Sunday, September 8, 2013

Shopping/Eating Fail

Last night we set out to find a cool kitchen store for a few essential items. On the way we passed some really neat store fronts.
I want the chair with the hole in the middle.
I'm sure it's very comfortable.
You want a centerpiece for your room that sure to be a topic of conversation? Try this one!

Just say the word and I'll get it for you.

Then it seemed we were entering a more ritzy part of the city. This was probably outside of my price range, until I win the lottery that is. But I just wanted to remember where it was.
Don't worry, if you spent a fortune on your dress that your children took some scissors to the ruffles,
you could just pretend it came that way. 
 You could get this one for your mummy....he he he
This is called the No-sew, Sharpie Special
 Lots of horses...
Emma would die for a ride in one of these.
I might die at the cost.
 I'm so glad wearing animal furs is very in over here. Especially as I sweat through 3 outfits a day.


Finally! I didn't know how I was going to survive without this! Now I know what that one rap song was referring to.
Screw Walmart
 I want to shop where Fabio help me fill up my credit cards. (too bad he was just walking away)


O wait, my bad! There's Fabio! He was following me the whole time!

Work it, baby
 The mobs got thicker as we approached the Spanish Steps.
Move aside people! Double stoller coming!
 I told Leon I thought it was ironic that as we approached a very special spiritual pilgrimage place, it seemed to get more and more materialistic. He said that I had the wrong set of steps. That makes a lot more sense.

Then a little Armani... I know where my new favorite shopping steet is!
Really don't know what's so special about this. 

In case you were the humble type that didn't want to let on to your large stash of cash...you should definitely shop at "Miss Money Money". Classy. Very classy.
More fur!
 At this point, we were getting pretty close to the kitchen store. And we started to think that maybe we came to the wrong end of town for a few teaspoons.



Finally, something truly beautiful to look at!
Don't ask me what it is. I don't know
 And the 1st store that I really recognize and do enjoy. Browsing. Still just browsing. I just buy their beads :)
Sparkly!
 I want some...no not the loafers.
What great tan lines these sandals probably leave!
 And this is what Leon wants. Don't be deceived. That woman is actually very very short. I think the steering wheel is completely centered in the car. Because their is only one seat.
Coolest clown car ever!
I guess the kids go on the roof.
 This is an elementary school where we could send Emma. But we won't.
Note the awesome new double stroller! 
 So it turned out that, yes, everything in the store was too expensive. We came out with a small 4 Euro set of plastic funnels. Turned down the 10 Euro a piece dish towels and walked home.

Later that evening we decided again to go out to eat. We chose "The best pizza place in Rome" the night before, and it actually wasn't very good. So we were having a "re-do". Sort of.

We looked for budget international restaurants (because I'm sick of pasta and pizza) and found La Cucaracha, a good Mexican restaurant. I was already really tired when we started to leave around 7:45pm. But I figured a half hour walk would be worth it for some really good Mexican. I do miss Mexican food.

We walked around the Vatican wall and found the place at about 8:30ish. They were completely booked until 10:30. But a party of 2 who walked in after us went right in and sat down. A party of 4 was too many. Even though I was staring at a table of 4 outside in front of us.

My phone had died so I couldn't find that list of other (affordable) international restaurants. We would have to do what we've been doing, and that I wanted to avoid. Just walk and gamble on whatever we found.

At about 9pm we stepped into a quaint little Italian restaurant.
Yay! Good thing everyone napped!
 Stella screamed for the pasta Emma was eating. Daddy had pizza. I had pork.
Tired
 After we got our bill, an old man came up and gave us both some Limoncello. It was delicious!

As you can see, we already finished the wine.
So we were definitely ready for another drink!
 As we finished up around 10, the girls were definitely looking a little crazy!

"Pasta not enough! I want to eat your arm!"

Both are ok with this.
 A new thing Stella started yesterday, was saying "Chsssss" and taking pictures with rectangular objects. Super cute!
"Chhssss"

On the way home, we paused for the Pope's vigil for Peace. It had been going on all evening. This was around 10:45pm.
The white glowing screen is the Pope. Hi Pope Francis!
 e 
Beautiful, even at night.
 Nobody fell asleep, according to our plan!
No one sleeps while the Pope is up!
Then you can imagine what happened next.

We all passed out.

The End.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Our backyard

I wanted to show you all the little bit of grounds that we get to call our backyard. I just recorded what it looks like on the way to "the grass" as Emma calls it.
First the vine-covered wall just outside our apartment


The way Stella gets around.
hmmmm yummy lens cap

Ta Da! The grass!
Ok, most of that is a road.


Emma's favorite personal fountain

A nice courtyard outside of the fancy faculty lounge... I think.
I don't think we'll be sitting there.
 If ever there was a place for some girls to run, this would be it!

"Um, since I'm the only one running, does that mean I win?"
 I think I'd like to get the girls trained early in soccer. Especially for Stella. She doesn't even walk straight yet, which means she'll be great at zig-zagging through other players.

"I've got a perfect shot! ...But where's the ball again"
 Then I was very, very thrilled to discover that the rock path kept their attention for a very long time. At the end, I just put them all back in their section. I guess worst that will happen is that one of them may get a rock to the head. We're working on the 'no throwing' part.

No sampling please!

And then run!
 Stella did this every time she picked up a rock. Then she usually brought it to me.
The champion!
 These girls don't have to try too hard to be cute.
"Can I have your money... pleeeease?"

What a team
 A little Stella charm

 A little conducting to the rocks....they just wouldn't stop shouting!


 Amazing!

"Can you believe it?! I found another one!"
Like I said....we had a lot of rock time

Say cheese! Stella, cheese!
 Then on the way back we spotting a very life-like Roman statue.

A rare Roman statue
Those are some of the grounds that we can call home!

Peace!


St. Peter's

I know I'm a little behind on posting, but here's a few shots from my first trip into St. Peter's on the 30th.
The every familiar view

Now with movie stars!
 The pictures I took were fairly random. They're just what I thought was awesome, and only some of those at that.
The awesome holy water font at the entrance

Saint.....read for yourself
 This is what Stella looked like, checking out the ceiling of the church. It's pretty amazing to me that even a baby can at least notice the awesomeness of the church everywhere.
"Whoa. Big Church"

The Baldechino

The kids aren't very sure about the guy taking the picture. We're only sort of hiding that ourselves. 
More tolerable family pictures

Emma swiping at the worn St. Peter's foot

My saint, Helena of the True Cross

The chair.
How does the Pope get up there?

St. Veronica and her veil
 I really enjoyed the details on the ceiling... to be a reference for future decorating.
My future bedroom ceiling

More ceilings...

Flowers and stars

Some fish on a holy water font

Amazing paintings

Pope Pio VII... I think

With surrounding statues

Another cool painting

This is how I look reading the Bible

Such a well behaved little group....we could stay here all day!

One of the four Gospel writers

A very moving statue
And then we high tailed it out of there into the hot sun. It was very cool, and I like that we can go there pretty much whenever we want.