day 4 or 'when in tuscany'

today we said goodbye to allen. in a way it felt like he was our teacher for the past 3 days and now he was sending us off on our own. we are so glad that we were able to spend this time with him. his place is amazing and the friends he has made here truly care about him. we are so thankful that we were able to experience italy in this way. i really think he had no idea what he was saying when he said, 'anytime.'

so armed with our knowledge of the town, enough italian to ask for the bill and find the bathroom, and some driver's education we decided to STAY HOME! yup we napped and played scrabble and skip bo and read and watched tv, italian news. it's not that we were scared to go out, we just needed a day to regroup, take it easy and just spend the day being lazy.

one of the things that i really wanted to do was experience life here. take in the sights and sounds of the everyday, my own version of 'under the tuscan sun'. because it was so hot we kept all of the windows open and you could hear people talking outside their homes. you could hear dishes being washed. you could smell when dinner was cooking. you could hear the children playing on the street. you could hear when dad came home from work. it was life in tuscany and for one day we were going to pretend we were a part of it. i made breakfast, lunch and dinner. nothing like what the lady next door was making but i did my best. simple, easy and delicious. bobby brought some work along and he was busy doing that. we played a few rounds of skip bo and scrabble.

in the afternoon we needed to go to the market to get groceries for dinner. we knew where the store was but once we got inside you would have thought that we had never been shopping before. i couldn't find the garlic! really in italy and i can't find the garlic? we didn't have a list, we thought we would just buy whatever looked good. we didn't get a shopping cart because you have to pay for that. we just had a little orange basket. we got some peaches, put them in a bag and started to walk away when we noticed a line at the scale. people were putting their produce on the scale and then getting a sticker. hmm. so bobby went over put the peaches on the scale, found the picture of the peaches and pressed it. a sticker was printed giving the weight of the peaches. ahhh. that makes sense. we were on our way. we decided to have pork chops with pesto and pasta e fagioli one night, and pizza with salad the other. we got some eggs, not found in the dairy department, bread, biscotti, a bottle of chianti and cookies. we were set. and it only cost us about $50 which was the cost of our lunch the day before so we were saving money.

it was fun to cook together, something we never get to do. we heated up the pizzas in the oven, made a salad, poured the wine and sat down to watch a movie. allen has an extensive movie library here. we decided to watch 'cinema paradiso' since i hadn't seen it yet and it was in italian. and that was it. not many pictures. didn't go to a church. no works of art. no gelato! but this was just what we needed. a perfect vacation day.

in other news
sofia has been sick for the past few days. not terrible but she stayed home from school yesterday. could it be the swine flu? trying not to be paranoid about it. just loving her lots. we will be going to the library later today to get some new bedtime books. and making some muffins for a pto meeting tomorrow.

day 3 or 'history, a leaning tower and a squid'

ok, so this is taking a lot longer than i would have liked. i will try to get through the rest of the trip this week so we can move on to other things.

so we had the day to ourselves to wander around tuscany and discover something new and exciting. we looked at the map and picked a spot, actually two, that looked interesting. this was something that i loved. there was no schedule or tour that we had to do. we just took it day by day, changed plans as we saw fit and ran on our own schedule. the feeling was completely freeing and relaxing.

first i just have to share a picture of our breakfast. it was one of those chocolate chip croissants that we got the night before. it was no longer warm but tasty just the same.

our first stop on our adventure was lucca. we had read about it in our tour book and wanted to see the city behind the ancient walls. walking into this village was like stepping back into a long ago land. ok so all of these places are centuries old but we could feel it as we drove up that this town had been through history and survived as it was many years earlier. the streets intersected, turned and brought us to the town center; the piazza. we passed churches and archways, cafes and even a moat. we looked for a place to get a bite to eat. salad and pizza. what could be better? we sat and watched the kids play with the pigeons and people going about their business, whatever that may be. we thought about getting some gelato but decided that we should move on.

back to the road and the map. this was the road. gorgeous, right? as we headed to the city of pisa for a view of the infamous tower. now getting around this town was pretty scary. a lot more people. a lot more cars. and no parking. we ran circles around the city center and finally found a place to park. then we walked through the gates and there it was. as if we expected it. what we didn't expect, and truly did not like, was how much of a tourist trap this place was. it reminded us of tijuana. vendors selling t-shirts, little statues and novelties. and there were so many people buying. we went by this stand where we heard the vendor pedaling his wares and asking 'do you like nice italian boy?' c-h-e-e-s-y! we wanted to climb the tower but the next reservation was too late so we bought ticket to tour the bapistry and church. there is one in every city, sometimes two.

