I'm getting behind on my journaling! Maybe I should be going to bed earlier so the I can wake up in the middle of the night again to write!
9/27-
Monday I chose to take it easy. Although I woke up at a decent time, I did not fuel myself well at breakfast & not long after, I started to feel punky. It was only two hours after I woke, but I was already ready for a nap. Thankfully, as soon as my blood sugar stabilized, I felt fine. We decided to stay "close to home.". We would walk through Villa Borghese to Piazza De Popola for lunch & ride the bus back. We only planned on being gone a short while but I realized later that we were away five hours!
My BIL directed us through the park, zigzagging from fountain to circle to fountain along the paths of the park. When we were about a third of the way through the park we stopped to snap some pictures of the kids. Another young woman and a couple of children were nearby and when she heard my American accent, she started chatting with us. We ended up visiting at a little playground so the kids could play while the adults visited.
After we had visited for a while, we continued on our walk. It was very pleasant among the trees, walking at a leisurely pace down the hill to the piazza. We exited the park at Piazzle Flaminio. For a minute I thought I had overshot the Piazza, but I found I was just on the other side of the gate from Piazza De Popolo. Entering the Piazza, I was blown away. It was breathtaking! In the center of a large traffic circle, there was a tall obelisk. On the other side of the piazza, visually flanking the obelisk, were two huge buildings with domes. The size of the circle, the obelisk, the two huge domes; it all effected an amazing visual impact. I don't know if I have yet seen anything that compares.
Unfortunately, few travel books have addressed this piazza, so I know very little about it. As we approached, it appears that the two domed buildings, which I assumed to be churches, were abandoned. I'm dying to know more about them, their history, if they are Churches, if they are in use, etc.
On the left, down the center, and on the right of the domed buildings were narrow streets lined with shops. Again, these streets had an iconically Italian look. I wish I could have translated what I saw onto film, but somehow what I see in my eye I never seem to translate. I didn't have much time to take it all in; we were on a mission to find pizza, per ML's request, and we were looking at a very late lunch due to our playdate in the park.
I have learned a few tricks of Rome from my BIL: stay away from the obvious trattorias, look for the little restaurants down the side streets, the food is much better. So after walking a ways, I saw a promising restaurant down a little alley. Ah, it looked good! I'll bet the food was great, but alas, no pizza on the menu. So we wandered on. Next side alley... no, that place had no place to sit. I wasn't looking for another place to grab a bite & go, I wanted to sit down this time and it was getting late. Finally, in desperation, I found a place on one of the main streets. This place, although it met my needs for a sit-down bite, was a major let down... Well, all except the Fanta for the kids & my...ah, yes...first cappuccino on the trip. That was, in fact, a little cup of heaven. However, the place ended up being grungy, the TV had inappropriate music videos blaring, and the food was...just OK. I'm not saying we didn't enjoy ourselves; this was all part of our adventure and it was a gorgeous day, we were in Rome eating pasta, and we'd just worked up an appetite walking through the park! However, this restaurant confirmed my BIL's advice. This was a tourist trap if there ever was one!
After lunch, since although I had promised the kids daily gelatos, we'd only had it once, I made a bee-line for the first gelatoria I saw. Everyone was very pleased with their selections and we walked down to the piazza to sit on the steps of one of the domed buildings to enjoy our treat. I broke down and ordered a hazelnut. It ALMOST taste coffee-ish. ML asked for a taste of mine while we were sitting on the steps & surprisingly said that he not only liked it, but might order it next time.
After this we walked to the bus stop & rode home. The younger cousin had an afterschool activity but the older cousin went out scootering with my kids for a bit. For dinner this night my BIL made sausage and roasted cauliflower. I'm embarrassed that most of my journal is food focused, but we've had some amazing meals so far! My BIL, although he says he "can't cook," is a bit like the woman who doth protest too much....he's a great cook! And eating out in Rome, well, that's almost as important as sightseeing for getting the full experience of the city.
