Day 27

I have learnt one big thing today - Italian birthday parties for kids are not a small affair. They are crazy, busy, noisy things! I mean, they're enjoyable, but not on a Tuesday evening. M and F were really good though, even if they were tired and unwilling to join in with the entertainer to start with. On the plus side, I got party food, tiramasu and leftover bracelets, so the headache was slightly more worth it!
I had a lovely lazy morning today, cleaning and doing washing - I was actually looking forward to it..imagine that; being excited to clean a bathroom and do two loads of washing. Because of the dust everything gets dirty quickly, and having a white tile wet room style bathroom doesn't help matters, but it's so nice when it's clean! And this weather makes clothes/bedding/towel washing a doddle, it's usually dry after an hour or two in the sun, so plenty gets done. I don't know how easy winter washing will be though, as there's no tumble dryer so I'll have to air dry - let's hope it's not like at home where it all takes ages on radiators; I only have a tiny one!
(Just realised I wrote a paragraph about cleaning. What have I become?!)
There seems to be a nasty cough going around at the minute, and I have the first signs of a cold, so let's hope it doesn't come full force at me!
Ciao!

Days 21-26 (sort of)

I've been feeling a little bit topsy turvy the last few days, rather unsure of myself and how things are going, and so any free time I've had I haven't really felt like writing. But today's a better day (not that my days have been bad, they've been great!) and asides from being incredibly tired and slightly irritable I think I'm almost back to normal! 
Because I'm writing this at the poolside I'm not sure as to what my last update was, so for now I'll do today and the weekend, and if I discover when I have internet that I've missed something big out then I'll throw it on at the end! (Mum: what did you used to do while I was in a swimming lesson? It's so boring!)
Saturday 27th: I met up with my parents from Scotland mid morning by the Spanish Steps (which hereafter will be referred to as the SS Meetup, because it's so much cooler  *not* and that's what we use them for!) and made our way down to Piazza del Popolo before climbing a lot of stairs to Villa Borghese (the park). Once there, I was treated to coffee and a much needed sit down and catch up - super lovely! We went to a part of the park afterwards that I hadn't been to yet, and that was beautiful, but we were getting hungry, so went and had pizza in a small place near Piazza del Popolo. (Thank you again for that!!) Me, Clare and Danielle all went to Maddie's for the evening, intending on watching a film, but in reality spending a heap of time on her roof dancing and taking photos and stargazing (on my part anyway!). We did sort of watch The Prince and Me, but I took advantage of the unlimited and skyped mum and dad, and then we chatted and ate pizza bianca and just ended up watching the end!
Sunday 28th: Church was very good; the sermon on obedience (from 1 Samuel 15 and Psalm 51) was clear and unwatered, (unless you count the dirty/clean water illustration that was used) and we sung a Welsh hymn and tune! Met a german au pair at church too, and we invited her along to spend the day with the group and another new au pair. Rome on a Sunday afternoon is a crazy place to be though, people everywhere, and more so than on a Saturday! I did buy some sugar roasted nuts though, so it was worth it!
Today: Me and Clare met Maddie by St Peter's (apostrophe?) and on our way there discovered a couple of vintage shops (!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and the fact that the Pantheon pre-10am is the best time to visit, however quickly! We all made our way to an international food shop where I spent 13€ on custard powder and Whittard instant cranberry and raspberry tea; definitely worth it seeing as how the girls have never had custard! Clare and I had burgers for lunch; actual restaurant burgers, not BK ones, and then the rest of the day has been as normal; swimming, tantrums, dinner, bed!
Photos will follow soon, and I'll try and get back into daily posting, no matter how boring my day's been!
Ciao!!

