Picnic in the Park

Eatin late night gelato with Mattia after the Picnic

The Brakeless Bike

So happy to be eating a real sandwich.



The other night Taber and I took a dinner picnic to ..... Piazza.... With its stone slab ground and row of green lushes trees it clashes with the other piazzas in Reggio. Although it is not an entertaining spot for people watching, it is a perfect location for a late night picnic. Earlier in the day we took a walk to the center and bought fresh produce from the open air market and homemade bread from a "forno" (bakery) to be used for dinner. On the menu for the picnic- a true American sandwich. The sandwiches in Italy are miniature in comparison to the ones in the States. If your sandwich has more than three pieces of prosciutto on it you have hit the lotto. While Taber was at practice I put together a sandwich of roasted chicken, avocado, lettuce, grilled onion, prosciutto, and fresh mozzarella cheese. To put all humbleness aside, it was worthy of landing in a Quizno advertisement.
With our picnic in hand we jumped on our bikes and rode down to the piazza. Being a good husband, Taber rode the bike with no brakes. He has mastered the Freddy Flintstones stop (braking with his feet). We enjoyed our American sandwiches while discussing the our experience in Italy, what we will miss, and things we are excited to return to. Without question the list of what we will miss is much longer than things we are looking forward to returning to. Here is a rundown of our two lists...

"Things we are excited to return to"

1. Our Bed- this could qualify as #1, #2, and #3. The thought of sleep in a .... makes us dizzy with excitement. If back and neck safety checks were conducted on beds, our Italian bed would not pass. We have woken up with mystery bruises on our backs which I am convinced are from the protruding mattress springs. The bed has aged our backs by twenty years. So, if you want to see us the first week of our arrival home, bring some popcorn and a movie and join us in our bed. Because that is where we will be posted up.

2. Our Kitchen- We share a kitchen with 4 burners, a toaster over, and a refrigerator that reaches my shoulders with 5 people. No more explanation needed.

3. Aussie & Payton- We can't wait for Aussie to wiggle his little bottom (hopefully little bottom, it was getting a little large when we left) out of excitement when he sees us. We are not as thrilled to have Payton violate our personal space with his nose "gooses", but we are looking forward to cuddling with him and taking him for rides on the skateboard.

4. Music- Taber's ears may have enjoyed the hiatus from the radio (they didn't have to hear my horrid voice) but I cannot wait to listen to music. Italian radio stations play, on average, an English song every 10 songs. The American songs they play retired from the billboard top 100 list two years ago. However, that does not stop us from turning the volume up and maybe throwing in a head bob, or two. My mom brought over a few of Rob's cds which have been playing nonstop in the car. Rob, if you are in search of back-up singers, Taber and I know every word to every song. I cannot guarantee we know every note. On second thought, I can guarantee we will NOT know any notes.

5. Friends & Family- Of course, we are looking forward to seeing everyone at home. The only possible way our adventure in Italy could have been more positive is if we were able to share it with all of you. You still have a couple more weeks to jump on a plan and make it happen! We are especially looking forward to meeting the new little one in Katie's tummy! I know he/she is also looking forward to meeting his/her favorite aunt and uncle:)

I am currently working on the "things we will miss" list so stayed tuned.

To be continued...