I think the kids finished the evening watching a movie while the older cousin did her schooling. Somewhere in there I gave the kids baths in the deep, long tub. It was almost like swimming and MAF was in heaven playing with the cousin's great tub toys.
-Jen
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Friday, February 8, 2013
Rome, our first "solo" adventure!
Day three: 9/26
Our first "solo" adventure!
Sunday, we did not get the early start that we should have and missed Mass at the Pantheon. After a breakfast of leftover panini for me & French toast (ala my BIL) for the kids, we "raced" (that's a relative term) out the door to try to make the noon Mass at the Basilica of St Mary Major.
Although we just missed the first bus & got turned around a bit at Termini station, we made it to Mass with five minutes to spare. The Basilica was HUGE and very ornate, but compared to the Basilica in DC, very dirty. I think that is a reflection of it's age more than it's upkeep. The Mass was beautiful, but entirely in Italian, so I have NO idea what was being said. MK & I used the universalis app on my iPhone to follow along with the readings, and we could make a few responses, but that's about it. I'm sure the homily was good as it was very long, but I had to get my homily from the many frescos and paintings. I wish I could say I had some spiritual experience but I was feeling so nauseas I could barely stand (my blood sugar dropped, once it recovered, I was fine).
The very disconcerting thing, the thing that I fear will ultimately bother me more than anything else, is the complete lack of respect for the sacredness of these sites. There were tourists IN Mass, completely oblivious to the miracle going on at the altar. They were whispering, taking pictures, getting up and walking around, etc. We were the only people veiling and in fact, later as we were walking around, an Italian woman even came up and asked me where we were from and why I veiled. She smiled her approval, but seemed to also view me as a bit of a throw-back. Also after Mass, when we went below the altar there were people posing with the statue of the baby Jesus, jostling the few people there praying, talking, etc. People were also posing with the statue of Pope Pius X, I don't know how to describe it, but it would be like me posing next to one of those Roman centurians at the Pantheon, joking & laughing.
When Mass was over, the kids and I took a leisurely stroll around the church. We admired some of the side chapels and the statues that lined the walls. We filled out requests for Masses to be said for a couple of priests and ML requested that he be given a few quiet minutes to pray. The others moved to the giftshop while ML and I prayed, then we followed. We bought a few postcards, one especially of the statue of Mary and the Child Jesus that MK liked, and a statue of the Pieta that ML picked out and then we headed back to Termini to catch a bus back to our (two day favorite) panini & fanta shop in Piazza Farnese (mainly because it was so seedy & grungy around Termini and the Basilica).
Of course, since this was our first unguided trip, I got off the bus too soon and we had a long way to walk. On top of that, we got a bit turned around. Finally I saw the bakery where I'd purchased the amaretti cookies the day before so I knew we were on the right street. We got our paninis (this time I tried it with the Proscuitto crude, not nearly as good as the motz & cheese) and walked toward the Piazza Campo de Fiore. The market was empty & we perched precariously on the edge of a high fountain & ate our paninis & drank our fanta.
Unfortunately, I was already at my limit when the two year old started to act up. Without knowing where we were going, we tried to find a bus to take us to either transfer location we knew, Termini or San Sylvestro, or better yet, back to our villa. You'd think all the streets we wandered down that we could find ONE bus going to at least one of those locations but no. And of course, because we were looking for buses and not known landmarks, we got completely lost.
I'm thankful that Rome is not rife with crime like my BIL says it used to be in the 80's, because we walked down some out-of-the way back alleys. Interestingly, it was the main thoroughfares that seemed the dirtiest & least safe. It was down these lonely alleys that we saw some of the nicest trattorias. Also humourously, although these little lanes were barely wide enough for my little (big) family to walk down arm & arm, we kept having to get out of the way of not only scooters & motorcycles but cars! Sadly, my map was useless. We were on some of those narrow lanes that don't merit a mention in the travel books.
Finally, we stumbled upon an art square that I recognized having entered from the opposite side previously. Making a mental note on how to get back to those interesting looking eateries, we guided ourselves back to our bus terminal, arriving in time to catch a direct hop home.
