Snippets

So far, Autumn in Bologna is rain, rain, rain. This makes trips to the park a non-possibility and trips to the library a more burdensome one. But I am learning quickly that it's better to bear the brief burden than hole-up inside until the storm passes.

Ada had a particularly needy day yesterday. There were a few hours where the only things keeping me going were Chocolate Nutella Cookies. I ate well over a dozen. Let's not talk about it anymore.

I heard a boy singing in the streets today. He was riding his bike and belting Justin Bieber. He had a great voice. But I couldn't understand a word the English lyrics which made me giggle.

Same said boy started making machine-gun type sounds with his friend and Ada was startled awake. I looked at them, said, "Shh! Lei dorme." And they said "Scusi Signore." The formal reply made me feel old and important.

My Italian is (barely) coming along. I need to go find more people to talk to who aren't between the ages of 2 and 5.

We have a slug problem. As in, slugs sneak under our back door. You would have thought Mike was gearing up to fight something ferocious by the way he was pacing and fretting last night. After he settled down we grabbed a piece of paper (to fling them outside with) and drew a line of salt (Voodoo style--okay it's salt, not red dust, but you get the picture) for defense.

Slugs and all, I still am stopped in my tracks everyday because this city is so beautiful.

where the pigeons live.