Day 20

I'm sitting here thinking "what in the world did I do yesterday?", which is either a sign that I'm far too sleepy or that it was a pretty uneventful day. I'm going with a bit of both! Right, just turned to the phone to see if there were any pictures (there are, but definitely none of particular interest!) and I now remember spending the day in the apartment being a domestic pro and doing washing and cleaning..so yes, a very exciting day. None of it was that straight forward though; all the cleaning products are in Italian, so I was guessing what they were for and how to use them from the pictures and past experience - very glad I didn't always rely on mum to do everything at home! I also did a spot of organising, and it turns out that paper shopping bags and permanent markers make for great dirty laundry holders, and washed plastic salad bowls are perfect as a bathroom caddies. (That's what the pictures were of, I was so pleased I had to show the girls!)
B hosted a dinner party last night which I was welcome to, but I was glad that it wasn't a sit down meal, because I was able to eat and not stick around - the food was incredible and the people were lovely, but I felt so out of place with everyone speaking Italian and having known each other for ages! One lady did speak to me for a bit, but I was glad when it was time for me to sort the kids out! On the plus side, I've now had calamari, something I've wanted to try for a while, and I liked it.
M will be waking up soon and then it's off to Clare's for a play date with her wards (is that the right word? Im sure that Adèle is described as being Mr Rochester's ward in Jane Eyre, but that doesn't really help!).
Ciao!

Weekend around Ponza pictures

Days 15-19

This past weekend (long weekend) has been spent on a boat around the island of Ponza. A sailing boat for that matter, something I've never done before. It was so beautiful but tiring- we went with another family with two small children, and for future notes, a weekend on a boat with four kids 5 and under is not a relaxing experience unless they are off somewhere or asleep!
We left on Thursday night for the harbour, and it was midnight or later by the time everyone and everything was sorted on board and the kids had been put in bed, and I was getting very frustrated because I couldn't go to bed until everyone was done due to the fact that I was on a sofa bed. I didn't sleep too well either because of G's snoring and cries for "mama" and "atte" (milk), and then we set off at 6:30am. Now, I don't think I've ever been sea sick before, but let's just say combination of tiredness, hunger and a choppy sea definitely didn't agree with me, and I was very glad when we stopped!
I spent the rest of the weekend swimming and sleeping and making sure no child fell overboard. The fish were such a beautiful blue, as was the sea, even when the sun wasn't shining! And I'm not saying the sea was warm by any standards, but in comparison to the sea at home, it was like salty bathwater that had been left for a while (that makes it sound disgusting doesn't it?). I swum to shore one time and back again, making me feel like I should definitely start swimming regularly again, I was out of breath when I got back.. G also took F and me out on the smaller boat to do some exploring and to let F let off steam and steer a boat by himself - the joy on his face was adorable! We spent an hour or so on Saturday night walking along the main street in Ponza, and yes, it was lovely, but I wasn't feeling it at that moment in time; I think I'd like to go back when I'm not exhausted and don't have children to watch!
The journey back was uneventful, unless you count sleeping and reading as eventful, and I've come to the conclusion that I don't really see the point in sailing as a pass time, especially when the boat has a perfectly functional motor!
One of B's previous au pairs arrived on Sunday night to stay for a couple of days, and we stayed up talking until the wee hours and then spent yesterday morning doing the same but around the streets. After a lunch of salad we headed off for the tram and then the bus to get to F and M's school to accompany them and B to the pool. F did not want to swim and made a right scene, and M did the same, but over how I was showering her. When we got back though, I was in full efficiency mode, powering through cooking and meal time (I made my first boiled eggs, and F loved it!!! He's super fussy..!) and this carried on until after the rest of us had eaten.
Me and the girls (Maddie and Clare) went to a late night shop sale, and there were moments where it was like we were in a super cheesy film! For example, Clare and I were running through the metro station laughing like loonies just because we could, and getting ridiculously lost both in the station and on the other side - I'd hoped that she'd know where we were going, but that wasn't the case! First metro experience was a memorable one because of all of that though! We arrived so late, but turning up at the door and being able to say that yes, we were on the guest list was rather surreal. It took a while to find Maddie in amongst the mayhem, but when we did, she took us to the back room where everything was 15€ or less! (I got a pair of shorts and two jumpers for 27€; should have been over 100€ full price!) The food was so, so good as well - Vero (verofood.com) and Cake and the City (find on facebook, the carrot cake was to die for) did the catering. We all had to run back to the metro station afterwards. It closes at 11:30pm and we didn't have enough time to spare chatting! I can safely say I've caught the last train home now though, and been on a guest list, and had gelato at midnight (it had to be done, it was so hot!) and been to a crazy late night shop sale, and it was one of the most mad and most fun nights I've had!

