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The hilltop town where Pope Leo XIV is staying cool on his summer vacation

The hilltop town where Pope Leo XIV is staying cool on his summer vacation

CNN07-07-2025
After the whirlwind of his election and a nonstop round of public and private meetings ever since, Pope Leo XIV has chosen to take some time to rest and recharge. Choosing where to take his vacation was a simple decision.
For centuries popes have spent their summers in the papal palace and gardens of Castel Gandolfo, a town nestled in the hills above Lake Albano. The small town, approximately 15 miles southeast of Rome, is 1,400 feet above sea level and provides an escape from the sweltering summer heat of the Eternal City.
This is where the first American pope is going to spend two weeks this month, having arrived on Sunday, before returning for several days over the Feast of the Assumption on August 15, which is Italy's national holiday of Ferragosto.
During the Second World War, the papal summer residence provided refuge for Jewish refugees and more recently was the setting for 'The Two Popes,' the Netflix movie that explores the differing visions for the church's future of Benedict XVI and his successor Francis.
It's a peaceful oasis that offers majestic views over the deep blue lake with those visiting the area overlooking Albano sometimes calling it an anticamera del paradiso — an antechamber of paradise.
By going to Castel Gandolfo, Leo is reviving a tradition of popes leaving the Vatican to take a summer break, which had been suspended by Francis. Leo's predecessor never took a vacation outside of the Vatican and instead opted for a staycation in his Casa Santa Marta residence.
Francis turned Castel Gandolfo into a museum and opened its gardens to the public. Visitors to the palace start their tour with a courtyard display of old popemobiles and other vehicles used by the popes, while inside they can peek at the papal bedroom, study and chapel. The last pontiff to use the palace was Benedict XVI who came to Castel Gandolfo after his 2013 resignation, making his final public appearance as pope from the balcony.
While Leo is reviving a tradition, he is not turning the clock back. He won't be staying in the palace (acquired in 1596 and featuring its own Renaissance-style gardens) but at the Villa Barberini, which has a terrace that overlooks Lake Albano. It is located in gardens created around the ruins of former Roman Emperor Domitian's first-century villa. While the Vatican has said Leo's time in Castel Gandolfo is an opportunity to rest, he could make use of a swimming pool installed by Pope John Paul II or, as a keen tennis player, go to the Tennis Club of Castel Gandolfo nearby.
The town's 8,900 residents rely heavily on tourism so having the pope come and stay is seen as helping the local economy by attracting visitors. During Francis' papacy, some residents felt bereft without the pope and said they missed out on the economic and social benefits of the papal presence.
On July 13 and 20, Leo XIV will celebrate Mass in a cathedral and a church nearby, and then lead the Sunday Angelus prayer from the town's central piazza. He'll do the same on August 15. The moments of public prayer in the more intimate setting of the piazza offer an opportunity for people to have a closer encounter with the pope than when he leads the Angelus from the balcony of the Vatican's apostolic palace.
The mayor of Castel Gandolfo, Alberto de Angelis, described Pope Leo's stay as an 'important sign of affection, gratitude and recognition' for the town and its residents. He told CNN the area would feel the benefit of tourism and 'all commercial activities.' The main square is surrounded by cafes and souvenir shops while the town has plenty of restaurants and a popular mosaic workshop and store, La Musa Mosaici.
'We hope that he [Leo] doesn't stay only on his property, but that he comes to visit the town, comes to find his shopkeepers, his fellow citizens, that he comes to eat with us,' the mayor said.
De Angelis pointed out that Castel Gandolfo is a 'Vatican Two' — a stand in for the ecclesiastical city — which is used to welcoming people from across the world. While he prefers it when popes come on vacation, he said Francis' decision to open the papal palace and gardens brought a boost to the local economy and tourism.
The Vatican's Castel Gandolfo estate includes 135 acres of both farmland and gardens, and is also home to the historical Vatican observatory, which specializes in astronomical research. Francis wanted the Vatican gardens to promote care for the environment through 'Borgo Laudato Si',' a project named after the late pope's encyclical on protecting the planet.
Leo is building on this commitment. On July 9, while in Castel Gandolfo, he will celebrate a private Mass with staff at the ecology project 'for the care of creation' using special new texts and prayers released for use in the Church by the Vatican on July 3.
The Vatican is not the only entity involved in ecological work in the town. Valentina Biagini, a Castel Gandolfo resident and environmental and sustainability consultant, has been involved in establishing a sustainability center by Lake Albano that includes a bistro serving plant-based cuisine. She hopes that the pope's visit doesn't lead to a large one-off influx of visitors.
'It's important that there aren't too many people all at the same time,' she told CNN. 'It would be best if in the future we would be able to have sustainable tourism as well, which means not [too] many people all together.'
Three days before departing, Leo, who is already known for his methodical style, paid a visit to Castel Gandolfo to check on the Villa Barberini, where Vatican staff had been preparing for his stay in recent days. Aside from leading services, the pope is expected to spend much of his time out of public sight during his time on vacation.
Along with environmental efforts and attracting tourism to the town, the pope's time away from the Vatican also sends a message to a fast-paced world of hyper-activity: everyone, even the pope, needs a break.
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An Italian Day Trip: Sulmona, Where Ovid And Confetti Were Born And The Food Features The Robust Dishes Of Abruzzo
An Italian Day Trip: Sulmona, Where Ovid And Confetti Were Born And The Food Features The Robust Dishes Of Abruzzo

