Leonardo and The Informant

This morning we attended a tour of the Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit - inventor, artist, scientist, engineer, sculptor, anatomist, biologist, musician, architect, philosopher...he was all of these things, but the exhibition was disappointing. It was organized by AWAR and we had an Italian guide who spoke English - which is altogether different than having an English speaking guide. The problem was that many of the models on display were not that impressive and it was difficult for our guide to bring them to life for us. Furthermore, a timeline and any real contextual information was missing from the exhibit, so it was difficult to get a clear picture of what Leonardo actually invented first and what was a mere improvement on an already existing design. Still, it was held in a beautiful Palazzo and we met some interesting people on the tour.

Afterwards, we met with Josh's newest cycling buddy and his wife for a coffee (or a fresh squeezed orange juice). They are a really interesting couple and have two boys - one just a little younger than Avery and a newborn. Both are originally from Naples but have lived all over Italy as well as spending time elsewhere in the EU and a year in San Diego.

We ate a late lunch at home in our garden. And planned our first family vacation to Puglia which take place in 3 weeks time when the kids all have a week off from school.

After homework, and dinner, and swim practice, Josh and I decided to go to a movie. That's right, a good '0le night out just like home. We saw Matt Damon in Steven Soderberg's "The Informant" and really enjoyed it. How odd to walk out after the show and immediately see the obelisk in the Piazza del Popolo - to be reminded that we are in Rome, and not Chicago.

Happy Anniversary

After working out this morning at the brand-spanking new AquAniene gym, Josh and I rode our bikes to a neighborhood spot, just 2 blocks away and enjoyed an "anniversary lunch" complete with wine. I just can't say enough about how good the wine is here. Any wine, anywhere is bound to be good and sometimes even great! For the first time in Italy, we had a "buffet" for lunch - a very American concept. You don't see these too often in Italy; at least we haven't to this point. It was a perfectly beautiful day (again) and it felt really nice to enjoy the day, the food, the company and not have to worry about work. I really had a feeling of complete liberation, as if I had not a care in the world - perhaps - for the first time since my retirement earlier this year. Or, maybe it was just the wine?

Now, let me make some random observations about the way things are done in Rome....and some things we can learn from them:

- In the area of environmental conservation, they do a couple of smart things here. First, at the grocery store, you must bring your own bag(s) for your purchases, otherwise you pay .05 euro for each plastic bag you use. Very smart. I wonder what happens if you raise the price to a quarter?

- There are no stacks of towels for your use at the gym - you must bring your own (same concept as the grocery store). In some gyms, they will issue one bath towel and one gym towel per person per visit. There are also gyms where if you don't want to bring your own (or you forget) you can pay 1euro per towel to use theirs. This is really a powerful way to conserve water (and energy). How many times have you seen ladies (perhaps the men too, but I can't say for sure) use 10 towels during one visit to the East Bank Club locker room?

- In the sanitary department, there are also some good examples that come from the gym and the grocery store. At the grocery store, you must first don a plastic glove before touching the produce. All produce is then weighed and priced in the produce section and not at the register (like Treasure Island).

- Swimming and water aerobics are all the rage now. Young and old, everyone is getting in the water these days. They even have a class called "hydrobike" where you're riding a bike in the pool. But no one is allowed in the pool unless they have their swim caps on. Men, women and children... no loose hair in the pool!

- Lastly, in the area of appearances, no one "does" wet hair out of the locker room. It doesn't matter if it's the little 7-year old girls after a swim lesson, or competitive athletes, or mature women. No one leaves the locker room without drying their hair. Since it's 80 degrees every day (and 70 degrees at night), you know it can't be about the weather. Now that's attention to appearances.

So this evening after the kids had dinner, Josh and I strolled out in to our neighborhood in search of an aperitivo. The Lord Byron Hotel is just around the corner - unfortunately their lounge is underground in the lower level and we had something al fresco in mind. In Piazza Euclide there are a number of restaurants and lounges and so we picked one for toasting our anniversary. And, in Italian style, we were dressed for the occasion.

Parla Italiano?

It was a rough night for Avery (and hence us). He was not feeling well, thought he might need to "spit up" and clearly had a sore throat. Subsequently, it became tough to get up in the morning, and if the parents don't get up, the kids don't get up.

Eventually though, everyone was up, clothed, fed and out the door to school. Now it was time for me to get ready to go to school. Today I would be registering for my Italian classes and taking a placement exam.

I hopped on my bike and found the building which houses the school, no problem, on Via de Due Macelli near the Piazza di Spagna. All of the administrators were extremely nice and spoke perfect English (I wish that were the case at RIS). I met with a teacher who said "parliamo Italiano un po" so she could get a sense of my (lack of) ability. She is from the North and was very easy for me to understand. Unfortunately, I just don't have an extensive enough vocabulary nor a knowledge of the verb tenses to REALLY have a conversation.

After the oral portion, I was given a written exam (with several, more advanced, sections crossed out) to complete in 40 minutes. I thought it was very difficult and just underscores how much I have to learn. So now I wait. I will be contacted with my placement and class details.

The school, Italiaidea, was offering a tour of the neighborhood and an orientation later in the afternoon. Many of its students travel here to Rome just to study the language full time, and the school also offers a residence program where accommodations can be arranged.

Back home for lunch, here in Rome, I forgot I was supposed to be fasting. The rest of the day was not too exciting: shopping - for groceries and kitchen appliances, making dinner - my first try at grilled Calamari, which was not too bad, playing with Avery, and picking up Charlotte from swim practice.

It's been exactly four weeks since we arrived here in Rome. I feel like we've been here for 6 months. We've done a lot, we've seen a lot, we've settled in!

Ostia Antica

Just 30km from Rome, Ostia was a thriving port city dating back to the 7th century B.C.!! On Sunday, we decided to visit this ancient city to see the ruins. In addition to the ruins, Ostia boasts a medieval castle which we thought would be cool for the kids to see.

We visited the castle first, but unfortunately the top floor (which apparently had just been struck by lightning) was closed and much of the rest of the castle was a non-event. By now, everyone was hungry for lunch so we landed in a fancy pizzeria. At 12:30, we were the first guests to arrive. The pizza maker had just begun to warm the oven with hot embers. This is the thing about lunch in Italy, no one eats it before 1pm. And even at 1pm, you're early.

After we ate, we were off to Ostia Antica. The city - and therefore it's ruins - are vast, at least by ancient standards. From the entrance to the other end of town was easily 5k (so 10k round trip). First you pass by the cemetery and tombs. Then there is a section of some warehouses before you get to the baths and the gym. Yes, even the ancient Romans knew about exercise and sauna! These were the formal baths and the mosaics on the floors were largely intact and beautiful. Shortly, you come to the amazing (Greek) Theater and it's surrounding temples. The kids had fun putting on a mock show on the stage (this was a new stage which appeared to be currently in use).

Further down the road was the commercial area of Ostia. The residences are thought to have been situated above the shops. Then there were more public baths and of course, my favorite, the public lavatories. We located them just in time because Avery really needed to pee.

I found the ruins fascinating. I loved imagining the people of that time, dressed in togas, carrying about their daily business. At the fish-mongers shop, there was a stone tank built out from the wall and across from it, a marble table that was used for cleaning the fish. It was like it could have been used yesterday, not 2000 years ago.

Despite all of my excitement (or maybe in spite of it), Josh (his leg still on the mend) and the kids were wiped out. It's not easy to walk on those ancient roads of stone. Olivia stumbled on the way back and badly skinned her knee. With all the scrapes and bruises she's sustained since we arrived in Italy, her legs look like that of an ancient warrior(ess).

Upon returning to our villa, it was nap time! Morris arrived at 5pm to make dinner and we relaxed in the garden and enjoyed our meal. Tonight was Kol Nidre, and so it should've been our last meal before the fast...

While the kids watched a movie, Josh and I went out for a passeggiata (a little walk). We shared a gelato near Campo de Fiori and then walked towards the Synagogue. Services had let out and the Jewish community of Rome was hanging out. No where to go and nothing to do (you can't eat), but stand around and socialize with each other. Everyone looked happy. Security was heavy around the Synagogue - in fact we were not allowed to enter the perimeter.

