Visiting Grandpa Ben in my teens in Aix-en-Provence and La Jolla was nothing like my awe-inspiring visit in Milan. Gone was the frisson of excitement at being invited to enter hallowed ground where only the rich can tread. His two homes were modest.

As a teenager and young adult, I gladly traded the thrill of opulence for the peaceful enjoyment of spending time with my late-blooming Grandpa Ben.

Read more about these visits in Grandpa Ben’s Palazzos.