It’s been three days since I last posted…and it feels like it was about two hours. It’s all warp speed now. So I’ll just give you the high and low lights.
First, low light parenting moment. We went back to Florence with my sister and her two kids (her husband decided to “opt out” of traveling for a couple of days, much to my sister’s frustration…some marital counselor is going to make big bucks on them after they get home). She rallied though, and although we had already gone to Florence once, we felt like time number two would only be better, AND we didn’t want her to leave Italy without seeing it. This time we took a fast train, and 30 minutes later we were there.
Great day overall, but the low light? We were in a little boutique, in which the three little boys bought toy Ferrari’s (because what else would a little - or big - boy want?) It was a little chaotic, as any purchase in a small boutique is because you’ve got little kids, breakables, small space, and the Italian shop keepers are generally speaking, NOT big on anyone touching anything. You end up saying “no” and “don’t touch” 5 million times. So we made the purchase, and the sweet owner was trying to get the cars out of the packaging for the kids (which were secured with, of course, a screw and then you need, of course, a screw driver to get it out). Gia was in the back of the store wanting to buy a tiny pink ceramic Vespa scooter. I don’t even bother asking if they “need” that anymore. Their money, their choice. So she’s got her hand into her purse fishing out change for her purchase, the boys are about to get their cars and then “vroom vroom” all over the store at max velocity, and so because I see impending disaster I usher them out of the store. My sister is somewhere in that mix, and so is Ava & Lucia…John is at the doorway (because truthfully, there is no way we’d all fit in the store).
So we get outside, and it feels crowded, and bustling, and we decide we need to move out of that area and into something quieter. Florence is just SO busy in the Summer. We start trekking down the sidewalk, make a left, then a right, then a right…we’re maybe 3 full blocks away when finally the crowds thin out and I look around and don’t see Gia. I do the head count, she’s not there, we are on a quiet street now, so it’s clear she’s not a few people back, and she’s definitely not with us. Uh oh, we have a “Home Alone” moment where clearly we’ve left Gia in the boutique, three blocks back. Ohhhh crap. That’s right, big OH CRAP.
So John is hobbled with his cast, he can’t run, I leave my sister and three boys, and the girls and I jog the three blocks back to the store (wearing my flip-flops and little black dress). And there in front of the store, is little Gia, big flower headband, little flower dress, standing with the nicest English family with two little girls. Apparently when she realized we’d “left her”, she told the shop keeper (who spoke very little English, but she was a super kind woman) that she “couldn’t find mommy and daddy” and the shopkeeper utilized the kindly English family in the store to help translate. Apparently she stayed rooted to where we last saw her (which I’ve drilled into them 100x’s) and she told the English gentleman that her daddy had a cast, so he was just about to go walk the street looking for a dumb American dad with a cast who might not have realized he lost his 8 year old kid.
So, truthfully, I had that moment of panic, but it wasn’t really that kind of panic where you really panic and your insides go cold. I knew Gia would be ok, and that she knew what to do, and I felt “pretty” confident she wouldn’t freak out. She did great, and although she started crying when she saw me, she managed to keep her cool the whole time prior to that which was good, and she was able to speak to the family, keep her calm, and although I fully expect her to be in therapy for it as an adult, she seems ok for now.
So, one kid lost and one kid found.
The high of Florence was finding this great “family friendly/family style” restaurant to eat lunch in (and it wasn’t even expensive). The food was great, and I didn’t even break my wine glass until the very end, so that’s pretty cool. We had a huge round table for 9, and it was a fun family moment.
What else…..We went to Verona (city of Romeo of Juliet), which was incredible. Once again, throngs of tourists (didn’t realize quite what a tourist destination this city of love was…Romeo and Juliet draw a lot of people I guess.) It’s a beautiful place though, and I’m so glad we saw it. I’m going back someday in October, I’ll like it even more.
The next day it rained, and it’s been gloriously cool (probably still mid-80’s, but with the clouds it feels almost cold). Well, cold is a stretch, but at least I am not getting heat stroke by 9:30 a.m.. My sister left early afternoon, which was sad, and more sad, and more sad. It’s hard when you love to do something like she does (travel), and you are married to someone who doesn’t (and doesn’t fare well with it AT ALL), and I think overall, it’s just such a bummer. It always makes you sad to see someone you love not get what they need/want.
The other low part of the rainy/cooler day is that I put on my boyfriend jeans for dinner at night…and let me tell you girlfriend, those boyfriend's were TIGHT (and not the kind of tight that feels perfect after they stretch out 20 mins later…the type of tight where you have to unbutton your top bottom during dinner just to finish your tuna nicoise salad.) It’s not pretty. Ugh, seriously, there’s nothing worse than tight clothing, and I feel so puffy overall. I’ve been eating and drinking way too much of the Italian cool aid, and I’ve got to chill before I literally have to wear leggings home on the plane because nothing else fits.
John leaves tomorrow…another week in LA while we spend the time in Bologna, and then meet him in Agde, France. I’m going to include this picture of the stealth grasshopper, because it’s positively freaky, and this guy was just hanging out on a cement post in the city. It’s like something from the prehistoric age. He’s almost the exact color of the cement too so you’d miss him easily. I made John
put his finger up for perspective because it’s hard to really “get” how big he is. John’s doesn’t have freakishly small man-hands just so you know. They are normal…THAT’S how big this hopper is!
I’m also putting in this picture of a graffiti door. Why? Because if it’s one thing I still can’t get use to here, it’s the amazing amount of graffiti. It’s everywhere…literally. Not just in the “hood” either, literally everywhere. Including buildings that look like they could date back to the 15th century…beautiful old wood doors, historic sites. It’s pretty incredible actually. I can’t figure out if the fines aren’t that big, they can’t catch people, they don’t care?? What’s the deal Italy? Bologna has a huge student population (although not now because it’s Summer), but normally the university here is 100k kids, but that’s not why the graffiti is everywhere because we’ve seen it in most of the Italian cities of any size. Perplexing.
This here is Romeo's dog of the day....we named her "Peaches the Devil." Peaches has the face of an angel but the ears of a devil. She heard us coming. We also considered calling her Pisa, because she's perpetually leaning like the leaning tower of Pisa.
Signed, ME {lv}
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