On the other side of the Synagogue, is the Teatro de Marcello, where tonight was the last night of the outdoor music series. So we stood and watched a pianist, oblivious to the throngs of Jews kibbitzing nearby, playing Chopin to a relatively small audience.

It's always wonderful to stroll around Rome in the evening - you never know what you'll find.

Beach Day!

We decided to take advantage of the fabulous weather we are having and hit the beach. The kids too had been begging to go. It appears to be their favorite "outing;" more so than seeing art, churches, or the ruins of antiquity. We had wanted to drive to Sabaudia in order to try a different beach, and one that everyone has told us is beautiful - but then we discovered that it's 100k away and that just seemed too far to go for us today. So we went back to Fregene. I really love the feel of this beach town. It's so relaxed, and quaint. The beach itself is lined with beach clubs that rent chairs and umbrellas and serve all kinds of food so you can take your pick. It's a huge sandy beach that stretches for miles (or kilometers) although the sand is not of the white variety. It's more like charcoal gray. The water is wonderful and there are perfect shells everywhere even though this place obviously gets its share of traffic being so close to Rome.

It's clear that Avery is most happy when he is free to RUN and play and get dirty...that is, until he gets tired. The new "no napping" schedule is taking a toll on both him and his parents. Still, we had a nice time, ate pizza on the beach for lunch, took turns taking naps and went in to town (Fregene) to have gelato before heading home.

Tonight, Morris sent his "associate", Rita (from Sri Lanka) to make dinner for us and we enjoyed a lovely chicken curry out in our garden. Once everyone was sated, we had a viewing of "The Devil Wears Prada" on our rear projection movie screen.

We've lived here for almost a month now; so here is a list of the things we like most about our new home (the villa itself):

1. The GARDEN and eating outside ALL the time

2. We have 5! bathrooms, so everyone can have their own (which actually comes in handy).

3. Soon we'll have 6 bathrooms when the room in the basement is ready for guests

4. Olivia and Charlotte sharing a room - BY CHOICE

5. Our "screening room" for watching movies. Even though it only comfortably seats three.

6. Our own parking space.

7. The bidets (I know it seems bathrooms are a focus here, but the bidet is a really useful device for all kinds of cleaning with kids)

8. Only one TV with no English channels on it (yet) means no overuse of TV and no DISNEY.

9. The beautiful natural sun light that floods all the rooms. This Villa has many windows and glass doorways, a glass enclosed room (sunroom) and even glass roofs is some places.

10. The tile floors on the main level

So there you have it for this Saturday. What will we do tomorrow? We'll have to decide in the morning but the list of choices is long.

Friday

Friday was just an ordinary day. We had "housekeeping" to take care of at home in the morning and then Josh and I took off for a bike ride around town.

Later, we picked the kids up from school and drove straight to the orthodontist - where we waited for 30 minutes (with Olivia and Avery at the end of a long week and in a small waiting room...do you see the issue here?). After some discussion with the orthodontist (who didn't understand why Charlotte had her braces mounted before all her adult teeth had come in) she did get her braces adjusted and we were free to go.

Morris was cooking dinner for us tonight so Josh and I were free to drive Charlotte to swim practice, and at the same time, I decided to join AquAniene's "palestra" (gym). Can't wait to start and fit a work in regularly between meals!

AWAR

Today was the Fall kick-off event for the American Women's Association in Rome (AWAR). I was invited as a guest by a friend and member so I could check it out. The affair was a garden party held at the home of the Deputy Chief of Mission to Italy. The home and garden were stunning (how nice it must be to land these digs on your overseas assignment) however many of the guests complained because this event has traditionally been held at the U. S. Ambassador's residence which of course is even nicer. Mrs. Thorne, the ambassador's wife was present however and was introduced by the DCM.

It was a beautiful morning and it was fun to be the "new kid on the block" and meet some intelligent American women, many of whom have been living here for 20 years or more. Apparently there are about 300 members of AWAR and about 20% are non-native English speakers (as is allowed by charter). The Association has many clubs and hosts many events throughout the year. According to my friend, one of the best benefits of the organization is the "on-line resource board." It's fantastic anytime you need something ie. a recommendation for a pediatrician or dentist, or to hire a plumber, you just send an email which goes out to the membership and you get dozens of responses.

I feel like I'm getting in to the swing of things here now, and meeting some people. I ran in to several women whom I'd already met through RIS at the event. It was a good opportunity to gossip about the school. The Italians are unabashed in their ability to thread a good story. But more on that later. In fact, there were several administrators from RIS in attendance as they are a sponsor of AWAR. Other schools with representatives present included AOSR (American Overseas School of Rome) and St. Stephens. There were also other sponsors with tables, such as an Italian language school (need that), a holiday villa rental agent (want that), and an English speaking hair salon (will need that too). So I felt like it was a very enjoyable and productive morning.

The service was white-gloved and impeccable, and the snacks were super tasty too. Afterwards, I walked home to meet up with my cyclist husband who was absolutely stoked that on his first bike ride in Rome (meaning not cycling with me, but riding a real bike for a serious distance), he ran in to a former director of a Russian-based International cycling team. Not only do they speak the same language (cyclismo) and will he be a good riding pal for Josh, but he has a son Avery's age and wants to get the boys together so his son will learn English.

You quickly realize that as much as you feel like an "outsider" with the Italian going on all around you. The minute you're introduced as "the American," many want to be your friend for your English skills alone. And that goes for your kids, too. All those people - men, women and children - who have been learning English (and there are a few) want someone to practice with for free. That's were we come in.

After school today, it was time to attend the class meeting for Avery's class. Again, we like his teacher and her philosophy very much. But she did (as a non-parent) have a lot of advice for the parents about what time we should put the kids to bed, limiting their TV time before bed, how much time they should spend on the computer and what they should be eating. It's not that I disagreed with her on any of her suggestions, but it was interesting that these topics were even addressed in a school setting.

This time, because the girls both had swim practice tonight, we excused ourselves from the meeting early (actually we excused ourselves on time, but the meeting was running late) and still - for the third time - after we'd already stood up to leave, the teacher asked if I wanted to volunteer for class rep. before going.

Earlier in the day at the AWAR event, I did get a little perspective on why I've been asked to be a class rep. (now three times). I was also asked by each of the Middle School Vice-President and the Lower School Head to join their respective PTAs. One reason they really want Americans is because not all of the parents at the school speak English; therefore, should they have any complaints to register (which is mainly what this is about) they would first have to articulate their issues in English to an American. As a result, having an American class rep. may cut down on the complaints that get filed with the Board. Also, it's now clear that the position is a pain-in-the-ass, and the old-timers want to get a new, unsuspecting parent to volunteer for the job. Finally, there is the desire to have an unbiased party - not someone with declared alliances, and this is where it begins to get petty and we get to the gossip portion of school politics.

In any case, I'm glad I've now escaped thrice with only a vague and nebulous "assistant" title for the third grade. Judging by some of the parents, they should be in third grade themselves.

A quiet day

How lovely the garden is in our peaceful Parioli neighborhood when the construction crew is on vacation. The site seemed dormant today - maybe yesterday's prayers were answered!

Josh and I are exploring Rome by bike, and today we rode over to the Prati neighborhood which is known for it's wide boulevards, Franco-Roman architecture, and shopping. We even found a north/south bike path over there. Our neighborhood, the Parioli, is just north of the Villa Borghese. Prati is due West of the Piazza del Popolo - just across the Tevere - and is therefore sort of adjacent to Parioli.

One store located on Cola di Rienzo in the Prati neighborhood and well-known by foreigners, is called Castroni and carries all sorts of international foods. The store is organized by cuisine type: Mexican, German, French, Asian, American, etc. and it was really fun to explore. In the "American" section you could find (crap) peanut butter, pop-tarts, cake and pancake mix. But we're not missing Betty Crocker enough (or at all) to spend 5.50euros for a small box of pancake mix.

There is also a major department store, Coin, located on the same street, along with all kinds of clothing, home goods, and jewelry stores. We were interested in inspecting the "local" prices instead of those found in the more touristy centro. My conclusion is as follows: the only inexpensive items to be had in Italy right now are prosciutto, parmesan cheese and mozzarella di bufalo. And that's about all. At least we are eating well.

