What are your resources for a day in the country?

4-18-2009

It’s Sunday afternoon and I’ve spent the weekend in Bibbiano. We left Rome Friday. We were with Camilla and Federico Friday night. It rained in Bibbiano and when the sun came out the light was so extraordinarily beautiful. Saturday morning, Camilla dropped the children and I off at nonna’s, just down the road. She and Fererico are going to a wedding in Venezia. Now the adventure begins.

Saturday was tough, but everyone was in good spirits. We played in the garden during the morning. After lunch, I put Peter to bed and the girls watched a movie. Peter woke at 4 p.m. and I watched him until dinner time. I played with him, fed him dinner, changed his diapers … all the usual stuff.

The girls did their homework after Peter woke. Homework is impossible. I have to sit there and look over their shoulder in order for them to do the homework. It’s so annoying and arguments always ensue. I say over and over, “Fai compiti. Per che tu non ascolti a me?” Then Anna and Ludovica make faces at me or roll their eyes. They stare off into space and tell me they are “thinking.” What fun? All the while a little boy is running in circles around the table with his toy cars screaming, “vvvroomy vvvroomy.”

Soon dinner is ready. I fed Pietro first. Perrera and Sita (the couple who live and work for the nonna) made pasta with mozzarella and tomatoes. It was delicious. I drank spumante with nonna. I REALLY needed a glass. Dinner is the same as the last time. Ridiculously formal. Peter refused to stay with Sita while we ate. He loves me this weekend and constantly wants to hold my hand or for me to pick him up. This makes me REALLY happy, but I know as soon as Camilla arrives this behavior will end. Sita tried to watch him during dinner, but he cried bloody murder. Nonna told me to fetch Peter and I brought him to the table and sat him in a chair next to me. I told him, “Bravo Pietro. Che grande? Tu sei come Ludovica e Anna al tavolo.” This made him really happy and he behaved himself.

After dinner it’s time for bed. Mamma mia! I have to put all three children in the bath and get them in their pajamas. This is normal, but it’s more difficult without Camilla. All three babies are to sleep in the same room. I have to tell Anna and Ludovica there can be absolutely NO talking this night because Peter has to sleep with them. Ludovica listens to me, but Anna won’t shut up. Just as all of them are tucked in and the lights are out, in walks nonna. I have to repeat the process all over again. Lights out again. I listen at the door and wait until everyone is silent. Silence comes and I retreat to my room, just down the hall. Twenty minutes pass and in walks nonna. She tells me she has left her keys in the babies’ room and cannot lock the door or set the alarm. She gives me a small flashlight and tells me to find the keys. Geez! I can’t get a break tonight. I quietly enter their room and begin the search. I can’t find any keys. Then I see the keys tucked in Peter’s hand. I manage to take the keys from him without waking anyone. Finally, I am finished and can relax.

I was really able to explore the nonna’s house today. It’s absolutely beautiful. The furniture is especially exquisite and very old. I took a lot of pictures, but I would love to come to this house with all my photo gear and take portraits of the family or create a photo series of some kind. The house feels a bit dead, though. There is little life here and I wonder what it was like when the nonna’s children were young. Now she seems to live in 3 or 4 rooms only. She spends a lot of time in her library and she has the most fantastic collection of books. I especially liked looking at her picture books. She has books like “Paris 1837” and “Fasto Romano” that contain plates and prints of what these cities looked like during the 16th and 17th centuries. I loved seeing pictures of Piazza del Popolo and Piazza della Rottunda before the cobblestone and when people were driving around in horse drawn carriages. She also has wonderful magazines. One magazine I was reading is called, “Le Dimore Storiche Italiano.” Here I found pictures and articles describing famous piazzas, villas and sculptures around Italy.

Produce of the month

Came across this pic today.

