had a nasty bone in their body, they were all so incredibly lovely! After spending the afternoon by the pool we got dressed and went and met Erica's Auntie and a few others for a meal. We didn't even look at the menu, her Auntie must have known the restaurant well because they made a huge fuss of our table, she ordered for us and our table was never left without food or wine. There was antipasti- dry cured meats, cheeses, bread, olives followed by several meat dishes, followed by several fish dishes, followed by the most amazing lemon sorbet I've ever tasted! During the meal Riccardo filled his nappy and it went all over the pram and me and Erica had to carry him through the restaurant to the toilets, he was covered in poo I have never seen anything like it. I still managed to try the calamari when I got back to the table which shows just how greedy I am.
One of the couples we had the meal with bought him this cute little bike!
Following the meal we went back to the hotel, I did a workout and fell asleep- the bed there was amazing too! The next morning I went to breakfast and was told that they were going to see family for the morning so I could go to the hotel beach and relax (I was so happy and grateful!) so I chilled by the sea in the sun and read Mr Grey.
Later that afternoon we drove to their friends. This was just their summer house but honestly it was ridiculous how much land they had. They had several fields surrounding the house and practically the Great Wall of China blocking off the house with a button to access the gates for entering or leaving the house. I couldn't believe it.. Outside the house they had the most beautiful pool with lots of beds and sun-loungers surrounding it. The house had ten bedrooms and bathrooms and of course my room was the one in the basement. I was quite happy because it meant I was away from everyone and I really needed that space especially after one day I was so exhausted that I just went down there and cried while Ricci slept.
Puglia was such a testing time. Each day more of the couple who owned the house' friends arrived and it all got a bit too much. By the time we left there was almost thirty people there it was ridiculous. I was barely spoken to and there were so many children there. At times it was really fun and there were two other nannies there but they were from the Phillipines and I sympathised with them because they had to sleep with the children too but I couldn't give them sympathy for too long because I was often left with Riccardo at the house while they went all over. We often played in the huge garden and I kind of treasured being left alone with him because it meant I had choice over what I did with him etc. One of the days we were there we were around the pool late afternoon and they opened a bottle of champagne and upon giving me the glass of champagne and taking Riccardo from me to let me drink and enjoy myself they decided to inform me that the following day they were going out all the couples and the children and the nannies were staying with us from 8 in the morning till 8 in the evening (they actually didn't return until almost 9 but there we go. It made me laugh the way they told me as in a "oh by the way" kinda thing like fuck off mate that's a huge weight you've just hurled at my shoulders. (I didn't say that obviously but in my head I had a full blown raging fest where I stood on a platform in front of them and made a speech and they felt terribly about how they'd treated me.) LOL like that would have happened....
We actually had a really cute day together!
One day after coming home from the beach the cook (yes the couple had a cook aswell as a nanny because... what do they do in their spare time) baked this amazing, yummy cake! It made my whole life!!!
The meal I made myself the night I was left with Riccardo when they went for dinner with the other couples (Yes during Puglia I was often left with him while they went all over) - it was actually super tasty.
When he fell asleep like this it literally made my heart melt.
(This isn't love he is actually biting me)
I'm not gonna lie I got pretty sick of Puglia, having no time to yourself, having limited time to shower and dress and barely leaving an enclosed premises and being surrounded by way too many people and children all in the space of a week was too much for me to handle emotionally. I like time to myself. I like space to breathe. I love children but I am very sure that parents get more time off in sixty-five days than I did!
We were supposed to drive back from Puglia but instead me, Erica and Riccardo flew back to Milan before heading back to Brescia. Everything ran smoothly for the flight which was good. We ate big baguettes on the plane and we had a good laugh together and it made all the stress of Puglia melt away. Then in the taxi on the way back she decided to tell me that her and Michele were going out for a meal with his parents that night ON MY LAST NIGHT. I was gutted. We ended up going for an aperol spritz and she bought me a couple of little cakes from the local French pattisserie which were amazing! Before they went for the meal they thanked me for everything I had done and paid me a lot more than I'd expected so I felt like I had finally been appreciated. Once they went out I did a workout and did lots of girly things to make myself feel like a sexy hot piece of ass ready to see my boyfriend the following day for the first time in two and a half months.
The best picture we could get together!^
The next morning I realised nothing had changed when I had to stay with Riccardo whilst they packed for heading to Laegueglia later that day. I think at this point I was over it. It was my final hours with Riccardo and Michele put music on full blast over the speakers in the house which made me happy. Then they made pesto pasta for my final meal which my belly really appreciated.
Our final selfie together!^
I actually had an incredibly tearful goodbye with Erica and Riccardo, I was so sad to leave his gorgeous little head and I had actually seen Erica as an older sister (sometimes she had annoyed me yeah but I had adored her and told her a lot of personal stuff). Michele took me to the airport and helped me through check-in and then walked me to security which was a massive weight off my shoulders and I really appreciated that. He had been very caring about me and I will forever be grateful for all the amazing things they did for me even if there was often miscommunication and misunderstandings I wouldn't change my time in Italy for the world.
You have never seen a smile shine brighter than mine did seeing my beautiful bearded boyfriend's face after almost three months apart.