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An Italian Day Trip: Sulmona, Where Ovid And Confetti Were Born And The Food Features The Robust Dishes Of Abruzzo

If you've ever attended an Italian wedding you were probably given a netted bag of white sugar-coated almonds called confetti­­ as a parting gift. And chances are they came from the town of Sulmona in Italy's Abruzzo region, and very probably from Confetti Mario Pellino, which has been producing them since 1783, now in its seventh generation of family owners. Its factory and building were declared 'a Monument of National Interest' by the Ministry of Culture in 1922. Were you ever to visit Sulmona, a two hours' drive from Rome, you'll find it a small, reclusive town with a few touristic attractions that make it a good day trip where you will find dozens of shops selling confetti, brightly colored and knitted into various complex shapes of flowers and wreaths. The Cathedral has a sober Romanesque façade, but its interior was updated to baroque after a serious earthquake in 1706. The medieval-Renaissance Palazzo Annunziata and Church of Saint Annunziata are lovely open spaces, while the Piazza Garibaldi with its large baroque fountain is where at Easter they celebrate the event of the Madonna che Scappa, when a statue of the Virgin Mary is carried by running townsmen in green and white past the remarkably well-preserved 12th century Gothic aqueduct as a brass band plays, while others carry a statue of the infant Jesus there for a reuniting with his mother. Sulmona gave the Catholic world a pope, Innocent VII in the 15th century, but Piazza XX Settembre is the location of Sulmona's foremost historical figure, the greatest of all Roman poets, Ovid, whose bronze statue stands sternly atop a pedestal. As the author of the witty Metamorphoses, he was both an ornery and canny observer of the follies of the Romans, explaining, 'I am the poet of the poor, because I was poor when I loved; since I could not give gifts, I gave words.' Located up a winding road, Sulmona itself is fairly flat and easy to walk through, and there are several very good restaurants that feature the cooking of Abruzzo. Semina Cucina Agricola (Via Manilo d'Eramo 28), whose owners are wholly committed to locality and seasonality in a €39 tasting menu of five courses. A few doors away there's a lavish antipasto table at Ristorante Hostaria dell'Arco (Via Manilo d'Eramo 60 ), and the pasta to have is the tagliatelle with zucchini cream as well as pappardelle with rabbit ragù. On my last visit to the town I ate at the charming, sunny Ristorante Clemente Sulmona (Via Solimo 25), located just inside the town's ancient gate. Begin with some local Abruzzese cheeses from Casari e Pastori, like pecorino, caciocavallo and pampanellagoat's cheese along with salami like salamella di tratturo made from mutton and the locally revered salsiciotto di Guilmi of simply salt-cured pork, all served with puffy warm pizza-like bread. Next came the Abruzzese specialty spaghetti alla ghitarra, cut on a guitar-string-like instrument, served with crispy pancetta bacon and local saffron. Risotto of Canaroli rice also had the aroma of saffron with an addition of anise, along with ricotta and salami-studded lamb ragù. (Half portions are also available.) Pork is braised slowly in Montepulciano d'Abruzzo red wine, sided with salted chicory and creamy mashed potatoes. For dessert the signature sweet here is a pan dell'Orso semi-freddo. The wine list is especially good for bottlings like Montepluciano d'Abruzzo and Trebbiano d'Abruzzo. They also serve good house wines in carafes for €5 to €6. A dinner for two, with wine, tax and service included, runs around $120. The menu has English translations. Ovid, by the way, seems to have been something of a vegetarian, writing, 'O mortals, do not pollute your bodies with food so impious as the flesh of animals! You have the fruits of the earth, you have apples, bending down the branches with their weight, and grapes swelling in ripeness on the vines, you also have sweet herb.' And apparently not much of a drinker, he insisted, "There is more refreshment and stimulation in a nap, even of the briefest, than in all the alcohol ever distilled." He didn't know what he was missing in Sulmona.

