Eating in Italy

Food in Italy deserves it's own blog, so here it is....

Food here is an experience. Whether it be grabbing a panini from a storefront shop, or enjoying a four course meal, eating in Italy is something to be enjoyed. I think of how at home, i am often rushing from one place to the next and find myself at a drive-thru, or i grab something for lunch and eat at my desk while i'm multitasking. Rarely do i have the opportunity to sit down and enjoy the experience and culture of eating.

Needless to say, here in Italy, it's a different story.

And what we know as Italian food, is not what they serve here. Let me explain.

For example, pizza as we know it does not exist here. Pizza here is typically a thin crust, with light sauce and just a small amount of cheese. Everything is in moderation. According to the walking tour we did the first day we were in town, to find the best pizza means to find someone from Naples, where pizza was born. Evidently, there is one such pizza maker a few blocks from my house. And i have to say, it is pretty good.

The typical Italian meal is served in several courses. First, you have a starter, or what we would call an appetizer. My favorites here are bruschetta, prosciutto and melon and caprese salad. Then it's on to the first course, pasta. Here, i love gnocchi and lasagna. But there lasagna is very different from ours - lots of layers of very thin pasta with light amounts of sauce, just enough to provide some moisture between the pasta and cheese. Heavenly. Then it's on to the second course. Most of the time, i never order a second course, as it is simply too much food. But the other night, we had a welcome dinner with the students where they did a proper 4 course meal. I was absolutely stuffed full by the end of that meal - there was soooo much food!

Sometimes there is even a side dish of veggies. I had to take a picture of this event. By that i mean, my kid, who never eats veggies at home, has willingly and eagerly eaten both green beans and carrots since we've been here. Who is this person and what did you do with my kid. I hope this is a trend that continues!

Then of course, there is the wine. Wine is a religion here. We had a fabulous red wine at our welcome dinner. Those of you who know me, know that i am not a big red wine drinker. It just is always too, i don't know what the word is here, too bitter for me. It's like the aftertaste zaps back at you. Not on this night. This stuff was so smooth, i drank like half the bottle (and being the good recyclers that they are, and not wanting to waste anything, my students gladly finished of the bottle at our table). In looking at the bottle, turns out it's nothing special in terms of type of wine, just basic red table wine.

Even Keegan got caught up in the party of it all. Cheers! Hey, it's a lesson in culture!

Then of course, there is gelato. Oh and cannoli's too, which are awsome here. Ah, but gelato as you know by now, holds a special place in my heart. And belly...and ass and thighs - HA! With so many places and flavors to choose from, how does one choose. In San Gimignano, there is a store there that claims to be the best gelato in the world. It's a hard call, but i think i like my little neighhood place better. Although they did have some rockin' flavors, like white chocolate. No, in my neighborhood, we have a place called Grom, which is well known for being one of the best because they use all natural and fresh ingredients. As you can see, it has quite the following. This is actually a short line....

Luckily, we do lots of walking here to balance out the food extravaganza!

The Price of Italy

Out of my many travel experiences, it seems that Europe, and in this case, Italy, is one of the more expensive places to live.

Take for example, the price of gasoline. Mind you, I am very thankful that I am not driving here (never mind the price of gas, but the drivers here are flipping psycho!). Plus they have the most amazing train system that takes you just about anywhere you want to go with ease. But I digress.

1 liter - .26 gallons. So for math’s sake, let’s call it 4 liters to a gallon. At 1.49Euros per liter, that’s 5.96Euros a gallon. Convert that into dollars based on today’s exchange rate of $1.46 dollars to a Euro, that’s a grand total of…..$8.88 for a GALLON OF GAS.

I shall never complain about the price of gas again. Oh who am I kidding, I’m sure I will. But now I will have a bit more perspective when doing so, and argue that the price of gas sucks everywhere!

Another example, shoes. I am not nearly the shoe fanatic that many of my friends are (and you know who you are). As I glance by the store window, I do see the occasional pair that would look really cute on my feet. And then I pseudo-faint when I see the price tag. So far, I haven’t seen a single pair of shoes under 50Euros. And that’s for the cheap looking ones. Most average shoes seem to be priced anywhere from $100-175Euros (translation: $146-255). Now I can’t say that I remember the last time I paid $146 dollars for a pair of basic pair of ordinary sandals (and I have never paid $255 for shoes!)

I mean come on, are these really worth $255? I don't think so......

These ones are slightly more affordable at 95 Euro (approx $140) but still...

Clothing too is very expensive (and very tiny as there are no fat people here. There aren’t even moderately rounded individuals? How is that possible?????) For example….

And this was at an ordinary average store. Compare it to, say, Forever 21. Or Express. 60 Euros for a basic top????? That's almost $100 for something that i thought was worth more like $19.99.

I figure the Italians must have a significantly smaller wardrobe selection than Americans, lest they would be broke. Plus they have tiny apartments so less places to store things. There is something to be said about that in a positive light.