Hannah Lou and Dylan too

4-15-2009

Wednesday in Rome. I went to school this morning and worked this afternoon. There are new students entering my class all the time. It's very small, but I've stopped trying to keep track of everyone. I returned to the house at 2:20 p.m. It's difficult to get to the home from school by 2 p.m. unless I leave class early. I don't think Camilla minds the minor tardiness. When she tells me she needs me at a certain time, I am always there.

I had a bit of a difficult day. I was depressed this morning. Can't really say why exactly. When I arrived home from school, Elena was just leaving. Everyone is sitting around the table and Ludovica spouts, "Elena! Io voglio Elena, solo Elena." This hurt my feelings. Elena speaks Italian and has been with the family for almost two years now, but ....

Camilla went to play tennis and I helped Ludovica and Anna with their homework. Ludovica would not do the homework. Every five minutes I ask her, "Ludovica, fai competi porfavore. PREGO PREGO fai competi!!!!" She looks at me like I'm nuts. When Camilla returns she is upset because they haven't finished. She tells me that I need to get them to do the homework within a reasonable time frame. JESUS!!!! I cannot MAKE them do the homework.

We went to a park later in the afternoon. I had not yet been to this park, the jungle gym was great, but the park itself ... not so pretty. I followed Peter around and tried to entertain him while Camilla chatted with her friends. Her sister-in-law, Cecilia, was there with her baby, Ottavia. Cecilia is pregnant with her second child. She smoked a cigarette with Camilla. I wonder if something happened to her pregnancy, or if she was smoking while carrying her baby. This is the first time I have EVER seen Camilla smoke. She rarely even drinks wine. I was actually glad to see her indulge. However, SHE WOULD NEVER SMOKE WHILE PREGNANT. I bet she even hates to smoke in front of her babies.

A lot of Ludovica and Anna's friends were at the park. When we arrived, Anna saw her favorite friend, Francesca. She screams. "Francesca!!!" with such enthusiasm, runs to her, throws her arms around her and kisses her several times. This put a big smile on my face. Anna can be a handful, but she has some special charm and it's easy to adore her (when she's adorable that is).

After the park, we went home. I gave the babies a bath, put them in their pajamas and it was time for dinner. The dinner has been so good the past few nights. When the dinner is delicious the babies LOVE to eat, Ludovica especially. I have to make them stop eating or there won't be anything left for Camilla and Federico. They have to eat minestrone and vegetable/lentil soup so often, they devour a delicious meal.

Then, I got a message from a fellow American au pair that I had contacted a while back asking if I wanted to meet of for a drink. THANK GOD! I soooooo need a fun night out. This girl is from Arkansas and her name is Hannah. She told me her family is friends with Bill Clinton!! We met at Piazza del Popolo and walked around Rome drinking beer and talking. I really like her a lot. She's also from the south and our hometowns sound very similar. We went into a bar for a drink and she points out her favorite Italian beer. It is Nastro Azzurro. She tells me her favorite beer back home is Pabts Blue Ribbon (PBR), and that she recently discovered that Nastro Azzurro literally translates as blue ribbon. I thought this was a funny coincidence.

We end up drinking our beers on the staircase of Piazza di Spagna. Some Italian guys were near playing the guitar and chatting. They came over to us, introduced themselves and ask us several times to join them. Finally we did and we ended up listening to them sing The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Who .... Hannah knows the lyrics and title of every single song. By now it's pretty late and everyone decides to leave. We all part ways and this one dude tells us he has a studio apartment just steps away from the staircase and invites us up for pasta. We really needed a bathroom, so we excepted his offer.

The apartment was pretty cool and apparently this guy is a painter/sculptor. I think this Italian guy and Hannah really hit it off. His work was really good and I especially liked his sculptors. He made us spaghetti with pesto and fed us red wine from Montepulciano. FANTASTIC!!! The conversation was phenomenal. I seriously had a fun/interesting history lesson on all the Roman Emperors post Julius Caesar. Hannah's favorite Emperor is Nero, and I must say, I like him too. He is the Emperor who played the fiddle while Rome burned. He was seriously deranged, but everything about him sounds so fantastically comical and extraordinarily interesting.