we were in awe of the art and architecture of every place we entered. how did italy have so many artists able to create such amazing masterpieces in so many different places? ok keep the religious comments to yourself. the bapistry, used strictly for holding baptisms, had this amazing work of art. we climb to the top to get a better view.

the church was just as inspirational. one treasure after another. we were more impressed by what we saw here then that leaning tower outside, but that was what we came here for.

now i know that i am about to cause a huge controversy by admitting this but . . .we did not take a picture of one of us holding up the tower. i know, many of you will be disappointed. oh bobby wanted to do it. he wanted to have the tower leaning against his backside or holding it up with his tongue. but i did not go for it. go ahead say it, who invited the party pooper? it was hysterical to see everyone else doing it though. and i guess in the end it wouldn't have hurt. maybe next time. so here's the boring old picture of just the tower. we do have photoshop though . . .now here we got some gelato. yummy hazelnut gelato. our road trip was complete.

we went back to the house for a little nap and then off to dinner. this time allen invited us to join his friend, leticia at a neighborhood restaurant. we walked into town, that we hadn't even discovered yet, to his other favorite restaurant. of course he knew the owner, alberto, here too and they were so happy to see him. everyone spoke italian and talked about the menu. the first thing we ordered was brunello. i had heard about this wine on a travel show back home and was dying to try it. so allen ordered a bottle just for me, i shared of course. it was delicious, but expensive. allen said the first bottle was on him but after that i was on my own. it was the only one we had the whole trip. alberto brought me a wine stopper thingy that he screwed into the cork and hung from the neck of the bottle, a cool little souvenir. i partially understood the menu for the evening. i got that we were having the fish appetizer, i didn't know it was manta ray though. i got that we were having zucchini blossoms stuffed with fish, something i have always wanted to try and couldn't get enough of. i knew that allen had ordered a gigantic piece of steak because alberto brought it to the table raw. we thought it was a joke but he cooked it and served it on a platter, outstanding. i got that bobby and i were having the fish special. but when they brought out our plates i was stunned. squid heads stuffed with sausage and bread crumbs. even the tentacles. not too sure if i liked that. i ate it and it was good but the thought and sight on my plate was a bit too much for me. the dessert helped to make it all better. peach tarte. another stuffed tummy and another happy day. back at the house it was vodka shots for everyone and then bed. tomorrow we would say goodbye to allen and have to manage on our own . . .

in other news
we were in kernville this weekend for our wine. they picked up a ton of grapes from the vineyard and crushed on friday. saturday we bottled 08 and even some 07 and started the fermentation process for the 09. this year we are making merlot. it was great to have a professional wine maker with us. diana's neice, linda, lives and works in sonoma. she was the head wine maker at gundlach bundschu for many years and this weekend she was our quality control consultant and sugar level tester. i think our wine making process was questionable but our sense of humor and heart was all in it.

today we went quad riding. sofia got to ride with d and had a great time. she loves wearing her pink helmet and goggles. i got to ride too and had a blast. it was also fun hanging out with uncle mike. thanks for the laundry. next time we'll pay extra for the fluff and fold!

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.

day 1 or 'looking for signs'

i really wasn't sure how to start this blog post. how do you summarize a trip of a lifetime in a short and entertaining way? not sure i have the answer to that. but i realized, thanks to sarah, that i couldn't do it in one post. so i will be posting over the next few days with our trip memories, anecdotes and some of our 700 pictures. so here goes.

i was nervous, to say the least, about leaving our three kids for 10 days, to travel across the globe, to a foreign country, where we really didn't speak the language, and miss the kids' first days of school, with bobby, to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary. a few times i thought to myself that we were crazy and no matter how much it cost we should just cancel our plans. i mean really it is only 15 more years before sofia will be off to college and we will be empty nesters ready to start a new life. right? wrong. oh, so wrong.

this trip was an experience that was needed and greatly appreciated. let's not talk about the fact that the new lens i ordered didn't come until 8:15 pm on thursday. and there was no way i was getting on the airplane without it. we spent the night at bob and d's and at 4:00 am on friday morning bob drove us to the airport. kissing the kids goodbye was a lot easier to do while they were sleeping.

