Exchange? Or not to exchange?

Went to Auchan today. It is kind of like Europe's version of Super Walmart (I use that analogy very loosely). I got the usual, eggs, milk, tape, and christmas lights. I checked out and as I am leaving I realize that I bought blue christmas lights instead of white. Annoyed with myself I go up to the cashier and explain (in very bad Italian) that I made a mistake and can I go and exchange the color really quick. She smiles and tells me sure but I must go to customer service first. Ok, so off I go wait in line ( the Italian version) and finally after "elbowing" my way to the front I explain my situation. She gives me some paperwork to fill out makes copies of my documents and then sends me over to a second customer service "line". By this point I am starting to grow annoyed with the system. .. . really? two different steps in this process? So I get up to the second counter explain my situation again. He has me fill out more paperwork, makes copies of my documents and then sends me off to yet another person. REALLY?! This person explains that I must go get my item and then bring it to the security guard to check. I do this get the guard's "official" approval and then he sends me BACK to the first customer service counter. Forty five minutes has already gone by, I have to pee, and I am going to be late to pick up Reid. The lady at this counter was very pleasant. She checked my product, checked my receipt, gave me money back from the first item and then tells me to go back in the check out line and repurchase my item. Well, there is no turning back now and I finish the deal but left with white lights AND 4 more white hairs. Lesson Learned: In order to return an item in Italy you will exchange your sanity along with it.

Thanksgiving Adventure 2010

Day 1 (The day before Thanksgiving)

Armed with a three hour early release (darn my ambition, I only used two hours of it), we left Rome on the front cusp of traffic and drove up the A1 into the most beautiful region of the world: Umbria and Tuscany. We stopped at a gas station to do my favorite thing as a diplomat: buy toll passes and cell phone recharges using gas coupons! I love being supplemented for my cell phone bill :). We arrived at our agritourismo - a beautiful restored farmhouse on the Umbria / Tuscany border. It was night, so instead of a hilltop view we enjoyed a plethora of the stars. All our friends had either just arrived, or were fast approaching. Dinner comprised of a shmorgeshbort of apertivos. After a long dinner, it was time to put Reid to bed. Kate (being the more social of the two) went down to mingle with the crowd in the great hall. After putting Reid down, I did what I love to do: sat by the fire in our apartment and just relaxed. I have a lot to be thankful for.

Day 2 (Thanksgiving)

Traditions are traditions. Therefore, after waking to a breathtaking hilltop view of olive groves, colorful fall trees, a lake in the distance, and mist in the air – I tied my shoes and undertook the most solemn of thanksgiving traditions: the Turkey Trot. Not knowing exactly where I was jogging, I took off down a dirt road and wound through olive tree lined paths. Not sure if I ran more or less than the traditional 5k, but the hills made the work out a work out. I came back to a sick child. Reid has just lost his thanksgiving day cookies in the trash can, and was lying on the couch looking as pitiful as a sick child on Thanksgiving. The rest of the day consisted of naps, naps, and more naps. Dinner was at 5:00 – there were 23 adults and 19 children. Each wife wanted to outdo the other wife in culinary skill, resulting in a cornucopia of food. Reid and his friend Isabel said grace in Italian (the prayer said at school before every meal). After grace, Reid didn't have the energy for dinner, so he watched Jungle Book in out apartment while Kate and I stuffed our faces. During dinner I learned that this region was called 'Colle San Paolo'. Translated in English it's called the 'Hills of St. Paul.' Although Italians obviously don't celebrate Thanksgiving, it's fitting that Paul tells us to be thankful. And sitting in such a beautiful setting, I have a lot to be thankful for.

Day 3 (The day after Thanksgiving)

We slept until 11:00. I'll repeat that. We slept until 11:00. It was amazing. Reid woke up a different boy. Although he wasn't yet to 100 percent, he was fast approaching. We awoke in time to take a quick shower, eat some leftover pie, and hop in the car for our second Thanksgiving meal: the Italian one. It was an adult only event. The older kids (high-school age) watched the younger ones. Our biggest fear was a call at lunch saying that Reid threw up all over the monopoly board – but the call never came. We drove to Città della Pieve and ate the traditional Italian feast of antipasti, two primis, two secondis, a dolce, and a cafe'. Afterwards we rolled out and walked down the street to the narrowest alleyway in all of Italy. It was so narrow, in fact, that we missed it the first two times. The alleyway was called “via Baciadonne”. Translated it means “kiss a woman street”. The name resulted in a mass of unflattering and risqué pictures. Of course Kate and I did not partake... The evening was filled with games, cards, more games, and a general air of joviality. Looking at my beautiful wife laugh while playing 'catch phrase', I have a lot to be thankful for.

