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.