My Fair Verona

We were able to take off a few Saturdays ago and do a little sight seeing.  We hopped on the Autostrada and headed toward Lake Garda where we had heard how beautiful it was.  However, on our way we hit a few detours and were so glad we did......

First, this is just a couple views from the Autostrada.  The landscape is beautiful, and you can literally see vineyards everywhere.  On the side of a mountain, fields, as well as people even plant grapes on their terraces and front patios.  The soil is fertile, so it is easy to grow.

 

We got caught in traffic on the Autostrada and decided to take a detour into Verona.  No place is more romantic than the city of the most famous lovers in history: Romeo and Juliet.  The balcony of Juliet's casa, Casa di Giulietta, is a famous tourist attraction and of coarse my first hunt was to try to find it.  

 A beautiful church along the way.

We found it!  The walls are all 'decorated' with graffiti, writings and love messages.  The tradition says that everyone who visits the house should leave something for Juliet.  So the house is packed with love notes, small jewelry and even heart-shaped chewing gum.

"O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?..." You can actually pay to go up in the balcony and walk through the casa.

Oh, but the traditions are classic!

Look who we found in the Verona Square!!

 We found a nice little vineyard on the side of the road...

 The girls may not be in to wine, but they sure do love the grapes.  Couldn't be more delicious!!!!

"Good night, Good night!  Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow." William Shakespeare: Romeo & Juliet

Home Sweet Home

What they don't warn you about when moving overseas is how crazy the house hunting process is...along with every other detail with the move.  Upon first arriving to the area, you don't have a vehicle to go look for houses so you can either walk or wait for the housing office to provide you an interpreter to drive you.  You are allowed only 5 trips with an interpreter and hope and pray you will find your home in one of those trips.  Upon finding a house there are multiple steps and details that follow, and if you are lucky....3 weeks later you Might be in your house.    So here it is....... before our furniture arrived. 

The kitchen

 Front view from 2nd floor terrace.

 Bedroom 1

 Cornfield behind our house...had just been harvested.

 I guess you could say 3rd floor room.  The ceiling is short, and entrance (where Madelynn is) is only about 4 ft. x 4 ft. (the rest is a glass wall), so now it is the girls play room. (Perfect for me because I can't see the toys from below.  Thumbs up!!!)

Laundry

This may be totally gross, but the girls have discovered how conveniently sized the bidet is as a sink for them.  *Note: I have thoroughly sanitized the bidets in the house.*

Front fence and pedestrian gate

Front patio

My only hydrangea on the whole bush that bloomed...

We are So very thankful to finally be in our house.  Maybe soon I will get pics up with everything decorated.

Look at her go...

Madelynn participated in her first race...I was so proud.  It was called the Donut Run (which is an oxymoron if you ask me).  Go girl!!!!

 YES....as you can see she discovered she had to go potty approximately 5 seconds before the race started.  She made it through the first round really good! ;)

 A new sweet friend!

 Victory for all....now time for a treat.

We are learning...

I have not been very good at keeping up with blog posts..but I'm trying.  Thankfully we have made some progress and are now settled in our house.  We live in a quaint little town on the outskirts of Vicenza, and our front porch faces a beautiful view of the Alps (on a clear day).  Behind us is a nice corn field that was just recently harvested and now being prepped to plant for the next season.  Thankfully, it is starting to feel a little more like home here.  Kendall has started back to work and the girls and I are getting into our own routine, and have made some wonderful new friends to share our time with.  We have enrolled Madelynn in the local Asillo, where she will hopefully be going to pre-school soon.  The students and most all teachers speak only Italian, so we are a little nervous about her getting started, but So so excited for her to learn the language and become more comfortable with the culture.  We do know that our neighbors daughter will be in the same class as Madelynn, so even though they really can't "talk" together yet, they will be able to play together.

We are slowly learning the area, but let me back up a bit and catch up on some pictures.....

We stayed in Ederle Inn for 4 weeks, which from what I hear is really stinking short.  Lots of people stay anywhere from 6 weeks - 3 months.  So what did we do while living in a hotel????
...watch TV of coarse....

 ...and make forts

 .....play in the wardrobe/toy box

 ....have snack time

 ....sleep   (Madelynn's bed)

 ...wake up Sissy

You could say Family Bonding at its best!  :)