Sunday

This morning put a whole new meaning to the term “couch potato.” While Josh and I watched Roger Federer win his 16th Grand Slam title against Andy Murray at the Australian Open, the kids watched a movie on his laptop. Before we knew it, it was lunchtime. By the time I put together a risotto with porcini mushrooms it was almost 2pm.

The kids told us about their overnight at Maria’s house, about baking cookies (which we enjoyed for breakfast and lunch today), about the birthday party they’d attended at the Children’s Museum. Maria too had indicated after we arrived at home last night that all had gone well.

It had been a chilly morning, but in the afternoon, the sun had come out and we decided, for the sake of getting out of the house, that we’d take the kids to Piazza del Popolo for a run-around. Avery took his ball, and Josh took the Frisbee. What a great concept -- playing monkey in the middle and Frisbee in the center of one of Rome’s greatest Piazzas! The onlookers enjoyed watching our kids play too. We then strolled down the Via del Corso in search of snacks. Of course, the street was crowded with shoppers and we had to get into the fray. Charlotte still needed pants and she found a pair of black jeans in a “hip” store. Josh picked up fried, mini-donuts for the kids and everyone was happy.

 Back at home; the girls did their homework (Olivia with much prodding) while I made dinner. Avery, without his nap, was super tired and barely ate anything before he went to bed. Soon enough, everyone was asleep.

Bologna

We enjoyed a leisurely morning that included breakfast and watching the women’s final at the Australian Open live. Then, Josh went off to the ArtFiera and I went off to explore Bologna.

My tour started in the Piazza Maggiore where I visited the Basilica di San Petronio. This basilica was never completed. The lower half of it’s exterior is covered with a cream and rose colored marble while the upper half remains unfinished with crude red brick. But this is the charm of the place. In fact, what I discovered about Bologna is that it does not have the most copiously decorated basilicas in Italy; it does not boast the best art in Italy; and, it does not have the same historical significance as other cities like Rome, Florence or Venice. What makes Bologna such an imperceptibly warm, vibrant and lovely city is the town itself. The covered walkways are works of art. Their floors are often designed with mosaics of marble -- and this is a sidewalk we’re talking about not a church floor. The towers in Bologna are tilted (like Pisa) and charming. The people, many of whom are students, are less refined than grungy but seem intellectual. The town is well-known for its University – the oldest in Europe – established in 1088.

After I visited a few of the buildings around the main square, I set off down the main boulevard, Via del Indipendenza, towards the outdoor market that is held here every Friday and Saturday. The streets were full of Saturday shoppers. The sales are on (nationally until February 13) and the stores are packed. I finally purchased my first articles of clothing since arriving in Italy: a couple of long sleeved t-shirts and a dressy sweater. Onwards to the outdoor market where I successfully purchased fur-lined, leather gloves, a belt and some incense.

I then wandered towards the University where I was set to meet Josh. But hunger had set in and I found myself in a cozy enotecca having pasta (al ragu di cinghale) and a glass of an incredibly delicious wine. All the while, old classics and jazz played on the stereo in the background. Just as I finished my lunch, Josh was around the corner and we met to stroll back through town.

It was a short visit to Bologna, but a very enjoyable one. We collected our luggage at the hotel, headed back to the train station. It was cold in Bologna, but at least the train station was not dirty (remember Egypt). Upon arriving back in Rome a couple of hours later, we were reminded why this is such a great city: the grandeur, the architecture, the history, the weather! It's incomparable; Rome really has it all!

Bologna - Art First

Josh and I packed the kids up for school – with the exception of Charlotte who decided to stay home and take it easy – and then we left to catch the train to Bologna. But not before Josh realized that he couldn’t find his camera. We looked and looked to no avail and so sadly, there will be no photos of Bologna, nor of art in Bologna. Maria would be coming over at 1pm (and Charlotte was OK on her own until then), and then she and her daughter would be taking all the kids for an overnighter to her house in the country.

I must admit, just boarding the train, the promise of a peaceful adult weekend seemed enticing. Josh and I both enjoy riding the train. It feels very…European. And, it’s really a very easy way to travel, particularly with the high-speed trains. It was a gray morning as we departed Rome. As soon as we were north of Florence, I saw it: snow -- couple feet of it! I was reminded that it does snow in Italy, just not where we live.

A short 2 hours and 20 minutes later, we arrived in Bologna. I was able to get a feel for the small town, which was immediately appealing, on our short taxi ride to our hotel. Most noteworthy were the covered walk-ways, or arcades, that made up the entire historical center of the town. Not only are they a unique and beautiful feature of Bologna but very practical as well in a town where it snows. For that matter, it’d be practical anywhere where there is any humidity.

Our hotel was perfectly located next to the beautiful main square, Piazza Maggiore. We checked in to Art Hotel Orologio, where we were upgraded to a suite. I wasn’t quite sure what to think as the porter took us outside and around the corner to what seemed like an apartment building entrance. Then we climbed one flight of stairs and voila! We entered a fantastic and extremely chic accommodation with several flat screen TVs, a small kitchen and a dining room table in a large living area.

A few minutes later were crossing Piazza Maggiore and admiring the renaissance buildings. We had a lunch reservation at one of Bologna’s oldest and most elegant establishments: Papagallo. Perhaps because my expectations for the cuisine in Bologna – the gastronomic capital of the gastronomic nation of Italy – were so high, I didn’t come away feeling sated. Josh and I shared an eggplant antipasto, the tagliatelle al ragu (Bolognese), and a dish of tortellini with a cheese and foie gras sauce. All the dishes were good. Actually, very good. But just not mind-blowing. Have our standards risen too high? We are eating so well in Rome. Perhaps Rome is just under-rated gastronomically.

