Birthday party!

Our little darling turned one a few days ago. Ever since planning our holiday we’ve had the idea of gathering our family to celebrate her birthday together with us in Sicily, and we were fortunate enough that almost everyone could make it.


Since our friends at the pasticceria have become something of an extended Italian family to us we couldn’t imagine her birthday without their presence. The tradition here is for the grandparents to bring the first birthday dress and the cake. We couldn’t say no to the Italian “grandparents”, especially knowing that it would almost certainly be the best birthday cake she will ever get!


So for a day we transformed our house’s drive-way into the party area, decorated it with balloons and streamers, and enjoyed delicious food, music and each other’s company until all the presents were opened and all the champagne was drunk. Although we had gathered different nationalities, customs and languages suddenly there were no linguistic or cultural barriers, just the notion of a family celebrating together. In the middle of everybody was the little one, smiling and clapping her hands, smudged from ear-to-ear with the wonderful birthday cake.