They had a teen summer romance. 26 years later, they reunited
They had a teen summer romance. 26 years later, they reunited

Yahoo

time7 hours ago

  • Yahoo

They had a teen summer romance. 26 years later, they reunited

You can listen to this story on CNN's Chance Encounters podcast. When American teenager Kerri Cunningham was dragged by her parents to Europe in the summer of 1993, she was less than impressed. Dragged might sound like dramatic wording, but that's how 14-year-old Kerri saw it at the time. Kerri reacted to the vacation plans 'from the teenage point of view of 'Oh, it's taking away from my summer break, and I want to hang out with my friends.'' Leaving her beachside hometown in the Hamptons, in New York, was the last thing she wanted. 'I was dreading the trip,' Kerri tells CNN Travel today. Looking back today, Kerri says this was all a bit of a 'spoiled brat, teenage attitude.' The trip — embarking first to the UK, then France and culminating in a two-week-bus tour around Italy — was an amazing opportunity. Kerri realizes now that she was fortunate. Her parents wanted their daughters to see the world. But it was hard to see it that way back then. All teenage Kerri could fixate on was the time away from her life in New York. Little did Kerri know this voyage to Europe would change her life forever. That she'd still feel the reverberations of this trip three decades on. A significant meeting The first few days of the trip were uneventful, at least in Kerri's mind. She sulked her way across the UK, and boarded a ferry with the other tour participants from Dover, England to Calais, France. She was glad two of her sisters were on the trip too, but she still resented being there. 'And then I saw Dirk,' recalls Kerri. 'And it instantly got better.' As the ship crossed the English Channel, and the White Cliffs of Dover retreated into the distance, Kerri's parents got chatting to an English family, the Stevenses, who were also en route to the continent to embark on the Italy bus tour. Dirk was their 15-year-old son. Like Kerri, he was a reluctant teenage tagalong to a family holiday. But then he smiled at Kerri, and everything started to look up. Kerri thought he was 'so handsome.' 'I was immediately smitten,' she admits. 'Hugh Grant was really big at that time. And he sort of had this young Hugh Grant hair. Being an American girl, Hugh Grant was the guy.' 'A bad haircut,' says Dirk today, laughing. 'But it worked at the time.' Dirk tells CNN Travel he also felt an 'instant attraction' to Kerri. He vividly remembers his first impression of her: 'Beautiful smile, dark hair, really pretty.' Before long, the two teens were sitting side-by-side, sharing headphones and listening to Kerri's Walkman music player. Their parents bonded quickly, too. 'We all just got chatting and hit it off,' recalls Dirk. 'Our dads are sort of similar guys, you know, like to take machines apart, make something new, build something, design something, have a bonfire…' As the group disembarked the ferry in France and boarded the bus to Italy — stopping off here and there en route — the two families grew even closer. 'Our dads would be in a pub somewhere or grabbing a drink, and the moms would be shopping,' recalls Kerri. Their parents' friendship helped cement Kerri and Dirk's bond, and Kerri also enjoyed observing the way Dirk interacted with his family. Dirk's dad used a wheelchair, and Dirk was often the family member who'd help his dad navigate the cobbled streets of Italy. 'Here's this 15-year-old who's pushing his dad all over Europe in this wheelchair, and not complaining about it, and getting on with it, but doing it with a smile on his face,' Kerri recalls. She noticed that Dirk seemed to always 'see the bright side of everything.' His warm, breezy attitude won her over. 'I had never met anyone my age who was so comfortable with himself and his family and so accepting of me and mine,' says Kerri. 'Everything was just easy and fun. We just got each other and there was a very strong attraction.' In the evenings, while the parents were deep in conversation and Kerri's sisters were doing their own thing, Dirk and Kerri would steal time alone. 'Us two, sneaking off…' recalls Dirk. 'There are pictures of us with bottles of champagne we'd taken at dinner.' They became 'fast friends, which became romantic,' as Dirk puts it. At one of the Italian hotels, they danced together, arm-in-arm. They always sat together at dinners, stealing glances and sharing in-jokes. 