The kids came home from school today absolutely bushed. Avery was catatonic and proceeded to nap for three hours, missing dinner. Perhaps the long days and activities have caught up with him. He is so adorable and sweet though AFTER his naps.

Charlotte, too, was whining about being tired and thus, skipped swim practice to call it an early night.

Olivia, as always, complained about doing her homework and wanted to take whatever shortcuts possible. Such is life with three very different little personalities.

A presto

Jackhammers

We knew about the construction site across the street from our Villa prior to our arrival (Googlemaps is awesome). The "project" has been going on for several years but appeared to be largely dormant. While it's not pretty to look at, we don't see it from our home thanks to the high wall around our patio garden. Since our arrival, there has been some intermittent activity, but the noise was limited to an hour or two a day. That is...until today.

All of a sudden, this project to create an underground parking structure has swung into full gear. The jackhammers began right after breakfast. I was thoroughly depressed. One of the reasons we only took this house for a month initially was to be sure that any issues relating to the construction site were tolerable. Not.

It seems all things in Rome start in earnest by the third week of September. Summer break doesn't conclude until mid-month (Italian school started the 14th) and then it takes another week or so to get semi-organized (organized is a relative term here). So here we are, September 22nd - after we've agreed to extend the lease - with a massive headache. We should've known...

Josh paid a visit across the street and was lucky enough to speak to the foreman. The last time he went by the site, the day worker didn't even know what was being built, let alone the schedule. Upon inquiry, we learned that at one point the workers burst through a water pipe that flowed all the way to the Trevi Fountain and work stopped for a year. That pipe has now been repaired - and the Rosenbergs have now arrived - so construction is back on. Currently, they are tackling the roof which is too high, so they have to bust up the cinder block walls to lower it. The really unbelievable part is that this is their third try. First, the roof was too low, so they raised it. Now it's too high, so they are lowering it. I am not making this up!

For those of you who have paid us a visit in Chicago in the last couple of years, you will know that there is a home being built next to our apartment building. Another project that is taking (much) longer than expected. So we've gone half way around the world to live next to yet another construction project? Can you imagine my despair?!?

In speaking to the foreman, Josh learned that work can commence as early as 7:30 in the morning (although they won't usually begin before 8:30 "out of respect for the neighbors"), and will continue until around 2pm at which point they take a 2 hour break, before continuing until 6 or 7pm. HOLY ****!!!

I had to get out of the house. We got on our bikes and rode to the top of the Spanish Steps. There we visited the French church Trinita' dei Monti. For the very first time, I kneeled in a pew and clasped my hands together in prayer in a Catholic church. "Please let the jackhammers stop!" We are in a Catholic country, after all, and maybe my prayers will be answered if I respect their tradition. In any case, I felt better just being away from the noise.

We rode to Piazza Farnese to meet a new American friend for a cappuccino. We were put in touch by a mutual friend from New York. James is an art dealer and he has been living here with his family for 7 years and loves it. His children are older now but his eldest was Charlotte's age when they first arrived in Rome. James commiserated with us as his first apartment in Rome was above a late night discotheque. Subsequently, he rented a beautiful place in a great location only to have the tenants living above him begin construction on their roof. All of sudden one day, he couldn't open his window shutters because there was scaffolding obstructing. He moved three months before the lease was up. Such is life here in Rome.

We chatted for quite a long while so by the time Josh and I returned to our Villa for lunch it was already past 2pm. All was quiet and we ate lunch outside in the garden. Just as we finished, the jackhammer was back. But wait, it wasn't 4 0'clock yet. What's going on?

Josh went out to speak to his new friend, Marino, the foreman. According to Marino, today was a special case. This particular work they have to do is an "emergency" and so while, upon request, they will wait to continue until 4pm, but that will only mean they will need to work later in the day to complete the job. Marino told Josh that the work near the street (which is directly opposite our entrance) and the use of the jackhammers in particular will only continue another "week or so." Afterwards, the work will take place in the back (away from the street side) and below ground and so there will be significantly less noise.

So now the big question is, do we believe him? Or rather, how can he know the level of noise when twice they've built the structure too low or too high? Given all we know, there may not be much hope.

Today was also the Grade 3 meeting at RIS. Like the Grade 8 presentation we attended last week for Charlotte, the meeting was informative but not without conflict. There are two classes in Olivia's grade and we really like Olivia's teacher who has been at the school for 18 years. The issue at hand in the meeting today related to the other Grade 3 class, and was a fascinating Italian sociological study. We learned that the other Grade 3 teacher, whom everyone thought was the teacher, is really only the substitute teacher, during the maternity leave of the actual teacher, who just in August adopted four children, but the parents were only recently and unofficially informed of this development. The parents insisted the school should ensure continuity for their children, therefore teachers should not be changed mid-stream. There was chaos and near pandemonium as everyone wanted to be heard on the subject, and many adamantly expressed their doubts about the ability of a new mother (of four no less) to focus on her work instead of her children (what if one of her children becomes ill?). That is, if she returns to work at all. Hard to imagine this topic being discussed in such (personal) detail in an open forum in the States. Also, hard to imagine an administrator (head of the lower school) entertaining the discussion and not putting it to an end.

Finally, each class elects a representative to the Board of the School. Last week, when we attended the Grade 8 meeting and it was time to elect the class representative, everyone turned around and looked at me (I was seated in the back of the room). Several parents asked if I was interested. I thought it was strange. They don't even know me and I certainly don't know the school. Fortunately, another woman volunteered her husband and that was that.

Oddly, the same thing happened today in the Grade 3 meeting. Last time I had asked a few questions, but this time, I hadn't even opened my mouth. I sat as quite as a church mouse during the whole meeting. Yet all eyes were on me. I tried to make my way towards the exit (we were to meet with the Italian teacher at this time), but was followed by another parent who introduced herself and said she is really busy and can I please be the class rep? Then, even the teacher asked if I would do it.

To make a long story short, after much back and forth, I agreed to be the "assistant" class representative - we'll see how that works. But what's really going on here? Do they immediately just want "the American" to do it because they want the American approach? Or is it such a heinous task that they figure they'll sucker someone else in to doing it? And why not, in this class, one of the other Americans present? Is there something about my face that just screams "class rep"?

It's late and I better get some rest before the jackhammers start again in the morning.

Sometime this year

Not much to report today. Josh and I worked out this morning and then had lunch in the neighborhood. After lunch, we did a big grocery shop.

We seem to really go through a lot of food in this house. Or, is it the same amount of food that just requires more trips to the store? Last Thursday I bought what I thought was a huge amount of groceries, and we were eating scraps by Sunday. Part of the reason is that we can't buy more than will fit in the refrigerator. Ours is actually on the large side by Italian standards, but smaller than you'd find in most American homes. The other reason is that the best food here is fresh, and food without preservatives doesn't last long. So you need to go to the grocery several times a week just because the prosciutto you bought on Monday, doesn't taste as good anymore by Thursday. This is especially true for bread. They are not big on the bread that we consume in America that lasts for weeks and is great for toast and sandwiches. Freshly baked is the way to go. It's hard to get through a loaf before it's stale.

Today is the first day of after school activities at RIS, and Avery is trying football (it's football in "British" but called Calcio in Italian). I hesitated signing him up for anything after school since this is the first time he has gone to school for whole day and is therefore without a nap. I thought he'd be tired by the time he came home from school at 4pm each day. I was wrong. Last week, he had so much pent-up energy; in fact he was aggressive. So I decided he should put all that energy toward football and running around the gym, instead of hitting his family members. It's only day 1 but it seems to have worked. He's asleep :)

Charlotte and Olivia had swim practice today. Charlotte reported that they swam a really tough set. In general, she thinks the practices are tougher here than in Chicago. Swim attire is different here too. No one wears Crocs - which were all the rage in the States. The Italian athletes where flip-flops (but not the kind with the toe-divider, the kind with a thick band that you slide your whole foot through) and robes. All of Charlotte's teammates have robes with the team name - Aniene - stitched on them. Charlotte's friend told her you get one for being on the team. So today, Charlotte asked her friend (who speaks English) to ask the coach when she (Charlotte) can get her robe. The coach replied "I'll give her one sometime this year."

