San Martino alla Palma, a small village outside Florence, is the home of some of Marc's relatives. All of us (we're still missing Jason Soules, Carolyn's husband, but he'll be here soon) were invited by Marc's first cousins Luana and Paolo Mizzoni for dinner last night. Here is a view of their home at the top of the hill with the cypress trees. The house, Villa dei le Berttuce, was built in the 13th Century and is home to the Mizzoni's and Marc's aunt and uncle Alda and Umberto Raffaelli. Another of Marc's uncles, Enzo Bonaca and his wife Malita also maintain a home there as well as in the house on Giacomo Zanella. The villa is a working farm, operated by Umberto, that produces olive oil, chianti and his pride and joy a wonderful Vin Santo. More on the Vin Santo, perhaps, in another post.
Marc proposed to Lauren at the end of a ski trip last January. When they'd returned to the villa from the mountains, Marc asked Lauren to go for a walk. He had a plan. Turns out the walk was a little more than he'd bargained for, but eventually they arrived at the small church in the village where he, on bended knee (yes, he did), asked Lauren to marry him. Her response was classic, "NO WAY!!" Marc's normally a very composed young man, but he acknowledges that this wasn't the reaction he was expecting. And his knee was beginning to hurt, so he assured her he meant it. Apparently she believed him and let him get up. Here's the spot:
. And here they are with the villa in the background.
Lauren says she doesn't remember the walk back.
On Saturday, May 21, 2011 Marc Peter Bonaca, MD and Lauren Ross Cullings repeated their wedding vows at Villa di Maiano, Fiesole, Italy with their families and closest friends.
, followed by good wine and great food 
