It's been a week since my dad left Italy. Since his departure, Jason, Matt and I have been getting back to a routine. I look back on the two weeks my dad was here and smile. We crammed a lot of places and activities into a short period of time, but left some time to just hang out with friends and family. Here is how our time together went:
Three AM and my alarm goes off, time to get up. Dad's flight comes in at 8:30, and I have to drive three hours to Rome to pick him up. One of the well worth it sacrifices to have dad come to Italy. Matt has to work so I have to give myself enough time to drive to the airport, deal with traffic, and have leeway for when baby needs to eat. Jason and I make it to the airport with an hour to spare, ended up waiting an extra hour while dad goes through customs and collect his luggage. I am beyond excited to have dad here- he doesn't fly and this is a major victory for him.
Dad clears customs, and gets his suitcase and meets Jason and I in the crowded arrivals section. Even with the hundreds of people looking for their taxis pick up, or those pushing their way through to find the train, time stopped for a moment when my dad finally met his grandbaby. And Pa was born. Though Jason was sleeping Pa instantly fell in love with his precious grandson. We headed back to Naples to let Pa take a nap- even with a Valium his Dr. gave him and a couple alcoholic beverages, he couldn't sleep on the plane. Dinner was our favorite little pizza shop around the corner, they let dad come behind the counter and watch them make and cook our pizza. A minute and 21 seconds in the brick oven and our dinner was cooked. Pa wasn't crazy over the simplicity of Neapolitan pizza. I wasn't in love with Neapolitan Pizza until the second round, I learned to appreciate the fresh ingredients and lack of preservatives.
VENICE
We hit the ground running when Pa arrived, the next day after Matt got off of work, we jumped in the car and headed North to Venice. Pa got to check out the Autogrill- which is a highway convenience stop. He became addicted to "Coca" (coke) and Hairbo Gummy Bears. We arrived in Mestre (just outside Venice on the main land) around 1030 PM, unloaded our car and found a restaurant down the road that was still open. Even though we had pizza the night before, that was all the restaurant was serving at this hour. It was still pretty darn good, and dad stepped outside his comfort zone and tried Italian beer.
Saturday morning we had slept in just a tad, and headed out the door to catch the train. Our hotel was very close to a train station, and there were only two stops between us and the Islands of Venice. First stop was lunch along the Grand Canal. Dad and Matt enjoyed lasagna and I had gnocchi. Lunch was delicious and pricey, but that's what happens when you dine in Venice with a gorgeous view. After lunch we caught a Vaporetto (water bus) to the island of Murano. Murano is known for its blown glass. A gentleman directed us to a factory down the road that was doing a free demonstration. It was pretty fascinating watching a ball of hot glass become a horse, or a vase. While browsing the glass shop, the Italians were drooling over how little Jason was. "Piccolo" they kept repeating. In fact, everywhere we traveled the locals would call him "Piccolo." I personally loved the attention. I know my son is adorable in my eyes, but it's nice to hear it from everyone else.
We ended up back in Mestre for dinner, and ate at the same restaurant as the night before. Dad tried another beer that wasn't a Budweiser brand- those are hard to find in Italia, and Matt and I got a calzone that ended up being an actual pizza, just rolled up- they were huge and delicious!
Saturday morning, we load up the car and check out of the hotel. Back to the train station to spend the rest of our day in Venice. With San Marcos on our radar, we followed a Google Maps walking trail and made our way. Over bridges, past cafes, and trying to stay in the shade along the way we finally reached the hustle and bustle of San Marcos Square. The line for the church was ridiculously long, it was just too hot to wait to see the inside of a church so we passed on that- plus we had the Vatican a few days away to see. I sat on the ground to feed Jason, we snapped a few pictures and made our way to the water to find a gondola. We instead took the Vaporetto back to the train station to get a bite to eat and make sure we stayed on schedule.
Our tummy's were grumbling for some food, so we stopped and had a bite. Dad found WiFi and Face Timed Aunt Mary and talked to her and Uncle Alan over lunch. Dad was pretty excited to brag about being in Venice. Up next before we left was to catch a Gondola. For 80 Euros, the four of us climbed onboard a Gondola and had a nice, relaxing 40 minute ride. We were able to see a side of Venice we hadn't been able to explore and I thought it was the best part of our trip thus far. 80 Euros well worth the money. Just glad we did it in the beginning of June because that sun was hot. The Gondolier gave me a lace umbrella to help beat the heat- I felt super fancy like Mary Poppins =]
PISA
When we returned from our Gondola ride, we said goodbye to Venice and drove across the country to Pisa. Our hotel was a rinky dink bungalow in Camp Darby. Don't get me wrong, we had a kitchen sink, small fridge and AFN on the TV, but no WiFi or cellphone service. The base is tiny and is now used mostly for recreational purposes. It was the hub to prepare and supply for Operation Desert Storm, now it is being considered to be closed down. Anyways, Camp Darby is only a couple miles from the City Center of Pisa. Pisa is one of my favorite places to take people. It's clean, friendly, easy to navigate, and just over all enjoyable. We reach the Leaning Tower as the sun is setting, Dad gets a quick Facebook picture before we sit down for dinner. After the sun sets is when I think Pisa is the best. The Towers' white marble contrasts against the black sky, it just looks so pristine and clean. Bonus is that there is barely anyone at the tower so late because you can't get a picture with the tower in the dark.