And that about sums it up here in Rome...

Four Seasons ?

We woke up Sunday morning with no place to go and no where to be...so we didn't. We stayed home! It rained on and off, the kids watched a movie, Josh finished unpacking his gear, I puttered around (and did some blogging). It was nice to have a mellow day. But the best part was, that at 6pm, Morris was coming over so Josh and I could go to town alone.

The plan was to grab an early bite (7pm IS early by Roman standards) and then go the Teatro Marcello, outdoors and set among ancient pillars and Roman ruins - a marvelous backdrop - to hear Vivaldi's Four Seasons. When we arrived, we were informed the concert was moved indoors to a church around the corner due to the weather. It wasn't raining this evening, but the rain earlier in the day had led to this decision. The musicians had to protect their precious instruments. After walking down the street to the Church, we decided to skip Vivaldi, lovely as the concert would have been outdoors, sitting on a pew in a church was less appealing - particularly since we'd been inside all day and the temperature this evening was a perfect 75 degrees.

We took advantage of our location and walked up the steps to the Capidoglio. From there we had a perfect view of the Forum. Rome is nice during the day, but when lit up at night, it is really special.

I recalled seeing a flyer for a Flamenco performance in the Piazza Navona for tonight. So we decided to check it out. It's always fun to find music impromptu and while the Piazza was full, it was not unbearably crowded. Sure we reminisced that we'd seen better Flamenco in Seville, but hey, we're in Rome.

On a day like today, how can you tell a Roman from a (well-dressed) tourist? The Roman is wearing suede boots or stilettos (or stiletto boots) and the tourist is wearing sandals. It is 75 degrees after all. It's clear that Romans dress for the season and not for the weather. Perhaps this is pervasive in other areas without defined seasons (like LA for example?), but we've really had quite a chuckle when passing by men and women who are wearing light winter jackets and scarves during the 85 degree days. The fashion statement for the men this season is a sleeveless jacket - a vest of sorts with several outside pockets. I think Josh would look snazzy in one too -once it gets below 60.

So maybe it was fitting that we skipped the Four Seasons (Vivaldi) because we came to Rome to skip the four seasons - even if the Romans don't.

Going to the school picnic - or not?

The RIS lower school picnic was set for Bomarzo on Saturday. We were to meet other families in the "car park" between 11 and 11:30. We were excited to go, since we had planned to go to Bomarzo with the kids a couple of weekends earlier, but never made it because we were having so much fun swimming at a friends pool. So when we discovered the picnic was to be held there, we thought it all worked out perfectly.

Unfortunately, (if you read yesterday's blog, you are already aware) I was not feeling too well Saturday morning. In addition, Josh had a couple of errands that he needed to run before departing for Bomarzo. Somehow, surprising, by the time I sat down in the car, picnic ready and loaded, it was 11:15am. Bomarzo is an hours drive (90km). Oh well, Italians are always late and the picnic would be going on for hours so off we went.

Things went rapidly downhill from there (and by "downhill" I do not mean to say we got there more quickly). First, I made a tactical error and advised Josh to drive up the Cassia. It was Saturday, afterall, and why would there be any traffic on the commuter street on a Saturday? Wrong! Shortly, we were sitting in bumper to bumper traffic, and then Josh reminded me that Saturday was a big shopping day in Italy since most stores are closed on Sundays. And so it was.

Once we were able to get off the Cassia, we were motoring ahead on the Autostrada, but with the constant bickering of our three children in the backseat as foreground noise. Olivia was without electronic entertainment for the day (as part of an earlier punishment) and she quickly proceeded to make that everyone else's problem. Then there was no sharing. Then there was arguing. Then there was physical contact. You get the picture. This crescendoed right up until the yelling overshadowed Lola's voice on the GPS telling us to exit the A1.

Well, one thing we learned about the Autostrada (besides the fact that it's insanely expensive compared to driving on an American highway) is that if you miss your exit, the next one is often not for another 30km. And that was the case today. So now, intstead of arriving at Bomarzo at the original delayed time of 12:15 which was pushed back to 12:35 due to our stay on the Cassia, if we were to turn around at the next exit and go back, according to Lola's clock, we'd arrive Bomarzo at 1:05pm. Furthermore, the list of (loud) complaints from the little people in the backseat included hunger and starvation.

On the plus side, the next exit (the one that was 30km away) was Orvieto. Should we pass up Orvieto and it's spectacular Duomo to be 2 hours late to a school picnic at a Monster Park? I don't think so. And that is how we ended up spending the afternoon in Orvieto.

Once we found a place to park, we immediately found a couple of benches in the shade and had our "picnic." Lucky for us, Josh was able to engage a local man, sitting alongside of us and who proceeded to give us a complete overview of all the best sights in Orvieto. Having turned up here somewhat randomly and without a guidebook, we very much appreciated his advice - down to the details of where to park for free and which sights were worth paying for.

The weather was balmy and beautiful and we explored this old medieval city by foot, taking in all the valley and hillside views, and of course visiting the specatcular Duomo. I asked Josh how to put the beauty of the facade into words and he replied "you don't, you take pictures." So I am very pleased that Josh has agreed to be the illustrator of these blogs and upload his wonderful photographs for all of you to see.

Since we didn't expect to have the kids attention for long, we bribed them with a gelato reward if they were able to find the Duomo. It was good gelato, too. Last on our highlights of Orvieto tour (according to the local) was the Well of St. Patrick.

We returned to the car and drove down (by design since it rained for 20 minutes while we remained dry in our vehicle) and then entered the well, which goes down in to the earth for 300 meters. There are two staircases - ascending and descending - and the whole thing was an architectural marvel for 1537, with its arched porticos or "windows" overlooking the well water and going all the way down. The kids had a blast running down, although every time Avery approached one of the ledges to gaze down, I was so nervous, I grabbed him by his pants.

So here we thought we'd had a wonderful spontaneous day in Orvieto - despite not making it to Bomarzo for a second time (will we go for a third try?) - but the car trip home became too much to bear for any of us. We were paying dearly for keeping our kids out to dinner until 11 o'clock the night before, and then walking them all over Orvieto for the afternoon. Each child tried to outmatch the other in terms of sassiness. By the time we pulled in to our driveway I needed a Xanax!

Thank goodness we'd organized a babysitter. Avery was going straight to his room for a "time out" but first Josh managed to bathe him. Two minutes later, Avery was sleeping in his room, having apparently collapsed not only from exhaustion but from the effort of torturing his parents. I set early bed-times for Olivia and Charlotte who were equally evil during the ride home. Morris (the Pakistani baby-sitter we'd used before) made a fantastic dinner for them.

Josh and I felt like taking a nap, but instead dragged ourselves out to our friends place. We had been invited with the kids for a Rosh Hashana celebration, but were happy to be going without. Once there, we had a nice time, met several other families, enjoyed cocktails (champagne and bitters), and some light fare. We are still getting a lot of great advice from all the locals about where to buy "the best" groceries, and which cafe makes the best coffee, etc. But ultimately, everyone speaks about Josh's favorite topic, the congestion and traffic in Rome and how impossible it is to avoid.

A beautiful day with a bitter end

Once the kids were off to school, Josh and I rode our bikes to the Villa Borghese where we had an 11am reservation to visit the Gallery Borghese. The number of visitors to the Gallery is limited each day and therefore a reservation is necessary, however we were surprised that we were asked to show up 30 minutes before our appointed time. Upon arrival, it became clear why.

First, you have to wait on one line to retrieve (and pay for) your reserved tickets. Then if you'd like to get the audio tour (which we did) you have to wait on another line. Finally, all visitors are required to check their bags and, you guessed it, there is another line for that. With the multiple line waiting and the crowds, many of whom had no regard for personal space (it's as if they believed that breathing down your neck would make the line move faster), my expectations of exclusivity as just reward for advanced planning quickly vanished.