We stopped at a bar (notable for all of the photos of Al Pacino in the movie Scarface covering all the walls) for a café before hopping a cab to the Art Fair. This is the biggest Contemporary Art Fair in Italy. Hundreds of galleries were in attendance and while the majority are from Italy they span Europe and even a few from North America set up shop. I haven’t attended too many of these types of events but it seemed to be very well laid-out and well-organized. From my perspective, a lot of the art was interesting but not purchasable. Among the hundreds of artists with work on display, Josh identified 14 that he liked. It was vast and there was a lot to see.

Once back at our hotel, we took a rest before dinner. In fact, we took such a long rest that we were late for our dinner reservation at Trattoria Frantonio. Just as lunch was formal and reserved, dinner was extremely informal and the place had a vibrant atmosphere. The owner apologized, he’d held our table for 15 minutes, if we’d called… He politely offered us a glass of Prosecco while we waited the five minutes for our table. For some reason, he took a liking to us as was evidenced by how much time he spent taking our order, walking us through the wine list and offering us tastes of this and that. While at the same time, the Spaniards at the table next to us were frustrated because they had to wait for everything. Again, certain dishes were flavorful but my filet, for example, was a bit on the chewy side. When we got up to pay the bill, we offered the owner the last glass of wine from our bottle as he’d mentioned it was one of his new favorites. He spent a good 15 minutes discussing and demonstrating his knowledge of wine and food. He offered us a digestive. As we spoke, he told us he was from Sardegna originally. Of course, another discussion ensued where he essentially drew us a map of where to go and advised us on hotels and food too.

Josh had made a reservation for us at a Jazz club. But by this time it was after 11pm and we’d already had a fair amount to drink. It was a cab ride away and we couldn’t decide if we should check it out or skip it and walk back to our hotel. We went back and forth for several cold blocks before the warmth of the hotel and guarantee of no smoke beckoned us.

Michele Mercati hospital ward

It had started off as a normal Thursday. Charlotte and I had our Italian lesson. Then, I went to run a few errands. But before I could make it home, I got the call. Charlotte was running a fever and had a swollen gland, could I come and pick her up from school?

I was already in the car and in the neighborhood, so I was able to pick her up within a matter of minutes. On our way home, I stopped at the pharmacy to pick up the same Z-pack that I had started taking on Tuesday. Once we were home and I had Charlotte settled into bed, I got the second call. Olivia had a tummy ache and a slight temperature, could I come to pick her up?

Since Josh had just gotten home, I asked him to get Olivia. It wasn’t until they were almost back at the house that Olivia told him that she really didn’t feel that bad. She had just mentioned to her teacher on the way to lunch that her tummy hurt and the teacher immediately sent her to the school doctor without asking any questions. In fact, she hardly had a fever just ½ a degree above normal. Oh well, she was home now, and since she never had her lunch, she could join us for ours.

An hour later, Josh returned to RIS to pick Avery up. Avery has had a cough for almost a week now, but no other symptoms of illness. Still, it seemed a good idea to put him down for a nap. For the time being, it’s just Charlotte for the time being with the strep-throat.

I took Olivia to AquAniene and did some walking and stretching in the gym during her lesson. I don’t know if it’s age or the recent illness, but boy the body just hurts if you don’t move it around for a few days. I sorely needed to stretch it out. After her lesson, I promised Olivia that she and I could to the steam/sauna/ shower combo together. She really likes going with me to the adult locker room and we both needed the healing of the heat. Of course, she prefers the steam room with its changing colors, but she stuck it out a few minutes in the sauna with me too. We had a lot of fun together.

On our way into the locker room, we had bumped into Luca, Charlotte’s swim coach. I told him Charlotte was sick, and he and I spent a few minutes talking about the meet last weekend. It turns out that the touch pads were not “broken,” rather they don’t exist. In fact, Aniene doesn’t own an electronic timing system, nor do any of the other teams. Electronic timing systems are owned and provided by “The Federation.” Luca explained the systems are expensive and “unlike America” there isn’t a lot of money. He thinks for the next meet in February the federation will provide them. He too complained that many of the manual times given to the athletes were inaccurate. He said there were actually five timers on deck, so one for every two lanes. The times for many of the 50 meter distances, as well as for some of the 100’s were off. As for the scoreboard for the spectators, “it isn’t like America” where all the pools have them. He said the only meet where they guarantee a scoreboard is the National Championships! Hmmm.

Summer planning...

For many reasons, today was a much better day. For one, it stopped raining and the sun came out. Also, my football size glands had shrunk down to golf ball size. I went to the gym...to take a hot sauna. Then Josh and I had chicken soup for lunch and started to plan our summer. Never too soon to think about how we want to spend time when our lease is up in Rome. In fact, maybe we can get a jump start on all the last minute Italians. We've rented our villa through June, so where should we go in July? We're open for suggestions.

We'd like to spend at least part of the month on the coast somewhere. And, there's a lot of coastline in Italy, not to mention Croatia, Greece, France and Spain. The question is where to begin? Of course, for Josh we end where we began, which is Italy. We do have a car lease that expires on July 25th, so it's true we have to be in Rome to return the car on that day. And, it may also mean that we'd want to utilize the car while we have it. So that rules out Spain and Greece. Ferries would allow us to take a car to Croatia and clearly Italy and France are drivable. Still, that doesn't narrow it down too much. Sardegna (another ferry option) looks amazing... and seems to be priced accordingly. Another major factor in our decision would be the availability of day camps or children's activities. While we have found that the major cities (like Rome) have day camps, so far we've only discovered sleep-away camps in the country. Not an option for Olivia and Avery.

And so, another major research project ensues...