'We just felt so comfortable together,' says Dirk. 'I remember being on a gondola in Venice and just laughing the entire time.' 'I'm pretty sure we stole a few kisses when our parents weren't looking,' says Kerri. 'I thought he was the cutest boy I had ever met.' A summer to remember At the end of the two-week tour, the Cunninghams and the Stevenses promised to stay in touch. There was already talk about getting together the following summer. Still, for Dirk and Kerri, saying goodbye wasn't easy. In fact, 'it was awful,' says Dirk. 'Just as you find someone special, you have to say goodbye,' he recalls. 'But, our parents had already said we'd meet them next summer. Nothing was planned at that point, but everyone was excited for the idea.' Back in their respective hometowns on opposite sides of the Atlantic, the Cunningham family and the Stevens family remained connected. 'Mum would talk to Mom and we'd be on the phone after,' recalls Dirk. 'And Dad with Dad. Soon dates were arranged and the excitement and anticipation builds up.' A plan was in place: the Stevenses would visit New York in the following summer of 1994, and stay with the Cunninghams at their home on Long Island. As they counted down to this reunion, Dirk and Kerri exchanged letters, sending each other magazine clippings and writing dispatches about their lives on opposite sides of the Atlantic. They also enjoyed 'long phone calls with the old plug-in phones, when you had a really long extension lead so you could go and sit on the stairs or in the bathroom to try and get privacy,' as Dirk recalls. 'My dad was very strict, so I wasn't allowed to talk to many boys on the phone,' says Kerri. But Dirk was an exception. 'Unlike other boys our age, he wasn't afraid to talk to my parents on the phone,' she says. 'In fact, I think he really enjoyed it! And my parents really loved him.' For Kerri and Dirk, the 12-month countdown to their reunion only intensified their feelings for each other. 'We'd missed each other for a year, were desperate to see each other,' says Dirk. Kerri remembers the moment she saw Dirk again on Long Island in summer 1994. He smiled at her. Right away, she felt 'at home.' She loved how he greeted her, calling her 'darling.' 'I know it's an English thing,' says Kerri of the pet name. 'But when he called me 'darling' — in person, in emails or on the phone — my heart would just melt.' 'It was a very exciting time,' says Dirk of that summer in New York. Kerri and Dirk spent every moment together. They hung out at the beach together, Dirk tagged along to Kerri's summer job. They spent long evenings in each other's company. 'This was first-love stuff,' says Dirk. 'Knowing that our time together was limited, made it all the more special.' 'We loved each other and were great friends, but we lived an ocean apart and never even considered being together. I guess we thought… 'How could we?' We were just teenagers,' says Kerri. When Kerri and Dirk said goodbye at the end of Dirk's visit, they did so accepting 'that we couldn't be together,' she says. 'But knowing that we'd get to see each other again at some point,' adds Dirk. 'Yeah,' says Kerri. 'I kind of felt like, 'Oh, we'll always… we'll always…' '…Have this,' says Dirk, finishing Kerri's sentence. Changing times After their New York summer, Kerri and Dirk continued to write letters and speak to each other on the phone. But as they finished up high school, this communication gradually slowed down. Calls became 'every two months, then three months…' recalls Dirk. Then they dropped off almost completely when they graduated. It was still the mid-1990s, and there was no social media offering easy long distance back-and-forth. Staying in touch required time and effort. 'We both got busy. We loved each other, but we weren't sure when we'd get to see each other again,' says Dirk. 'We were both students that couldn't afford expensive flights. Life gets in the way.' 'We were both going to college, working, dating and our lives were moving ahead,' says Kerri. 'We were so far apart, being together just didn't seem possible.' Still, even when they weren't in touch, the two always thought of each other fondly. Plus, their parents remained connected, so Kerri and Dirk got regular secondhand updates on each other. 'Mum would pass me on information about Kerri and the family,' recalls Dirk. 