Once inside, the grandeur of the Villa is immediately evident and any negative feelings from the pushing and shoving in the lines below dissipate. Our first treat was Bernini's statue of Pluto and Prosperina. And while there are paintings from Caravaggio, Titian and Raphael in the collection, the Bernini sculptures were the highlights for me. One was better than the next. We saw Bernini's sculpture of David and, the piece-de-la-resistance, the Apollo and Daphne. His figures have an amazing life-like quality. The subtle details, given the medium which is marble, are awe-inspiring. Canova's sculptue of Pauline Bonaparte (Napolean's sister who married a Borghese) was also beautiful.

The Villa itself and it's grounds are spectacular. The ornateness of each and every room, and the manicured gardens really make you feel like royalty just walking around. Each group of visitors is given 2 hours to explore the Villa before the next group of reservations are allowed in. We were dubious that they could actually execute the enforcement of the two hour time limit, but in fact, after almost 2 hours, an announcement is made and the docents walk around and do manage to clear out the last remaining visitors. We had had ample time to tour the villa, but had been tipped off by one of the security guards that there was another exhibit - this one of contemporary art - on the other side of the garden. Instead of being ushered out with the rest of the visitors, Josh managed to convince the docent to give us a few more minutes so we could view the other exhibit. The realistic, black and charcoal watercolor paintings of every day objects by Hans Op De Beek were interesting worth seeing.

Afterwards, we rode our bikes towards the Pantheon and stopped for lunch on the small Piazza Maddelena at an elegant restaurant with a headline view of the facade of a Baroque church. Really an amazing and romantic atmosphere on a beautiful, sunny day in Rome. Then came the challenge of riding back up the hills of the Villa Borghese after a glass of wine and on a full stomach. We arrived home just in time to pick the kids up from school.

It was Erev Rosh Hashana, and we had been invited by an Israeli couple to join them for a celebratory dinner at their home. The husband and wife have lived here in Rome for 20 years now and the husband is a cousin of a good friend in Chicago. It would be our first time meeting them. It was so kind and generous of them to invite all of us - a family of 5. It was a really lovely evening and there was so much food, the wife must have been preparing the meal for days. We started with a few blessings, wine and challah, and the traditional apples and honey but we had pomegranite also. Then we moved on to home-made gefilte fish, a beet salad, matzoh ball soup (the kids had several helpings of this). Then, we had Beef Wellington, a chicken dish, rice with an amazing mushroom sauce, and salad. When the fresh home-made applesauce was served with chunks of fresh figs and kiwi we thought we had eaten a delicious and light desert. But that was just the intermezzo before the desert course which included three varieties of cakes - including a honey cake with chocolate on top that was baked from a recipe handed down from several generations of their family.

It became challenging to keep Avery at bay for such a long meal, but he was able to play with an old set of Legos between courses. At one point, when I stood up from the table to check on him, I began to feel dizzy. The dizziness didn't go away when I rejoined the group at the table. I went out on the balcony on the pretense of taking in the view of the lights of Rome, but in reality, I needed the fresh air. Still dizzy. I indicated to Josh that we'd have to go soon "the kids are getting tired." But this was before the desert course and we couldn't leave before desert!

A few minutes later and out of the blue, I was wretching in this nice couple's apartment on the occasion of Rosh Hashana. Fortunately, walls are thick in this part of the world and no one heard me (except my husband who came in to check on me). We bid adieu, and I was never more relieved to sit down in a car with the windows rolled down. But before we could begin the drive home, we had to navigate the exit from the narrowest street in Rome. So now I had my head hanging out of the window for two reasons. I had to keep Josh posted on how close we were to the wall lining the "passageway" (hard to really call it a street).

So you see, this is how my magnificent day, riding my bike, visiting the Borghese Gallery, enjoying a wonderful lunch, and celebrating Rosh Hashana with my family, ended bitterly.

Slow day or slower days?

It's late so today's blog is going to be brief - which is fitting because we really didn't do too much today. I had an exasperating morning at the grocery, which was extremely crowded, and where I received my first parking ticket despite the fact that the grocery "parking attendant" told me to park in the place where I got the ticket. Shit!

But I did pick up some fresh Branzino (whole fish) on "offerta" (sale) which made for a delicious dinner.

Otherwise, Josh and I strolled around a northeast neighborhood where we bought a present for a birthday party that Olivia subsequently refused to go to. Also, Josh scored some oatmeal in a natural products store (it's nowhere to be found at the grocery stores). The small joys in life! We also bought farro pasta at the same store. Since we're eating a lot of pasta, there might as well be something healthful in it.

It rained this afternoon for a bit, so for the first time, I actually had a nap and read a book IN THE AFTERNOON! What a supreme luxury. Eight months after "retiring" from my firm, for the first time I am actually feeling retired. Unlike in Chicago, the days here are unscheduled and we wake up and decide what we feel like doing. Why is that happening here? Moreover, why was that not the case for the past 6 months in Chicago. Is my life really slowing down as I had hoped? Or is this just temporary? We'll see. But so far, living in the present and not in a constant state of motion, planning for the future, is a welcome change.

Rome by bike - trial

It started off a cold (68 degrees; it's all relative), rainy day and so I thought our plans to ride our new bikes around Rome would be scuttled. I was certain that we'd (I'd) end up wet and miserable. But, Josh insisted that the rain would abate, and that we had to ride today. He was right! By the time we got going and rode through the Villa Borghese to the Piazza del Popolo, we were hot. It must have been pushing 80 degrees, the sun came out and I wished I hadn't left my sunglasses at home.

The "restricted access" rules that prevail in Rome (no cars allowed in the centro until after 6pm, unless you have a special permit), work very well for pedestrians and cyclists. It was truly enjoyable riding a bike through town despite the many cobble-stoned streets. But, we were on a mission. Our goal today was to secure Charlotte's Italian language text books. Her teacher had provided the name of the book store carrying this particular set of books. Once inside Feltrinelli, a super nice book shop on the Via Balduino, we were informed that they did not have the text, but perhaps the other location would have it. Josh politely asked if they might contact the other location on our behalf to inquire before we made the trip over there. They were happy to comply. The problem, however, was that once they were connected to the proper department at their other store, no one answered. We weren't in any hurry so we browsed the books and waited. Perhaps they could try again a bit later? Which they did. Same scenario. Eventually, we received confirmation that the other location did indeed have said text books.

So off we went. Unfortunately, the Piazza della Republica lies outside the "restriced access" zone. The traffic, not to mention the exhaust fumes from the motorinos (scooters) were ghastly. Josh chivalrously offered to pick up the book at Feltrinelli, allowing me to cycle back to the charming streets of the centro. We agreed he would call me once the books were in hand, I would tell him where I was, and we would meet for lunch. Great plan.

I had fun biking around, looking at the churchs and the little piazzas and the shops and the tourists. I made my way to Piazza Navona and took a seat on the square. At this point I figured I had given Josh enough time to get the books - even by Roman standards, so I tried calling him. Voicemail.

Okay, so I decided where I wanted to go for lunch - a little sandwich shop that had been recommended. I figured out where it was (Josh had the map). I grabbed the last table outside and tried calling Josh again (a few times). Voicemail. Was it me or was it Josh?

I was starving. So, I ordered my lunch, conversed with the Finnish couple seated next to me (almost on top of me since the tables were touching), ate my lunch, and paid the bill - all the while trying to reach Josh and thinking: shit, now I have to find my way home alone! Biking around the centro (think: valley floor) is one thing, but then making your way out onto the streets and finding the right entrance in to the park (think: big hills) was another.

Just as I was leaving the cafe, Josh called from home. Needless to say, he was not too happy about his cell phone malfunction and the fact that his afternoon was cut short. And I had thought this was all a test to see if I could find my way around town with out a map! Alas, no. It was just another example of something in Italy that didn't work quite right.

Later in the afternoon, we had a meeting at RIS to meet the teachers and discuss the curriculum for Charlotte's grade . It was interesting to see and hear the teachers (and their accents - British, Canadian, Indian, Italian) that Charlotte had described so vividly. It was even more interesting to meet the other parents and listen to them complain about the same issues that we've had ie. still no delivery of books. I had many questions and was immediately recognized as the American (not because of my questions but because of my English!) We are the only American family in Grade 8. The other parents were so happy to have Americans at the school that they wanted to nominate me for the position of class representative. I demurred. The last thing I need is to get involved in School politics.

