Pitter Patter

We've experienced all sorts of weather extremes lately (except for HEAT), and now we have rain, lots of it. It has been raining here for days on and off, but it has been particularly blustery and wet the last 48 hours or so. The tram lines are flooded and the city has advised everyone to avoid non-essential travel.

We *did* go out for lunch today though... Tomorrow we are hoping to escape the city and head out to Orvieto for the day, if the trains allow. Here are some pictures from our very wet walk today:

The dog park (dogs still having fun)

No one sitting here today!

The Tiber River

Hafsa crossing Piazza Cavour today

How to Pack for 5 Months

 

Probably the most stressful part of our trip happens before we have even left. Packing. Since our time away is longer this year, and we will span the months of January to June in Canada, Italy and Turkey, we knew it was going to be a challenge. Some of the questions you would generally ask yourself while trying to decide what to pack are...

Will it be very cold where we are going? (Yes)

Will it be quite warm where we are going? (Yes)

Will the children be playing in the snow? (Yes)

Will the children go swimming? (Yes)

Will it rain? (Yes)

Will there be a lot of walking? (Yes)

Will there be extensive lengths of time traveling by car, bus, plane or train? (Yes to all)

Will we be on vacation? (Sometimes)

Will we be working/homeschooling? (Sometimes)

This list of questions goes on and on, and in this case the answer to nearly every one is "yes" in some degree. Pack snowsuits, pack swimsuits, pack mittens and sunscreen. Pack shoes that can get dirty and wet, but pack some that can't as well. Pack boots, and sandals. Pack things that children need when they are on the go, and when they are not going anywhere. Pack just enough treasures and momentos to make them feel comfortable in their temporary homes.

So, pack everything, essentially. (But make sure your bags are not more than 50 pounds each!)

Ozayr dutifully packs it all up, but I know that I am the worst offender in the family for including somewhat-odd items that I "can't live without." Here is my list:

2 brand new kitchen sponges, the kind I like. One for our apartment in Rome, and one for Istanbul.

My own measuring spoons.

Essentials oils to fight off colds.

 

Neocitran for Ozayr when he does get a cold.

LEGO for the kids to play with when we are home.

A new craft or activity to keep them busy.

Any pharmacy items that I am particular about.

Yellow legal notepads for making lists.

Leisure reading for the girls and I based on the places we will visit.

My Fashy velour-covered hot water bottle. I know! This is my best friend during the winter months at home, and even though it is considerably warmer here, it is very damp inside and the apartments can get very cold.

And of course some loving reminders of home and the things and people we love...

for the children, of course ;-)

Gearing up...

Today the students arrived. As we speak they are meeting Ozayr for their first dinner here in Rome. Tomorrow "SCHOOL" begins for them all. We have been enjoying the last few days here, just our family. On the weekend we went back to our old stomping grounds near the Vatican and wandered around, visiting our old cappuccino bar and gelato shop. We walked around St Peter's square in the sun.

(Yes, in the sun, I'm so sorry! Reports out of Canada and Minnesota sound terrible! I think every kid we know has been home from school today!)

On Sunday we took a winding walk through the historic center, past many of our favourite places... Castel Sant'Angelo, Piazza Navona, the Pantheon... again more cappuccino and more gelato... as well as pizza and pasta too.  Regrettably, I did not take any pictures that day.  It is the privilege of the second-time tourist, I think.  I feel much less pressure to document everything... (I hope that doesn't signify danger for the blog!) If I can offer an alternative for the days this blog is slow, please check out the "official" study abroad blog that Ozayr and his students contribute to: http://umnistanbulstudyabroad.com/  It is always a lot of fun to hear what the students think about their experience here.

Rome so far... 48 hours in

Here we are back in gorgeous Roma... We have a distinct advantage, having been here before, in that we knew exactly where to go for gelato on the very first night:

Since then we have been alternately sleeping and not sleeping, and getting to know our neighbourhood. This year Ozayr and I decided that we would eat out less, and learn to cook great Italian food at home... (yes, all of you who know how terrible a cook I am can laugh now, *BUT* I have Maymuna with me, a serious advantage - in enthusiasm if not in experience).

The first step, we figured, to authentic Italian cooking would be authentic Italian ingredients, and so this afternoon we headed over the Trionfale Market. Even though it was close to closing time, we were astounded by the variety - and once we started buying, the price. The little grocery stores in the center of Rome are convenient but don't offer nearly as much for so cheap. This is what we bought today, plus 2 pounds of pasta, at the market for about 16 Euros:

This is what we are planning to make together tonight:

Tomato Sauce with Garlic and Basil

 From Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.

1 large bunch fresh basil

2 pounds ripe tomatoes (blanched - plunge in boiling water for a minute or less. Drain and when cool enough to handle, skin them and cut)

5 cloves garlic, chopped

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt

pepper

1 pound pasta

1. Tear the cleaned basil into small pieces.

2. Put tomatoes, garlic, oil, salt and several grindings of pepper into a saucepan, and turn to medium high. Cook for 20 - 25 min. or until the oil floats free from the tomato. Correct for salt.

3. Turn off the heat as soon as the sauce is done, mix in the torn up basil, keeping aside a few pieces to add when tossing the pasta.

Maymuna is on basil duty and Hafsa is on garlic duty. I am on everything-else duty.  It turned out quite well!

Jetlag is...

... your daughter standing by your bedside at 2 a.m. saying "I feel like it's afternoon."

Exponential Gratitude

It is a weird and wonderful thing to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience twice. If I felt blessed a year ago, I feel doubly so today. Not only for the fact that we have had this opportunity twice, but also because we know better all the amazing things that are in store...

We know that the froth on cappuccino is sweet and milky.

We know that Botticelli, Michelangelo and Bernini really are everything they are cracked up to be.

We know you can turn virtually any corner in Italy and find a breathtaking scene, or a gelateria.

We know that you can sometimes see dolphins in the Bosphorous.

We know how to jump aboard a ferry and how to order hot tea. 

We know how much we love these places. 

We know how fortunate we are. 

Ciao - we will be in touch from Rome. xo