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.