Today, we also had a lot of interest in our future rent payments. Our landlady, is clearly having some cash flow issues. Last October, she asked us to pay the rent into her NYC bank account (as soon as possible) as she has an apartment there with a mortgage that needs paying. OK -- paying her in dollars makes life much easier for us. She indicated that she had automated all her bill paying in New York so that if our money didn’t get to her account on time “everything blows up.” OK. In December, on the 11th, she called to ask if we could pay the January rent early. She would pay us interest, but could we please pay the January rent by the 17th?. OK. Now the rental agent contacts us yesterday and informs us that the landlady would like us to begin paying the rent in euros and for the next month it should be paid to their (the agency’s) account. What is going on now? So, Josh calls the landlady. To cut to the point, she now asks if we can pay the next three months in advance and by doing so, she will give us a 250euro/month discount per month on the rent, and we can continue to pay her in dollars in to her NYC account. Two minutes after the call, Josh receives an email from the rental agent reminding him that the next month’s rent should be paid to their account in euros. Well, we’ve got a few days to figure out what to do with this one, but the whole situation reeks of desperation on all sides.

Rx in Italy

My glands felt like two footballs sticking out of my throat by the time I woke up this morning. Gargling with salt water didn't seem to help as much as it did yesterday. I had Josh search my throat for white bumps...sure enough, there they were. I had step throat. I spent the morning in bed.

I needed antiobiotics. Who knew it was so easy. Josh went to the pharmacy where he bought Zithromax -- over the counter -- for only 6 euros! He told the pharmacist that I had step throat, the pharmacist, without him asking for it, said I need a Z-pack. Here you go. How about that? In the States, first you'd have to visit your doctor and get the culture, then you'd have to have a prescription; and then you'd probably pay well over $9 if you didn't have insurance. Even with the insurance, the co-pay alone would probably have been $10. So you see. More evidence that our health-care system is seriously f-cked up -- in particular, the costs of medication. I may have mentioned in one of my earlier Egypt blogs that we bought children's ibuprofen in Luxor for only $1. While at the pharmacy, Josh also inquired about a medication for Olivia that might help alleviate her need to pee at night. This time, the pharmacist asked if Josh had discussed the medication with her pediatrician (we had), and when Josh answered yes, he was able to purchase that too. Thirty tablets for 16 euros. I just can't imagine that a non-generic form of the medication would be available for less than $24 in the U.S.

After school, Josh and Avery went out to the store and they did finally get the chicken soup ingredients. Charlotte had a friend over after school, and thankfully, Morris cooked dinner for everyone.

We had plans to go out tonight. There was an art exhibition opening that Josh wanted to attend and then we were going to listen to some Opera -- arias from several operas were to be sung at La Chiesa di San Paolo entro le Mura. Like a "Greatest Hits" concert in a majestic setting. Well, that was clearly not happening for me tonight. Josh did go to see the art; some of which he found very provacative....and I stayed home, and ate chicken soup.

Basilica di San Clemente and SS Quattro Coronati

I hadn't had a good night of sleep -- it felt as if I was up the whole night just feeling my throat get tighter and tighter. In the morning, I got up early and gargled with warm salt water, then I took a couple of Advil. By the time the kids were leaving for school, I felt well enough to join a "walk" hosted by a woman named Nancy De Concillius. She is an American, who has been living in Rome since 1966 and has been guiding since 1985. She conducts tours that are usually a bit off the beaten track, and which focus on art history and Roman archaeological history. I learned about these "walks" held every Monday and Tuesday morning, just as the season came to an end last November. Today was the first walk of the new season which would run through March.

We met at the Basilica di San Clemente. I didn't know anything about this church ahead of the tour. Turns out it was absolutely incredible what went on here. In the 1st century AD, a private home was built here. It is believed that early Christians secretly met in this home. Then by the early third century, a Mithraeum Temple was built adjacent to the home. Mithras was a cult-like religion, open to men only, where rituals were carried out in these cave like dwellings. For example, a man intending to join the cult would be asked to put on a white robe. Then a pit would be dug into the ground where the man would lie down in his white robe. A bull would be positioned over the man in the pit, and the animal's throat would be slit. This would allow the man in the pit to be soaked in bull's blood. And, that's just one example of a Mithras ritual.

By the late in the 4th century AD, Christianity became the official religion in Rome. Much was done to destroy the Temple of Mithras, and a church was built on top of its ruins. This church was quite large and was restored several times. It has many frescos dating from the 6th, 8th and 9th centuries, including one with the story of St. Clement for whom the church was named. In order to see this church and the Temple of Mithras below it, you must go underground as these houses of worship were discovered only after a massive excavation in the 19th century.

In 1084, the Normans ransacked Rome and the entire complex was destroyed. Not too long afterwards, in 1108, a new church was built on top of the old one from the 4th century which had been built on top of the Temple of Mithras from the 3rd century. A tour of the Basilica today, allows its visitors to literally step back (or in this case down) in time.

The Basilica di San Clemente built in 1108 is largely unchanged today although it has been restored. The highlight is a gorgeous mosaic that fills up the entire central apse. If you are interested, there are some good photos and information about the basilica on the following website:

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/rome-san-clemente

Afterwards, we walked up the hill to visit the Santi Quattro Coronati. This church was founded in the 4th or 5th century and was rebuilt in the 11th century. Today it also operates as a convent. We saw some very interesting frescoes in one of the chapels, and also learned about the significance of the way in which the stones are laid to create the church or chapel floor. Both San Clemente and Quatto Coronati also had really lovely courtyards. These were necessary for the pagans and allowed them to remain outside the church but to observe what was going on inside so they could learn how to be good Christians.

Nancy was a very knowledgeable and extremely engaging guide, and I really enjoyed the tour. Unfortunately, standing around in cold, dank churches was probably not the best prescription for my sore throat. By later in the afternoon, I had a fever.