Lesson learned? Always map your bus route home before venturing out!
The rest of the day was spent recovering & relaxing. I took a brief nap on the couch, my BIL cooked polenta and ribs, and the kids played with cousins & watched a movie. I also figured outhow to head off insomnia: consume some afternoon caffiene and stay up until midnight!
-Jen
Our first "solo" adventure!
Sunday, we did not get the early start that we should have and missed Mass at the Pantheon. After a breakfast of leftover panini for me & French toast (ala my BIL) for the kids, we "raced" (that's a relative term) out the door to try to make the noon Mass at the Basilica of St Mary Major.
Although we just missed the first bus & got turned around a bit at Termini station, we made it to Mass with five minutes to spare. The Basilica was HUGE and very ornate, but compared to the Basilica in DC, very dirty. I think that is a reflection of it's age more than it's upkeep. The Mass was beautiful, but entirely in Italian, so I have NO idea what was being said. MK & I used the universalis app on my iPhone to follow along with the readings, and we could make a few responses, but that's about it. I'm sure the homily was good as it was very long, but I had to get my homily from the many frescos and paintings. I wish I could say I had some spiritual experience but I was feeling so nauseas I could barely stand (my blood sugar dropped, once it recovered, I was fine).
The very disconcerting thing, the thing that I fear will ultimately bother me more than anything else, is the complete lack of respect for the sacredness of these sites. There were tourists IN Mass, completely oblivious to the miracle going on at the altar. They were whispering, taking pictures, getting up and walking around, etc. We were the only people veiling and in fact, later as we were walking around, an Italian woman even came up and asked me where we were from and why I veiled. She smiled her approval, but seemed to also view me as a bit of a throw-back. Also after Mass, when we went below the altar there were people posing with the statue of the baby Jesus, jostling the few people there praying, talking, etc. People were also posing with the statue of Pope Pius X, I don't know how to describe it, but it would be like me posing next to one of those Roman centurians at the Pantheon, joking & laughing.
When Mass was over, the kids and I took a leisurely stroll around the church. We admired some of the side chapels and the statues that lined the walls. We filled out requests for Masses to be said for a couple of priests and ML requested that he be given a few quiet minutes to pray. The others moved to the giftshop while ML and I prayed, then we followed. We bought a few postcards, one especially of the statue of Mary and the Child Jesus that MK liked, and a statue of the Pieta that ML picked out and then we headed back to Termini to catch a bus back to our (two day favorite) panini & fanta shop in Piazza Farnese (mainly because it was so seedy & grungy around Termini and the Basilica).
Of course, since this was our first unguided trip, I got off the bus too soon and we had a long way to walk. On top of that, we got a bit turned around. Finally I saw the bakery where I'd purchased the amaretti cookies the day before so I knew we were on the right street. We got our paninis (this time I tried it with the Proscuitto crude, not nearly as good as the motz & cheese) and walked toward the Piazza Campo de Fiore. The market was empty & we perched precariously on the edge of a high fountain & ate our paninis & drank our fanta.
Unfortunately, I was already at my limit when the two year old started to act up. Without knowing where we were going, we tried to find a bus to take us to either transfer location we knew, Termini or San Sylvestro, or better yet, back to our villa. You'd think all the streets we wandered down that we could find ONE bus going to at least one of those locations but no. And of course, because we were looking for buses and not known landmarks, we got completely lost.
I'm thankful that Rome is not rife with crime like my BIL says it used to be in the 80's, because we walked down some out-of-the way back alleys. Interestingly, it was the main thoroughfares that seemed the dirtiest & least safe. It was down these lonely alleys that we saw some of the nicest trattorias. Also humourously, although these little lanes were barely wide enough for my little (big) family to walk down arm & arm, we kept having to get out of the way of not only scooters & motorcycles but cars! Sadly, my map was useless. We were on some of those narrow lanes that don't merit a mention in the travel books.