We ended up leaving at 3 a.m. We walked to the Colosseum because Hannah knew her way home from there. She is new to Rome, but not to Italy. She lived in Milan for a while before accepting a job in Rome. I took a taxi from Piazza Venezia and arrived home at 4 a.m. Ugh! Probably a bad idea considering I have to work in the morning.

Hannah and I planned to see a Bob Dylan concert on Friday. I have to travel to Tuscany this weekend and take care of the babies while Camilla and Federico attend a wedding. So, the next morning I ask Camilla when she plans to leave for Bibbiano. She says she wants to leave Friday afternoon. MAN! I ask if I can take a bus to Bibbiano early Saturday morning. It just doesn't seem possible. Actually, she just doesn't want to pick me up from the bus station Saturday morning before she heads to Venice. Of course the one Friday I want to go out, it isn't possible. SO BUMMED! :'( She tells me, "Sorry this is the one weekend I need you." I dislike this comment immensely, because a.) it is a lie and b.) I feel the same way in reverse. Just an ugly comment in general.

Not meaning to be so negative

I was reading over some of my posts, and I feel bad for being negative. I really have wonderful feelings towards this family, especially Camilla. This is just a place for me to vent. I don't have much companionship here and there's really no one for me to talk to most of the time. This is like my not-so-secret diary. Sometimes I forget that people read this stuff.

The situation is not always easy, and I sense that Camilla might be happier with another au pair, someone more like Elena. All I can do is try to help out and do what she asks of me. Sometimes I'm just really depressed and I want my friends and family. I'm feeling desperate and lonely today. A lot of times Camilla makes weird gasps and sighs at me. For example, today she walked passed my room as smirked aloud. My room is clean, but the bed was not made. I mopped the floor and cleaned the bathroom yesterday. I don't know what to make of such gestures. Next time I'm going to ask her what it is. I think it might be a good idea to leave early. I think she likes me alright and she is really very nice and kind .... I don't know how to describe the circumstance, but I feel at the mercy of someone else. I'm sure it's difficult for her as well. I mean ... I think it would be hard to welcome a stranger into your home. At the same time, I've lost a lot of my freedoms.

Today, the girls get out of school at 4:30 and Peter usually sleeps until that time. I don't have anything to do, but I feel guilty for not having anything to do. :'( Also, Camilla paid me double for last week. I didn't expect her to do this and now I'm feeling guilty about that too.

Judy, Oprah and Frank

4-13-2009

Today we leave Bibbiano and return to Rome. I woke up early, packed my bag and cleaned my room. Camilla had told me that we were going to leave at 10 a.m. However, she "changed the program" and decided we would leave after lunch. It is a 3 hour drive from Bibbiano to Rome. I spent the morning organizing a heap of toys and playing with the children. I cannot wait to get away from them. I just need some time to myself.

Camilla wanted me to take Peter on a walk, and I would have loved to, but it was very windy and he did NOT want to be outside. This is really frustrating. I lead Peter outside and he runs screaming for the door. Finally, I am fed up. I take him inside and ignore Camilla. He's really unhappy today. I try desperately to entertain him and keep him away from his mother. UGH! I am over this. I keep telling myself, "one more week and you're in Morocco."

We ate a wonderful lunch. Mozzarella and tomatoes, pasta and artichokes. Finocchi ... I've died and gone to heaven. I LOVE FINOCCHI. During lunch I ask the children if they have ever seen The Wizard of Oz. They have no idea what I'm talking about. I'm explaining Dorthy, Toto, magic red shoes, an evil green witch and a good fairy ... They're looking at me like I'm nuts. I'm sure Camilla and Federico know what I'm talking about. I ask why they've never shown the babies The Wizard of Oz. They are clueless. Federico says, "What? Say that again slowly." I explain to them that it is a very famous film starring Judy Garland. Federico asks, "Is she blond?" I cannot believe they don't know of The Wizard of Oz. I will have to see if it exists in Italian and if so, purchase the film for the family. The thing is ... I HATE dubbed films. I mean, part of the charm of this film is Judy Garland's magnificent old-fashioned American accent, and the music ... I always wonder how they manage to translate the songs. The film probably doesn't exist in Italian. I wanted to explain Pink Floyd and The Dark Side of the Moon to them, but I'm sure they would think I was insane.