'We'd catch each other every now and then.' As email became more commonplace, Kerri and Dirk would send the occasional note back and forth. They'd write, as Dirk recalls it, 'how you doing? Thought of you today. Miss you.' 'Emails were easier than phone calls,' he says. Then, in Kerri's first year of college, her father was diagnosed with ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease. When she was 19, he passed away. It was a devastating loss for Kerri and the Cunningham family. The Stevenses were also heartbroken to hear the news. Around the time of her father's death, Kerri had been supposed to go to Paris with some girlfriends. The trip got called off. Through the grapevine, Dirk's mother heard about Kerri's canceled vacation. She immediately offered a suggestion to Kerri's mother: she'd love to take Kerri and Dirk to Paris, together. Dirk's mother had studied there when she was younger, and knew the city well. It was the least she could do, she said, after the loss they'd weathered. Looking back today, Kerri suggests that Dirk's mother was also keen for Dirk to reconnect with Kerri. 'She knew how much we cared for each other and I think she wanted us to be together as much as we wanted it,' says Kerri. Kerri's mother encouraged her daughter to go. Soon, Kerri started daydreaming about Paris again. Flights were booked and hotels arranged — and Kerri and Dirk got back in regular touch. Via email, they started counting down the days until their reunion. 'All that excitement built up again,' says Dirk. Kerri hoped seeing Dirk would be a balm to her grief. And when he picked her up from the airport in February 2001, she was proven right. It was like they'd never been apart, though it had been seven years since they'd last seen each other in person. They were now in their early 20s. 'We were different, we'd grown up a bit,' says Dirk. 'Kerri was more beautiful.' 'It happened to be Valentine's Day week,' says Kerri. 'It was very romantic.' With Dirk's mother leading the way, Kerri and Dirk visited Notre Dame, took walks on the Seine, climbed the Eiffel Tower, visited the Moulin Rouge and toured the Louvre. They also went off the tourist track. 'Mum had studied Art History and languages there, so she took us to see unusual buildings, unique architecture, cafes she remembered…' says Dirk. Everywhere in Paris felt suffused with romance. The Eiffel Tower was emblazoned with a big red heart. All the restaurants had roses on the table centerpiece. 'Everywhere we went Dirk would say 'Do you like that? I ordered it special, just for you.' And his mom and I would laugh,' says Kerri. But it really did feel, recalls Kerri, like 'everything in Paris that week was for us.' 'It was magical,' she says. 'After his mom would go to bed, we'd go out and find a little bar where we would have drinks and dance and share our fears and our dreams. It was so lovely and I didn't want it to end.' The trip was perfect, but it also felt bittersweet. Kerri was grieving her father. Some part of her also saw Paris as a farewell to her teenage love for Dirk. As an adult, she felt the barriers of ever being together even more acutely. 'It just seemed impossible,' she says. Dirk and Kerri were now in their early twenties, tied to their respective home countries through jobs, friends and commitments. They said farewell at the end of the week with no plans to see one another again. 'We knew we'd keep in touch and fate would do its thing,' says Dirk. 'It's always a tough goodbye, with hugs, tears and kisses.' 'I guess it always felt like a 'vacation romance' and we told ourselves that's all it was to avoid getting hurt,' says Kerri. Different directions After Paris, Kerri went back to New York and Dirk returned to the UK. As they moved through their twenties, Kerri and Dirk both made life choices that cemented them on different paths. 'I had different girlfriends, and ended up having a baby and later getting married and having three children,' says Dirk. Meanwhile, Kerri met and fell in love with a fellow Long Islander, Dean. The Cunningham family and the Stevens family remained in touch. Kerri's mother went to Dirk's sister's wedding in the UK. Dirk's parents visited Kerri's mother in New York. And Dirk's parents attended Kerri's wedding to Dean, in the summer of 2010. 