the days before the trip i was looking for signs that would tell me it was ok to go. nothing really clear came my way. but when we landed in detroit, (yes, detroit people), for our 5 hour layover, (that's right i said 5 hour), i saw this sign and something inside said it would be alright. that and the fact that our plane landed in one piece.

so what does one do for five hours in an airport, in detroit? i'm not going to lie, we thought about getting a cab and going to a movie. but logic got the best of us and we stayed in the airport, had lunch at tequila joe's, no alcohol was consumed, and watched '17 again' on the laptop. cute movie by the way. then we boarded our airbus for the 9 hour flight to rome. we took sleeping pills to help with the long flight. and because it was an international flight movies were free! so we watched 'he's just not that into you' and 'wolverine.' when we woke up in the morning we were in italy.

next step was getting the rental car. we rented a stick shift to save on money and hopefully gas. we ended up with an alfa romeo 'mito.' cute little car, and i mean little. i had complete confidence in bobby to get us around town, but getting out of the airport parking structure was another story. in his defense, the turns for the ramps were hard to get around, but the car stalled . . .a few times. now i have to admit that i do not do well in pressure situations and i promised myself that i would use this vacation to relax and make an effort to laugh at stressful situations. well, it didn't work this time. i wanted to walk away from the car and pay the extra money for an automatic. but bobby reassured me that it would be ok. i think his exact words were, 'calm down, you're overeacting!' not the best way to start our romantic getaway.

the other thing i have to admit is that i am terrible with directions. so map in hand i was going to help bobby navigate the crazy road signs for the 3 hour drive to allen's house. we saw the beautiful sights of italy, ate at a roadside autogrill, and decided to take a side road that lead us to the natural sulfur springs. it was incredible and of course we had to get in, even though it smelled horrible. sign number 2 was this grasshopper that landed on bobby's back. they are good luck, right? and we needed it as we got back on the road. we followed the map through some windy but beautiful scenery. then we were back on the highway. the street directions which came at us way too fast said to turn on the toll road, which was a mistake. the toll road had no exit so we had to stay on it and ended up driving in a big circle to get to our exit. 45 minutes later, and frustrated, we met up with allen who took us up to his village.

when you think of tuscany you think of little hilly towns with old buildings, laundry hanging from the windows, little old ladies sitting outside their homes gossiping or sharing recipes. that is exactly what rosignano marritimo is. we were shocked and felt like we had stepped into a dream. allen showed us our room on the third floor of his 14th century home and let us settle in. then he took us to the restaurant across the street, literally 10 feet away, for our first authentic italian feast. prosciutto and melon, potato ravioli, balsamic vinegar braised pork, fried rabbitt and torte with frutta de bosco, oh and wine. and the third sign was that our table number was 3. and 3 just happens to be my lucky number. we were in heaven. and we were exhausted. so it was off to bed.

that was day one. stay tuned for the next post...

in other news:
we took the boys to school on tuesday for their 'unofficial' first day of school photos. they had a great first week and their teachers are awesome! this will be a good year.


today was sofia's first day of preschool. despite the fact that she told me she was not really excited about going to school she had a great time. she will be going 3 days a week.

home

just popping in to say we made it back and had an amazing time. i will be sharing stories and pictures over the next few days.

hope everyone is well.

take care

world, take care of my kids.
school, take care of our boys.
kids, take care of your grandparents.
ups guy, take care of my new lens.
pilot, take care of our flight.
handlers, take care of our luggage.
italians, take care of the americans.
bank, take care of our money.
bobby, take care of me.
everyone, take care of yourself.

see you soon.

journal

i love taking something with me to jott down our vacation experience. last year i took an art book and wrote down our adventures from the rv trip and wedding. so this time i wanted something pretty and practical. i found a notebook that you can alter and add pages to. the book came blank with the black binding. i covered it and used the dividers that it came with to make section dividers for our days, our meals (i intend to record and photograph it all) and our thoughts. i'm sure it will be full by the time we get back and ready for pictures.

i'm keeping the cover simple. it will be in my bag and i don't want to ruin it. i'll finish it when we get back.






keep crossing thing off our to-do list. but still so much to do.