After lunch, we clean the kitchen and load the car. I sneak some last Easter chocolate for Anna, Ludovica and myself. I forgot to mention that it is Monday and it's a holiday in Italy. It is called Pasquetta. On the way home Federico plays Frank Sinatra. I tear up when I hear "I Did It My Way." He knows Frank Sinatra, but not Judy Garland. Hmmm??? Finally we are in Rome and I hear talk of pizza for dinner. YES!

I help Federico bring in all the bags and then retreat to my room. I don't care. I'm not supposed to work all day. I close the door and immediately connect to the Internet. It has become a major addiction. I hear the family leave the house and I wonder if Camilla is upset that I am not helping. Oh well. I think I work too much. When they return I try to help with the bath, but she tells me not to worry and so I don't. The pizza took FOREVER to arrive and we didn't eat until 8:30 p.m. I was starving. At dinner, another American legend comes up in conversation. Federico is drinking red wine and eating pecorino cheese. This reminds me of the Oprah blue zone special about the regions in the world where people live the longest. I tell Federico that one of the regions was Sardinia because they drink red wine and eat pecorino cheese. He has no idea who Oprah is, but liked my story nonetheless.

Vigneto

Some photos of the vineyards ...






New grape vines just starting to come out.

Castle by the sea

4-12-2009

Today was Easter Sunday. We all woke early and drove to the beach. We arrived in a small town called Castiglione della Pescaia. Camilla (as usual) told me absolutely nothing about what was going to happen. We arrive in this very old town and meander through some steep and winding streets. All of the sudden we arrive at a castle. Federico phones his friend and the castle gates open. We are spending Easter inside a castle by the sea. First, we walk to a small church and attend mass. After we walk back to the castle and I play in the garden with the children before lunch.

When lunch is ready, we all enter the castle and sit at a round table for lamb and potatoes. The castle is sectioned into apartments and Camilla's friend, Alessandra owns an apartment here as a beach house. Alessandra looks fairly young and it pregnant. Her husband appears a little older and they live in Siena. After lunch, I play some more outside with the babies. Then Camilla tells me to go explore the town with my camera. How did I end up in a seaside castle on Easter Sunday?

Buona Pasqua

4-11-2009

Today is Saturday and tomorrow is Easter. It was a fantastic day in Bibbiano. I spent the morning outside with the babies as usual. The fresh air and the quiet slumber in Bibbiano have helped me to recover from my awful cold. I feel fresh and full of energy. The weather has been absolutely beautiful. It is very warm in the sun, but there is a cool breeze and the shade is a nice refuge if you get too hot. We played soccer and monkey in the middle and walked with nonna to collect fresh eggs from the chicken coop.

Then Camilla and Federico hid chocolate and painted eggs all over the yard and the babies had their Easter egg hunt. Ludovica found all the eggs. Anna found a few. Pietro didn't know what to think and he just wanted to eat chocolate. He's not suppose to have any chocolate, doctor's orders. What an awful time to try to keep chocolate away from a baby? After the egg hunt we all ate a huge Easter pranza (lunch) of chicken, rabbit and potatoes.

Camila told me that tomorrow we will go to the beach for Easter. She asked me if I would like to com along or go back to Rome. I could tell that she would rather I come, so I said I would join them, but I am really ready for some time to myself.

La herba

Rosemary is EVERYWHERE!!


Lavender. I wish Lavender would grow in Florida.


Here is a large clump of Salvia growing next to the door. Federico says that in some parts of Italy they fry the Salvia with eggs and bread crumbs. I want to try it.