Several women approached me and Josh after the meeting to introduce themselves and welcome us to the school, and it was very nice to make these connections. It was also nice to see Charlotte with all her new friends (who impressed us as very polite and well-spoken ). It was hard to believe she was the same kid who was crying just a week ago.

By this time, all the kids were getting antsy. They'd been waiting for us for over an hour and so it was time to go.

What a difference a week makes

Josh is a happy man! Today we bought bikes (bici). Another outing to the Zona Commerciale on the outskirts of Rome (well-known for the giant IKEA store which we also patronized), and 2 hours later we were the proud owners of two "city bikes" along with the usual accessories (ie heavy chain locks which may or may not prevent theft in Rome). We somehow managed to fit both bikes along with our table ware, candles, bath mats and other sundry items from IKEA all in the back of the Peugeot. These little cars are deceptively roomy; and we've found our Peugeot 3008 to be very cleverly designed to maximize storage space (ie. bins under the floor mats in the back seats).

Of course Josh couldn't wait to take his bike for a spin. When he returned a short while later, perspiration on his brow, he said "we're not in Chicago." The seven hills of Rome are well-known, but trust me, there are quite a few more. Our neighborhood is comprised of many twisted and winding streets but by bike the grade becomes much more noticeable.

So tomorrow we can begin our tour of Rome by bike. Perhaps we'll start in the Villa Borghese and visit the Galleries. Who knows.

It was Day 2 for Charlotte at AquAniene and who was spotted in the cafe? None other than Federica Pellegrini, catching up on her emails. Federica is the world record holder in both the 200 and 400 meter freestyle. After Charlotte finished her workout, it was a real thrill for her to go up and chat with Federica (actually Josh did the chatting as her English is not too good) and get her photo taken with the world champ. One of the reasons we choose Rome as our Italian location was because we understood Federica swam for the Aniene Club. It turns out, however, that she primarily trains in Verona and only comes down to Rome a few times a year. Still, how great is it for Charlotte to meet Federica on her second day at Aniene.

Needless to say, Charlotte was all smiles when she came home from swimming. And not just because of her Federica meeting. Several more girls showed up to practice today, and one in particular was a good English speaker with whom Charlotte instantly made friends. Some of the other girls were also helpful to her in translating the coaches instructions while at the same time were interested in learning the English. How wonderful. As I said to Charlotte, what a difference a week makes!

Not only has this week felt altogether different from the last in terms of organization and mental and emotional well-being, but the weather has changed too. We are getting lightening and thunderstorms, and pouring rain every night and the forecast is for continued rain for the rest of the week (of course that means its still sunny for much of the day) . It's been a very dry summer, apparently we could all use a little change.

Coffee and exercise for everyone...

Only two weeks in Italy and we've turned our children into coffee addicts. Avery leaps out of bed in the morning to make coffee with Josh - the old fashioned way - using a steel caffetiera.

You place it on the stove-top in order to boil the water which percolates through the coffee grinds. At the same time, you heat the milk in a tin pan to make the morning latte. Avery loves to assist and then he and the girls get an espresso cup filled with warm milk and a drop of coffee. To go with it, everyone gets a cornetto (croissant) and then the day can begin.

It's the second week of school. That means that Avery stays the whole day now and gets picked up with his sisters at 3:45pm (Avery and Olivia actually finish the school day at 3:20pm and wait for Charlotte to finish at 3:45pm). The second week of school also means that the middle school is still looking for an Italian teacher for the two non-Italians in 8th grade, and Charlotte is still waiting on her text books to arrive at the University book store. But not to worry, most of the other kids don't have their books either.

After drop off this morning, Josh and I finally hit the gym. After more than 2 weeks, we both really longed for a workout. Unlike most "upscale" gyms in the States, this (billed as upscale) gym had the basics. My favorite cross-trainer cardio machine was missing, as was any type of elliptical trainer, and while much of the equipment was Technogym, it was in need of an update.

What surprised us, was that water and gym towels were not provided. It's bring your own. There is a pool though and they seem to be big on aqua aerobics and hydro-bike (now there's something I'd like to try). They also offer all types of beauty treatments and have a juice bar. As for the locker rooms, they were clean but no frills. That means no shampoo, conditioner, cotton buds or towels. It's definitely not the East Bank Club.

Today was also the first day of swim practice for the girls. We arrived at AquAniene and the place was complete mayhem. There were many coaches/instructors with many different groups in both the 10 lane pool and the 6 lane pool. By the time we communicated with the right people and figured out which group Olivia should swim with, they were finished with the lesson. She ended up swimming, but just 4 lengths of the pool. Charlotte figured out where to go more quickly and so she did have a full training session. The coach, Leonardo, seems like a good guy with a good sense of humor but of course, speaks limited English. So one of the boy swimmers who did speak English (it was mostly boys) helped Charlotte by translating the coach's instructions.

As I wrote earlier, the AquAniene facilty is magnificent. There is a cafe with a glass wall so you can watch the swimming in the pool while enjoying a beverage, a snack or even dinner! There is also a large beautifully appointing swimming store featuring Adidas. But once again, we could see the popularity of aqua aerobics. For the entire two hour period that we were at the pool, there were back to back classes in the two far lanes of the smaller pool and as such, the instructor had music blaring so loudly it was difficult to speak to the person seated next to you. How could the swimmers in all the various groups hear their coach through the aqua aerobics disco music?

As a post sript to yesterday's blog with particular reference to the Italian banking system, I do want to report that after a personal visit from Josh which lasted approximately 30 minutes, Unicredito agreed to refund all the monies they took from our euro wire. I wasn't there but based on Josh's recounting of the story, it seems it was a matter of each side repeating themselves until one side finally decided to give up and move on. Way to go Josh!

A rainy Sunday? ...and other Italian tales

The weather here really is incredible. Today was supposed to be a rainy day and it only rained for about 20 minutes. Then an hour or two later the sun came out and it's another gorgeous day.

Still, the threat of rain thwarted our beach plans for the day. Instead we ventured out to the Vatican and the Piazza San Pietro. We would have taken a peak inside St. Peter's but the line for the security check point practically went around the entire perimeter of the Piazza. In any event, we had just wanted to get a sense of the place and its massive scale - and that we did.

It was lunchtime and everyone was hungry so we drove around the corner to Trastevere for a bite. We were really in the mood for one of those scrumptious, thin crust individual pizzas. Unfortunately for us, one thing about Italy is that

Pizza is served for dinner only. All those trattorias with the wood burning ovens don't even start to fire them up until around 7pm. We are so often in the mood for pizza at lunchtime, it's a shame. You can buy pre-cut pizza at a "bar" which is like a fast food place, but those pizzas are never really that good. So we settled on the usual - pasta. We ordered a couple of traditional Roman starters for the kids like suppli (the delicious fried rice balls with cheese inside), Baccala (fried cod fish) and fried zucchini flowers. All went over extremely well.

After lunch we strolled around Trastevere which we quickly discovered was much more pleasant for walking around in the afternoon than it had been during our last visit in the evening.

We visited Santa Maria in Trastevere, the old church in the main piazza and even the kids were in to it. Another beautiful church. I asked Olivia if she has seen so much art in one place at one time. She was mesmerized by the ceiling frescos and paintings and sculptures inside.

Josh suggested we drive up to the Gianicolo area to Piazza Garibaldi. I had never been there and was amazed at the beauty and lushness of the area. From the top of the hill - Piazza Garibaldi - there is a jaw-dropping view of all of Rome lying just across the Tevere. This is definitely a place I'd like to return to and explore more.

Before leaving for Italy, I had read a book by Tim Parks called "Italian Neighbors" about a British couple who moved to the small town of Montecchio in the Veneto region. While the story recounts their experience in a small, provincial town and not an urban setting like Rome, there are certain similarities. In particular, the author describes one of his neighbors who is always running the TV too loudly (and another with a barking dog). Well, he could have just as easily been describing our neighbor.