Pictures from 13/09/14

"Lunch"

Still don't know the significance of these, other than them being an exhausting shortcut

Pantheon

Emmanuel II 

A building that was too nice not to photograph

1/2 price english books in a great shop!

They even had records, dad!

A super famous place

Fireworks from my window to top the day off

Day 14

This morning Clare and I met up for coffee. Even thought the coffee shop is just around the corner, I managed to be late by losing track of time while dancing around (to 5SOS) while getting ready..and although I was late, it was totally worth it! I was in the best of moods, as was Clare,  so we had a hoot telling each other anecdotes and anything and everything about our school years (apparently in her Canadian high school they had to dissect pig foetuses..I count my blessings with only having to do a fish and a pig's heart!) ending with us both wetting ourselves with laughter and deciding to leave the shop before we spent all morning there! We made a success of getting lost, but found a little market where I bought a blue glass ring for 1€- there was so much nice glass jewellery there, it took a lot of self will not to buy it all. (Mum, there's so much Murano glass around! That's the stuff you like right?)
By Emmanuel II there's a massive Catholic church and a very large amount of steps, and thinking "they must be important" and so therefore climbing up them (deary me there was a lot of steps!) the church was beautiful, if a little strange but  I can't think what it was called..if I remember I'll let you know!
We walked past a lot of lovely looking restaurants on the way back, and instead of just stopping and getting Italian we got Burger King. A steakhouse burger with chips and coke was definitely more satisfying! The thing is, it's rarely super busy in there, and not overly expensive, so we can save the fancy Italian restaurants for when all the girls are out together!
The rest of the day was the same as usual, with F and M home for the afternoon, and so a lot of games were played and Lego built and read stories (I must have read for an hour all in all!) and dealt with tantrums.
Anyway, it's been a good day, and as soon as my tablet starts behaving itself I'll put more pictures up!
Ciao!

Day 13

Today has been much the same as yesterday, asides from the fact I actually went shopping this morning! Got a lovely pair of shorts and a very much appreciated bag of crisps, plus the people at the coffee shop I've started to go to regularly now know what I order and gave me a discount this morning! 
F has been a lot better today, and showed it by being entirely disobedient and well, like a 5 year old, but with a bit more agro! The rest of the time he's been perfect though, and we made more planes and Lego houses. 
Currently watching some Italian TV, and then I'm hoping for an early night..I actually had a nap earlier, which is a sign that I need more sleep!
Ciao!
(I didn't realise that yesterday's post hadn't published, hence two today!)

Day 12

I've had an exhausting day of doing pretty much nothing! F has been home ill all day, so I haven't left the apartment at all, and have just been finding things to keep him amused - ie reading a solid 15 stories, building with Lego and making paper planes! I think he's just got a bad cold, but G said that he'll stay home tomorrow too, so my only hope is that I can get out for an hour or so at some point so I don't get cabin fever! At least it hasn't been as hot and sunny today, so I haven't missed out on nice weather. B and G are out this evening again, so a quiet end to the day apart from M having a little sleepy wobbly over wanting B and the bloke playing the sax outside!
Ciao!

