Friday, September 30, 2011

La Sorbetteria


La Sorbetteria was listed to the Johns Hopkins "Guide to Bologna" book as one of the best Gelato places in Bologna. We have tried to cross off each one on that list since moving here in August plus a few that we have found on our own (like Chocolate). We have enjoyed a lot of gelato from a lot of different places, but La Sorbetteria has been are favorite for the all time classic flavors of Pistachio, Chocolate, and Nocciola. Hands down they have the best cones and wafer cookies I have ever tasted. When Taryn tried a bit of the Chocolate, she pulled a funny face and I don't blame her. It's probably the richest, darkest chocolate that I have ever had...oh it tasted so good. For all the choco-holics out there (like me) this would be your heaven.

It's said that in the summer time, Italians eat gelato and in the winter time when the gelato stores close, everyone debates which gelato store has the best chocolate gelato. We've heard, and it's evident by how many people we see there daily, (we live only a short walk away) that La Sorbetteria has been named as the "best" by many!

We will still continue to try different places, but La Sorbetteria will hold a special place in our hearts.


This adventure took place on one of our last "free" Saturdays we will have before school starts. So we made sure to throw in a little sight seeing of another beautiful church. Some may ask, "Don't you get tired of seeing so many?" The answer is always, "No!" Each one is so different and each have their own specific charm. We are trying to see as many as possible while we are here! This beautiful church is located in near the Piazza Maggorie, La Chiesa di S. Pietro รจ Cattedrale Metropolitana.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Bologna- in the city







Taryn and I took a walk around the city the other day and I pulled out my camera to document part of the walk that Tyson and I use to get the the Johns Hopkins SAIS Campus. There is so much that I love in these pictures from the shutters, the cars, the motorcycles, and the cobblestone. Bologna really is a hidden gem of Italy.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Sala Borsa Ruins





Two strollers on a narrow one way path tour- now we've learned!


I've had these pictures on my desktop forever it seems like and I am just now getting around to putting them on the blog! I think I mentioned before that the library was built ontop of ancient Ruins which is pretty cool. The floors to the library are glass so you can see the ruins as you walk around and they also let you tour down inside. I was a little disappointed with the "tour" but all in all it was cool to check out and get more familiar with Bologna and it's hidden gems. This was taken just a couple of days after the Anderson's arrived and we all went to the library together to let the babes play and so we could help them get library cards.

I enjoy getting new books for Taryn from the children's library each week (or more) because the simple words in those books help me learn Italian just a little bit faster. Tyson and I try to apply a new word we've learned that day and it can be fun and also sometimes hard to remember what that object or this object is called in Italian.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Two little monkeys



Meet Ada, she is the cute babe on the left ( it's hard to tell these two apart sometimes!) The Anderson's arrived mid September and we were so excited that they were able to find an apartment about 15 steps down the street from us.


Both of these girls have dads going to Johns Hopkins and that means their moms are busy with play dates at the awesome library and the great park. Their moms will also be taking an Italian language class through JHU come October. And can I tell you how excited I am for that to begin! I dream about being able to understand more Italian everyday.

Both families enjoyed a walk around the park together yesterday and I look forward to more outings, dinners and so much more with them!

Saturday, September 24, 2011

7 Months old



Our little sunshine is now 7 months old and she is a speedy crawler. I love her happy squeal when I motion for her to crawl to me. I love that she knows who her Mom and Dad are and that when she wakes up from her naps, she loves to be held by Tyson. She is still learning all about balance and is becoming a good climber. I'm still baffled that she can take the high foam boxes at the baby library and conquer them but when it comes to the 1 inch step leading into our bedroom, she is too scared to climb "down" or "up" from it.

She loves to Skpye with family now and recognizes faces. Today Tyson was trying to call his mom in Thailand and Taryn was so giddy! But we were a little early so we had to wait a few minutes to talk. Taryn was confused and looked a little sad when there was no friendly face talking to her. She makes her funny face while talking to both of our families and it makes me so happy they can see her personality. I love Skype! How great is it that you can talk for free and see the faces of the people you love.

Taryn (and Tyson) have both taught me so much in the past months of her life. I realized that I am not as patient as I thought I was...but I am working on it. I also learned that a 7 month old baby can win a diaper changing wrestling match. I've learned (and am still learning) to not sweat the small stuff. Taryn makes us laugh with her ability to mimick us and makes us happy when she gives us "loves" and "kisses" unexpectedly. We love that she is growing so much!

Perfect weather and a lost shoe





We have been spending a lot of time at the park lately because of the beautiful weather all around us. The super hot August month is gone and you can tell it's Autumn now. The air is becoming more and more crisp everyday, we've had to break out our long pajama pants and sweaters, and it's already rained a couple of times! I have never lived in a place where I could experience all four seasons before. I am excited that the leaves are changing and that I can start making soups and baking!
Taryn had her first real experience in a swing by herself and she looked happy and scared at the same time. She likes our walks outside on the streets during which we have already lost one sock and one shoe. I check on her almost every minute but yet somehow she kicked her socks off (we recovered one) while Tys and I were heading to school. One shoe disappeared on our walk yesterday and ended with me searching like crazy all the way back down a 15 min. walk Taryn and I had just taking. I would have made it home just in time for her nap had she (really... me) not lost her shoe. But we only came with so many shoes for Taryn and losing one is not good! So I really wanted to find the shoe! But we couldn't find it anywhere! I did have 2-3 Italian ladies point out to me that her shoe was missing. I appreciated it but the last lady confused me. For what I understood (which was very little) she saw the shoe back down the road (I had checked three times already) and I happen to run into her on the last street I hadn't checked so I was alrady running out of steam. At that point, Taryn was WAY ready for a nap, my arms were falling asleep from holding her so long trying to calm her down so it was time to go home. Poor little shoe. I plan on making a quick round down the street I didn't check, knowing perfectly well I am not going to find it. But, at least I will have tried! Now I just have to figure out how to get my baby girl that loves to kick her feet to keep her shoes on!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Stripes