As we were walking around the Tower at night, there were these two guys, either drunk, high, or putting on a show. Either way they were performing "music" or something and were just entertaining to watch. I could have people watched them all day, trying to figure out what was being said by their slurred words. Dad got a kick out of them. But the police weren't having it.
The next morning dad was able to get his pictures holding up the Leaning Tower. I even got dad to partake in my favorite Pisa activity... giving high fives to people posing with the Tower! If you ever go there, give it a whirl, it's fun to do!
BORGO MAGLIANO RESORT
I found this quaint resort hotel in the middle of Tuscany, and decided to spend the night there. It had WiFi, working AC, a restaurant, and a gorgeous view of the land. After leaving Pisa we made our way to the middle of nowhere it seemed. Passing vineyards and olive groves, taking winding roads till we finally reached out destination. The resort was beautiful, and near by was a medieval town, up on a hill overlooking the sea. Since we could not check into our room just yet, we went to get lunch at this fortress looking town, Magliano. Too bad majority of the restaurants close at 1 pm and it was 2 pm. We were fortunate to find a place with its doors open, who were willing to cook three more dishes just for us. The restaurant was Michelin Star rated, just bummed I didn't get the name. We dined in a garden courtyard. It was filled with the aroma of freshly bloomed flowers, shaded from the intense Tuscan Sun, and had a small viewing area to over look the many vineyards around us. Lunch was fantastic, as was dinner at the resort. Our waiter was very kind and quirky. His broken English and our broken Italian just made things a bit more comical. Dad ventured out of his comfort zone and tried something new, he had Risotto with Crab for dinner and a glass of house wine. The wine was great and came from the vineyard just outside the resort, so of course we bought three bottles (two of which dad took back to the states). Jason stuck with milk!
TERME SATURNIA
Since we were already in Tuscany, I really wanted to make a stop at the Thermal Springs. It is said that the Saturn or Jupiter God was disappointed at man fighting one another, so he threw a lightning bolt down to Earth, creating pools, and volcanic waters flow out of the ground, 800 liters a second at a temperature of 98 degrees. This created a place where man could go to relax and refresh instead of fight. The volcanic water is also said to have healing powers and people come here to heal.
We throw down or towels and start to make our way out into these pools. The bottom of the pools have tiny pebbles which weren't fun to walk on, nor was the rough rock that formed the edge of the pools. I really wanted to take Jason out into the water, so Matt finds a shady spot where we can hang out and relax and not worry about Jason being overly exposed to the sun. Our shady spot was close to the water fall, and not crowded with people (Italians sure do love the sun!). It gave us the opportunity to hang out in the water for a good 30 minutes, instead of dipping our feet in and leaving.
When it was time to move on, and travel down to Rome we walked back to the car, dried off and changed. We all smelled like sulfur, but it was the small price we paid to do something not many people get to do.
ROME
We find the apartment that we are staying at, didn't realize when booking it that it was a spare room in someone's apartment. The lady was Chinese and didn't speak English or Italian. Lucky for us we were able to communicate with translators on our phones. Technology these days, I tell ya... what would we do without it? Tonight;s agenda was to go to the Coliseum and get dinner at our favorite restaurant in Rome. And that is what we did! We get to the metro station just down the street and it doesn't take credit card. Poor Matt is sent on a wild goose chase to find an ATM, he gives up and we decide to walk to the Coliseum. Didn't realize how close we were to it, a nice twenty minute walk and we were there. It was later in the afternoon when we got there, we were able to quickly get a ticket and get inside. so nice to not have to stand in line, considering this was Matt and I's third trip to the Coliseum. We pushed Jason around the bumpy walkway in our Bob Stroller (Thanks for the Cadillac of strollers mom!) and took him out for a few pictures. Majority of he trip Jason has been carried around in the Ergo Baby Carrier- It just gets hot, so Matt and I take turns carrying him, and stopping to let him cool off. He never cried once in the carrier, we were just concerned with him getting overheated, or being in one position too long. Plus I like that Matt wants to be with the baby. He won't let me push the stroller (that is his job he says), and it lets him bond. Who wouldn't be ok with that?