Paris and Disney land

So I must say we definitely saved the best for last. On friday we made a last minute decision to take a day trip to Paris. We really had no plans but thought if we could have lunch and see the Eiffel Tower we could deem this day a success. And success it was! The day started out a little rough as we wondered around the outskirts of the city trying to find parking. We settled on one garage which I must admit was in a sketchy part of town but we all decided that if we leave before dark we should be just fine.

We caught the metro and had lunch at a cute cafe (with "real" french onion soup) that over looks St. Paul's cathedral and then started meandering. We only had a few hours before we needed to leave but Blake in

So as we were looking for our car in the garage and we heard this girl screaming. We started to head cautiously in that direction and out of nowhere a motorcycle comes screeching right towards us. Sure enough there were two young kids on the back of it with terror in there eyes. They flew past us and off they sped. I kept thinking thank you God for keeping us safe! That could have been us. But I can't let that change my mind about my favorite city. We will just have to park in a safer area next time.sisted that we get a picture of him in front of the Eiffel Tower smoking a "fag". We stopped at a local market for the essentials, you know, champagne, plastic cups, a baguette and chocolates.

When we reached the tower we found a spot and relaxed the rest of the afternoon. We took pictures, ate, drank and acted like stupid Americans. It was great! On the way back to the car we stopped to get crepes at a road side stand. I could get really fat in France ;)

The next day we went to Disney Land Paris. . . so much fun. Blake and I hit the haunted house which we swear is a lot more scarer than the American version (a lot of dead brides). Reid had a ba

ll. I think his favorite ride was the Pirates of Caribbean ride. And to finish the day we had dinner with all the Disney characters. It is fun to be a kid!

Normandy

One of Andy's goals on this trip was to visit the Nomandy beaches where the D-day invasion occurred. I must admit that I was not to excited about this part of the trip but decided to go along. To be perfectly honest I knew very little about World War II but sensed the somber mood that surrounded the beaches when we arrived. It was over cast and misty as we walked up the beach and Andy tried toexplain what had taken place on the very ground we walked on.

We then found a small french owned museum which contained a lot of memorabilia from the attack. But it was not until we watched a video that interviewed American war vets that I truly understood the importance of this area.

Looking around I was a bit disappointed with the way the American and French government had commemorated the men and women who died here. Aside from the small museum and one memorial, the beaches were pretty bare. I kept thinking "this is it?" Then Andy asked if we were ready to go to the American War memorial.

As we drove up to the American War memorial I w

as so proud to be an American. Well done USA! Well DONE! Everything was pristine, from the architecture of the museum, to the grounds of the cemetery. The land was on a cliff that over looked the sea and everyone that visited was overwhelmed with the sense of peace and respect

the area demanded.

The museum was interactive and very modern and the cemetery grounds were breath taking. The whole experience touched me in a way that I will never forget. I am very thankful for all the sacrifices the men and women in the military make.

Our scary chateau

Imagine this. . after a long day of driving my husband informs me that for the next four nights we will be staying in a french chateau. I was pretty excited but at the same time wondered what it will be like? Would we be the only ones there? How big will it be?

After driving on winding roads out in the middle of nowhere we finally arrive. It was amazing and at the same time spooky. The chateau was huge and located on a property with several other large buildings (stables, maids houses, outdoor kitchens etc). The nearest town was at least 15 minutes away.

We entered the main hall and was greeted by the caretaker who was checking in 4 other guests. wheww! There are other people and I quickly concluded that if anything happened to us, andy and I could run faster than they could. Lets just say this; it was like walking on the set of a scary movie. Mannequins all over the house, cobwebs in the corners, the caretaker was an older balding man smoking a pipe, stray straggly cats EVERYWHERE and a room full of antique dolls that just stared at you! The caretaker i

nsisted that we pay him at check in and then showed us to our room where we found dozens of flies buzzing in the windows. He said that this is typical because the flies were attracted to the warm house. I kept looking for the dead body.