Finally, we stumbled upon an art square that I recognized having entered from the opposite side previously. Making a mental note on how to get back to those interesting looking eateries, we guided ourselves back to our bus terminal, arriving in time to catch a direct hop home.
Lesson learned? Always map your bus route home before venturing out!
The rest of the day was spent recovering & relaxing. I took a brief nap on the couch, my BIL cooked polenta and ribs, and the kids played with cousins & watched a movie. I also figured outhow to head off insomnia: consume some afternoon caffiene and stay up until midnight!
-Jen
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Touch-down in Rome
I'm posting my travelogue for a friend who is traveling to Rome pregnant!
Touch-down in Rome:
Jen (seven months pregnant) and the five kids visit family in Rome.
September 25, 2010
I wouldn't recommend the flight to anyone with kids: incredibly long & TONS of turbulence. Poor Kitty lost her dinner! The kids were GREAT, though, real troopers! Now that we are here, I'm starting to relax. Since I'm staying with family, I think I'll get to experience a bit of what it's like to live here in addition the tourist side. My BIL is a bit jaded by the corruption, but I can see Rome with fresh eyes, I don't have to live with it.
We had a great drive through town to my in-laws flat. The driver was very knowledgeable & gave us a good narrated tour. I've already seen the collusium, the Basilica of St John Latern, the Basilica of St Paul (or is it Peter & Paul?), Bernini square, etc, albiet all from the exterior. Can't wait to start exploring!
The Villa we are staying in is probably 12,000 sq ft, broken into three? four? flats. I love architecture (especially residential buildings like this) so I'm in heaven! Earlier I was lying in bed with windows open & the inner shutters closed, listening to the street noise, the light from the garden below coming through the slats. The ceilings 14 feet high, the walls are over a foot thick, the doors & windows 10 feet high, the floor marble, parquet, inlaid tile, etc.
Last night we went out to dinner at a little cafe walking distance from their house (wished I'd left the the 2YO at home, he was a PILL, but we survived), delicious food. Afterward, we went to a park called Villa Borgeshe. Gorgeous. I think we'll go strolling over there daily. We are just outside the city walls, on the "old" side of town (100 BC). The Vatican is in the "new part of town" (200 AD, you can turn your nose up now, and sniff distainfully...lol).
Tomorrow my BIL is going to help me get oriented & buy some bus tickets, take us out for gelato, etc! Hopefully, the swelling in my feet will go down with some walking. I think it's from sitting on a plane too long. This is a lot for a chunky, middle aged woman who is seven months pregnant!
I can't wait for my first Roman Mass.
Well, it's 3:25 am... yes, insomnia, even in Rome!
9/26
After my bout with insomnia, although we wanted to get an early start, we slept in until 10:30 am. However, after a good breakfast (for the kids that meant pancakes, for me that meant aged parma & a delicious hard salami), we got on the road. Our goal today was simply to orient me to the city and to teach me how to navigate around.
First we caught the bus "Via Archemede" to Piazza Sylvestri and then walked to the Pantheon. Via Archimedes is special to our clan as we have studied him in our schooling. The Pantheon was an amazing piece of Roman architecture, but is now a church. I took a few pictures, but felt uncomfortable because I couldn't find the tabernacle. We are going to try to go back Sunday for Mass. They only have Mass for the Saturday vigil & one for Sunday morning each week, so I hope it's not too crowded.
After the Pantheon, we visited the "French Church". Sitting on the steps were the first "Roma" (beggars) we saw. Inside, we also saw our first Carravaggio. Quite a contrast, huh? The French church is beautiful & we will go there for Mass if the Pantheon is too crowded, but otherwise since they have daily Mass, I plan to hit it during the week.
Although I did find the tabernacle in this church (it was much more tradtional in design), I was disappointed that we were the only ones to genuflect before the tabernacle. Another consideration I'm going to have to ponder is veiling. If we veil at HOME whenever we enter a church, I suppose I should do it here? I brought my veils for Mass but did not bring them for our daily adventure.
