THE ZAMPARELLIS – an important bit of background!!

I met Carlo 20 years ago in Montpellier, France, when he arrived for the last week or so of the two month course I was doing there.  He was in France because his younger brother Andrea had had a terrible skiing accident and had been flown into Montpellier’s hospital, which specialised in spinal injuries.  Carlo and I became friends (speaking in French – his was much better than mine) and I was invited to the hospital to meet Andrea, their mum Pucci and father Giovanni.  At the end of the course that Carlo and I were doing, I was meant to be leaving for London, however over dinner one night, Giovanni asked me to stay on with them for a week, which to this day I find incredible given their circumstances.  And particularly given Pucci (who was 45 at the time) spoke no English at all and I, at the time, didn’t speak one word of Italian.   

When I look back I can see that without a doubt, this was a major turning point in my life.  I was studying French and German, and never expected to meet such an amazing family who would  become such a big part of my life.

My sister, Rosa, was living in France and, some time later, we headed over to Italy together and were met at Milano Centrale by Giovanni (who has since became Uncle John), his nephew Ivan (who many of you will remember), and a friend of Ivan’s,  Antonino .

I came back to Australia, and then ended up moving back to Italy and living with Ivan and Antonino in a fantastic apartment in central Milan, near i Naviglii, for a few years.

The extended Zamparelli family became very close to my extended family – with many catch ups  over the years (with and without me) and with my father and Uncle John creating a pretend childhood friendship and business connections for the entertainment of everyone around them (and themselves) and which continues 20 years later.

So we will be visiting most of the extended Zamparelli family while we are here - except unfortunately Ivan and his family, and Ivan’s sister, Marina, who are both working in Africa.