The next morning the chateau was much more charming. I woke up to a beautiful sunrise and the sound of the gardener working outside below our window. After a delicious breakfast of fresh croissants and hot chocolate Reid and I explored the grounds. (Andy went to pick up Blake from the airport). We found a few ponies, and a beautiful old building that could have been used as a ball room. It was surreal as each building contained hidden treasures. . silver candle sconces covered in cobwebs, and oversized stone fireplaces. I kept imagining what it would have been like to live in such a place. I asked the caretaker who used to live in the house and he gave me a book on the history of the manner. It turns out that it was owned by a french family and then during the war was taken over by the Germans and used as a Nazi boy's camp. They used to train children here to become nazi soldiers! I could hardly believe it!

The next night Blake and I decided to explore the chateau at night during a thunderstorm (i promise we are that stupid). Lets just say we got so freaked out by all the hidden halls

blocked off rooms and those darn mannequins that we quickly ran back to our wing of the house like scared school girls. After 2 nights in that beautiful yet terrifying house we decided to find a hotel closer to Paris. When we explained our situation to the caretaker he said that this often happens and that he would not refund our money. We thought for a moment about all the wasted money and then quickly decided that it was still time to leave.

That is truly a memory I will NEVER forget.

France day 4 and 5

Today we traveled to Lyon. This city is known for teaching chefs and is a great place to have a cheap yet outstanding French dinner. We ate well, shopped well, and then moved on the next morning.

France Trip Day 3

Today we traveled to Nice and Antibe. Unfortunately it rained most of the day so I am not sure if we experienced the exotic "French Riviera" that everyone loves, but we tried to make lemonade. We shopped, went to art museums, ate lunch in a cozy cafe and shopped some more. In Antibe the clouds parted for a bit and we were able to go to the beach and take pictures. That was fun and I think I am starting to catch the photography bug. We are heading up north tomorrow and I am satisfied with all that we have seen in southern France. . . for now :)

France Trip day 2

So I finally had a fresh croissant and now I know what everyone was talking about. The french really know their pastries and it was so good that I didn't care that it had a million calories in it. After breakfast Claude (the owner of the B&B) serenaded us on the guitar and sang "Hotel California". It was a perfect start to the day.

On the way to Monaco we stopped off at a hill top town called Eze. The town was actually built into the side of a mountain so the views were amazing. We ate crepes in a cave that was converted into a restaurant. We then toured a French perfume factory and learned how it is made. And of course, I shopped :)

That afternoon we headed over to Monaco. We started by heading over to an aquarium. As we crossed a bridge leading to the aquarium we noticed that the waves were so big that they actually crashed up and over the bridge. It was pretty amazing but we did not stick around to long. The aquarium was located in the basement of a huge palace and was built by Prince Albert of Monaco.

We spent the rest of the afternoon touring around the city, playing at parks, and of course we checked out the infamous Monte Carlo. We ended up eating at a restaurant called "Stars and Bars" which is an American chain. The restaurant is like a "Hard Rock Cafe" except dealing with sports AND this restaurant had a kids room. The adults sit in a special section and the kids can run back and forth from a supervised kids room. It was like being on a date. This is one concept I hope the States picks up on really soon.

Trip France Day 1

Excited and ready to go we arrived at Nice airport relatively painlessly (much to our surprise). Once there we waited along with 100 other people to get our rental car. I am not sure why but our car rental agency was the only one with a line. They did upgrade our car which was great and off we went! The B & B we stayed at was so charming. Decorated in a shabby French country decor that seemed effortless. We stayed in the house with another Aussie couple who were very friendly and had lots of helpful hints on where to go. I don't think I have ever met an unfriendly Aussie.

That night we decided to explore the hilltop town of Vence. Like most towns I have seen it has a wall that surrounds the historic section, small narrow streets and charming little shops. But this town, unlike the others, was so clean!!

We had dinner at a restaurant called Lavender and I ate chateaubriand for the first time. Yes, it was amazing. We finished off the meal with a (very strong) Irish Coffee and violet ice cream. It is incredible how you can taste an aroma. I am not really sure how to explain it other than "delicious". And of course Reid was an angel during dinner.