Siena

4-10-2009

I spent today in Siena. Siena is a small town just 15 minutes from Bibbiano. Siena is home of the Palio, a famous horse race in Italy. Federico arrived last night and said he had to go to Siena today, so Camilla told me I should go with him and see the town. I have been to Siena once before, and I was definitely up for another visit. So, this morning we drove to Siena and I spent the day wandering the narrow streets taking photos. I’m tired of trying to take nice photos. I just want to take stupid tourist photos, so mostly I just take stupid tourist photos. I’m always depressed when I get home and upload my pics. Digital photography has made it possible for me to take 150 pictures of CRAP.

Anyway, of course Siena is beautiful and so was the day. It was very warm and sunny and there were a lot of tourists. I basked in the sun at Il Campo the main town square and roamed around looking in all the shops. The shopping was good, but I thought the prices were a lot higher than in Rome. I went to an Internet café and watched BBC news. There was a terrible earthquake in l’Aquila this week and almost 300 people died. Federico told me he felt tremors in Rome. This town is not that far from Rome. I also read some American news. I wonder what it’s going to be like to return to the US and have Obama for a president. I really haven’t been following the news at all, but I did see Michelle Obama on the cover of Vogue recently. ☺

At the end of the day, I met Federico and we drove back to Bibbiano. It’s nice to talk to Federico for a change. He told me that in the 13th and 14th centuries Florence and Siena bordered each other and were at war. He pointed out the old border on the way home and showed me a very old walled village in Siena called Monteriggioni that Florence once attacked. He said that people still live in this village today. I know nothing about the history of Italy.

Federico also explained to me how they harvest the olives and grapes. He said that they don’t have the machine to make the olive oil in Bibbiano. When the olives are ready, they hire people to pick them from the trees (a very tedious task I gather) and then they take all the olives elsewhere to make the oil. The grapes are harvested in Bibbiano in September and October. They are collected and put into a giant machine that heats and stirs the grapes. The skins and seeds float to the top and the container must be stirred because if not the skin of the grapes will create a cap and no oxygen will reach the wine. This will cause the wine to turn to vinegar. Then the juice is stored for 2 years in barrels before it is bottled. Some of the not so good juice is used to make vinegar. Then he showed me a very old vineyard that his grandfather planted 50 years ago. He said this vineyard was quite incredible because usually the vines only live for 30 to 40 years, but these vines are still thriving. He also showed me where they are planting new vines.

Federico went grocery shopping today and cooked dinner. I feel guilty for writing that he can’t handle domestic chores. He is such a nice person and he just works a lot. The poor guy is tired. Tonight he cooked sea bass in the most interesting way. He did not fillet the fish. He poured sea salt (the large granules) over tin foil covering the bottom of the pan (cookie sheet). Then he laid the entire fish on top of the salt and covered the entire rest of the fish with the salt too. He then put the fish in the oven for 30 minutes at 150 degrees Celsius. The salt creates a crust over the fish once it has cooked. You can really taste the natural flavor of the fish this way. Both Camilla and Federico say this is a fantastic and easy way to prepare fish. I have noticed that it is common in Italy to fillet the fish after it has been cooked.

Today, for the first time, I felt envious of Federico and Camilla. I have always loved the way they live, but I really haven’t envied them. Tuscany is just so pretty and everything is so charming. It’s starting to be very dazzling. The nonna’s house, the winery, olive groves in the back yard, peonies on the kitchen table … Today I thought when Nick and I retire, we can buy a farm house in Tuscany and restore the place. Wouldn’t that be the most exciting way to spend your oldest years?

La casa di nonna

4-9-2009

Today was a beautiful day in Tuscany. This morning I helped the girls with their homework and played with Peter in the garden. Memory has become a favorite pass time and I usually play at least 6 games of memory per day with the girls. Now we are playing our games on a blanket in the garden. Fantastic. I am finally starting to feel better. I should be over this horrific cold after the weekend. Thank goodness. If I get sick again I'm going to die.

