1st Of November

Every 1st of November I try and go to St Peter’s Italian Church in Farringdon.

I’m not religious in a religious way (if it makes any sense!) but the time between All Hallow’s Eve and All Soul’s Day is when I suddenly feel a bit Italian again and I like spending time in a place which has given solace to so many souls through the last two centuries!

It suddenly feels like being catapulted in Italy, with all the little “anziani” attending mass and then slowly moving to the oldest Italian delicatessen in England right next door for a proper “pranzo all’italiana”.

I can’t help thinking, while we are all listening to the priest, that their struggles were once my struggles.

Their hope and dreams my ones too.

We all left our loved ones behind to start a new life in this generous country, and perhaps this is our own way to feel as if we still were with them!

Today was special.

I got to meet these very old couple who’ve been here since 1956 all the way from Naples.

I actually spotted them checking “panettoni” (typical Italian cake) from a distance and I sneakily took a picture cause they just touched my heart…no matter where they are in the world, Italians will just be Italians!

I thought this was a lovely way to end this sacred week, my very favourite in fact!

I was moved to tears during mass today, cause remembering others’ lives just allows us to find the strength and dignity needed to navigate these very stormy times.

Whenever I’m in a sacred place I always think that like me, many others once sat in the same spot.

And like me, they too felt stronger in the presence of something bigger.

Make it a very blissful weekend everyone,