We covered a lot of ground Saturday, all of which I plan on retracing at a much slower pace, but my goal was more to get my "city legs" (or my internal compass set). After we visited the French church, we walked to Piazza Navona. At that point, I needed to sit down. We sat in front of the world famous fountain, but I was busier rehydrating than sightseeing at that moment.
After catching my breath, we walked toward Piazza Campo D. Fiori, an open air market. Before we got there, we bought our first panini (salami, proscuitto, ham, turkey, or just tomato & motz). The salami was delicious (Jonny), but I think I probably made the best choice with a simple tomato & fresh motz. I also had my first Fanta (orange soda). It was nothing like a 'food dye & syrup' orange soda from the US but rather more like our Orangina, which my BIL tells me is even BETTER in Italy.
We walked past the market, but as we were too late for the fruit & veggies and I wasn't interested in tee shirts, knock-off bags, or mismatched dishes, we continued on to Piazza Farnese to sit on benches in front of the French embassy to eat our panini. We must not have been the only ones to make that choice in recent history as the pigeons found us immediately. I love birds, from a distance, love to listen to their cooing and calls, but ... not up close ... and not that many. Interesting side note on all these beautiful old buildings, my BIL informed me that upkeep on the French embassy alone is OVER 16 million Euros a YEAR ($20 million US).
After lunch we decided to head back. On the way back I saw store that sold all sorts of delectibles, from the largest Mortadella sausage I ever saw (a good four feet long & 18 inches around) to meringue and everything in between. I bought a few martzipan, some meringue (a huge cloud 6 inches long, four wide, & three high), and the best amaretti cookies I ever had. This was an interesting purchase because everything was metric & by weight. So, for example, the amaretti cookies were 35 Euro per Kilo (?). I wanted maybe four? The clerk was very kind & speaking better English than I spoke Italian (well, that's easy as I speak NO Italian), he helped me figure out that one amaretti cookie was about 1.15 Euros, etc. After I picked out my purchases, I had to pay at a different location while he wrapped everything up in paper & ribbon. Then I brought my receipt to him & picked up my items. My BIL says that in some shops you pay FIRST then get your items (not pointing & picking as I did today), and then you really have to break out the Italian. Hmmm, good thing I don't plan on shopping a lot!
We hoped to hit Piazza Minerva and the church of Mary & the Martyrs (?), but it was closed. I'm going to make my way back that way when it's open, plus, around the corner there is a vestments store (a store that sells liturgical clothes for priests) that my BIL says is worth just looking in the windows. I might stop in to see if I can pick something up for a few priest friends, but as the suitcoats in the windows of the regular men's clothing stores ran 3000-8000 Euros ($4500-12000 US), I doubt I'll be able to afford anything nicer than a cinture.
We walked back to Piazza Sylvestri & caught "Via Archimede" back to the flat. I took a much needed break before taking all the kids (solo) up the street for our first gelato. It was... ok. Of course, it was probably the DQ grade of gelato. I don't mind marching the troops up there daily, but I'll wait to partake of some of the better gelatorias. After that we hit the park across the street again to burn off the sugar before dinner.
Just before dinner, we skyped with my hubby. Humously, the boys were more interested in showing Daddy the Legos that I bought them for the trip than mentioning the highlights of the day, but I know they will remember this trip for a long time, even if they don't recognize the importance now.
My BIL roasted delicious chickens & zuccini which he served with rice, a tomato & motz salad, & Greek yogurt. It was delicious. After dinner, I broke out the treats. The martzipan was disappointing, but the kids loved the meringue and I, the amaretti cookies. Then my BIL took the kids back to the park & I bathed Mikey & put him to bed. Then my other rug-rats bathed while the cousins talked to their mother. Soon after, I had to send the kids to bed because I was starting to fall asleep sitting up.
However, while MK was in the shower, my BIL & I chatted and I got a (very temporary) second wind. I knew it was technically too early to go to bed as I'd wake up in the middle of the night, but as I was too tired to write this then, I figured I would take this time to get this down, with the added advantage that the house would be quiet, and I was right. So, insomnia put to good use.
