LCDR Daddy

This morning we headed over to Dan's office for his promotion ceremony. He was promoted from Lieutenant to Lieutenant Commander! We are so proud of him for all the hard work he does, and does well! Congratulations Dan! We love you!

Montecassino

What a great name: Montecassino. Sounds like something straight out of a James Bond flick. It was merely the site of playtime for the kids yesterday. The town is simply an abbey high over the valleys of the southern Lazio region and is known for a large WWII battle in which the allies bombed it to oblivion, fearing the Germans were using the strategic hill top as a spotting post - fears later proved false. Regardless of its violent past, Montecassino is now a tranquil abbey with rosebushes adorning its courtyards and plenty of spectacular views. To think this gem of a spot is an hour away from our house is hard to believe!

Ethan doing what Ethan loves to do: eat.

Allison with vineyards below.

Some great scenery.

Great family shot.

Ethan running up to one of the large doors to the abbey.

Paestum

Another gorgeous Sunday, another day trip. Back in 7 BC the Greeks founded what is now called Paestum. After a colorful history which saw economic growth and battles with the rising Roman Empire, Paestum eventually succumbed to disease and was abandoned in the 7th century. Believe it or not, no one dared enter Paestum for over a thousand years due to concerns over malaria. This well-founded worry allowed Paestum to be very well preserved. Today, Paestum sports massive Greek temples and stone streets.

On the way down to Paestum, we stopped at Tenuta Vannulo, a farm producing the oh-so-delicious mozarella di bufala from their own herd of water buffalo. The kids got a kick out of feeding a curious (and hungry) buffalo while the wives bought some fresh mozarella for lunch.


At Paestum, we set up camp in front of the Temple of Hera and had a great picnic. As soon as the kids were full, they ran off to explore the ruins (or in their view, a giant obstacle course). The weather was near-perfect, sunny and cool. It was another great day in Southern Italy!

Positano

Today we took the hour and a half drive down to the Amalfi Coast. The destination was Positano, a gorgeous town carved into a hillside rising from the Mediterranean Sea. Any drive down to the Amalfi Coast can only be described as incredible. The winding roads, with steep cliff walls on one side and magnificent views on the other, are reminiscent of a James Bond movie. Oh, and don't look down... some of these roads are several hundred feet above the turquoise ocean below!

After finding a great parking spot, we strolled down the pedestrian streets, kids running (do they know any other speed?), wives gazing into the boutiques, and eventually popped out along the sea. Ethan found the crashing waves to be hysterical whereas Allison just wanted to take in the sights. Margaret had a funny moment when she was in a restaurant to buy lunch... She mistakenly thought a tray of food was free samples, when in fact, it was someone's lunch!

Positano was a great getaway, but we weren't too sad to leave, knowing we'd be back sooner than later!

A typical road leading to Positano.

The beautiful turquoise water with medieval towers dotting the cliffs.

Dan and Ethan sitting near the beach.

Just an incredible view!

The four kids take a snack break even though they just had one 5 minutes before!

Ethan running along a street lined with a deep red wall.

Mom's Day Out/ Dad's Day In

This weekend I had the chance to head up to Rome with a few girlfriends and I jumped at the chance. It was so nice to have a day to wander the ancient city without anyone whining, having to use the potty, pushing a stroller.....you get the idea. A whole day to myself in one of the most amazing cities on the planet! My friends Caroline, Suzanne, and I had a great day. We got pastries, strolled through the market in Campo de Fiori, relaxed at Piazza Navona, and shopped 'till we dropped. We sat on the Spanish Steps, drank from the fountain at Piazza de Spagna, had a delicious lunch, and shopped some more! Overall, it was a much-needed day of fun and friendship and I feel like my "mommy" battery is nicely recharged, until next month :) .

bead/jewelry shop near Pantheon

veggies at Campo de Fiori market

Meanwhile, Dan and the other 2 abandoned fathers took the unruly brood of 7 kids to the gardens at the Caserta Royal Palace. It was a beautiful day, and the kids had a fun time running, playing, and eating a picnic lunch.

More pics from Florence and Tuscany...

To see more of our pics, click here: More pics

Cortona

Church of Santa Maria Nuova, on the hillside in Cortona

On the way home we stopped in Cortona (that's where the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun" takes place). Cortona is considered a classic Tuscan hill town, and it's location only a mile from Umbria marks the end of Tuscany heading south. A quaint small town with lots of character, a few beautiful churches, and a picturesque main piazza sold us on Cortona! As we walked down Via Nazionale (the town's only level road and main commercial street) towards Piazza della Repubblica, we knew we had found another favorite in Tuscany.

ceramiche shop on Via Nazionale

Palazzo Communale (city hall) on Piazza della Reppublica

eating lunch on the steps of Palazzo Communale

wine shop off Piazza della Reppublica

Florence

Founded by an emperor named Julius Caesar, Florence is now the capital of Tuscany (arguably the most beautiful province in Italy) and the indisputable capital of Renaissance art.

On Saturday morning we wasted no time exploring the city. Luckily, our apartment was less than a block from the Duomo so we didn't have far to walk! Even without the main attractions, Florence is a beautiful city with plenty of pedestrian-only boulevards lined with shops selling handmade leather goods, custom suits, and great food. It seemed that whenever we needed to let Allison and Ethan out of the stroller, a piazza magically appeared, giving the kids plenty of space to tire themselves out!

Perhaps the best known art gallery in Italy is the Uffizi Gallery. It is filled with the most comprehensive collection of Renaissance art in Europe - from paintings to sculptures. We gave the kids a bag full of crackers thus affording us a precious 1/2 hour to explore the gallery in peace. Earlier in the day we visited the Accademia which features several of Michelangelo's most spectacular works including the magnificent David. Do you think Allison or Ethan will ever remember the phenomenal pieces by Da Vinci, Michelangelo, or Raphael? Didn't think so! In fact, when Allison saw the David she loudly blurted out: "Mommy, he's NAKED!!" I guess, in the end, Michelangelo entertained us all!

Before we knew it, Monday morning came! It was an incredible visit to a wonderful city!

Some of the beautiful buildings in the city.

The David!

The Ponte Vecchio bridge, filled with shops.

An ornate courtyard just off Piazza della Signoria.

The main room of our apartment, just a block from the Duomo.

Montepulciano

This past long weekend we took a road trip up to Florence. In order to break up the scenic 5-hour drive, we stopped at a Tuscan hill town on the way up and back. On Friday that meant a visit to Montepulciano, a medieval hill town known for producing some of the best wines in Italy. Believe it or not, records show that the town has been producing wine since the 1300's! Luckily, we ran into Adamo, the proprietor of the Cantucci Cantina, famous for their Vino Nobile wine. He showed us around the Etruscan tombs where massive oaks barrels hold the delicious wine (see pic below). Oh, did we mention the incredibly scenery Montepulciano offers?

Margaret and Allison make their way down a narrow street.

The surrounding vineyards and olive trees.

The Etruscan tomb filled with enormous barrels of Vino Nobile.


Some more of the great scenery (note the medieval rampart at the bottom of the picture)!

Lots of smiles to go around!

Yes, another gorgeous Tuscan view.