Days 7-11

So first of all, an explanation. On Wednesday, B mentioned that they have a 5GB wifi allowance in the apartment, having forgotten to tell me about it up until then. Bear in mind that I'd been skyping every day and streaming some videos, so it was fortunate that it was mentioned when it was, because I was already 1KB over. Since then I've had to use the cafe around the corner and B's phone hotspot (which I'm so thankful for!).
Most of the missed days can be summed up into: adventures with nonna and M, thunderstorms, playdate and read a book (The Choice by Nicholas Sparks in case anyone's wondering!) Yesterday was the best day since being here so far though! B had put me in contact with two other au pairs and I'd briefly met them at the park, but we decided to spend the day together (plus the girl I met at church!). I wandered around aimlessly for most of the morning, but then met up with Maddie and had Chinese (!) for lunch and did a bit of H&M shopping. I fell in love with an atrocious 5€ hat, and so of course had to buy it. Clare was next to join us by the Spanish Steps, and Danielle was last. There had been no proper planning other than to say that we wanted to see the Colosseum, so we headed in that general direction and ticked off the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and Emanuele II along the way. We had such a laugh though; even with a map and Google maps we still got lost twice and at one point walked almost directly past the Colosseum without realising it! Clare got her first gelato, and I discovered an old bookshop/record shop/cafe that was selling half price English books, as well as an Irish pub that showed British sports, so I felt right at home! In the little bookshop, Maddie and Danielle (the two oldest) asked the owner for directions, and when they asked if he was sure, he responded with "yes, they just moved it yesterday" leaving them in fits of laughter, and in turn, us too! When we did eventually find it, we had a very overpriced meal overlooking it and then walked the 3km back, avoiding anyone trying to sell us anything more than usual- including a very pushy man with budgies! It was such a fun day, and I think I speak for all of us when I say that I got home with aching legs, but also aching cheeks from smiling and a sore throat from talking so much!
I was home alone all night, not that I knew about it until I was leaving for church this morning! I met some lovely Americans there this morning who were on holiday but totally took me under their wing and got me coffee and let me sit by them (which was lovely because I would have been on my own otherwise; Maddie had to spend the day with her family). This morning's sermon was on spiritual growth, taken from Hebrews 6, and it was really very helpful. 
The rest of the day has been spent exploring with Clare, and made some out of date Bisto gravy and pasta for tea (lesson: Bisto does not last forever, pasta cannot be washed clean of gravy and plain rice cakes are minging).
B and G and the kids have just got in, and it seems as though F has a fever, so I'll have a day at home tomorrow - something both of us need!
Ciao!

Day 6

This morning I was only intending on going to the supermarket to get some snacks and something ready for lunch time. Instead, I did buy some chocolate wafers and blackberries (which were nothing compared to what I would be picking had I been at home) but I decided to stay out and see what else is around the apartment block. As it turns out, part of the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica (Palazzo Barberini) is a really short walk away! I wasn't sure whether to go in or not because I didn't want to spend a fortune on going into somewhere I had no clue about - as it turned out it was only 3.50 € for me because I'm an EU citizen aged 18-25 (it's free for under 18s and over 25 and 7 € for non-EU) so that wasn't so bad! The building was absolutely beautiful, and the ceiling paintings too. I have to say, I was not overly impressed with the art in there though ... most of it was portraits or images of saints and Jesus' crucifixion, mixed in with dead people and naked women. I did find one that I liked though; Narciso by Caravaggio - I was somewhat drawn to it..that could have had something to do with my repulsion from seeing Judith Beheading Holofernes (I get that it's super famous, but noone really wants to turn a corner and be faced with that!) But yes, Narciso I liked a lot! One of the rooms trumped that though. It was absolutely huge. And I mean probably the size of a house huge! And the ceiling, the ceiling ... oh I was in awe. Triumph of Divine Providence by Pietro da Cortona. There are no words to describe it! 

The front of Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica

Narcissus

Triumph of Divine Providence

The back of Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica

By the time I was finished looking around I really needed to grab some food and get back ready for M and nonna, and so I finally got around to getting gelato! Well, I got a scoop of lemon sorbet too, but it counts! I got watermelon ice cream, which is almost certainly my new favorite ice cream flavor of all time. It probably shouldn't work, but it definitely does! I also was fancying fast food (I know, I'm in Rome, I should be eating the local cuisine, but sometimes all you need is a cheeseburger!) I tried McDonald's, but there was no way I was spending over 6 € just to get a Big Mac! So instead I went to Burger King and got a far more reasonably priced burger - 1.20 €. 