Garlic soup

Olivia was feeling better, but Avery had a cough...so he suggested that I make chicken soup! What a great idea! So, Josh and Avery went out with a small grocery list in hand for the provisions required to make the soup. Alas, Josh called after trying the third grocery store -- but all were closed. After all, it is Sunday. Perhaps being open on a Sunday is a seasonal thing; all these stores seemed to be open on prior Sundays. Or perhaps, as one friend explained, it varies week to week depending on the whims of the market and the availability of its employees. These markets all seem to have hand-written signs of one form or another announcing whether they are, or are not, open on Sunday -- and the signs come and go.

Meanwhile, Olivia and I had already prepped the carrots and the garlic cloves, and thus I was determined to make soup. So, I improvised. I made vegetable soup. I used carrots, red pepper, garlic, chick peas, a little tomato and basil pasta sauce and seasonings. It was okay, but not a real winner. It was only after I served it as a starter for lunch that I had the idea of pureeing the vegetables and some broth together. Now we're talking!

While I had been making the soup, I also had the idea of making garlic toast. I had peeled a lot of garlic and had some left over. So I fried up some bread in olive oil; then when it was still hot, I rubbed fresh garlic clove on to it. I had intended to share the toast with everyone, but it was so good I ate it all myself - two whole pieces. Later, when the soup was ready, I strained the garlic cloves out. At first I put them aside, but then I popped a couple into my mouth. Garlic is supposed to be healthy, right? Well, it may be good for you but you won't make any friends. After lunch, I took a shower, I brushed my teeth, I drank juice and I drank water and yet when we got into the car, Josh noticed a foul odor. I had no idea what he was talking about.

Avery had been invited to a birthday party -- guess where: AquAniene. It couldn't have been more perfect -- or so we thought. We had planned to be there anyway for the swim meet, and now Avery and Olivia could play at the birthday party at the same time. Unfortunately, it took them almost two hours to get into the groove. The "Italian party" does not seem to interest Avery in the least, and Olivia kept claiming it "wasn't her party." They only wanted to sit around and eat the snacks without participating in any of the activities. Finally, we had to tell them if they don't play the birthday party games, they can't eat the birthday party cake. That worked.

In the meantime, we were shuttling back and forth to catch Charlotte's races. She really had a great meet despite the fact that she had a tough schedule today. First she swam the 200 Breast and did her best time. Then, only about a half an hour later she swam the 200 I.M. and again swam her best time. Finally, a short 20 minutes after that race, she swam the 50 Free and matched her best time. Way to go.

With all the running back and forth from the party to the meet, and from the meet to the party, I kept taking my sweater on and off -- I was changing climate zones. With all the taking on and off of the sweater, I began to smell something strange too. Was I perspiring? Or, was it....GARLIC oozing out of my pores?!? The mystery of the foul odor (described like the scent of a homeless person) was solved.

Charlotte? swimming! and Saturday night...

Olivia woke up with a tummy ache. In fact, she was running a bit of a temperature. I woke up with a headache worse than the one I'd had the prior evening. Fortunately for me, it was nothing a couple of Advil couldn't cure. I was a bit more concerned about Olivia's condition.

It was sunny and cold out today (40degrees) and the Australian Open was on live. A perfect excuse to just hang out. Josh took Avery for a bike ride in to town while Olivia and I drank hot tea and watched some TV. I have no idea how Charlotte spent most of her morning, because I wasn't speaking to her.

It wasn't until after 3pm, just before Charlotte had to leave for her swim meet, that she approached me "to talk." She apologized for her behavior but it quickly became apparent she didn't really understand what she was apologizing for -- shocking as that may seem. Therefore, a much longer discussion ensued during which Charlotte questioned my parenting skills. Well, no one is perfect, least of all me; but to be continually criticized by my oldest daughter is just hurtful and unacceptable. When will this phase end? When she's an adult with a family of her own? I hope not!

In the end, we made peace. Josh and I went to the meet while Olivia and Avery stayed home with Morris. We've really gotten lucky with this AquAniene facility being just 2km from our home in Rome. Given that it is probably one of, if not the nicest aquatic facility in the country, many meets are hosted there making it convenient for both Josh and I to attend. In Chicago, our home training pool was so small, we never "hosted" meets. On the contrary, we were typically required to drive an hour or more to attend meets...where warm-up often began at 7am! Here Josh can drop Charlotte off for warm-up (which thus far have commenced at a much more civilized 3 or 4pm) and return home for an hour or so before we drive the 5 minutes back to the pool to watch the meet. This is the second meet at AquAniene and we already know there will be at least one more next month.

Charlotte only had one race today -- the 100 Breast -- and she swam her best time. She dropped two seconds off the time she swam at the AquAniene meet in December. You can't ask for more than that. Everyone was all smiles on the way home. At the same time, we were curious about the meet set-up -- it was a regional qualification meet, so fairly important for the Italian athletes. Yet, there was not an electronic timing system in place. In other words, there were no touch pads and thus, no official clock! Charlotte informed us that the touch pads "were broken." Given our experience, in such a case, one would expect to have at least two. if not three, timers per lane getting a manual time. But strangely, there were only 3 or 4 timers on deck, getting manual times for ALL 10 lanes! Very bizarre! For my own sense curiosity, I'll have to get some more clarification on how this all works -- maybe next week.

