Mom's WORLD JOURNAL - Italy

We made it! We flew halfway around the world, from Auckland to Rome, and it only took 24 hours! We had an eleven-hour flight to Malaysia, a three-hour layover from 2:00am to 5:00am, and another thirteen-hour flight to Rome! Our longest flight prior had been only nine hours from Miami to Amsterdam…and I was fidgety on that one! I was concerned I would run out of ways to entertain Max, not to mention myself for such a long flight! And of course, all the latest news warned travelers about those nasty blood clots you develop on long flights. We were all waiting for the in-flight aerobics session to keep that blood circulating! We also had a twelve-hour time change, directly opposite from New Zealand, and were determined to get on local time right away. Our flight left at 2:00 pm so we stayed awake until 5:00 am and slept on the flight from Malaysia to Rome. We watched three movies on the first flight alone! Each person has their own TV with a variety of current movies, music, comedy, TV shows and news reports. They even had Nintendo for Max…it couldn't have been more perfect! Give the kid a chance to play games for 24 hours and he will! By the time we arrived he had giant eyes with red spirals twirling inside and a frozen smile on his face! He loves flying! He never complains, you just have to be prepared for 24 hours worth of questions like…"What's plastic made out of?"…! We sailed through the flights, even managed to get a decent night's sleep, and arrived in Rome at 6:00am...just in time to sample our first "authentic" cappuccino. Now the only trick is to stay awake until evening. We checked in the hotel, perfectly situated within walking distance to The Forum and the Coliseum, two important sites on our list! Rome is a very exciting city cram packed with history, fashion, art, religion and urban chic! Marble statues dominate the city. They jump out at you from every angle…on top of buildings, pedestals, street corners, parks and churches. Each statue is an incredible work of art. The chaotic, noisy streets are alive with loud conversation, cars and scooters zooming past, street vendors selling their wares, and Roman soldiers working to get your attention, a photo…and a fee. Less than two blocks from our hotel was the Foro Romano (Roman Forum), The ancient Roman commercial, political and religious center constructed over 900 years ago. Each emperor expanded the site by adding buildings until it's importance declined along with the Roman Empire in 4th century AD. The area became known as Campo Vaccino, "cow field" and was turned into a pasture full of broken columns, statues and stones. The Romans ransacked the area, dismantled the buildings and used the precious marble and stone for new palaces and monuments. The area was excavated in the 18th and 19th centuries and excavations continue today. We walked along the shattered brick walls, marble columns in heaps on the ground, viewed the grand arches and monumental buildings and thought about all they had witnessed. Great artists, great men, grandeur and despair…a rich history indeed! We walked the main road through the Forum to the Coliseum. We thought about a tour but just then we saw a Café shouting "wine and pizza"…we'll tour it another day! It was only noon but it felt like midnight and we were starved. The pizza is as you might expect…awesome…but not like home. The crust is thinner than a tortilla and the toppings are slight. We thought the "one pizza per customer" was a marketing scheme, but you really can eat the whole thing. Oh, by the way, they don't serve it sliced in little triangles either. You eat it piece by piece with a fork and knife… like you're eating a steak. It seemed unreal that we were in Rome, sitting at an outdoor café basking in the warm sun, sipping wine as the tourists flocked the Coliseum…just the day before we were on top of the Sky Tower in Auckland on the other side of the world. We sat for a while, wine in one hand and cappuccino in the other for "chemical balance", and decided to walk so we didn't fall asleep. The narrow black cobblestone streets accent the charming old buildings complete with vine-covered iron balconies and faded colorful facades as the small specialty stores and restaurants await their next customer. We wondered around and found ourselves at the famous Fontana De Trevi (Trevi Fountain). This high-baroque fountain is one of Rome's most famous, designed in 1732. Rumor has it that if you throw a coin over your shoulder into the fountain you are certain to return to Rome. If you want a wish too…that will cost you another coin! The fountain with its thrashing marble horses dominates the tiny piazza (square). We tossed in our coins, and headed for the Piazza Di Spagna, where the church and famed Spanish Steps attract locals and tourists alike. There were people everywhere walking, slurping gelato and minding their children as they ran around the square torturing the pigeons. The surrounding streets were home to the expensive designer clothing stores and wealthy customers sporting their high fashion and dripping in gold jewelry. It was a great people-watching scene, the number one sport in Italy. Simply grab your beverage of choice, a seat at the fountain and "observe" the human zoo as the sun sets and the stars spill into the sky…"Now that's Italian"! We wandered from square to square via the tiny streets in to the evening admiring Rome and all its character. I love this