Olivia

Josh left early to go skiing in Ovindoli. I had my Italian class with Charlotte in the morning at RIS. I walked up to the 4th floor with Olivia (as I usually do on Thursdays) and she showed me a few things in her classroom. She showed me all the kids' photographs posted on a bulletin board with words surrounding them. The words were: "integrity" "cooperation" "respect" "tolerance" "creativity" "confidence." Olivia's picture had the most words surrounding it. Rather than giving "stars," the words are awarded by the teacher to relate to the positive behavior displayed. I was really proud of Olivia; it's certainly not something I would have expected.

After my Italian class, I didn't have a whole lot to do. I decided to on a reconnaissance mission to check out our neighboring hotels for Uncle Larry's visit in March. The reception at the Lord Byron was welcoming and the bellman was able to show me two rooms (the hotel has only 30). One a deluxe room and the other a junior suite. Both were very nice, but aside from the view out the front of the hotel as opposed to the back, I didn't think the junior suite warranted the extra charge. The bathrooms were identical. This boutique hotel has a very clubbish, private feel to it. And, it was very quiet!

Later, I walked over the the Aldrovandi. Despite its proximity, I'd never set foot inside before today. The lobby is very gracious -- lots of marble but not at all ostentatious. While significantly larger than the Lord Byron--The Aldrovandi has 108 rooms -- it still retains a rather intimate feeling. However, since the hotel was full, I would have to wait "10 minutes" until they were finished cleaning one of the rooms. Knowing that 10 minutes could easily turn into 15 or 20, I just said I would come back later in the day.

When Josh returned to from skiing he showed me the photos he'd taken on the mountain. I wasn't expecting much but, in fact, I was impressed. Ovindoli looked really nice. It's part of the Appenine range in Abruzzo.

Tonight, I made the Branzino again, but this time I tried Miss Ivana's recipe (as discussed in Italian this morning) to bake it in the oven on a bed of rock salt and egg whites. I was hesitant, since the Branzino was so good the way I made it the last time, but I gave it a try. Amazing! The egg whites keep the fish moist. I still stuffed it with garlic and used lemon on top. I also breaded some other fish that I bought, I forgot the name. It looks like calamari, but it isn't; it's more tender. It was a big hit. Josh said it was the best calamari he'd ever had...except it wasn't calamari.

After dinner, I went to AquAniene with the girls. Olivia and I had our "outing" when she was finished with her lesson. We showered, we steamed, we roasted in the sauna, and then we went up to the cafe for hydration and a snack. We talked about getting a dog when she is living on her own after college, and getting married. Watching Olivia unfold is going to be interesting!