The kids were having a movie night while Josh and I were going out to meet some friends for dinner. Our friends chose a very cool, up-and-coming place. It's called Palatium. It is principally a wine bar, but there is a restaurant upstairs. Palatium serves only products from Lazio. So all the wines and all the ingredients for the restaurant are sourced locally. Both the food and the wine were really very good. While we had an 8:30pm reservation and the husband joined Josh and I shortly thereafter, his wife didn't turn up until 9:45pm due to another social engagement. I should mention, these friends are Americans, not Italians, so the disregard for punctuality becomes all the more offensive. At the same time, we probably had more fun speaking alone with the husband so it was just as well. When she did arrive, she was joined by another friend of hers, an interesting, well-travelled American woman who is a freelance journalist writing about art and architecture. In the end, we really had a pleasant evening although it was approaching midnight by the time we left for home. As we headed for our car, we climbed the Spanish Steps and walked down the road towards the Villa Borghese gazing at what I consider to be the most beautiful view over all of Rome. And, we had it all to ourselves.

Children from Hell

What a day! Early this morning Josh went on a ski outing with a friend of his to Ovindoli in Abruzzo. Rome is incredibly well-located: in the summertime, you can be on the Med. in 30 minutes (without traffic, if that's ever possible), and in the winter, you can ski by driving less than two hours in the other direction. Josh left the villa by 7am and was back by 3pm and skied for four hours in-between. Putting his plug in for living in Rome longer, Josh pointed out that this is how life should be: coastline, mountains, and great food! I get it.

That meant that I was on my own with the kids in the morning (which had nothing to do with subsequent events, it was just unfortunate) and, collectively, their behavior was terrible. But in particular, Charlotte's antics with her sister at the breakfast table and subsequent criticism of everyone who wasn't Charlotte, was appalling. Not a great start to the day.

As punishment, Josh and I agreed that after school all the kids would have to go directly to their rooms until dinnertime. On the surface, this doesn't seem like such a draconian sentence, does it? Well, when Josh brought the kids home, having given them the news in the car that they are to go straight to their rooms, it was as if we were in the midst of a prison revolt! Led by, guess who? Charlotte. She refused to go to her room without food. She made it seem as though we were depriving her of life, by disallowing her to eat! Of course, Olivia was starving too. But not just starving, I mean STARVING! And Avery, who had to get involved in the fray, just simply was not going to his room. Can you believe it? What's next?

Now, Avery is still small enough that he can be physically moved; but Charlotte, is not! What have we done wrong as parents that our children can't just accept their punishment and move on? What did we do to create such defiance in our children? And Charlotte is only 12! Not surprisingly, the hystrionics carried on for quite some time. The only problem was, that we'd invited friends for dinner. In fact, we invited a classmate of Charlotte's and her mom.

Come dinnertime, despite my massive headache, we put on our white gloves and enjoyed Morris's chicken curry along with appetizers of fried zucchini flowers and pokra (his Pakistani specialty which is like a potato pancake but made with mixed vegetables and chick pea flour). We carried on as if the events of the day had never occurred. Charlotte even asked to use my computer after dinner so she and her friend could play with the video (I declined but Josh said yes). We had a lovely time with our guests, and then we all fell right to sleep as soon as they departed. We'd have to follow up on our children's behavioral issues in the morning. It had been quite a day!

School lunch day

I spent almost the entire morning at R.I.S. First, I had my Italian class with Charlotte. Then I had my usual after-class, 40 minute conversation with Miss Ivana. It's not as though I don't enjoy it. She is an interesting and insightful person to speak with. Today, we discussed school politics and she gave me an entire history of R.I.S. Tuition for the 2010-2011 academic year was recently released and the parents are staging a revolt of sorts. Culturally, it's fascinating to observe the dynamics at play.

Then, I walked across the street to Piazza Ungheria for a manicure and a cappuccino. After which, I returned to R.I.S. for a school lunch. As a class representative (I'm the assistant class representative, but I guess that counts), I was invited to join the children in the lunchroom and to sample the lunch served. Taking the school lunch is an option my kids declined, so I have the privilege of packing them a "home lunch" each day. Still, I thought it would be interesting to see what the school lunch program was all about. Needless to say, this is Italy, and they take their food seriously -- even if it's catering for several hundred school children. There was much discussion at the start of the year about the new catering company that was hired -- a big improvement over last year, we were told -- as well as the menus. Parents were invited to tastings, and to give feedback, etc. Yet, the choice for our kids did not really hinge on the freshness, the quality or the tastiness of the food. No, deciding not to sign up for the school lunch program was purely a function of who Charlotte wanted to sit with at lunchtime. Italian law prohibits children eating a school lunch to be seated with children who bring lunch from home. So, there you have it. In the Middle School, social dynamics trump food, every time! In fact, I learned that only seven of the "impossible to please" kids from the entire Middle School signed up for the school lunch program. And, once Charlotte decided she wanted to bring lunch from home, the decision was made for Avery and Olivia too.

Today, I was joined by only two other moms and someone from the administration. Relatively speaking, I can't say the lunch was super tasty, but it wasn't bad. There were three courses. Can you imagine a three-course lunch being served in the States? A sign of their seriousness! The administrator told us she speaks with the vendor every day after sampling the food in order to discuss its taste. First, as always, the primi is a pasta dish -- today it was a risotto. One of the moms went on and on about how good the risotto was, particularly given how difficult it is to make, and how it was served at exactly the right temperature, and how does the school keep it warm when it comes from an outside vendor, etc. Next, for secondi, we had a meat in a tomato based sauce -- I think was chicken; it was in very small pieces -- along with zucchini. Lastly, a bowl of whole fruit was set on the table. The administrator explained that the kids are not served the fruit during lunchtime, but rather, a box of fruit is brought to the floors in the afternoon and children can choose a piece of fruit and eat it in their classrooms. All of the fruit is organic, of course. The best part was, that neither the parents nor the administrator (not surprisingly) spoke English well, so I had to use my Italian. Brava!