Good night until tomorrow! I have the alarm set for 7:30 am so that we can hit Mass somewhere (for most places, it's only one Mass on Sunday, 10:30am). My BIL is going to make the kids French toast & I'm hoping to sneak some more Parma & salami!
-Jen
Touch-down in Rome:
Jen (seven months pregnant) and the five kids visit family in Rome.
September 25, 2010
I wouldn't recommend the flight to anyone with kids: incredibly long & TONS of turbulence. Poor Kitty lost her dinner! The kids were GREAT, though, real troopers! Now that we are here, I'm starting to relax. Since I'm staying with family, I think I'll get to experience a bit of what it's like to live here in addition the tourist side. My BIL is a bit jaded by the corruption, but I can see Rome with fresh eyes, I don't have to live with it.
We had a great drive through town to my in-laws flat. The driver was very knowledgeable & gave us a good narrated tour. I've already seen the collusium, the Basilica of St John Latern, the Basilica of St Paul (or is it Peter & Paul?), Bernini square, etc, albiet all from the exterior. Can't wait to start exploring!
The Villa we are staying in is probably 12,000 sq ft, broken into three? four? flats. I love architecture (especially residential buildings like this) so I'm in heaven! Earlier I was lying in bed with windows open & the inner shutters closed, listening to the street noise, the light from the garden below coming through the slats. The ceilings 14 feet high, the walls are over a foot thick, the doors & windows 10 feet high, the floor marble, parquet, inlaid tile, etc.
Last night we went out to dinner at a little cafe walking distance from their house (wished I'd left the the 2YO at home, he was a PILL, but we survived), delicious food. Afterward, we went to a park called Villa Borgeshe. Gorgeous. I think we'll go strolling over there daily. We are just outside the city walls, on the "old" side of town (100 BC). The Vatican is in the "new part of town" (200 AD, you can turn your nose up now, and sniff distainfully...lol).
Tomorrow my BIL is going to help me get oriented & buy some bus tickets, take us out for gelato, etc! Hopefully, the swelling in my feet will go down with some walking. I think it's from sitting on a plane too long. This is a lot for a chunky, middle aged woman who is seven months pregnant!
I can't wait for my first Roman Mass.
Well, it's 3:25 am... yes, insomnia, even in Rome!
9/26
After my bout with insomnia, although we wanted to get an early start, we slept in until 10:30 am. However, after a good breakfast (for the kids that meant pancakes, for me that meant aged parma & a delicious hard salami), we got on the road. Our goal today was simply to orient me to the city and to teach me how to navigate around.
First we caught the bus "Via Archemede" to Piazza Sylvestri and then walked to the Pantheon. Via Archimedes is special to our clan as we have studied him in our schooling. The Pantheon was an amazing piece of Roman architecture, but is now a church. I took a few pictures, but felt uncomfortable because I couldn't find the tabernacle. We are going to try to go back Sunday for Mass. They only have Mass for the Saturday vigil & one for Sunday morning each week, so I hope it's not too crowded.
After the Pantheon, we visited the "French Church". Sitting on the steps were the first "Roma" (beggars) we saw. Inside, we also saw our first Carravaggio. Quite a contrast, huh? The French church is beautiful & we will go there for Mass if the Pantheon is too crowded, but otherwise since they have daily Mass, I plan to hit it during the week.
Although I did find the tabernacle in this church (it was much more tradtional in design), I was disappointed that we were the only ones to genuflect before the tabernacle. Another consideration I'm going to have to ponder is veiling. If we veil at HOME whenever we enter a church, I suppose I should do it here? I brought my veils for Mass but did not bring them for our daily adventure.
We covered a lot of ground Saturday, all of which I plan on retracing at a much slower pace, but my goal was more to get my "city legs" (or my internal compass set). After we visited the French church, we walked to Piazza Navona. At that point, I needed to sit down. We sat in front of the world famous fountain, but I was busier rehydrating than sightseeing at that moment.