city and its great sense of community! It was 6:00 pm and we were fading from our long journey. We decided to have dinner at a recommended Pizza restaurant…"The Best in Rome", as per the Lonely Planet Guide…our bible! We finally found the place only to discover that they don't open until 7:00, another 45-minutes to wait. We tried some other places but they too served dinner starting at 7:00…so we passed the time at a bar down the street. Max was exhausted and in "overdrive" as tired kids often get… talking a mile a minute, dancing around, laughing and generally out of control! We just couldn't keep up with him so we let him spin and guarded him against the oncoming traffic. When we were finally seated at the restaurant, he ordered his pizza, put his head on the table and fell asleep…or so he tried! Every Italian that passed him messed up his blond hair and uttered something playful in Italian, disturbing his sleep. I felt so sorry for him, if we hadn't already ordered we would have taken him straight to bed! Just then, the owner came to mess up his hair and I explained Max's rude behavior and told our tale of travel exhaustion. The owner promptly started yelling at his staff, hands waiving in the air and within minutes, our pizza had arrived. The owner, quite satisfied, gave a smile in our direction. I woke Max, fed him his pizza bite by bite like a toddler, and he immediately fell back to sleep with his head on the table! The kind owner called us a taxi and waited outside until it arrived. Once inside, Max was out again! We were all quite exhausted but had accomplished our goal to get on local time! The next day, all refreshed from a great night's sleep, we took the metro to the Sunday market. People were shouting and grabbing, bumping and pushing…but then again, who could blame them for $10 leather jackets! Most of the goods were second hand, "rag picking" I call it, a game demanding both skill and speed...martial arts are a plus! If you have ever been at the Loehman's in Miami on sale day you can relate…hundreds of naked ladies in the dressing room grabbing clothes from one another saying, "where did you find that?" One lady snatched a jacket right out of my hand, put it on and walked away. I cracked up! It was so crowded and full of energy! At one point, Mark and Max watched the famous "shell game" as the hustlers moved the coin from shell to shell. I was at a nearby leather stall when I heard Mark's voice rise above the crowd, followed by the vendor's voice arguing about something regarding money…Mark saying he put the money down already and the vendor saying he owed the money…Max staring with big eyes! Lots of onlookers were shouting too, hands flying as they spoke, but I could not get close enough to see. Finally, Mark emerged from the large crowd that had gathered hustled out of $50 and definitely upset! Welcome to Roma! The walked the narrow streets to the Vatican, a short hike from the market. Our first view of the Vatican was the dynamic Piazza San Pietro designed by Bernini in the 17th century. The large impressionable square can hold 300,000 people and is accessible only after passing through security cameras and x-ray machines airport fashion. Columns surround the Piazza and in the center is an obelisk brought to Roma from ancient Egypt. One of the many highlights at the Vatican is Basilica San Pietro, originally built in 326. In 1506 Donato Bramante was hired to reconstruct the basilica. The new design was Greek influenced with a central dome and four smaller domes. Bramante was criticized for demolishing the original basilica and destroying the original works of art. Bramante died and it was Michelangelo who took over the project in 1547 at the age of 72 who was responsible for the completion and design of the 119-meter dome. It was completed after 150 years with contributions from Bramante, Michelangelo and Rafael to name a few. There are no words to describe its beauty and enormity, it holds over 60,000 people. You have to study the religious murals to realize that they are mosaics. I have never seen anything like them! But I was most impressed with Michelangelo's Pieta, sculpted when he was only 25 years old and the only sculpture he ever signed. The emotional marble sculpture depicts the Virgin Mary holding the dead Jesus in her arms, so smooth it looks wet. Another statue, a 13th century bronze of St. Peter, has been kissed and rubbed by so many visitors that the right foot is completely worn down. No trip to the Vatican would be complete without a visit to the Capella Sistina commonly known as the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo's famous frescoes of the Creation on the ceiling (800 square meters) and the Last Judgment on the far wall were recently restored to their original vibrant, rich colors. Michelangelo was reluctant to accept the job because he never considered himself a painter. It took him four years to complete the ceiling. A bit moody, he fired all of his assistants early in the project and revised all the scaffolding before continuing. It is impossible to relive the glorious detail and drama depicted at the Vatican. It's beauty and religious significance must be experienced personally. We did not explore much of the museum which I am certain is quite impressive, collectively over the last nine months of travel we often just don't have it in us. The next day I waited at the hotel while Mark and Max went to the airport to pick up Bubby, Mark's