M didn't really sleep much this afternoon, so we blew bubbles and painted and did puzzles. This continued when F and B got home, with myself and B doing a 3D jigsaw Colosseum with the help (and impediment) of the kids!
Definitely going to sleep well tonight!
Ciao!

A very pleasant Day 5

Today's been one of those good days where you do everything and nothing, and feelings are positive or neutral all day. Everyone bar M and nonna had already left by the time I was coming downstairs - not that I'd slept in, it was 8am! So I pottered around, ate some breakfast, did a little reading; not a lot, but just enough not to be bored. I knew that nonna was going to take M out mid morning, so I arranged to Skype with my sister when the house was free and talked to her for a solid hour and ten minutes which was lovely! By this point I'd expected nonna and M to be back for lunch and M's nap, but as they weren't and I was hungry and couldn't be bothered foraging in the kitchen, so I decided to explore some streets I hadn't been down yet (I felt properly grown up!!) I somehow ended up at the Trevi Fountain..I knew it was in that *interlude while M comes and turns all of the lights off in the apartment because it's night time* general direction, but I didn't really know where I was going! I found a supermarket (finally mum!) and a Burger King and several useful shops; not just clothes, coffee shops or ice cream parlours! There were masses of people around, and I'm so glad I'm not just visiting for a couple of weeks because the whole fountain is being conserved, so there's scaffolding over it and the water is gone..there is a walkway over the main pool at the moment though so that people can still see, so I'll probably go and have an up close look that the bits that you can't normally. I got a panini (panino) with mozzarella for lunch which was so, so good!
I took the metro for the first time today too with M and one of B's friends who didn't speak any english, so if I'm honest I still don't know how the system works, but at least I've done it! I think it's as simple as just stamping a pass in the machine, but I don't know where to get them from or whether they're reusable up to a certain point or anything - B got them for me and B's friend used the machine, so finding out how all of it works will have to wait! I'm not sure that I'll actually use it that much for myself though; everything I need is close by, and the only reason we used it today is because it was so hot outside and so people didn't want to walk...not a good enough excuse for me!
Ciao!

(P.S. Nonna is M and F's grandmother!)

First Sunday

Most of you at home reading this will have one question for me today: what was church like? Well, it was how I was expecting it to be - more worship based and informal, with a far more watered down sermon than I'm used to (but then as mum and dad say, we are blessed to have such good ministers at home!) Nevertheless, we did sing a hymn that I knew, and I learnt and gained from the preaching, and I was welcomed with open arms. (And for those still wondering there is a band, but it is not used all the time, and they use the NIV) I also managed to catch parts of Tab Cardiff's sermon this evening in between watching F and M.
I met a really lovely American au pair at church though! She'd arrived here the day before me, so she's just as new here and so it's good that we are each others first outside family friends! We exchanged numbers and ended up having a wander around together, as she is staying on the other side of Rome and so hadn't seen "my" side. Honestly we got on like a house on fire, maybe because we're both in the same boat but also because it was the first "real life" (not online) conversation we'd had with someone who understands and can speak full english with a recognisable accent! We ended up having lunch out together because her family were out for the day and my family gave me the all clear,  so we went and ate at a "bar" (I'd call it a coffee shop or cafe!) in Villa Borghese - pizza and coke, two things I've been craving! I've yet to have a gelato here, so that is definitely on the cards for this week!
Ciao!

First Batch of Photos

These started off being in some sort of order, but my tablet refused to comply!