I was able to use the Internet for a little bit this afternoon. There is an office near the house and Camilla showed me how to connect. That was nice. Afterwards Camilla took the girls to a nearby ranch for a horse back riding lesson. It was pretty adorable. Anna actually fell asleep on her horse. Amazing. Haha.

After the riding lesson Camilla dropped us off at the nonna's house. I really like nonna. She is so relaxed and she doesn't boss me around like Camilla. She knows I'm going to help her, do what I am supposed to and watch Pietro. I don't think she would think it was necessary to tell me how to cook spinach. She has a warm smile and it's really sweet to watch her play with her grandchildren. Today she hid presents all over the house and they played fuoco\fredo while the babies hunted for the gifts. Afterwards we all walked around her enourmous garden, ate persimons and picked lemons. She has the most beautiful peonies and Anna had the idea to make a boquet for her mother. She and nonna selected the prettiest pink peonies and I almost cried it was so beautiful. Peonies are my new favorite flower. I wish they would grow in Florida.

Next weekend Camilla and Federico are going to a wedding and I will stay with the children at nonna's. I'm actually excited about this, except I do hope we can manage to have an ordinary dinner. All of this motherly domestic stuff is making me long for home and Nick. I just want to get to my house and work on making it a restful haven for my family. I think I will be forever changed by this experience. I really like the way Camilla runs her family and I will probably inherit a lot of her habits. She is an excellent mother and even though I have my qualms, she's a remarkable person.

Bibbiano

4-8-2009

Another day in Bibbiano. This morning I played with Pietro outside. He seemed to enjoy himself and it was a beautiful day. Camilla went to the pharmacy this morning and bought Peter the medicine that the doctor prescribed. The girls spent the morning finishing their homework and afterwards they joined Peter and I outside.

Camilla went to her mother-in-law’s house with Anna and Ludovica for lunch and I stayed home while Peter slept. The mother-in-law/grandmother lives just down the street and all the land/vineyard/winery belongs to her and her late husband. Camilla came home around 4 p.m. and told me that she had to go to Sienna for the afternoon and that I needed to stay with the children at the grandmother’s house. She wanted us to eat dinner there and to take a walk to see the construction that was taking place at the bottom of the hill. This is so weird, but Peter enjoys the large trucks and tractors.

The grandmother’s house is fantastic. It is HUGE. There is a large wrought iron gate in the front and the property is surrounded by a stonewall. The house is absolutely beautiful. There is even a large guesthouse in the back that was probably a barn at one point. There was also a beautiful well in the backyard. I know this is not so uncommon, but this is the type of well that Alice fell into. The house really reminded me of a fairy tale. It was all storybook, but at the same time it felt really lonely and desolate. It was very dark inside and I was sad to think that this one woman lives there all alone.

The dinner was a bit strange. It was very nice, but so NOT American. I fed Peter first and Anna, Ludovica and myself ate afterwards with the Nonna. A Philippine couple prepared the meal and served the dinner. They watched Pietro while we ate. The dinner was ridiculously formal and it made me feel a bit uncomfortable. The Italians always eat antipasti, then a first course, second course … but this was just too much. The man brought us dishes of water to wash our hands after the meal (this has always seemed like a strange dinner tradition to me and really outdated). It just wasn’t your typical meal with grandma. Camilla arrived just as we were finishing the dinner. Anna promptly told her, “Tess e antipatica a me per che …” I did not go her way on the walk to see the tractors and apparently this really upset her. Mamma mia. This kid can be such a brat. I thought we were buddies. I played with her all day long.

Aaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! Just as Anna was acting out some bizarre and twisted story about how I ruined her day, one of the dogs (there are two large dogs at this house) rushed by the buffet table and all the china fell and broke into a million pieces. Camilla yelled sarcastically, “Alle.”