Behind our villa is an apartment building where one of the tenants has his or her television on pretty much ALL the time and it is on so loud that it echoes throughout the neighborhood streets. Fortunately, we don't have too many windows on to the back of the house with the exception of the master bath window. We like to leave this window open (for various reasons you can imagine) and thus are always treated to whatever happens to be playing on the RAI. Owing to the thick walls of the villa, once in the bedroom with the bathroom door closed,

it is quiet, so the loud TV playing neighbor is more of a curiosity than a nuisance. This morning, I took a brief walk around the neighborhood to get a closer look. It seemed the shutters on all the windows were all pulled down. Could this be a deserted apartment with a timer on the TV so that it comes on at all hours giving the impression someone lives there? That might be too progressive a technology around here. So the loud TV playing neighbor remains a mystery but one I vow to solve!

Another mystery in Italy that has been plaguing us (really it's just been plaguing me but, as my interpreter, Josh is involved by association) is the 90 euros that went missing from our new Italian bank account after we wired euros over from the States. Yesterday we received a confirmation of the wire in the mail (dated September 2nd - that's the Italian Postal Service for you) detailing the fees that Unicredito charged us to take our money. Yes that is right, the banks here really don't want your money because then they have the onerous task of figuring out what to do with it (apparently they don't like to actually lend it). So here is how it works. You pay a quarterly fee for the privilege of having an account (this may partially explain why Italians are known for keeping cash under the mattress - the other reason, of course, being the national sport of tax evasion). You do not receive any interest on the account. Then you pay $20 for the privilege of having an ATM card so that you can actually access the cash you have deposited. But that is better than having to go to the branch during "banking hours" and waiting to pay a fee to conduct a transaction with a teller (yes, you read that right, you pay a fee to interact with a live person). Then to top it all off they want to take 90 euros in order to do you the favor of RECEIVING your money. The worst part is, they don't tell you that they are taking it. In fact, when inquiring, they blame the bank that sent the wire (in this case JP Morgan).

As one might imagine, none of this went over too well with me. Strategically, I asked Josh to pay a personal visit to the branch manager, an attractive female. While I was happy to see a woman managing the branch when we opened our account there (although the low cut top and high heels were a different look), I thought she might be more receptive to an Italian-speaking male, than me. She told Josh she would look in to the matter but - and this is a quote - "no one works for free." When she got back to Josh the following week, she agreed to credit our account the "entire" Unicredito wire fee of 50 euros but explained that JP Morgan was responsible for the balance. I was relatively pleased with this resolution until a) JP Morgan insisted that they did not take a fee from the wire (it had been taken out of our US account) and b) the Unicredito wire confirmation showed up in the mail yesterday detailing the fees paid to Unicredito and totaling 89.84 euros. So now, I don't know if the branch manager is an idiot or a liar. But, at least she is not working for free. Welcome to Italy!

Ok, so I spoke too soon. We won't be eating dinner outside tonight. It is raining again.

Sabato

Josh took Avery and Olivia to their first (Italian) soccer practice today. I stayed home with Charlotte to organize a few things. We felt Avery really needed to get involved in "calcio," not only to burn through some of his always abundant energy but also to help with his Italian since he is not getting any formal lessons.

Amazingly, at the soccer pitch, Josh ran in to his old Italian friend "Genni" from 20 years ago. They met when she studied at UCSB for a year. He was planning to look her up upon arrival here, but instead karmically ran in to her at the soccer practice off all places, where she and her husband religiously take their son. Josh was extremely happy to reconnect and he also got a lot of great tips on where to get stuff!

We had leftovers for lunch and in the afternoon we went on an excursion. We drove to Tivoli (where we had been previously to see Hadrian's villa) this time to visit Villa d'Este. Villa d'Este, dating back to the Rennaisance , is a Unesco world heritage site and renowned for it's Italian gardens and it's incredible use of water elements. The use of water is pervasive in these gardens and there are fountains with waterfalls, water sprays, water gurgling and running and of course there are reflective pools too. As Tivoli is situated on a hillside, the views from the Villa's gardens were also majestic. The kids had fun running around and getting wet.

On our way home, we got a real taste of suburban Roman traffic. Our expected 30 minute drive turned in to an hour and 20 minutes - primarily a result of the 30 minutes we waited in line to pay the 1.40 euros on the exit of the Autostrada. Waiting to pay the toll to the automated toll booth, it was a party-like atmosphere. Most cars filled with young people, playing loud music, heading in to Rome for a Saturday night I imagine.

I quickly made dinner for some tired kids. Here is what we think so far about food in Rome (Italy). Going out to eat is fun and easy (especially with all the outdoor eateries), but eating in is delicious! The quality of the foods sold in the ordinary grocery stores - I'm not talking about specialty stores or gourmet purveyors - is outstanding. The freshness of the fish and the meat has been superb. The produce is extremely flavorful. The cheeses are incredibly tasty. The breads are baked daily (so must be eaten in a day or two) with no preservatives. Even Italian milk tastes like...real milk. It is truly a pleasure to eat. At dinner tonight, Charlotte commented that aside from a couple of things they've served at school, she has liked all the food she's tried here.

I complained to Josh that sometimes it's hard to know what you're buying. For example, the hamburger meat I bought the other day was simply labeled "hamburger" without any further information regarding the type of beef or the fat content. In the U.S., we have an obsession with fat content and I generally buy the 96/4 or the 90/10. Anyway, it was unanimous that the Italian "hamburger" was the best ever! Same goes for the milk, I know we aren't drinking whole or "intero." I am buying the "parzialmente scremato" (partially skimmed) but how skimmed is it? 1% or 2% or whatever, it tastes great! It's clear that the Italians are not concerned with fat content, and yet apart from the (mama) cook at one of the restaurants where we ate, we have not seen an obese Italian. So now the question remains, can Americans eat an Italian diet without becoming obese, or is it just for the natives? The answer will be evident by this time next year.

The other thing about Rome that Josh and I both observed is that there is a certain lethargy after lunch. I am not one for napping (unlike Josh) but I am in synch with all the shops that close from 1:30 to 3:30 in the afternoon. I feel like a "reposo" then too. Josh says it's something about the heat and the air...it makes you tired. Of course the reposo helps you to make it through to the relative lateness of the dinner hour as well.

A night out on the town

It's finally starting to feel like we live here. We got our cell phones today! It's so complicated and all the rules are different from the States. I don't know how we would have figured it out if Josh didn't speak Italian. In fact, I can't imagine having moved here without Josh - for many reasons, but certainly it's impossible to be effective without a knowledge of the language (or, I suppose, a professional sponsorship so that a local organization is helping you).

The first school week ended on a high note. Both girls were invited to birthday parties! Josh picked them up and told me that all of Charlotte's classmates were saying bye (in English) and wishing her a good weekend.

We hired a Christian Pakistani (male) babysitter named Morris who came for the first time tonight and will come on occasional evenings to help us out. He works full time for the other American family at RIS but wanted some extra hours. He seems really great. Avery liked him right away and the girls warmed up to him. Their first male babysitter.

So, for the first time in several weeks, Josh and I had the evening to ourselves. We went to Isola Tibernia and to the Jewish Ghetto section of town. We settled on having dinner at Da Giggetto, a well known restaurant cooking in the "Jewish style." About an hour after we were seated (we're still on the American eat at 8pm plan) the place was packed with locals as well as a few foreigners. Their specialty is fried artichokes and zucchini flowers and Baccala, which is cod fish. It was a nice meal - some courses were better than others - but not fantastic. What is fantastic, everywhere, is the quality of inexpensive wines. For 13 euro we had a wonderful Dolcetta d'Alba.

Afterwards we strolled around the "ghetto." What's amazing about this city is that you turn a corner and run in to a magnificent ancient structure or a beautiful church. There are so many wonderful and charming Piazza's "off the map" like Piazza Mattei and Piazza di Campitelli. Walking the cobble-stoned streets in the evenings is particularly special because the buildings and fountains are lit and the whole place has a special glow.

We did notice too, that in many (most) of the passageways around the ghetto the walls were full of graffiti. Vandalism in the form of graffiti appears rampant throughout Rome in general.

We discovered that outdoor concerts are held (through Sept. 27th) at the Teatro di Marcello. The entrance is next to the Portici D'Ottavia - an ancient, excavated structure which looks similar to the colosseum but was in fact the ancient fish market. Each night, there is music from a different composer. The setting, with the lights on the Capitoline Hill for a backdrop, is absolutely out of this world.