'All the families were still connected and loved each other,' says Dirk. Through their families, Kerri and Dirk learned updates about one another, and how they were navigating life's ups and downs. In 2015, Dirk's daughter was diagnosed with a rare genetic neurological and developmental disorder. Then in 2016, his mother died suddenly. And that same year, Kerri's husband Dean was diagnosed with a terminal Glioblastoma brain tumor. Dirk reached out to Kerri after hearing the news, offering his support from afar. But Kerri was swept up in hospital appointments, caring for her husband and processing the inevitable loss that was to come. 'It was 20 years after my dad…it just felt like 'This is happening again,'' recalls Kerri. 'I remember looking at my mom and my sister and just saying, 'I can't do this.' But you do it, you find the strength and you do it.' Eighteen months after his cancer diagnosis, Dean passed away. 'I lost him in 2017,' says Kerri. 'We did not have any children.' In the aftermath of Dean's passing, Kerri says her 'world turned upside down.' She didn't know how to process the loss or what to do next. A couple of years passed in a blur. Kerri fell into a relationship that didn't feel right. She agonized over the future. 'Then my aunt suggested a trip to Ireland with her to 'get away,'' says Kerri. 'Around the same time, Dirk emailed me to see how I was doing. I told him of my upcoming plans for Ireland and he asked if he and his dad could meet us there. We hadn't seen each other in 17 years.' Kerri was surprised when Dirk suggested joining her in Dublin. She said Dirk and his father were welcome to come along, but internally, she doubted they would. Kerri knew Dirk was married, with three children in the picture. She thought it was unlikely that he would board a flight to Dublin to see old family friends out of the blue. But unbeknownst to Kerri, Dirk was separated from his wife. The couple had gone through a tough time and were in the process of getting divorced. Dirk had moved in with his father. Dirk didn't mention any of this to Kerri in his emails. He didn't want to seem like he was trying to overshadow Kerri's loss. And he didn't have any specific intentions when he got back in touch. He'd just been trying to reconnect with old friends in the wake of his marriage breaking down. He knew his father would enjoy seeing Kerri, and it was easy for them to get to Ireland from their home in England. An Irish reunion Until the moment Kerri and Dirk reunited in Dublin, she didn't believe he'd come. But then, suddenly, he was in front of her. Standing there, in person, for the first time in almost two decades. 'When we saw each other, we hugged so tightly and I started crying. I realized I had never stopped loving him and, boy, was it nice to be hugged by such an old, true friend,' recalls Kerri. She surprised herself by feeling the same sentiment she'd felt when she reunited with Dirk on Long Island, in the summer of 1994: 'It felt like I was home.' Dirk felt this same feeling when he saw Kerri: a surprising certainty that everything was right with the world, despite everything they'd been through while they were apart. The two spent the rest of the day in Dublin together, with Dirk's father and Kerri's aunt completing the party. They toured the Guinness Factory and went out for dinner as a group. And as Dirk pushed his father's wheelchair through the Dublin streets, Kerri's aunt walked alongside, Kerri had a feeling of déjà vu. It felt like the summer they'd first met, touring Europe in 1993, 'like we were teenagers again. Just exploring a city with our chaperones.' They were only together for a couple of days, but during this time, Kerri and Dirk opened up to each other. She told Dirk about her unhappiness and uncertainty amid her grief. He told her about his marriage breakdown. 'As old friends do, we talked — about all the good and bad going on in our lives — and the truth came out,' says Kerri. 'It felt like some divine intervention that we were there for each other.' 'That holiday, the time we spent, was just perfect, and it was just what we both needed, unknowingly, perhaps,' says Dirk. It helped that their long history led to an easy comfort, even after years apart. They felt able to be totally honest with each other. 'It was very freeing to just be with someone that you trust and spill your guts to them,' says Kerri. Perhaps it was Kerri and Dirk's ease with one another that explained why, everywhere they went, strangers assumed they were a couple. 