When my father suggested a Scarpaci family vacation, we jumped at the opportunity. Our last vacation together was 10 years earlier in Cancun. Back then there were no husbands, no babies. Our only requirement was to pick a city with direct flights from Zurich. With that in mind, it didn’t take my family long to narrow it down to Boston.
The planning leading up to the trip was very exciting. We rented a gorgeous home in the North End of Boston for us to stay in together. A calendar of events was planned, including walking the Freedom Trail, eating at Union Oyster House, and touring Fenway Park. I couldn’t wait for all of us to be together.
Our first clue things might go wrong was when my mother alerted us that the rental house was sold. This meant it was no longer available to us. With only two months before the trip, she scrambled to secure another location. We lucked out with one in Brookline, but it caused unecessary stress.
Our flight from Zurich was uneventful – my darling girl is a great traveler. When we arrived to the house, my parents were already there.
We had a great reunion with Matilda, with lots of cuddles and kisses. My siblings arrived later that evening, and we spent the next day catching up on sleep and stories.
Sunday was the day of anniversary celebrations. My parents had recently hit their 40th year together. We surprised them at my Uncle’s home in Warwick, Rhode Island with food, a photographer and presents. The day was perfect and beautiful, and our very talented photographer, Corey Favino, captured some incredibly special moments.
Unfortunately, that is where the good times ended and the National Lampoon style events began.
Monday’s schedule included walking the Freedom Trail and dinner at an Italian restaurant in the North End. However, Sunday night, my nephew, mother, and brother’s girlfriend all woke up vomiting. Most of us were none the wiser until the next day. But the sickness quickly made its way through the entire household. By Sunday night, even Matilda was pooping herself so bad that it was coming out of her diaper. Thank goodness there were 4 bathrooms in the house otherwise I don’t know what we would’ve done. Needless to say the Freedom Trail and Italian dinner were cancelled.
On Tuesday, some of the family was still sick. About 2/3 of us felt well enough to attend the Fenway Park tour my mother had booked. As we walked to the park, we began to feel the effects of the impending Hurricane Jose. Winds and rain started off slow, but picked up speed and strength throughout the park tour. By the time the tour ended, we were soaked, and the walk back didn’t help.
Tuesday evening, we had reservations at Union Oyster House. Opened in 1826, this is the oldest restaurant in America. We went our separate ways the next day, so while touristy, the restaurant was a great place to end our trip. Given the size of our party and 2 babies, our reservation was made months in advance. Yet upon being taken to our table, they tried to split us up. It kicked off a poor experience from the beginning as we forced our way into a small table. We didn’t eat much or stay long and before we knew it, the night was over.
We said our good-byes the next morning, laughing at the mishaps but also disappointed the trip hadn’t gone more smoothly. All things considered, though, the most important thing is that we were together, and we arrived and departed safely. Even through the crappy parts, we had fun. Thankfully we will be together again at Christmas. I am sure we will spend plenty of time discussing our National Lampoon vacation. 🙂
For Tony and I, the vacation did not end there. Next up, I’ll share how we finally got to indulge in lobsters and oysters, and how Matilda finally met her best friend.
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