Return to site

Four Day Tuscan Wedding and Sailing Mare Nostrum

PAS

Gratitude is heaven itself.

-William Blake

When Candace and I first touched down in Rome on May 6th, we had no idea what a whirlwind of excitement, adventure, passion, family and friends the next two weeks would have in store. We had more baggage than we could handle on any-of-the-many Italian trains we would take, a faith that everyone would find their way to our small agriturismo nestled in the Tuscan hills, and a sense of gratitude for our loved ones that has only grown stronger since.

We are going to detail our four day wedding experience in coming posts, but at this moment we are sitting in a small, marina cafe in the small port town of Punta Ala, typing to the accompaniment of thunder. Along the horizon are looming and darkening storm clouds floating south over the Tyrrhenian Sea, their dark cylinders of rain descending down at points on the horizon.

Over the past week since the wedding, we have been sailing across the Tuscan Archipelago with various members of our wedding. We were up at 5:30am to pilot the 4 hours from Portoferraio on Elba in order to drop off the last of our wedding crew that had opted to sail with us this week. Now it is just the two of us in this quiet cafe, remarking how the departure of every one of our loved ones has left us with a pang of "missing".

So to everyone who made the trip to Italy to celebrate our wedding in the majestic Tuscan countryside; to everyone who was there with us in spirit; to everyone who braved the Mediterranean seas with us the past week; to everyone who labored with a missed train, a late connection, an expensive cab ride; to everyone who took risks on our behalf; thank you. Each one of you made our wedding and walked with us for our first, adventurous steps on this new expedition and we could never dream of better company. We hope you are all arriving safely for your return trips and/or the next legs of your own journeys.

Warmly,

Andrew & Candace