day 2 or 'everyday italians'

the next morning, sunday, bobby and i got up at almost 12 . . .pm!! that's right, we slept all night and then into the morning. it must have been the sleeping pills, or the time change, or the fact that we didn't have 3 little ones asking for breakfast and tv. poor allen was waiting for us to get up with fresh bread and coffee. and he wanted to take us on a road trip to bolgheri. so we sipped and ate and headed out. the road to this village was gorgeous. a tree lined road that lead to the cobblestone path that lead to this quaint little town. there was a wedding that day in the small church and we got to see the bride and groom arrive. it looked like the whole town was there and they were cheering and applauding. maybe they were italian movie stars or soccer players. we walked the shops and learned something very early in the trip, don't go shopping at lunch time. stores close for lunch and nap time from 1 til about 4. so if you want to do some shopping you have to do it before or after. some of the little souvenir shops and cafes were open so we did some shopping there.

we had lunch at 'La Merenda.' we ordered white wine, paninis, salad and i had the most amazing fagioli soup. after lunch, a cuppuccino of course. it would be the first of many. now if you are wondering, i did have dairy during this trip, lots of it. and i was ok. i was supposed to incorporate back into my diet to see my reaction but there was no way to do it slowly in italy. not when there is cheese and cappuccinos and pecorino and cream sauces. i'll get to all of that later. so we enjoyed our lunch and talked about italy and a little about work. it was so great to be able to share this time with allen and get to know him better, and especially in a totally different atmosphere.

as we left, the bride and groom were coming out of the church and we watched as the spectators threw rice and took pictures and lit fireworks in their honor. we blended right into the crowd. it was quiet the scene.

for dinner allen wanted to take us to a seafood restaurant that he loves. enriquo, the chef/owner was the personal chef to a baywatch babe although we never found out who, in san francisco for a number of years. we met allen's neighbors, simone and valentina who joined us for dinner. from the moment we got there we were treated like special guests. enriquo brought out a fish tank with the fresh catch of the day. we got to inspect and pick what we wanted him to cook. now i consider myself a foodie. i love cooking and anything related to food. but i have never seen anything like this. there was no menu just options. for the first course i chose a fish soup that valentina described as being 'something special.' bobby opted for the raw seafood. not sushi, but italian style raw fish, with soy sauce. second course was lobster ravioli. the main course was a gigantic red snapper cooked with potatoes and bell peppers. it fed the entire table. and of course wine, lots of wine. for dessert, i had creme caramel while others had gelato and a special dessert of granita swimming in vodka. my only regret, besides eating too much was that i didn't take a picture of the fish. but i did get a picture of the dessert.

the other thing we learned right away was that italians take dinner very seriously. we headed off to dinner at 8pm and by 12 we were having dessert. we talked and laughed and got to know each other. enriquo sat at our table and shared stories about life in italy. i loved listening to them talk in italian. i can understand some of it if they speak slowly. but once they started talking to each other i was lost. at one point i was overwhelmed by the smell of fresh baking bread. well it was so late that the bakery next door was already preparing bread for the next morning. so as we were talking enriquo walked over with a plate of fresh baked croissants. chocolate chip and peach filling. i was so full but i couldn't resist the hot, tender taste of a freshly baked croissant. it was flaky and heavenly. at that point i thought to myself, how did i get so lucky? it's one thing to be able to take a vacation like this, away from the kids to such a beautiful place. but it is something entirely different to be able to experience this life with people who live there. this is their everyday and i felt a part of it.

so by 1:30am we were headed back to the house to get some sleep. monday bobby and i were off on an adventure of our own.

in other news
this was the scene at school today. no, there was no disaster, no train crash or fire or lock down. the school had a special ceremony to commemorate the first responders of the september 12 metrolink train crash that happened right next to the school. it is a day that we will never forget. my kids were not at school at the time of the crash but there were children, staff and parents there, some of whom helped victims out of the trains or comforted them until help could arrive. so today the school planted an oak tree in their honor. the fire department, police department and the mayor were there to help celebrate and remember this moment. the kids sang a song and sent wishes to the victims and heroes of this day. there was even a helicopter fly over. i spoke to jordan's teacher who was one of the first people at the scene. she was still visibly shaken up and i'm sure has been through so much from witnessing this event. she is glad that the year has come and gone.

all of the local news crews were here and some of the newspapers. it was supposed to be on the today show this morning and on the local news throughout the day. if you can remember, say a little prayer today for all of the people affected by this tragic event.