Fountain in Villa Borghese

The view from my skylight

and another

Last view of the UK

The Alps from above

First (ish) view of Italy

Day 2

I had my first night alone with the children yesterday. I say alone, but Nonna came up to see if I was managing okay, which was nice of her. They were both very tired, and so it was quite easy getting them to come to bed, and I heard snoring not long after leaving their room (after reading The Gingerbread Man to them!). B and G were back late, so I had a late night and an early morning from workers fixing something on the roof. Needless to say, I'm quite tired now! B took me, M and F first to the Piazza di Spagna, and while I should have been excited for the the Spanish Steps, instead it was the fact that the McDonald's had a full blown coffee shop and ice cream parlour! I told F that at home we only have one type of ice cream and it comes out of a machine, not from a tub, but I don't think he quite understood... We then went on and passed so many designer shops (it's a good job I don't have much money, because it would be gone in an instant here!) and got M a new personalised bib. The woman doing them was incredible with a sewing machine; I'm pretty certain that it was hand powered, and she put the name on with no pattern or computer in a matter of minutes!
B took us to the Piazza San Lorenzo to get coffee - I'm learning that if you ask for coffee/caffe then you get what we call an expresso..I'm not sure what I'd get if I was to ask for that! That was good though, because the coffee shop was right next to the church I'll be going to tomorrow so I know how to get to it. It's really big, the likes I've only been to in Scotland,  so I'm a little nervous going on my own! The pastor's wife emailed me today to welcome me, so that was nice to know they're expecting me!
F has gone to the cinema with B just now; I was welcome to go, but Planes 2 in Italian isn't really my thing..maybe once I can understand it I'll go! M and G are here asleep/relaxing, so I may pop out (now that I have a key!) and get some postcards, but we'll see!
Ciao!

First Full Day

I currently have a spare five minutes, so instead of leaving off writing until tonight I'll start now! (M is asleep and F is with his grandmother)
It was surprising how easily I fell asleep last night, considering I'm in a noisy city in a warm upstairs bedroom! Then a 6:30am wake up - just in time for sunrise. The shower was...interesting!  At first it was too cold, and then just as the temperature reached "perfection" it became scalding hot,  so I just mixed that with cold from the sink in a cup and used that! I find it's always the same with a different shower, that it takes a few tries before you fully understand how it works, and get over any quirks it may have. The water here is lovely to drink though, it's fine straight from the tap, which I wasnt expecting. There's also really old water fountains in the street that look a little like fire hydrants which are also amazing to drink from; I now realise that the Romans definitely knew/know what they're doing regarding water works!
After breakfast one of B's friends took me and the children to the park, with beautiful views across Rome on the way. I had my second fully Italian coffee of the day, the first being an espresso (which was amazing!) and then a cappuccino.  Two forms of coffee that I don't drink at home but taste really good here! We had a wander and made our way back to the apartment just as everywhere was getting hot and busy. Lunch was simple: pasta and parmesan! I knew that sometimes they take pasta a little more "al dente" than I do, so F did a good job of helping me check regularly whether it was too hard until we got it right. Turns out he likes it exactly like me, but at least I know now!
I think B will be home soon, and we will be going out to meet some of F's friends, so I will leave it there!
As soon as all of my photos from my phone syncronise with my tab I will post some.
Ciao!!  

Ready to leave

It's been a long morning all in all; leaving the house at 7am and driving the "long way around" to Bristol Airport to avoid any NATO traffic. It worked-we arrived in plenty of time, but that does mean that now me and my cold have got a 40 minute wait before I know my gate and can board. Pre-security, there were masses of police officers, and never before have I seen so many with guns! Small town girl syndrome I suppose! Here in the departure lounge though I can't see  any. Either the government doesn't see the need, or I'm surrounded by black ops and haven't a clue! It was a little disconcerting having such high level security; makes you think that something bad is going to happen...I dread to think of the chaos in Cardiff!
I should really go and get some food, it will be mid afternoon by the time I land, but I haven't been hungry all morning..to say that it's been an emotional farewell would be a distinct understatement!  

(Written at the airport prior to flying)