Here’s one for my mommy friends. Baby stuff is also very very expensive. For example, here, you see a small package of diapers, quantity 28. At 10.59Euros, that’s $15.46 a package, or $.55 a diaper. At that rate, i'd be back to cloth diapers! Lucky for me, I brought a few packages over with me and will hopefully coerce my friends and family to squeeze a package or two in with their luggage when they come to visit.

Luckily, by living here, we aren’t subjected to eating every meal out on the go, so being about to cook at home helps out a lot both on the pocketbook as well as the waistline. More free cash for gelato then! My goal is to eat to my heart's delight, walk it all off and hopefully come home without gaining too much weight (wishful thinking has me losing 5lbs......).

The Faces of Keegan

In recent months, Mr. K (who used to LOVE having his picture taken as a baby) has been a bit camera shy. Over the past few days, he's been getting back into the swing of things. Part of this is due to the fact that the camera (and picture taking) has become a game that we play. He's realized that there is a screen that you can look at on the camera when taking a picture.

I realized he was beginning to understand what a camera is a few weeks ago. I had a toy hiding in my glovebox in the car from a happy meal once upon a time (see, you save them, and then bring them out when necessary to thwart a toddler tantrum in the car). This one was a camera. He was holding it out in front of him and was saying "picture" and "cheese". It really was the cutest thing.

So in making sure that i got lots of quality pics of him here in Italy, we created a game around the camera. He will pose for a picture for me (assuming he's in the mood) if i show it to him after and then he gets to snap a picture from his perspective.

Here's what i got out of him today while we were on the train ride back from Lucca. As you can see, he was actually in a participatory mood.

Buongiornio!

It's been a very busy week....
We departed on Friday afternoon from LAX. I was all prepared to it to be chaotic, especially since it was the Friday of the holiday weekend. We left our house at 3pm for a 7:30pm flight. First sign that things were out of the ordinary came when we hit almost zero traffic to the airport. Like when does that EVER happen? Then we get to the airport where we not only checked in with ease (and got those bags just under the max weight limit!) but breezed through security. We figured we'd wander throughout the terminal, get some food, etc. Wrong! Who knew that there are absolutely NO places to eat at the gates - all the dining establishments are found outside of security. So i ended up skipping back out to get us some food to bring back (a much better idea considering the ordeal it was to pull out all the toiletries and shoes and computer devices at security, scan the car seat and stroller, etc.....)


See what i'm talking about....empty!

So off we went on the first leg of our trip - 11 hours to Zurich. I was so impressed with Keegan - he did awsome. We had brought his car seat on board with us (which let me tell you, BARELY fit in the seat) and strapped him in. He slept a good portion of the flight and while he woke up disoriented a few times, he barely got fussy. I'm sure all the people sitting around me were very thankful for that!

We landed in Zurich after some sleep for Keegan and very little sleep for mom and I. But i've decided that this is my favorite airport of all time. They have this great family space where diapers can be changed, highchairs can be used and where there are tons of toys for the kids just to go nuts with. They even have a little room where baby and parents can take a nap! This place seriously rocks!

Of course, K was quick to find the trains to play with.


Eventually we had to leave this fun place (but hey, we have another layover on our way home, so we'll get to play there once again!) Then it was off to Florence. It was just a quick flight, only about an hour. But what a magical hour it was. The sights out the window of the plane was just awe-inspiring. Here's one that i snapped out of the plane window (leaning over K's seat)....

Seriously, this picture doesn't even begin to do it justice.







Here's Mr. K....just hanging out.

We arrived in Florence and took a taxi to our hotel where we would spend our first night. Driving in an Italian taxi is like having a conversation with God. Actually all of the drivers are crazy. They fit their cars down these tiny streets and they zip and zoom around people. I'm surprised more people don't die from car accidents in this town, because they are indeed crazy!

The next day we were moved into our apartment. The school is located near Santa Croce, so most of us are living in apartments in the historical center of the city, with a few students just across the Arno river. My apartment is just 2 blocks away from the Duomo - in fact, we can see the top of the cathedral from one of the bedroom windows. Our apartment is very nice and much bigger than i expected, so it is very comfy for us.

Here's the view from our living room:

We actually have three bedrooms and two bathrooms, which is very nice. But the showers in the bathroom are VERY tiny - it should be interesting when K and I try and shower in the am....


And a few pics of us..... Here's K and Grammy.....

And then one of my little man and me!









After my first day of school today (yes, much to my students dismay, we had class on Memorial Day, which i had to remind them is NOT a holiday in Italy - :) we decided to go for a walk in the city. Things go on much later here - to go out to dinner earlier than 7 or 8pm is out of the ordinary. We've already tried Italian pizza, pasta and of course, gelato (i'll let you guess which one is everyone's favorite!). Tonight we headed out to wander around the Duomo (where i saw Mike "The Situation" from the Jersey Shore filming a scene with his entourage. Of course my students are thrilled with the fact that they might "bump" into them (ok, the female students), but the locals are very OVER them being here and all their crazy partying obnoxious ways. I might have to pretend to be canadian. I tried to get a picture (only to prove to my students that i actually did see him), but the "entourage" wouldn't let me.

