The mystery of Roman Fireworks....

So, I was sitting here updating my blog, avoiding writing another version of the current proposal I am working on, when again, for the 4th time since arriving, loud booming sounds take over the night's peace and quiet. I look out the window, and you can see the fireworks!!!! The last time this happened, it seemed they were related to mother's day....not sure what we are celebrating today (not Italy's performance at the world cup!), but they are pretty incredible (yet, loud). Hopefully, they will not wake the sleeping babes, as we had a long day today at the lake beach. On the other side of the Bracchiano lake there is a little town,Anguillara that has a beach with small restaurants and places to rent umbrellas and chairs. Friends of ours led the way, stopping at a beautiful fresh fruit stand to buy watermelon and cherry tomatoes to accompany our procuitto cotto panini. Yum.

The beach was perfect, not too sunny or too hot, with calm, clean water and a beach that the kids could run around without mommy getting worried. Our friend's son spent the entire time searching for frogs, snakes and other small animals, while our kids played in the water, built sand castles and RAN! Ethan learned that he is not supposed to pee in the lake (though all of us have at one point or another), and when daddy secretly whispers "pee in the lake", he does not mean pull your bathing suit down while standing at the shore and pee....Izzy learned that it is incredibly cold to be soooo little when the sun is hiding behind the clouds...shaking violently with large goose-bumps she reported..."no mommy, I'm not cold".....

The new sedici

In case you were wondering.....Sedici means 16 in Italian. Curious about the name, I looked into the driving age in Italy....14 for motorinos (no wonder!), 15 for learner's permit, and 18 for driver's license. So then, why is the new Fiat SUV named 16? No idea, but I love it! After waiting 4 months for its arrival, finally yesterday the fates brought together the diplomatic license plate (no 666 for me!), the alarm system installation, and the insurance so we could get lost while trying to find the dealership! After walking 4 blocks in the blazing sun, with a little, getting sick Ethan, we found the new car sitting in the showroom! After learning all of its features, I had to drive it through the showroom to the exit!!! Nothing like driving your new car through a showroom of more expensive cars....upon leaving I learned that Italian dealerships do not put much gas into their new cars, therefore I had to find a gas station that would take my Bancomat (aka to you Americans ATM) before running out of gas while not getting so lost I couldn't get home. Luckily, Richard drove the kids home in the Fiat 500, so I could spazz out on my own:) Totally worth it....a much safer, larger and more powerful car, perfect for Italian roadtrips:)

Tourist Mommy Thursday

My new friend, Heidi, and I have decided to be tourists every Thursday while our kids are in school. She is Peruvian, married to a Swiss-German, with three kids. They both work(ed) in the hotel business, and thus have moved almost every three years since marrying 13 years ago. Their kids are incredible, understanding Spanish, German and speaking English. Their youngest daughter, Isabella, is in the twins class. Great woman to know, as she is a worldly mom, ready to take on any adventure!

Last week we wandered around the Baths of Caracalla, near our home. It is incredible to think that this space was operational for 1,600 men for over 500 years, allowing them to exercise on three floors and take baths in three different temperatures of water brought in via acqueduct. The original mosaic that still exists really allows one to understand how ornate and beautiful this place was. After this, we shared places to buy different things, from grocery stores, to home-good stores, to gardening stores. Fun and practical!

This week we decided to venture to the Corot to Monet exhibit "The Symphony of Nature", which looked at the development of the impressionist movement as a bridge to early environmental movements in Europe. It was incredible, especially when rounding the corner of the final room to see the Monet sketches for the famous water-lily series! Unbelievable the colors...It was lovely to have someone to share it with, who isn't an artist, but who could appreciate the shear beauty of the art. Next we are off to the National Museum of Modern Art where there is a large Klimt permanent collection....fun!