'In a pub, just having a conversation in a queue…they're like, 'Oh my God. How long have you two been together? You're the nicest couple we've ever met,'' recalls Dirk. 'And we're like, 'No, we're not. We're old friends, and we just came with my dad and her aunt.'' The two laughed off strangers' assumptions, but both wondered if there was something in them. As they readied themselves to say goodbye, both Kerri and Dirk hoped this wouldn't be goodbye forever. And then, before Kerri left for the airport, Dirk decided to take a chance: he told Kerri he loved her. 'Maybe we can make this work?' he asked her. For Kerri, this was the decisive moment. It was scary and unknown, but she felt she should take a leap of faith into a life with Dirk. She knew she loved him too. 'I knew I had to give us a real chance, because something much bigger had brought us back together,' she says today. 'Continuing the journey' The leap of faith paid off. Today, six years since they reunited in Ireland, Kerri and Dirk are a couple, now in their forties, living life together, as a team. Kerri's job still ties her to the US, while Dirk's kids live with him fulltime, so he's in the UK. But the couple make the back and forth work. Kerri splits her time across the Atlantic, and loves spending time with Dirk's children. She says getting to know them has been 'a real gift.' In the six years since they reunited, Kerri and Dirk have helped each other rebuild their lives, embrace the present and embark on a new future together. 'Needless to say, both of our families were over the moon,' adds Kerri. Dirk's father recently passed away, but before he died, he told Kerri she was the best thing that happened to his son. Kerri's mother, who is in her eighties, is also very supportive. When Kerri told her she'd reunited with Dirk, Kerri's mother told her their love story was 'written in the stars.' 'While she doesn't love me being so far away most of the year, she knows that I am where I'm meant to be,' says Kerri. While Kerri and Dirk wish that her father and his mother had also lived to see them finally get together, Kerri believes they know. She feels their presence, their influence in her life, all the time. 'We have lots of angels that look over us,' Kerri says, referring to all the loved ones she and Dirk have lost, including her late husband, Dean, who she'll always hold close to her heart. 'Dean and I, we traveled all around the world, and we did fun stuff, and he lived an amazing life as well. I'm forever grateful for those years,' Kerri says, reflecting that 'Dean would be very happy' to see where she is today. Navigating the loss of her late husband also helped Kerri have the courage to embrace her new chapter with Dirk. While she always felt safe and comfortable with Dirk, she knew any relationship comes with risk, with its challenges and uncertainties. 'But after Dean died, I said, 'I'm not afraid of anything, because I feel like I've been through the worst thing possible,'' recalls Kerri. 'If this doesn't work, then it doesn't work.' And when Dirk makes her laugh and makes her smile, Kerri embraces that happiness wholeheartedly and gratefully, not taking any of it for granted. 'We always have fun,' Kerri says of her life with Dirk. 'You can't be sad forever. Life goes on, and I think everybody deserves to be happy…and the hard times are always the hardest when you're in them and you realize how strong you know we all are. We're all a lot stronger than we think we are.' Together, Kerri and Dirk's attitude to life is to 'accept and enjoy the journey,' as Dirk puts it. 'Enjoy the journey,' echoes Kerri. 'That's how we started. We started out on a journey. And we met each other.' 'And now we're just continuing the journey,' says Dirk. 'Let the universe take you along. You know, it will guide you where you're meant to go.' Kerri adds — jokingly — that the moral of their story is 'go on a trip with your parents when you're a teenager, even if you don't want to.' But more seriously, Kerri suggests it's 'allow yourself to be happy, and to be open to the universe.' 'We were always meant to be together,' she says of Dirk. 'We are twin flames that found our way back to each other after all those years.' Editor's Note: This article was originally published in April 2025. It was republished in July 2025 to include a new episode of CNN's Chance Encounters podcast focused on Kerri and Dirk's love story Solve the daily Crossword