At the conclusion of this lunch period, the room was cleaned up and the next group of students, which included Olivia's class, was allowed to enter. While not formally part of the invitation, I decided to stay and sit with Olivia during her lunch...and to see first hand what really goes on. First of all, since it gets VERY loud in the lunchroom, the children are not allowed to speak for the first five minutes so they can concentrate on eating some food. Apparently, it used to be 15 minutes of no talking, and then 10, and now they are down to five. Even so, the execution was difficult. All of the kids have assigned tables -- the result of the Italian law I described earlier -- but not assigned seats. So, Olivia sits at a table with other children in her class that also bring a lunch from home. It was interesting to see what the other parents packed for their kids. Again, it underscores the seriousness of the meal. From hot tortelloni in thermoses, to sausage (cut in bite size pieces) and cheeses, to pistachios -- I'd have eaten any one of the lunches brought in by Olivia's friends.

Back at home in the afternoon, I have no idea what the official temperature was, but I sat outside on the upstairs terrace soaking in the sunshine in my shorts...successfully wresting away any potential vitamin D deficiency. It was heavenly. Soon enough, the kids were home from school, and it was time for the dinner/driving dash..but I didn't mind one bit.

***PS Dear blog readers,

The blog for Sunday, January 17 was inadvertently posted late but is now available for your reading pleasure!

U.S. T. V.

I'm ashamed to admit that I spent the morning in bed watching Grey's Anatomy on my laptop. Ashamed, but I enjoyed every slovenly minute of my morning in my PJs. After I finally got dressed, I made it to the gym for a brief workout and a sauna. I will really miss this wet sauna; it's great! Knowing we had no food left in the house, I had actually planned to grab a bite for lunch at the AquAniene cafe. However, while in the locker room, I realized that I had left my hairbrush at home. Going out with wet hair is one thing (and completely frowned upon by the Italiani) but going out with wet, unbrushed hair.... well, that's just inconceivable. So, I made a bee-line out to the car, hoping that no one would see me, and headed for home. Wouldn't you know it, on this one day, with my wet, unbrushed hair, I ran into a couple I know -- parents of one of Charlotte's classmates. When I say I ran into them, I mean they spotted me in my vehicle, while they were on foot, and waved me down. I know it sounds odd, but Italians think nothing of holding up traffic (on a one-lane street) to stop and have a brief chat with friends! Only, this time, I was the one holding up traffic.

When I got home, Josh, who had just returned from his morning ride, suggested we go out to lunch. Just next door to our favorite Italian lunch spot in the Parioli, is a Japanese sushi place. It doesn't look that appealing from the outside so we were never inspired to try it. But recently, they'd begun offering a 10 euro lunch consisting of soup or salad and 13 pieces of sushi -- maybe to compete with the 10 euro Italian buffet next door. Today, I convinced Josh to go Japanese instead of Italian (no small task).

Once inside the restaurant, we went up a set of stairs and it was as if we were in another world. There was a lovely indoor garden terrace, and a Japanese tea house type of setting...a very pleasant surprise. The set menu was not exceptional; the rice was too cold and hard. Still, the place was a nice discovery.

I made the required visit to the market after lunch. An hour later, Josh picked me up with the kids in tow and everyone helped load and unload the groceries. Simone arrived promptly at 4:30pm for the girls' piano lessons. Soon, I was making dinner and putting the kids to bed. The next thing I knew, I had fallen asleep in my bed, in the middle of an episode of 30 Rock. The day had ended just as it began.

Satisfaction; sculptural and real

Today was a really fun day! In the morning, Josh and I visited a couple of churches. The churches in Italy are where many of the artistic treasures lie. For example, in Santa Maria della Vittoria, we gazed at (another) Bernini masterpiece The Ecstasy of Santa Theresa (1646). Wow! Now that's an amazing sculptural representation of a real live orgasm. Needless to say, this was a controversial work of art at the time. The church itself is an unbelievable study in dramatic Baroque. Every surface, every portal, dripping with visual decor. There were even sculptures coming out of the walls in the portal surrounding the Bernini, depicted his patrons as on-lookers from a theater box. A truly unique element -- we'd never seen anything like it.

We then walked down the street to the Quattro Fontane. An otherwise nondescript corner in Rome, actually a busy intersection considering the size of the streets, where each of the four corners has a fountain carved into the building. Two of the four fountains represent rivers: the Tiber and the Arno. The other two corners, with female deities, represent strength ( Juno) and fidelity (Diana). It's unfortunate the city doesn't maintain these fountains as well as many others. Years and years of dirt and grime have collected to render the sculptures almost black!! On one of the corners is the church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, famous for it's facade by Borromini but not particularly exceptional inside.

Around the corner, we visited the Palazzo Barberini. Barberini, who became Pope Urban VIII in 1623, built an enormous palazzo with beautiful grounds. While the design was conceived and started by Carlo Maderno, after his death, Bernini and Borromini took over. It now houses part of the National Gallery of Art collection. While thumbing through volumes inside in the bookshop, we thought (for a long time) about viewing the collection, but decided to return another time when it wasn't so close to lunchtime.

Tonight, I had a date with Olivia. Over the weekend, Olivia had expressed to me that she felt Avery, as the youngest, always received special treatment. So, I promised her that she and I would have some special time alone together on Tuesday night. Of course, as this was broadcast throughout the family, Avery immediately asked for his own dinner out with mommy too.

After we dropped Charlotte off at swimming, Olivia and I drove, and drove, and drove. The traffic on Viale Parioli was completely backed up due to construction -- it took us 20 minutes to go a short distance to a pizzeria I'd been meaning to try. Unfortunately, when we finally found it (not easy to do by car due to all the one way streets) we were informed that la cena does not commence until 7:30. Oh well. I knew our old standby, La Pariolina, opened for dinner at 7, and so we headed there...which of course meant another pass down Viale Parioli and more traffic! This time, the problem was that I couldn't find a place to park near La Pariolina, and by the time I did a loop around the block, we were nearly at AquAniene. Olivia's tummy was rumbling and she decided she wanted to eat at the AquAniene cafe, so that's were we ended up: right where we started, only an hour later.