Florence for a day

4-7-2008

Today was the third day in Bibbiano with Camilla and the children. Today was a special day because we went to Florence. Camilla is from Florence and she wanted to take Pietro to the doctor because he has been really sick for weeks now. I have been sick right along with him, but my health is of little concern. Anyway … Camilla was quite fantastic today. She gave me a map of Florence this morning, marked my path and sent me on my way to explore. Sometimes she can be so wonderful and other times I think nothing could please her.

I want to take a brief detour from Florence to note Camilla’s behavior. I try really hard to make her happy. Sometimes I wonder what the hell I am doing here. Last week Camilla went to the cinema with her friends one night. When she came home Peter began to cry just as she entered the door. He probably heard her come in the house. I was exceptionally ill this evening. I could not breath. This cold has been awful, and I’m not just complaining. But that is beside the point. I saw Camilla go to get Peter, so I did not go to him. The next morning she asked me why I did not listen for Pietro. She asked me why I left Peter in his crib to cry. I politely informed her that this is absolutely NOT what happened and that he did not cry before she arrived home. There is no way I could not hear Peter cry. The apartment in Rome is tiny and I always hear him. This situation REALLY upset me. I think she looks for things to go wrong or for me to screw up. I would NEVER just leave Peter (or any baby) to cry, and it was wrong for her to assume that this is what happened.

Another thing happened on this particular night. When Camilla went out, I put a shirt in the washing machine. The washing machines here are VERY small. This particular washing machine is probably 1/3 the size of the new “energy star” machines at home. I wanted to wash this one shirt alone because it is very delicate and I didn’t want it to get damaged. When she confronted me on this particular morning about Pietro crying in his crib, she also informed me that I cannot wash just one shirt because it costs a lot of money to run the washing machine and the machine uses a lot of electricity. She’s right. I mean, I shouldn’t just wash one shirt alone and I normally would not do this. Normally, I would take the shirt to the dry cleaner. Who knows how much energy that takes? However, situations like this one are so annoying. These are the times when I want to tell her I QUIT, pack my bags and catch the next flight to Orlando. It’s difficult to have someone monitor what/when you eat, what/when you do laundry, when you sleep … My own mother does not do this. Camilla is very motherly and she thinks she is always right. She’s constantly telling me to put on a sweater or that I will need my jacket because it’s cold … CHE NOIA!!! I am a grown woman. I know how to put on my jacket when I am cold. Anyway, I try to make her happy. I want her to like me. The bottom line is that no matter what, she will always look down on me. I suppose that’s the nature of this particular job. I should have known.

Back to Florence … It was nice of Camilla to take me to Florence to sight see. Also, she explained everything that I should see in order according to location. I had been to Florence before, but I was like 19 and really didn’t see much. I was more worried about going out with my friends at the time. Today I saw EVERYTHING. I spent a lot of time at Uffizi and I absolutely LOVED Ponte Vecchio. This bridge is the coolest looking thing I have ever seen. Florence probably has a better collection of art than Rome, and the city is very clean, but Rome has more atmosphere, more history, more j’ ne se qua.

After a full day of sightseeing, I met Camilla at her mother’s home, which is in the center, very near to Piazza di San Croce. The mother’s home was small, but very charming, complete with a rooftop terrace and a spectacular view of the city. We ate dinner there and left shortly after. Camilla says it is like living in a museum to live in the center of Florence. It is difficult to drive your car and you have to have special permits to do just about anything.

On the way out of the house, Camilla turns to me and says, “I’m sorry it is a little late for you?” It was like 8 p.m. I don’t know where this remark came from, but I got the impression that she was unhappy with the way I was acting. I told her I had bought some new medicine from the pharmacy that made me feel a but drowsy. I actually DID by the medicine, but I felt just fine. She’s weird about medicine and proceeded to roll her eyes and give me a lecture about how I should not take too much medicine and to be sure not to mix the medicine. OH MY GOD!!!!! Sometimes I feel so awkward. I don’t know what she wants from me. When she wants me to do something, she needs to just ask because I don’t read minds. I try to be as helpful as possible. The car ride back to Bibbiano was silent. The babies slept and I got some weird vibe from Camilla. I try not to read too much into her moods. Who knows what’s on her mind? It’s all starting to be a little much for me to take. I wonder when/if I am going to crack.