After putting Reid to bed Andy and I gazed at the stairs while laying out on lounge chairs, finished a bottle of wine and discussed "young" vs "old" earth theories. All in all a great first day.

Civita di Bagnoregio

So today Blake, Reid and I ventured to a small town called Civita di Bagnoregio or better known as the "dying city". The city is 4,000 years old!! A few hundred years ago everyone abandoned ship after an earth quake struck and ever since the town has been slowly eroding . The population right now is on the rise at a whopping 30 people.It is completely different fromRome and I am absolutely in love. In order to enter the town you must walk 1 kilometer across a very narrow bridge. Inside there is one trattoria (restaurant) one bar (coffee/snack shop) and 1 shop (for tourists). It is so quiet and there are no cars (or people) you can just wander up down the narrow streets and imagine what life would be like here.The 30 people that do live here take great pride in their town. It is very clean with

flowers every where. It even appears that they hang curtains in the abandoned apartments. There is a strong sense of serenity and maybe sadness as you look around at all the buildings with chains and locks on their doors. I guess all good things must come to end but this place is hanging on with all its might.

My Karate Kid

Reid just had his first Karate class and loved it! He is the youngest one in there and does not have a clue what he is doing but had a big smile on his face the whole class. He says that he is like Skipper from the TV show Penguins of Madagascar. If you have not seen the show it is pretty cute. And yes I was THAT MOM waving at myson through the doorway and taking tons of pictures. Well, that is after I learned how to put the kimono on properly. (I am in VERY new territory here) I pray my little girl wants to be a ballerina.

Mother's day

A quick addendum to the Greece post. One morning we celebrated mother's day in Greece. It was probably one of the most memorable to date. Here we are sitting at a cafe with the bluest waters possible enjoying a frappe. It is here Andy presents me with my mother's day gift. A beautiful necklace and a dress for our future baby girl! Guess where we are planning on adopting from? . . . .

It's all Greek to me

We packed up the family and took a quick 4 day trip to Athens, Greece in order to take full advantage of a business trip. We arrived Saturday morning and decided to rent a car and get out of the city and avoid the riots, tear gas, and all-around mayhem of the city. We borrowed Bill and Karen's GPS. They previously lived in Athens and recommended a beach near Sourin on the southern-most tip of the Athens peninsula. The beach was even saved in their GPS' favorites. So, we fired up the GPS and started following directions. Unfortunately when we heard the phrase "you have reached your destination" we were in the middle of a land-locked parking lot looking at a tire store. We pulled out the map and realized we went 30km in the wrong direction. So we drove back towards the airport. Interspersed in the greek-worded signs we found our way and eventually got to the beach. Well, not 'the beach', but a beach. We ate at a local fish house on the beach. Kate and I opened the screen door and Reid jumped down to play in the sand. He would jump up, have a few bites of lunch, and then jump back down and play more in the Adriatic.

The next day we woke up early and took the metro to the port to find a ferry and visit the greek island of Spestes. We arrived at the ticket booth and the woman said "you're in luck, there's a ferry. Do you see the ferry in the far distance, your ferry is a small one behind that. Here are your tickets. The only problem is that it leaves in four minutes. Good luck!" And off we dashed to the ferry. Nothing in Greece is on time - except the ferries. Running we waived our arms in the air. The ferry delayed enough for us to jump on board, and then off we went.

The day in Spetses was our favorite in Greece. We ate breakfast in a small restaurant on the water. Reid played in the sand and Kate and I drank cappuccinos. He hadn't planned well, so kate and I bought bathing suits and sandals in a local shop. We rented bikes and rode until we found a deserted beach. Well, almost deserted - there was a small tiki hut with a bartender. Reid loved throwing rocks in the Adriatic with his parents snoozing in the background.

On Monday unfortunately I had to go to work. Kate and Reid explored the Plaka and National Gardens. After work we met and toured the Akropolis. Glad we did it, but don't feel the need to go ever go back.

Looking back on the trip, even while living in Italy, Greece is worth visiting. The islands are Greece's saving grace - and Kate and I plan to go back. It's hard to compare the colorful cliff towns of Cinque Terre to the white-washed, blue-top towns of the Greek Islands. It's like comparing apples and oranges. Or - like comparing green olives to black olives.

