Read full article here:
When coronavirus lockdowns seemed to put living that dream on indefinite hold, Cavalli and Lobo didnt give up on finding a way to spend much-needed time with family and friends this summer in idyllic Valle dItria in the Puglia region of southern Italy. Cavalli, whose family is from northern Italy, was very concerned as Covid-19 began to take hold in the region. He and Lobo, who began sheltering in place at their California home in March, figured that things would calm down in time for them to return to Puglia this summer. As months went on, however, the couple worried and wondered about whether they should risk going to Italy, especially as cases in California began to spike in July. Dreams can come true”Puglia has always been a destination for me, since I was a teenager. I always had the dream of buying a place here,” said Cavalli. The area of Villa dItria, where their home is located, is charming with hills, olive trees and wine and is not far from the coast. Cavallis Italian parents did the groundwork, locating the home they purchased about 18 months ago. “There was a little bit of red tape, so it took much longer than we thought it would. But in the end, its been a beautiful purchase. We were just saying the other day, were so glad we did it,” Lobo said from a scenic perch outside the home. “Its a place where we can meet with family and friends,” Cavalli said. “And obviously, I have a lot of connections in Italy, but also Suni has family in Spain. So, this is like a bit of a central place for everyone. “Lobo continues, “Since we bought the place, weve had several friends of ours from the US, from the north of Italy, from other parts of the world, come and stay. We dont want to Airbnb it out. We dont want to rent it out. We wanted it to be a family home where people can come and enjoy it. “The pandemic journeyAs spring turned to summer, they were still hopeful they would be in Puglia at some point. But Cavalli watched from