It's Day 3

...and we still can't manage to get up in the morning. It didn't help that the girls couldn't fall asleep until 2am (should one really consider giving a child ambien??) So, once again, we had a late breakfast and then headed out to find the swim club where Charlotte, and perhaps Olivia, would train.

We arrived at Circolo Cannotiere Aniene, which turned out to be practically a stone's throw from our villa. Originally a rowing club, it's situated on the river, with beautiful grounds and elegantly appointed interiors. There was a beautiful outdoor 25 meter swimming pool. In the main hallway, many trophies lined the glass displays and, of course, there were many photos of Federica Pellegrini as well.

The well-dressed "house manager" greeted us and explained that this was the social club. The swim club was at another facili

ty a few blocks away. I inquired about joining the social club as I could see myself spending a little time in this beautiful setting. The manager simply said "this is a big problem." After some awkward silence, he explained that women cannot be members of the club. It's men only but I could enter as a spouse (oh by the way there is a 3 year waiting list, but if Josh is interested he could become an "associate member" ...hmmm) Charlotte didn't understand what he was talking about and I had to explain to her later that Italy is still a very chauvinistic country. Then I had to explain what chauvinistic meant.

So we found the Sports facility. AquAnienne was built in time for the 2009 World Swimming Championships (but strangely is not where the meet was held) and has not yet been open to the public. The opening is on September 14, which is also when the try-outs for the team will be held. Memberships are available to the public. The swimming facility is fantastic. A 50 meter outdoor pool and two 25 meter indoor pools. Charlotte was thrilled. Everything is brand-spanking new and state of the art. Then at one end of the pool, behind a glass wall, there is a gym with hard wood floors and all the newest aerobic equipment and weight machines. This should work well for the whole family.

We picked up lunch on our way back to the villa, and had a quick bite (it was already 3 0'clock) before our afternoon appointment. We decided that we'd contact some other realtors to see what else might be available in the Parioli or in the Centro. So one of the realtors that Josh had been emailing with, Mathilde, came by on her scooter to show us a few options. Immediately upon entering the villa, she asked why we weren't staying in this fantastic place. That pretty much said it all. We spent an enjoyable afternoon with Mathilde.

We had gelato at the Piazza Navona, and saw the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, but none of the three places we saw were right for us. Yes, it looks like we'll stay in our large villa on Michele Mercati.

Next, we need to give the children lessons on how to eat a gelato on a hot day in Rome. Olivia had chocolate dripping down the entire front of her dress. Avery's entire face was covered in chocolate and then he decided to wipe it on Josh's white shirt since he was out of napkins. We did give them a lesson on how to drink from one of the many water "fontanellas" around the city. Avery must have thought they were a substitute for a fire hose as he just wanted to stand in front of the running water, instead of on the side. In any case it was a hot (93 degrees) and fun afternoon. As such, Avery kept asking if we could go back to the "Trippy" Fountain.

Now in the air-conditioned comfort of our villa, we must contemplate where to dine this evening...