Pizza Pizza ... Oh, and wine too!

3-3-2009

Here I am eating pizza in Rome near Piazza di Spagna.

Il Pesce d'Aprile

4-1-2009

I cannot believe that it is already April. Where did March go? I'm really down in the dumps today. I've been really sick and today is the worst. My ears are ringing, I have the chills ... not good at all. Every time Peter is sick, I am sick. He is always sick. Che noia!

Sunday we all go to Tuscany. I was going to take a bus to Bibiano next week and travel to Perugia this weekend with my friend Sarah, but I just don't think I can go to Perugia. I feel so bad, I don't even want to go anymore. I just want to lay in my bed and stare at the wall. I couldn't even stand to look at the computer screen yesterday.

I just wish there was Internet in Bibiano, but I am going to write letters the old fashioned way, and watch movies like La Strada and Casablanca. I'm not going to let myself get down. I plan to travel to Siena for a day and I am going to explore the winery. I wonder what the vineyards will look like now that it's spring.

I had to drag myself out of bed and to school today because I have to make up the hours that I will miss while I'm in Tuscany. I've been going to class from 9:30 until 1:30 this week. Everyone was looking at me like I was crazy for not staying in bed. Oh well. We are learning the past tense by reading fables (favole). Now we are reading and discussing Sleeping Beauty (Bella Addormentata). Tomorrow we are discussing Pesce d' Aprile. This is April fools day for the Italians. The traditional pesce d'Aprile (the fool of April) in Italy consists of a school kids taping a small fish (pesciolino) to the back of one of their fellow class mates. Then everyone laughs at the person and says -- L'hai visto il pesce d'Aprile? (Have you seen the April fool?) Oh the Italians and their fish.

Also, I've been working over time, so there's been no time for rest. Camilla received a call about a very important painting that was hand delivered to Rome today. She's been working frantically ever since. I wonder what painting it is, but I haven't been able to ask her. I was on my own this afternoon and this evening with the babies. And Anna's friend Francesca was visiting as well. Chaos. Anna and Ludovica would not stop fighting. They fought all night long. They fought in the bath and at the dinner table. They fought while putting their pajamas on. I can't really raise my voice right now because I'm weak, so I just ignored them eventually. Anna can be really aggressive. She will go after Ludovica in a rage. It's not a pleasant sight.

One thing that is keeping my spirits high is my trip to Morocco. I will be in Morocco in 20 days. I can hardly wait. I was getting anxious about travel plans and so I emailed Caitlin to see if we could meet up to discuss the itinerary and car rental. I expected her to email me back next week some time and for us to be completely unorganized about the whole ordeal. This was stressing me out, but she emailed me back within hours and included a complete itinerary of the entire trip. I was amazed. I'm glad to be making this trip with her because she's a seasoned traveler.


Morocco Itinerary
• April 21 flight from Rome to Madrid 9:40 to 12:10. Sleep in Madrid hostel on the 21st
• April 22 flight from Madrid to Marrakech at 7:30 am. Arrive in morning and sight see all day. Sleep in Marrakech
• April 23 desert tour in Marrakech to Zagora. Spend night in desert (but keep hostel ??)
• April 24 continued desert tour. Sight see rest of day. Spend night in Marrakech hostel.
• April 25 pick up car in am and drive to Casablanca, spend night
• April 26 am drive to Rabat, spend all day and night
• April 27 am drive to Fez. Drop off car in Fez and catch train back to Marrakech. Or spend day in Fez, drive back to Marrakech in early afternoon and spend night in Marrakech.
• April 28 either head to airport from hostel in am (may need to drop car off at airport) and catch flight back to Madrid/Rome