The other day baby girl and I ended up both in stripes. Taryn was happy to pose and smile for our little "in the mirror" photo shoot- it's what you have to do to catch both of you ( a rare thing) when dad is at school. Most of the shots came out blurry but I think they are my favorite because you can still see her happy smile. I remember her kicking with excitement, trying to get the camera, and smiling at her mama in the mirror. The mirror is still one of her favorite toys and we have the fingerprints and slobber marks all over to prove it! She gets a kick out of putting her nose against the glass and making noises. Now she's up from her nap! Time to say hello to the little girl!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

It gives me the creeps

Before you read anything else, click HERE .

That is what I woke up to this morning, in our bed.


Ya...I freaked out.

Good thing Tyson found it before I did and flipped it on the floor and killed it.

We searched online to find out what it was. ( I was worried it had laid eggs or bit us or had other germs etc...)

I still get the chills just thinking about it and all it's crazy legs. It was about the size of my index finger and each leg was disgustingly long.

It's called Scutigera Coleoptrata or more commonly, a house centipede. They normally live outdoors but during autumn they can be found in human homes seeking shelter from the cold (mainly found in Mediterranean climates).

I hope I NEVER see one again. Even though they are good bugs and eat all the other insects, they still give me the hibbie jibbies.

BLAH!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Playtime


When Tyson and Taryn play together, they don't mess around!

menus of the weeks

A little Caprese salad to start off our week was a great choice! We had the Balsamic vinegar and Olive oil ready to drizzle ( and a little s&p)

Creating menus in Italy for our weekly dinners has been an exciting experience for me. I am trying to branch out and dig deep into the Italian ingredients. So far so good! I am keeping a record of our dinners here and I am trying to be creative. We are on a student budget so recipes need to be simple (lots of ingredients means $$$-not good). My challenge is to learn about the food seasons of Italy and what is the favorite crop of each season.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

a Lunch for Sunday


After church on Sunday we were invited to a special birthday Lunch for a wonderful lady in our ward. We are very impressed with the warm welcomes we have received here and I feel like everyone is reaching out to us, trying to help us feel more comfortable here, even with the language barrier.

We enjoyed AMAZING FOOD!!!!! I have to tell you that I was so happy to get an insider view at a true Italian family meal. You know, the one where the grandmother stands up before the prayer is said, stating that (is full Italian) "My lasagna is the best in the world!" and she is totally right. Or where the women keep asking you if you are still hungry and say, "Please, take more, there is so much food!" And where they cook for an army and you wonder where all this food is going to go but by the end of the meal there is not a trace left over.

As Tyson took his first bites of lasagna, he gave me the, "Oh my goodness I have died and gone to heaven," look. I tried my first bite and then spent the rest of the time trying to decipher what it was that made this lasagna so incredible as I tried savor each bite. Was it the proscuitto layered inbetween the perfectly al dente noodles? Was is the mashed tomatoes used sparingly instead of being drowned in tomato sauce? Or was it the secret sauce that melts in your mouth? I am determined to have her teach me what the "it" is about her recipe. I want to take it back to the states with me.

We also found out that Tyson loves grissini (bread sticks) wrapped in deli meats, particularly those famous in Bologna, such as prosciutto and mortadella. We have eaten a lot of pork here and that's mainly because in certain parts of the Emilia Romagna Region, there are more pigs than people!

Taryn played with Joshua but mainly was after all his cool toys. Sometimes she gets scared by loud noises and Joshua likes the sound of things crashing against the floor so....they are learning to peacefully and gently with one another.

There is a smile on my face. I am loving these fun experiences.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Around my neck of the woods

As we walk to the park we see cobblestone, paved walk ways, leaves everywhere, babies in strollers, people on their lunch break, and lots of vespas.
When I walk into Giardin Marghertia I think of Central Park in New York. Like NY, in Bologna, you have the ever busseling city all around you but when you step into the park all you hear is the sound of kids laughing, bicycles crushing leaves as they pass by, and the beautiful Italian language that I will someday (soon please!) understand.
I'm really excited to live in a cold weather city for the winter. We've been told by many that it snows here and we are really looking forward to it. That, and the church bells at Christmas time.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

This little one...

                            Likes to put her foot in her mouth...


       Walk around and now wants to have one hand free while doing so...


                                                    Explore...


                                                     Think...


                                                        Smile...


                  Play with anything that's not really meant to be a toy...


      And sleep ( She is getting so much better at this...or maybe I should say, we are.



P.S. Notice the new Italian stroller? Our $15 umbrealla Ice Cream stroller we bought in CA (because we weren't allowed to take any more on our domestic flight from AZ) bit the dust. The little ice cream covered stroller couldn't handle the cobblestone and unevenly paved streets of Italy. This one glides over bumps and even reclines so when we're out she can still get a nap.  I really love it and it's hard for me to admit it but we badly needed a new stroller. I didn't realize just how bad the ice cream stroller was until we came to the first uneven cobblestone and the Italy stroller barely moved. Ahhh...heaven....