After catching my breath, we walked toward Piazza Campo D. Fiori, an open air market. Before we got there, we bought our first panini (salami, proscuitto, ham, turkey, or just tomato & motz). The salami was delicious (Jonny), but I think I probably made the best choice with a simple tomato & fresh motz. I also had my first Fanta (orange soda). It was nothing like a 'food dye & syrup' orange soda from the US but rather more like our Orangina, which my BIL tells me is even BETTER in Italy.
We walked past the market, but as we were too late for the fruit & veggies and I wasn't interested in tee shirts, knock-off bags, or mismatched dishes, we continued on to Piazza Farnese to sit on benches in front of the French embassy to eat our panini. We must not have been the only ones to make that choice in recent history as the pigeons found us immediately. I love birds, from a distance, love to listen to their cooing and calls, but ... not up close ... and not that many. Interesting side note on all these beautiful old buildings, my BIL informed me that upkeep on the French embassy alone is OVER 16 million Euros a YEAR ($20 million US).
After lunch we decided to head back. On the way back I saw store that sold all sorts of delectibles, from the largest Mortadella sausage I ever saw (a good four feet long & 18 inches around) to meringue and everything in between. I bought a few martzipan, some meringue (a huge cloud 6 inches long, four wide, & three high), and the best amaretti cookies I ever had. This was an interesting purchase because everything was metric & by weight. So, for example, the amaretti cookies were 35 Euro per Kilo (?). I wanted maybe four? The clerk was very kind & speaking better English than I spoke Italian (well, that's easy as I speak NO Italian), he helped me figure out that one amaretti cookie was about 1.15 Euros, etc. After I picked out my purchases, I had to pay at a different location while he wrapped everything up in paper & ribbon. Then I brought my receipt to him & picked up my items. My BIL says that in some shops you pay FIRST then get your items (not pointing & picking as I did today), and then you really have to break out the Italian. Hmmm, good thing I don't plan on shopping a lot!
We hoped to hit Piazza Minerva and the church of Mary & the Martyrs (?), but it was closed. I'm going to make my way back that way when it's open, plus, around the corner there is a vestments store (a store that sells liturgical clothes for priests) that my BIL says is worth just looking in the windows. I might stop in to see if I can pick something up for a few priest friends, but as the suitcoats in the windows of the regular men's clothing stores ran 3000-8000 Euros ($4500-12000 US), I doubt I'll be able to afford anything nicer than a cinture.
We walked back to Piazza Sylvestri & caught "Via Archimede" back to the flat. I took a much needed break before taking all the kids (solo) up the street for our first gelato. It was... ok. Of course, it was probably the DQ grade of gelato. I don't mind marching the troops up there daily, but I'll wait to partake of some of the better gelatorias. After that we hit the park across the street again to burn off the sugar before dinner.
Just before dinner, we skyped with my hubby. Humously, the boys were more interested in showing Daddy the Legos that I bought them for the trip than mentioning the highlights of the day, but I know they will remember this trip for a long time, even if they don't recognize the importance now.
My BIL roasted delicious chickens & zuccini which he served with rice, a tomato & motz salad, & Greek yogurt. It was delicious. After dinner, I broke out the treats. The martzipan was disappointing, but the kids loved the meringue and I, the amaretti cookies. Then my BIL took the kids back to the park & I bathed Mikey & put him to bed. Then my other rug-rats bathed while the cousins talked to their mother. Soon after, I had to send the kids to bed because I was starting to fall asleep sitting up.
However, while MK was in the shower, my BIL & I chatted and I got a (very temporary) second wind. I knew it was technically too early to go to bed as I'd wake up in the middle of the night, but as I was too tired to write this then, I figured I would take this time to get this down, with the added advantage that the house would be quiet, and I was right. So, insomnia put to good use.
Good night until tomorrow! I have the alarm set for 7:30 am so that we can hit Mass somewhere (for most places, it's only one Mass on Sunday, 10:30am). My BIL is going to make the kids French toast & I'm hoping to sneak some more Parma & salami!
-Jen
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