Mom, who would be joining us for 21 days in southern Italy and our new car. It was a dilemma to find an affordable car that we can use for two months I Italy and one month in France. We actually bought a brand new car and sell it back at the end of the 3 months. An excellent value! Mark was not very excited to drive in Rome, but we had no alternative. The lines in the middle of the road…mean nothing, the traffic lights…mean nothing, and pedestrian crossings are targets! I love the scooters! Gorgeous Italian men and women sporting their stiletto boots and leather jackets cruise with the aloof attitudes of runway models. Pardon me…but do you not realize that you are riding a scooter? Only the Italians could make it look that good! After several hours of channel surfing at the hotel watching the Jerry Springer equivalent and Italian infomercials (Yes, Italian women have cellulite too!), I was really worried about Mark. He left hours ago and no sight of him…was his Mom delayed, did he get lost…rental car problems…or worse …did he have a car accident? I was just beginning to panic when he arrived. His Mom was lost in the airport and after a mini keystone cops episode he finally found her. We threw our stuff in the car and bolted for the warmth of Southern Italy where we would spend the next three weeks! We drove several hours to the Amalfi Coast one of the most scenic and impressive drives in Italy. Italy is very mountainous and the coast is no exception. High rocky cliffs, velvety blue Mediterranean waters, small stacked rustic villages, colorful fruit stands and interesting characters greet you at every turn. The road, if you can call it that, hangs over the cliff like a weathered terrace, winding around the mountains and through narrow tunnels until you want to scream for mercy! Lemon groves surround the villages growing up and down the steep terrain and are tremendous in size! We held lemons the size of a football…unbelievable! We decided to stay in Positano, a tiny village piled on a steep hill spilling into the sea. We drove the narrow one-way streets over and over looking for a hotel. The tourist season hadn't quite started and several hotels remained closed. Every car we passed, parked or otherwise, was side swiped, dented and out of sorts. Positano is extremely charming and we could only imagine it in full bloom during peak tourist season. Bougainvillea vines cover every balcony, restaurant patio and walkway. We walked, shopped and ate watching the Italian folks watch us. All conversation stops as you approach and they look at you with parental curiosity, waiting for you to do something worth scolding. They are lovely people and really quite warm, but not immediately…you have to ease them in to it! Mark found a lovely hotel overlooking the water at such a price that the owner begged us not to tell anyone! We awoke the next morning to steaming cappuccino and warm bread. What a lovely life the Italians enjoy! They work from 8:00 am-1:00 pm, enjoy three hours at home with their family relaxing, eating and talking (with their hands of course!) and reopen from 4:00pm -8:00 pm. I would certainly prefer this approach to the American way of being…work from 8:00 am- 6:00 pm (if you're lucky) giving your best energy to work and the leftovers…if any… to your family. Submit that suggestion to the board! After two nights in Positano we left for more of the stunningly dramatic Amalfi Coast views along the way to Sorrento. Upon arrival, we immediately began searching for a place to stay…our almost daily pattern, which can be exhausting at times. We dropped Bubby and Max, scooter in hand, at the park while we searched for the perfect place to spend a week. We returned, empty handed after several hours and decided to revisit the situation after siesta. It takes practice and dedication to "do siesta", as we learned after several days. First of all, you must plan ahead and get your lunch supplies. Second of all, you have to fill three hours in the middle of the day doing absolutely nothing. I knew several people at work that would not find this difficult, but it was a challenge for us to slow down our fast travel pace midday! We finally landed an apartment overlooking the marina for a fraction of the cost of a hotel. After nine months on the road we find it comforting to eat at home every now and again! Sorrento is a highly fashionable yet small town perfectly located to explore Naples, Pompeii and the Isle of Capri via day trips. Practically speaking, we thought it would be a great place to stay, but never dreamed we would fall in love with it! Sorrento possesses a great cosmopolitan energy combined with a zest for everyday life. Often when I asked someone "How are you today?" they would reply, "Better now that you are here!" The men are all flirts and the girls are aloof…can you blame them after getting hit on all their lives? Mark and I were able to sneak away for "Saturday night on the town" and were very excited for a few hours alone while Bubby watched Max at the apartment. I showered, put on my "very best outfit" (a shabby pair of ill-fitting black pants that had been rolled up in my backpack for nine months) and set out for date night with Mark. In Sorrento, Saturday night consists of walking around and "being seen" by every one else. Skin-tight pants, sweaters, gold, snakeskin and leather…and that only describes the guys…you can imagine the women! In search of some live music venue, we walked the