Dad was in awe by how big the coliseum is, and amazed at such a structure being built so soundly in a time where there wasn't machines to help build. Quality in craftsmanship for sure! Around the corner is our favorite restaurant, we had a couple of plates each, trying out different food. Matt got to enjoy another bottle of house wine with dad, and I got my tiramisu! After dinner the sun was setting, so we hoped on the metro and headed to the Trevi Fountain.
The Fountain was crowded, as expected. I've seen the fountain during the day, but never at night so it was a treat for me to see it lit up. Matt and Jason went and threw in a coin to return to Rome one day (I'm sure we will!) and then I took dad down into the crowd to get a picture while Matt watched the baby and stroller. A lovely couple offered to take our picture, they were in Rome celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary and they were from Ohio. We chatted with them for a few minutes, and wished them well on their trip to Florence before we called it a night.
The following morning we again pack up the car and head out the door to enjoy our last day in Rome. This time we were off to visit the Vatican. It was Wednesday and every Wednesday the Pope speaks to the people, this is called the Papal Audience. I wanted to swing by the Vatican the day prior to get a ticket to attend, but didn't want to get there and be told that there are no more tickets (which are free by the way!) It's a good thing we didn't bother because the tickets are for seats in the center of St. Peter's Square- that have zero shade. So we mosey on up to the Square around 10:30 am and get to see the Pope talk to the crowd. We didn't need a ticket because there is standing room behind the seats, and coverage from the hot sun. The event ended at 11, and a good portion of the crowd headed to the Vatican Museum, which was next on our list! So we hustle, knees to chest around the corner to the entrance of the museum. But holy cow that line to get in!! There were people selling skip the line tickets, so I asked to see how much it would cost. Thankfully the gentleman noticed Jason in his carrier and told us that with the baby we get to skip the line! Yippee! That saved us at least an hour of waiting in line.
The Museum is cool, but having seen it a few times already Matt and I are bored with it. But In order to see the Sistine Chapel you HAVE to go through the Vatican Museum. And the Sistine Chapel is a MUST SEE. Dad also likes religious pieces. So we let dad see the museum at his pace, we give him info on things we remembered from a tour we took with Julie and Skyelar. When you get into the Sistine Chapel, you're not suppose to talk or take pictures. I couldn't help myself, I snuck in a few pictures inside the Chapel.
We followed a tour guide group out of the Chapel and into Saint Peter's Basilica. The Church had just opened up due to the Papal Audience, so we were one of the first people inside for the day. Dad got a front row view of PietA- The Madonna Holding Jesus. Quick fact, a crazy guy back in the 70's ran into the church, screamed "I am Jesus Christ" and took a hammer to the statue, broke one of her arms off from the elbow own, took a chunk out of her nose, . Since then the statue has been behind bullet proof glass, and the statue had piece from the back removed to repair the nose that was hammered off.
I'm pretty sure dads' breath was taken away when he walked into St. Peter's, he got camera happy and took pictures of everything. Inside is a statue of St. Peter himself, and a small line of people waiting to rub or kiss his right foot. I told dad to do what the Romans do and I will research why later. Well come to find out, those who rub or kiss St. Peter's right foot, are granted a blessing of 40 indulgences (40 days less in Purgatory). The statues right foot has been so worn down that the foot has been replaced once, and the current foot is completely smooth from the frequent visitors. Anyone got some Purell Hand Sanitizer??
All we had left to do in the Vatican was climb the Dome! I didn't realize this was an option until I saw some friends had done it. We paid the extra 2 euros a person to skip 1/3 of the stairs, but we still had 400+ steps up ahead of us! As you climb there are parts of the stair well that are so narrow, that a hand rail would get in the way, so as you climb up the narrow spiraling staircase, there is a rope for you to grab hold of. You get to a breaking point prior to that, which lets you see that you are standing over everyone inside the church. Such a cool vantage point. The ceiling is decorated with tiny, pinky fingernail sized mosaic tiles- Imagine being the person laying all of those tiles! As you keep climbing your way to the top of the Dome, the walls slant inward, and you are not only a bit claustrophobic, but now you are leaning sideways as you walk your way up the steps. But once you make it to the top, you have a spectacular view of Rome and the Vatican beneath your feet.
While at the top, I tell Matt that Jason needs a diaper change soon. The sooner the better since he is healing from a nasty diaper rash. Oh hey, there is a little stand off section in the shade on top of St. Peter's Basilica, why not change him here? Sure enough, I pull out our changing pad, a diaper, some wipes and a rash cream and change my baby's diaper. Then it happens. Yep. Jason peed during a diaper change. My son, peed on St. Peter's Basilica. He also farted in church we checked out in Venice. We got a major chuckle out of this. Not many people can say they peed on St. Peter's Basilica!