A routine, or routine?

OK, so I took a night off from blogging yesterday. Our children were so unbelievably naughty last night that by the time we got them to bed, I was physically and emotionally exhausted.

Today was another "routine" day. At least our latest routine which I refer to as "start up mode."

It goes like this:

1. Wake the kids up (unlike Chicago, no one is out of bed before we go in to wake them)

2. Josh makes breakfast and everyone gets ready for school - in their recycled semi-dirty uniform.

3. We all pile in to the car to drive the kids to school. Since we are always on the edge of being late, we all go (plus I like to take Avery up to his classroom). Josh drives (and makes some aggressive maneuvers even by Italian standards) and I take the kids up to the school while Josh waits to get in to the RIS parking lot (Did I mention there is one entry/exit, so there is always a back up on the street waiting for cars to come out in order to get in)

4. Then, free of children, it's time to run some errands. Yesterday, we drove out to the hypermarket (larger than Costco, seriously). Today, we checked out a gym for potential membership and then went shopping for a cellular phone provider (TIM, Wind or Vodafone)

5. At noon we pick Avery up from school (this week only) and have some lunch together

6. Try to get Avery to take a nap so we can do some more organizing/unpacking/stuff around the house

7. Pick the girls up from school at 3:45

8. Play time, or go to town, or go see an apartment (just to be sure we want to live in our villa for the year)

9. Make dinner and eat out on our divine patio

10. After dinner games.

11. Wash up and try to put the kids to bed

12. Call the States, do emails, etc.

13. Write blog

So there you have it. Does living in Rome sound different than living anywhere else in the world with three children? So far, I would have to say it does not. In fact, it seems rather "routine." HOWEVER, Josh and I are looking forward to "in the groove" mode, which comes right after "start-up" mode and just before "wind-down" mode.

During in the groove mode, the day should look something like this:

1. Kids get up when the alarm goes off

2. Kids know what to wear each day and get ready for school with minimal assistance.

3. Josh and I take turns driving the kids to school.

4. On the mornings that I drive, I go to the gym (which is around the corner) and work out! Then, I go sight-seeing!

5. Two mornings a week (when I don't drive and go to the gym), I go to my Italian class for 3 hours and then walk around town, have lunch, sit in a cafe, read...

6. One morning a week, I run errands

7. Josh and I take turns picking the kids up at 3:45pm

8. Josh and I divide and conqueur commuting to after school activities with the kids (which start next week)

9. We figure out who is going to eat dinner when, and get some help making it and cleaning it up.

10. We put the kids to bed, one at a time, without resistance.

11. Still call our loved-ones in the States

12. Still write blog

Now that sounds altogether reasonable and seems like a more balanced lifestyle than what we are encountering in our current start up phase. In fact, in preparation for life in the groove, I even drove for the first time today. The car drives nicely and I still remember how to drive a stick, but I did pull an Italian move. Running late (this is also Italian), I decided to just go the wrong way back up our one way street instead of driving around through the maze of winding streets that would eventually lead me back to the villa (IF I didn't get lost or make a wrong turn). A straight shot the wrong way seemed worthwhile. I didn't even get any looks of "you idiot, you're going the wrong way." I'm sure other drivers have done worse.

Meanwhile, I wish to report that yesterday and today at school pick-up, Charlotte was all smiles. She has made several Italian friends. Essentially, it seems like she is now friends with all the girls in her 8th grade class. I was giving it 2 to 3 weeks, and it only took 2 - 3 days. Now that's our Charlotte! Also, she will not continue trying to learn two new languages simultaneously, she will focus on Italian this year (there will be no French tutoring for now). So all is well there.

A comment on the weather - which is incredibly consistent. 93 degrees is the magic number. It has been 93 degrees in Rome at some point each and every day that we've been here. It doesn't matter if it starts off 70 degrees in the morning or 80 degrees in the morning. It always get to 93.

Tonight, I made hamburgers and french fries for dinner. It was a big hit!

Headaches and regrets

It's tough enough transporting yourself to a different culture and a different lifestyle with a different language half way around the world. As we learned today, it's even tougher to do it with your kids. We got the call from school today that Charlotte had a headache and was feeling feverish in the nurse's office. On the one hand, it should have come as no surprise given her feelings about the school yesterday. But on the other hand, it's Charlotte, the most resilient girl we know. Coincidentally, however, I had had a headache all morning too.

What is it about this place? It's beautiful, it's sunny every day, there is something special about the way the way the light hits the ochre and gold-colored buildings, and yet, I am getting a headache. I feel trapped and isolated. I haven't driven the car yet (for lack of confidence) and further, the streets are a tangled web and I don't know my way around. I haven't exercised since we arrived. Life in Italy is just passing time between meals! Since Avery is only in school until noon this week, I feel like I have only a tiny window of time to get something accomplished (some sort of errand or project, not gazing at art in one of the many museums or walking the streets of the centro) and then it's time to be a mommy again. Headache! Life was so simple and easy in Chicago and now I have pangs of regret for choosing to complicate things by coming to Rome.

But, forget how I was feeling, it was so much worse to get that call from school. Josh picked Charlotte up early and when she came home she cried. Our hearts were broken to see her so upset with our choice for her life here.

She doesn't like the school. No one talks to her. She had French first period (not only is she to learn Italian this year but she needs to study a second language!) and the other kids were more advanced having taken French for years. The teacher gave Charlotte her cell number and wants us to call to arrange special tutoring. Yeah, right!

Charlotte said Devi, an Indonesian girl who started at RIS last year, told her that she didn't have any friends last year because she didn't speak Italian. Charlotte is afraid she won't have any friends either.

Further, there seem to be some scheduling issues. During the two hour Italian period today, surprisingly the teacher had been scheduled with another class during the second hour so she gave Charlotte's class a work sheet. Clearly, it's extremely disappointing to us that RIS does not have it's act together. This is hardly what one would expect from a private school in the States. But this is Italy. Everything is more relaxed. Even academics. Oh and by the way, the school book store won't have Charlotte's text books in stock for 15 business days from today (the day we went to buy them). Can they not know how many children are enrolled, and therefore have even a rough idea of how many books will be purchased, and have them in stock?

In speaking to the head of the MS (during the Charlotte is sick call), I expressed Charlotte's feelings about her first day. Hopefully, we can get some of the issues addressed easily (like being assigned a "buddy" by her home room teacher). Others, however, will take time. In my own mind, I'm giving it three weeks. If in three weeks from the start of school, things haven't turned around, we may need to consider a different course of action. Making the cultural, linguistic and social adjustment is very hard with any move. But of all the kids I know, I have a lot of confidence in Charlotte's ability to make the transition successfully. She just needs a little time. I am also hopeful that the start of swimming and being on a team will be helpful.

As for Olivia, she seems to be blossoming here in Rome. She loves sharing a room with Charlotte. She loves going to the same school as Charlotte. She even added a flourish when dressing for dinner tonight by wearing a scarf (just like Charlotte). Altogether, managing her seems to have become a little easier than at home. School-wise, she says she doesn't have any friends but she doesn't seem to mind. Academically, I am a bit concerned the curriculum may be too easy. The vocabulary words she came home with today were from two years ago, and I have the feeling they are still teaching English to many of her classmates. As with everything, we need to give her teacher and the curriculum the benefit of the doubt for now, but keeping a close eye.

Lastly, Avery has been a terror these past few days. The more time he spends alone with his mom and dad, the more attention he needs. I don't get it? He has a lot of energy; I can't wait to get him in to a soccer program so he can run around! Or maybe when he begins spending a full day at school next week, he will be more mellow at home. Again, time will tell.

Having been home all day dealing with various "issues" I was in the mood to get out (and to not cook) and convinced Josh to drive in to town to Campo di Fiori. We hadn't been to that part of Rome yet, and it was the perfect night for a pizza al forno al fresco! The kids had a great time and even began to practice the little Italian they'd learned. Charlotte started kissing everyone on each cheek, mimicking the behavior of her classmates. "Ciao bella!"

Walking the cobble-stoned streets and taking in the scene all around us, our headaches gone, we had no regrets.