streets but could only find the local discothèque…average age sixteen. No I.D is required for entry provided you have acne! We had a wonderful evening…just the two of us! We explored the Isle of Capri on Sunday, a short 15-minute ferry ride from Sorrento. The tiny town sits high on top of the island and reminded us of the many towns we visited in Greece. The town is layer upon layer of adorable villas, stone footpaths and shops. On top of the island sits and old castle that belonged to the Roman Emperor Tiberius, who was quite the party animal and somewhat of a porn king, in 72 AD…"If these old stone walls could talk"! We climbed around and enjoyed the beautiful views of the coast. During peak season this town must bustle with activity, catering to the well-to-do crowd. The tiny shops along the main walkways including Gucci, Armani and other luxury stores were still closed for winter and working on the fresh coat of paint. We strolled around slurping our amazing Gelato; Max's new addiction is a coconut and lemon cone, which he enjoys at least daily and is our new "takeaway" if he doesn't behave! The Gelato deserves a paragraph to itself! Usually made right in the shop, the flavors are much more intense than our ice cream at home. After a wonderful day, we grabbed the ferry and headed back to Sorrento for dinner…"How 'bout Italian food"? One thing we really miss is the food variety in America…so many choices. In Italy you only have one choice…Italian food! In Greece…Greek salad and fish! We have only been in Italy two weeks and we are already sick of pasta, bread, cheese and antipasto…not to mention it goes straight to my thighs! And jogging in Italy is a nightmare…too much traffic to jog in the street, broken up sidewalks, staring Italians, stray dogs and scaffolding on every corner! Well…only 45 more days of Italian, then 60 days straight of French cuisine, and a year or two of Weight Watchers! We also visited Pompeii, the ancient Roman city buried by the volcanic eruption of Vesuvio in 79 AD, just after they recovered from a devastating earthquake in 63 AD. The town of 20,000 was completely covered by burning fragments of pumice stone yet, miraculously lost only 2,000 inhabitants. The town was abandoned, covered in 8-10 meters of hardened pumice, and rediscovered in 1594 during the construction of a canal. The vast city is interesting to explore but most of the mosaics and frescoes were removed and now reside at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Naples, which was closed the day we went to visit! Throughout the ruins are displays of casts of the perished people found during the excavations. Near the orchard, thirteen victims were found in one room as they sought shelter. The emotional casts of their curled up bodies and anguished faces immediately send you back to the horror they experienced. Among the victims were several small children nestled close to their mothers. Still active, Vesuvio stands in the shadows overlooking the devastated ruins. Max enjoys running around the ruins and is genuinely interested in the history and stories that go along with them. Once again, as soon as we left the ruins he said, " I think I'll be an Archeologist when I grow up"! Home Schooling Update Max has progressed so much in the last several months with his schoolwork and we have noticed a big change in his maturity and confidence. Reading comprehension was so difficult for him that it would often drive him to tears saying, "I just don't get it!" He read the first chapter of Harry Potter six times in the first month we were away and still did not understand. Then my Mom brought him a book about Lance Armstrong, well beneath third grade reading level, but it boosted his confidence. Since January, he has read two Judy Bloom books, three Harry Potter books, an abridged Charles Dickens and Gulliver's Travels. After each chapter he tells me what happened in the greatest detail and expression! So easily distracted, in the beginning it had to be perfectly quiet for him to focus and we got used to his "SHHHH, I am trying to read!" Now he reads in the car with the radio blaring and Mark's singing. Often we come home at 10:00 pm and he begs us to read. I tell him he can stay up as late as he wants as long as he is reading. It is not uncommon to find him up reading after midnight, long after we are asleep! As parents, we are ecstatic, he is so much better prepared to enter fourth grade. His journal entries are much improved and have expanded from a few sentences to a full page or two. He enjoys geography, history and has learned so much about a variety of cultures. He never leaves without his drawing pad, pencils and "how to draw" books. He invents all kinds of toys from sticks and other materials and seems content to be by himself quietly playing. Taking Max out of school for a year was a big decision and a risk with no certain outcome. We were worried that he would forget his lessons, lose his drive to learn, and it would be difficult to create the transition from parent to teacher to playmate. I am sure we will have transition issues to deal with after the trip. He gets a lot of one-on-one attention from us and will get less in a school setting with 20 kids, will need to adhere to a schedule again, and may still need some special attention in certain areas. Most of all, I believe that Max has learned compassion for others who are less fortunate. He has seen that most kids don't have a Game Boy or a