Heaven through the eyes of a child

So Reid has been talking a lot about heaven a lot. . . . where is it, when will he go, is Mimi there? I have been pretty good about answering most questions until he really stumped me the other day. We were walking home from school and he looked up in the sky and asked "Mommy which cloud is the heaven cloud?" I looked up and really didn't know what to say. How do you explain heaven to a four year-old? Finally I answered "It will be the most beautiful cloud you will ever see. If I ever see it I will show it to you." He seemed pretty satisfied with that answer. . . for now.

Ravello

So this year was a big birthday for me (still having a hard time adjusting) and instead of having a party to celebrate I thought it best to escape. Andy Reid and I went to Ravello on the almalfi coast. It was perfect. It is this tiny little village hanging on to the edge of a cliff. We stayed in an old monastary and because it was January we basically had the whole place to ourselves.

The first night we ate dinner at this little restaurant where the husband took our order and the wife was back in the kitchen cooking. She later came out and asked us if we like it and scolded Reid for not eating enough. “Mangia! Mangia!” she tells Reid and then brings out an arm full of oranges for him to eat. We liked it so much we ate there the next night too.

The next day we went to Villa Cimbrone and leisurely strolled through their gardens. I found where I want to renew my vows! It is this terrace that over-looks the world. It is called the Terrace of Infinity (or something like that). It was amazing! Unfortunately Andy would not step foot on it (afraid of heights) so it looks like I will need a “stand in” for the renewal service.

‘death by needle’ bin

The other day Kate and I had some blood work done for a physical. A local lab was recommended by the Embassy Health Unit. Kate went back to get her blood drawn while I filled out paperwork. After I finished with the paperwork I went into the next room to find the doctor squirting kate’s blood from the ‘plunger needle thing’ into an open-aired tube. I always assumed that the blood container was directly connected to the needle. I guess not in Italy. The blood was just sitting there with no top. It was daring me: “I bet you’ll faint - you wuss”. “No”, I countered. “I will NOT faint”.

And I didn’t faint. Score one: Andy. Then it was my turn with the needle...

It started off so well. The doctor stuck in the needle in, plunged away, and then squirted it into the glass tube. No fainting. Score two: Andy. The doctor put a bandaid on, and then walked away while saying something in Italian. Kate walked out of the room to pay the bill. I felt sure of myself, and so decided to walk around the room a bit. Everything was fine until I got to the corner where the biohazard bin was located. In the U.S. the biohazard bin is sealed and locked, with a one-way hole to put stuff in. Not in Italy. As you can see by the picture, it was just an open box filled with bloody used equipment. What’s hard to see in the picture is the blood splattered on the wall, as if the doctor throws the needles like a frustrated writer throws a crumpled up piece of paper into a trash can. I snuck a quick photo with my phone and didn’t get caught - score three: Andy.

As I put the phone back in my pocket I looked down to see my bandaid covered with blood. Looks like the doctor nipped an artery. Then I started to faint. Game End: Italy wins again. “Kate!” I yelled as a stumbled back (fortunately not forward into the ‘death by needle’ bin. Kate ran in. Then came the doctor. They laid me down. The doctor said something again in Italian, and made hand gestures to insinuate that I needed to keep my elbow bent and direct pressure to the bandaid. (I guess that’s what he said before - I need to learn Italian...).

Reid’s first day of school

We decided Reid should start school right after christmas. Andy and I decided to enroll him in an Italian school with the hopes he would become fluent in Italain. These are purely selfish motives, as we look forward to the day he can be our permanent translator. That, and the school is literally 3 blocks down the street. After much anxiety the big day arrives. Reid was very excited for his first day. It was all smiles as we got dressed, ate breakfast, brushed our teeth, and off we went.

Upon arrival the scene was truly Italian: kids running everywhere, frazzled teachers, and nuns walking the halls. It would be an understatement to say it was overwhelming to a child who likes to eat his peas one at a time. It was probably closer to a night mare. But like good parents we are we left him to his fate. When I came to pick him up he seemed a bit shell shocked. “They don’t speak any English” he tells me astonished. “But that’s ok”, he continues “I only got into two fights...” Since that day school has a bit of an adjustment for our little guy. He likes it when we travel because he doesn’t have to go. And he has recently informed us that he refuses to learn Italian... rats! our plot has been foiled.