I must say that Olivia and I had a wonderful and enjoyable meal. It was interesting from the start when I made Olivia choose between getting an apple juice with dinner, or dessert after dinner. She said "mom, sometimes you make it so hard." "Life is hard, Olivia, and sometimes you need to make difficult choices" I replied. So this is how we began talking about life lessons and her study of fables in school, and the fable about the ants who work hard all summer to store food for the winter and the lazy fox who ends up going hungry. Olivia proclaimed "if you want something, you have to work hard for it" that is the lesson. I was very proud of her. We talked about Charlotte and their relationship, and some of the sneaky things they do together. We talked about the school over-nighter this spring and how she was not inclined to participate. "Charlotte is fearless" she observed, "I wish I were fearless like her." Why hadn't I started doing these one-on-one outings more regularly with each of the kids sooner? So often we are focused on "family time" and sitting down together, but I'd like to make every effort to sit down alone with each of the kids once every week from now on.

Between the pasta and the brownie, Olivia announced that she overate. At home, she practically fell asleep while she was reading a story out loud to me and Avery. Avery had had a long nap and was not nearly ready for sleep. In fact, he hadn't even eaten his dinner since he wasn't hungry earlier. So, when Josh left to pick up Charlotte, I allowed Avery to eat his (now cold) dinner, during which time he regaled me with stories and peppered me with questions.

I put Avery to bed just as Charlotte and Josh were coming home. Understandably, Charlotte is always hungry after practice, so while she had some cereal, I sat down with her. And, that is how I was able to have some time alone with each of the kids all in the same night.

Finally, when everyone was in bed. Josh and I sat around the kitchen table as he read the day's newspaper, Corrierre della Serra, and translated it for me. Small pleasures.

Missing all the movies...

I had to get caught up on all the Golden Globe Awards news this morning. I even allowed myself the time to watch the videos and trailers of all the films that looked interesting. Now I have a long list of films to catch up on. One that caught my attention is Up in the Air with George Clooney -- a movie about a frequent traveller perpetually in the quest for more miles. The miles are not for anything, they are an end in themselves....helping the character achieve "status." Hmmm, that sounds familiar!

After that I went to the gym, did some shopping for the kids, picked them up from school and made dinner. Not much else to report.

Pope visits the Synagogue

The big news today is that Pope Benedict XVI is paying a visit to the Main Jewish Synagogue of Rome. He is only the second Pope to set foot in a synagogue. Pope John Paul II was the first, when he visited the very same synagogue in Rome in 1986. The Vatican is literally a 15 min. WALK from the Main Synagogue...and yet this is only the second visit EVER! John Paul II was the first Pope to understand the importance of Jewish/Catholic relations. Pope Benedict's visit today was mired in controversy since he is trying to push Pope Pius XII toward sainthood. Pius was the guy who didn't speak up during the Holocaust. So, needless to say, a few Jews don't believe he deserves to be a saint.

The chaos around the Synagogue on Lungotevere, started yesterday. When Josh was driving Charlotte home from the orthodontist, the riverside road was already completely backed up with satellite trucks and T.V. cameras. Given his experience (anyone been with Josh in the car when there's traffic??), we stayed home today! Actually, in the morning while Josh went on a bike ride, the kids and I ran an errand (to return borrowed luggage) and visited a school friend who lives in the opposite direction -- away from Centro.

The perfectly natural thing to do in Italy when staying home is: cook. So I did. I don't know if it was the freshness of the Branzino, or my skill (?!?), but we enjoyed some of the best fish ever. I made all 2 kilos of fish in the oven with fresh garlic, olive oil, salt water and white wine. Avery and Olivia couldn't get enough. After lunch, everyone was tired, so the boys took a nap while the girls did homework and then compute games.

For dinner we took the kids out for Pizza at Pariolina, our local place on Viale Parioli. I guess a few other families had the same idea as the place was packed.

St. Peter's and lunch al fresco

This is NOT Via Michele Mercati 24

After living here for four months, we finally took the kids to see St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. We'd been to the Vatican with them before, but the lines to get inside the Cathedral were a bit discouraging...especially when you could always do it another time. January, is a great month here. The weather has been fairly mild, and the crowds have essentially vanished. I say "essentially" because it's a relative thing. At the Vatican, there is no such thing as no tourists.

We think that's the Big Man down there

We still waited about 10 minutes for the security check before entering the Basilica. Once inside, the kids were immediately able to understand the enormity 
of it. But before seeing the artistic treasures, we bought our tickets to go up to the cupola. This is the best part for kids. Charlotte, who was complaining of a sore knee, and Avery took the elevator up to the loggia. Josh, Olivia and I climbed the 250 odd steps to meet them. At this level, you cross the rooftop and enter the dome. If they didn't get the grandeur from the ground floor, the kids certainly got it now! We were looking down on a service going on in the sanctuary of the basilica -- and the people looked like ants. Even the guy with the red hat, who we assumed was the POPE (or at least a Caridinal?) looked tiny on his throne. It was really very cool to be up so high smelling the church smells and listening to the organ. We were surrounded my magnificent mosaics and could touch the stones of the golden cupola. The black letters on the gold background were nearly 7 feet high!