TV, yet seem happy in their play. As you can tell, we are SO PROUD of Max and thrilled with our decision! Would we do it again…in a heartbeat! On to Sicily! From Sorrento, and down the Amalfi Coast we stopped at a small town called Ravello for a quick look around. High on a hill it offers spectacular views and a few historical sites. The sunny weather was so pleasant we were content to stroll the large square and enjoy a cappuccino. A little cappuccino advice…DON"T SIT DOWN! Throughout Italy you will be charged DOUBLE if you sit at a table with your drinks and pastries! The local custom is to stand at the counter, throw back your scalding hot beverage and inhale your pastry…relaxing will cost ya some extra dough! We continued our drive down the center of Italy through a variety of mountainous terrain and vegetation. Some parts are very dry, similar to Greece, while other parts are covered in lush green grass and pink blooming almond trees, hill top villages scattered everywhere. We wandered our way to the far south to catch a ferry to Sicily, where we spent the next week. It took us 12 hours door-to-door to get to a village called Taormina. Mark drove the entire trip, scared to let me behind the wheel…and who can blame him. Everything they say about driving in Italy is true. They pass on blind corners (and expect you to do the same) and at frightening speed. By the time we arrived in Taormina, Mark was mentally exhausted but we still had to find a place to stay the night. It was pitch black and we were driving around and around the narrow streets. Each time we parked a policeman told us to leave and each hotel we checked was full due to the Lions Convention. At one point we got stuck on a very narrow one-way street and were forced to go through an old stone arch…made for horses no doubt. Without exaggeration, we had two inches on either side of the car and had to turn immediately after the arch. The impatient cars piled up behind us as we navigated the arch. We were ALMOST through when we heard the awful sound of scraping metal. Mark was fried…and pissed…until he remembered we had full coverage! We decided to stay near the beach instead and found a little hotel with a restaurant…it was 9:00 and we were all starved! There was a large party of twelve Italians seated next to us at a big table dressed to the nines! The women, with their lips exaggerated with dark lip liner, just stared at us stone-faced. I smiled back but their sober expression remained as they judged every scrap of our attire. My baggy pants must make great conversation! When I stand up straight, they still have knees and a big butt impression as if I were still sitting. On the other hand, these women were stuffed in their tight pants like a pimento in an olive! The owner shuffled course after course from the kitchen to their table and was in no mood to translate the dinner menu for us. Each time Mark would ask about a dish, he would run to the kitchen throw a cold fish on a plate, a whole eggplant and other assorted clues to show how it was prepared. He repeated this gesture at least five times before we ordered, but was warming up to us each time! By the end of the evening we were fast friends…we were even invited to have dessert with the staring Italian table! The dessert, called cassata, is absolutely amazing! And perhaps the best cake I have ever tasted! And they FINALLY smiled at us when we went nuts over their dessert! We settled in for along nights sleep and were just asleep when a freight train came through our bedroom…or at least it sounded like it! Every hour without fail we awoke to another freight train, the track was right across the street but it was so dark we hadn't even seen it! We laughed all night and vowed to look for hotels in the daylight from now on! The next day, back to Taormina…round two! Armed with a hotel recommendation with availability, directions and sunlight, we felt well prepared. We drove the long narrow street to the hotel only to find a dead end and no parking. Mark had to navigate this ridiculously narrow street, around the other poorly parked cars and scooters, and up a steep hill...in reverse! I thought he was going to lose it! Enough of that! We found an open garage and parked for the rest of the time! Found a hotel, got some lunch, and enjoyed the overcast day in Taormina, noted as Sicily's most picturesque town. Dating back to the 5th century BC, it has become an expensive and heavily touristed town that attracts the European jet setters! Mt. Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes, overlooks the town with smoke pouring from the crater. Sometimes at night, the smoke glows red from the molten lava! The crowded cobblestone streets surrounded with expensive shops and villas are ultra-quaint with their flower filled balconies, and various architectural styles. Churches, cherubs, statues and Piazzas are full of character…and characters! There was a great photography and artifact exhibit with images from around the world in this great old building. We even had some photographs in common with the same people in Thailand…bizarre! We climbed around the Teatro Greco, a Roman amphitheatre used for Gladiator fighting in the final years of the empire. It is really beautiful with a magnificent view of Mt. Etna through the columns of the theatre. It is still used for concerts! And did I mention the cannoli? Out of this world, the best ever! I love one week to "do" Sicily and we had to go!