CAPUA
It was time to go back home. The menu for dinner was Chicken Shack. One and a half rotisserie chickens, some "crack fries," fried mac n cheese, and some mushrooms- Dad was in heaven. He hasn't cared much for the food in Italy. It lacks flavor he says (don't listen to him! It lacks preservatives). But Chicken Shack, he sure did enjoy every bite. In fact he said he wanted it at least one more time before he left (which he did). Everyone slept in the next day and did nothing but hang out around the house. Dad's time in Italy is already half way over!
Friday, we find our way out in Capua. I've been saving a trip out to Capua just for dad. He has talked about going there because of the HBO Series Spartacus, which he really enjoys watching, hence where the nickname Spartacus came about for baby Jason. Capua is significant because it is where the gladiator Spartacus fought, so it's only suiting that we take dad and baby Spartacus to Capua together.
The arena is very much so broken down. A lot of locals over the hundreds of years have come to the arena to take rock to build with. But enough is left to see that it was still a massive arena- just a few meters smaller than the Coliseum! The best part of Capua is that you have pretty much full range of the entire place. Where as the Coliseum you don't get to explore the center portion of the arena. We located a set of stairs that led us underneath the arena. There we saw various passage ways and cubbies where animals and gladiators were kept. It was very well preserved down there, and Matt says would be an awesome place to play paintball (or hide and seek).
AMALFI
Saturday was a long but relaxing day. I had booked us a day cruise around the Amalfi Coast. Ever since we arrived in Italy, I have wanted to see the Amalfi Coast from the water, we've driven it a few times but the coastal view is what I've longed for. We cruised out to the island of Capri where we had a swim call. Matt dove on into the "brisk" Mediterranean water, while dad, Jason and I stayed dry onboard. It's not every day you get to say that you swim in the Med Sea (unless you live here for all your life). Matt was happy to finally check this off of his bucket list.
We stopped to let some passengers off at the town of Positano, then we were let off in Amalfi. with a couple of hours to kill we grabbed a quick bite to eat and started to explore the town. The Amalfi Coast is well known for it's ceramics, and boy were there a bunch of ceramic shops! I could go inside every single one of them and not be bored. We also passed a bunch of shops selling cellos, Limoncello, Meloncello, Strawberrycello, yum! I bought a few to have when we move back stateside. While shopping for cello, we saw a bride and groom walk through town after saying their nuptials. Always fun to see a wedding in Italy. Making our way back to the boat and head home, we stopped for a nice refreshing gelato and a picture op in front of the main church.
Sunday dad and Matt went golfing, while I stayed home and did chores with the baby. As you can see, Jason did laundry.
POMPEII
Pompeii is one of those sites that is so close to us, it's hard too come up with a reason not to go there with visitors. Again this was Matt and I's fourth time visiting the ruins of Pompeii, so we can easily walk through and skip over things, but for a first time visitor we have to remind ourselves that my dad or whomever is with us may want to see it at a slower pace. Dads state of mind is that everything looks the same, so we took him to the highlights and got out of there. It was just too hot to walk around Pompeii for hours. So thanks dad for understanding that everything looks the same and unless you have a tour guide, you really don't know what you are looking at.
Matt's paternity leave came to an end and he went back to work on Tuesday, dad and I went to base for a Dr. appointment, picked up some prescriptions, and Jason's super awesome looking birth certificate.
We took dad to dinner at the Osteria down the rod from our house. There you walk in, sit and they just start bringing you food at a set price. We dined on 15 different things, ranging from prosciutto, cheese, carrots, eggplant, to two differ types of pasta and three different types of meat. Dinner of course came with house wine and ended with a shot of limoncello in a chocolate cup.
Dads last day in Italy was a rest day. We hung out at the house, snuggled and kissed on the baby, and packed dads bags. Nerves were setting in again for dad. Mom sent me an email saying the flight attendants told her they would take care of him, and that he was in good hands. Thursday morning we drive up to the airport and Rome, and get dad checked in. I know how nervous my dad is and how unfamiliar he is with airports, I wanted to walk him to his gate but without a boarding pass I couldn't get pass the passport check point (which is before checking bags and getting your ticket). Dad said his goodbyes to Jason. "Grand-daddy loves you," he kept saying. I give my hug goodbye and cant help but to tear up. We can blame it on the hormones, but I know I'm just that much of a daddy's girl.
Time cant go by quick enough for Jason to make a trip to the States with us and see the rest of his family!
Just the other morning I cut up a bunch of strawberries and gave them to Jason- he wouldn't take them off of a spoon, nor does he like to bite the strawberry itself. So in the mesh bag they went. He absolutely loves strawberries. So much, I had to give him seconds. The first time I gave Jason strawberries I was a nervous wreck, because there is a high rate for allergies with them. But He has not shown any signs of food related allergies. 
He loves lima beans, steak, bread (which he was chewing on at a restaurant the other night- making a slobbery mess out of the bread), strawberries, bananas, and even cheddar brats.
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