Then, you have an option to go to the outdoor terrace on the top of the dome (the views just described were from the base of the dome). So we all climbed the additional 323 steps, some of which are narrow and circular, and many of which went sideways (as of course, the dome is curved). It was almost as much fun getting to the top, as being there and taking in the 360 degree view of Rome. Clearly, this is the highest point in the Eternal City, a skyscraper in it's own right. I think we'll have to repeat this tour.

Back down in the Basilica, we had to see Michelangelo's Pieta which he sculpted at the age of 24. Unfortunately, the sculpture is behind glass because some idiot tried to vandalize it in the 70's. I also went, alone, into the chapel of S.S. Sacramento to see Bernini's work. This chapel is actively used for prayer so the kid's weren't interested. Josh and Charlotte joined the service which was just concluding in the sanctuary so they had an up-close look at Bernini's Baldacchino. The Baldacchino is directly beneath the dome and is a black marble sculpture of a canopy like structure -- beneath it, lies the grave of St. Peter. In the massive church, it doesn't look like a structure that's eight stories high, but apparently, it is.

Olivia loved seeing the columns line up

The kids had been on great behavior and really enjoyed the visit. Since it was almost lunch time, we only walked around one side of the Basilica -- the church is the length of two football fields -- before exiting and heading for home. It was a beautiful day outside: 60 plus degrees in the sun. I made a huge pot of pasta and used the ratatouille that I'd made the day before as a base for the sauce. Josh and the kids set the table outside, even placing our new, custom-made, orange seat cushions on the chairs. On January 16th, we ate lunch in our garden in Rome. And not just any lunch, but delicious Italian food. It doesn't get any better than that!

On the roof

We had an afternoon of swimming, naps, grocery shopping and reading. Charlotte went to orthodontist where she learned that at least one of the four baby teeth that still needs to come out will have to be pulled. We jumped the gun on getting her braces on before we left Chicago. There's not much that can be done until these four teeth come out, and the new ones come in. And, they are taking their sweet time.

Avery makes an appearance

Morris came over and fixed dinner for the kids. Josh and I went out. Without a plan for the evening, we ended up parking near Campo di Fiori and walked around to find a spot for dinner. We stumbled upon Da Pancrazio. The food was not bad, but not memorable either. However, the restaurant was located in part of the remains of the Teatro Pompeus - a 2000 year old Roman amphitheater, so it was very atmospheric.

While Josh retrieved the car, I went into a pasticceria in Campo di Fiori and picked out a few tortes for dessert...which we shared at home with a cup of tea.

Friday

Dear blog readers, my apologies but it's been a slow week here in Rome. Sometimes, a lack of excitement can actually be a good thing. However, this morning did not begin in dull fashion. Charlotte couldn't seem to get herself together. Josh left to drive Olivia and Avery to school, so Charlotte had to walk to school. She was incredulous. Shocked that she'd been left behind. Even when threatened, it seemed the meaning of "hurry up" was not part of her lexicon. So that was an exciting start to the day.

I went to the gym, and then met a friend there for lunch. It was a very relaxed day. In the afternoon, needing a project, I began to research summer housing options. We have rented this villa until the end of June, when the kids finish school. So where do we go for July? What will we do? Do they have camps in Italy for 4 (soon to be 5) year olds?

When the kids arrived home from school, Olivia and Avery immediately went to the basement -- their new place to "hang-out." But, more than hanging out, they wanted to clean. Avery grabbed a bucket, Olivia filled it with water and they found the mops so they could clean the floor (which had just been cleaned, professionally, two days prior). I truly hope they maintain this desire to work around the house...even if it's just when the spirit moves them.

In the evening, Josh and I dropped Charlotte off at the pool and then went for drinks at Duke's. Josh loves the place -- and they know how to make really great cocktails. We went for Happy Hour where you get to order a free appetizer from the menu to accompany your drink. There's a great atmosphere there. Then, we returned home for dinner, where Morris had made a nice pot roast.

Italian lesson, or life lesson?

Today, I returned to Italian class with Miss Ivana. The lessons (this was only my second) are completely unstructured and free-flowing in order to simply encourage us to speak. She wants her students to have a love for the language and not get hung up on the grammar. She used our holiday gift to her as an example. She said she had tasted the marmalade she'd received in the gift basket and really enjoyed it; she didn't have a need to immediately find the recipe, she just savored the flavor! Now that's an Italian description of Italian!

For my part, I make many grammatical mistakes, and my daughter finds it necessary to correct me -- or mock me, as it were. After several interruptions from Charlotte, Miss Ivana interjected in English "because it's very important that you understand me." She told Charlotte not to correct me, she told Charlotte that no one is perfect and that she needs to accept me and my Italian as it is. She said that Charlotte is not perfect either and we love her just the same. She said all these things much more eloquently than I can relay here. Today's lesson was not as much an Italian lesson as a life lesson -- which is something that is much more important for Charlotte these days.

After class, I met Josh at home and we drove down to the Quirinale (the hill that's home to the President of the Italian Republic) to see the exhibit of Roman painting at the Scuderie entitled "Roma, La Pittura di un Imperio." The exhibit primarily showcased frescoes from private homes that were painted from the 1st century BC to the 2nd Century AD. The idea was to bring all these works from the same period together in one place and to understand how Romans of that time decorated their residences. Several works were from homes in Pompeii. Josh enjoyed the exhibit more than me. I just couldn't appreciate the art for what it was -- decorative. At the end of the exhibit, there was a section devoted to portraits from tombs that had been discovered in Fayoum in Egypt. Maybe it's because we were just there, but I found these the most interesting.

We decided to go home for lunch -- with the right ingredients, I make a great pizza. Afterwards, I had time to read and take a nap! A nap? I never take naps, what's happening to me?

Tonight, after an early dinner Josh took the girls to the pool, so Avery and I had some alone time. We took a bath and read a story...and both fell asleep!