These $100 Linen Pants Were a Lifesaver for 90-degree Days in Tuscany—and I Found 9 Similar Styles From $30
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Travel + Leisure

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  • Travel + Leisure

These $100 Linen Pants Were a Lifesaver for 90-degree Days in Tuscany—and I Found 9 Similar Styles From $30

When I was packing for a summer trip to Italy, with 90-degree forecasts ahead, I knew I needed one staple that could handle it all. Enter the Madewell Zoe Relaxed Wide Pant, a 100 percent linen style that quickly became the MVP of my suitcase. With a high-rise waist and breezy wide-leg silhouette, they're lightweight, easy to move in, and polished enough to wear just about anywhere—especially when fabrics like denim feel too heavy. In Tuscany, I paired these comfy Madewell pants with a white tank top, comfy sneakers, and sunglasses for a casual wine tour, and despite the blazing sun, the airy fabric kept me cool all day. Later in the summer, I packed them again for a weekend in the Hamptons—this time dressing them up with heels, a strapless top, a navy cardigan, and a statement necklace to watch the sunset by the water. Two totally different vibes, same pair of pants, which speaks to just how versatile they really are. $128 $100 at Even better? These linen pants are currently on sale for under $100. And if you're looking for more budget-friendly options (or want to stock up), I found a handful of breezy lookalikes starting at just $25. Keep scrolling to shop the best lightweight travel pants for warm-weather destinations. With a breezy cropped fit and on-trend barrel-leg silhouette, these 100 percent linen pants from Madewell are a stylish alternative to basic trousers. The pull-on waistband makes them ultra comfortable for long travel days, while the structured cut adds polish whether you're strolling through a Mediterranean village or heading out for a summer dinner. Pair them with a relaxed button-down and leather sandals for daytime, or add a fitted tank and wedges for a night out. A true go-anywhere pair, these wide-leg stretch linen trousers are a favorite for their breathable feel and clean, tailored look. The high-rise cut works well with tucked-in tops, and you can even add a belt for a more refined finish. One reviewer called them 'the perfect summer trousers'—and they're not wrong. Wear them with sneakers for sightseeing in Europe, or style them with the matching vest for a work-to-weekend set that's equal parts sleek and effortless. If you want lightweight travel pants that hold up in the heat but won't break the bank, reviewers swear by this $30 Amazon pair. Made from a breathable linen-cotton blend, shoppers report wearing them in hot climates like Vietnam, Singapore, and Houston—ideal for staying cool if you prefer pants over shorts. The cropped fit makes them easy to pair with sneakers, strappy sandals, or slides, and they strike the perfect balance between comfort and looking put together, even after hours of walking. These pleated linen trousers look far more expensive than they are, thanks to their elegant tailoring and premium 100 percent European flax. The elastic waistband adds hidden comfort, while the pleats and drape elevate them for polished settings—think summer work events, outdoor dinners, or even light packing for an Italian vacation. Style them with loafers and a tucked-in blouse for city days or wear them with a linen tank for breezy afternoons. Classic pinstripes meet a warm-weather update in these wide-leg trousers, made with a lightweight blend of viscose and linen. These are a great pick if you want to transition easily from airport lounge to business lunch. Try them with a crisp white shirt and flats for a smart travel-day look. $90 $60 at Sleek and high-rise, the Abercrombie Tailored Wide-leg Pants strike the perfect balance between vacation ease and workwear polish. The clean silhouette and subtle drape make them an easy go-to for elevated dinners, museum days, or stylish airport outfits. Pair them with a bodysuit and strappy heels for an evening out or a cropped knit tank and sneakers for sightseeing. The extra-wide leg on these Harlow trousers gives them an ultra-relaxed, breezy feel—just what you want when traveling in humid destinations. The subtle pinstripes give the flowy pants some structure, making them easy to dress up with a button-up or down with a tee and sandals. They pack down light and are roomy enough to stay comfortable during long-haul flights or hot-weather wanderings. Plus, they're $67 off. $90 $30 at Banana Republic Factory These linen-blend drawstring pants are your answer to summer travel comfort. Lightweight and breathable, they have the kind of easygoing style you'll want to throw on for morning coffee runs, travel days, or post-beach dinners. The drawstring waist gives them a relaxed feel, but the tailored leg keeps the silhouette clean. Style them with a breezy top and slides for a laid-back but put-together vibe. And, with the 50 percent extra discount at checkout—on top of the already discounted price—they're only $30 right now. Straight-leg and simple, these $30 linen-blend pants are made for travel days when you want comfort without sacrificing style. The minimalist cut pairs well with tanks, breezy blouses, or swimsuits if you're heading to the beach. They're lightweight enough to wear while sightseeing in the heat and easy to dress up with gold jewelry and leather sandals once the sun sets. Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we'll send you our favorite travel products each week.

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