So you'll have to settle for a picture of the Duomo....which is a much more magnificent sight in my opinion.....

Reflecting

So for pretty much the majority of Keegan's life, i've been lamenting the part that he is "growing up". Of course, yes, i know that this is just a part of life, but there is a part of me that wishes that the baby days would last just a little bit longer. Some of my mommy friends might call me crazy, but it really has been one of my favorite stages so far. There's just something about those early days (viewed through the eyes of sleep deprivation, no less). It's funny, because i remember even at a very young age, Keegan always seemed like such an old soul to me, as if he had already seen so many things in his life. Perhaps i should believe in reincarnation or past lives or something. But i look at him and i think one of two things. 1) He's growing up way too fast....STOP!!!!! or 2) He's always looked the same way then as he does today. Well i can tell you that the answer to the first question is indeed yes. As for the second one, my mind forgets that once upon a time, he was indeed a squishy soft little baby. So i think back to all those digital photos that are stored somewhere on my computer, never to be seen again after they were uploaded. So i created a screen background on my computer at work where every few minutes or so, a new photo from the first year of K's life pops up. It is certainly a great way to procrastinate, but it also reminds me of the days that go by way too fast.

Here's some of my favorites that make me ooh and ahh every day. And to think, the last (almost) two years have gone by in the blink of an eye. I'm sure i'll be saying the same thing when he turns 18 - oh where oh where did the time go......

Here's a few from the really early days. The first one i think was in the first couple of weeks and the second one was probably when he was less than a day old!

No he's not really sitting up here, just propped up against the couch, probably 3 or 4 months old. This was about as chubby as his legs ever got - no rolls for me to pinch! Sometimes i look at pictures from the early days, and while i recognize him, he looks so different

This one was part of the first set of family photos that we had done in November 2009 when K was 5 months old

Both of these photos were taken when K was around 10 months old. These types of pictures probably add to my belief that he's always looked the same - as these aren't a far cry from some of his more recent pictures.

Just don't grow up too fast my little man :)

Johnathan's Third Birthday

The other week, my dear friend of over thirty years and her family came down to visit in honor of her son's third birthday. What else does one do for such a memorable event? Go to Disneyland of course!

We spent time at both parks, but found that Mickey's House was the most fun for the kids. Though we did get in some fun shots with the characters over at California Adventure.

At first, Keegan was a bit timid, but by the time we got to Mickey, he caught on to the idea of it!

It was pretty crowded (i swear, it seems like "Spring Break" lasts 6 weeks long at Disneyland) but we were able to go on a few rides without too much of a wait. Keegan and Johnathan both loved the Dumbo and the Autotopia ride. I was so happy that Keegan survived Dumbo as he screamed on the first time we went on it.

(Hey Johnathan....the road is in front of you :) )

Then it was off to the carousel!

Oh yea, see that train in Keegan's hand. He wouldn't let it go all day...and even now he wakes up and the first thing in the morning, he says "choo choo". Good thing we live right across the street from a train station, because the kid is obsessed with all things related to trains (especially if it's "Thomas" the train)

But i digress from our Disney experience.......

Then it was off to "Mr Toad's Wild Ride" - now i have to admit that even i thought that it was a bit dark and fast and jerky (um, as in the whole "Wild Ride" part.....) Well K wasn't much of a fan. Johnathan on the other hand spent the rest of the trip uttering....."Mickey House.....no rides.....too dark"...... Apparently he still says that whenever anyone asks him about his visit to Mickey's House. It was actually really cute.

But at least we did get him on to It's a Small World......after all, how can you go to Disneyland and not go on the "Its a Small World" ride.

Apparently it's a Small World doesn't fall in the "no ride.....too dark" category :)

Yup....and K is still holding on to that train!

All in all, the boys had so much fun together. Can't wait until K's birthday party later this summer and they can have fun together again!!!! Too bad they live so far away :(

Trip to the Zoo!

A few weeks ago, we took Keegan for his first zoo experience. We decided to go to the Santa Ana Zoo and we brought Grandma Ann and Auntie Heidi along for the experience.

Keegan seemed to take it all in with the animals and such. One of the unique factors about the Santa Ana Zoo is that they have lots of different monkeys on display - all shapes and sizes!

They also have this really cute playarea with stone animals and an old jeep. Of course, Keegan was all about driving the car (as you can see in the picture). He just loves cars!

He also took a particularly liking to this turtle figure.....

And of course Auntie Heidi was there to show Keegan all the bugs!

All in all, it was a fun first day at the zoo!