Recent Happenings

These last couple of weeks back in Rome, I have been getting organized for the 2nd/3rd of my year here! I signed up for more Italian classes which begin next week- looking forward to having very structured days again. I booked a flight to London for the first weekend in February to go visit Stefanie (for those who don't know, Stefanie Bainum is in graduate school in London right now), which I am SO excited about! I got to catch up with Kristy who was in town just for a long weekend after traveling for the holidays, and we went out with some friends (old and new) from school. Shana and Tommaso are in California this week because Tommaso has a meeting there, so Shana's mother is here (from California) to help me out. It has been so nice having her here. I have had a lot of off-time, which is always nice too! Yesterday, while the kids were in school, she and I went to go see the Grace Kelly Exhibition at the Palazzo Ruspoli here in Rome. It was an incredible exhibition, and I really enjoyed spending the day with her. Shana and Tommaso get back on Monday, and she is here for another week after that to spend time with them as well. I have this weekend pretty much free, since she is with the kids. An old friend of mine who I went to elementary and middle school with, Anna Chard, is living in Prague this year teaching English. She was actually in Charleston for Christmas, so I did not get to see her while we were in Prague, but she is in Rome this weekend, so we are planning to meet up on Saturday. I am really looking forward to that- it is always nice to see familiar faces over here! And tonight, I am going to have drinks with this Italian guy I met. It is my first "date" (if you could even call it that...) since I've been here, so it should be interesting! His English is not so great, so we will see how it goes... For those of you familiar with Love Actually, I'm pretty much anticipating the interaction of the scene below. I will have to post later with details!

Holidays with Mom!

Words cannot express how wonderful it was to have my mom here for Christmas! Things didn't start out ideally when her flight to Rome got completely cancelled with all of the snow storms on the East coast, but luckily she made it here 3 days later, about 2 hours before our flight left for Salzburg; so I met her at the airport in Rome and we were on our way! With more delays, our luggage did not show up in Salzburg when we did- my mom's arrived at our hotel the next morning, mine 3 days later on Christmas day. Even with the initial bumps, neither of us cared (well...maybe about my suitcase which was nowhere to be found for 2 1/2 days...)- we were just so happy to be together. Salzburg was an absolutely beautiful place to spend Christmas- small, quaint, and very Christmas-y! We stayed in a fabulous hotel, had great meals, saw a lot (including many places from The Sound of Music), shopped, and still had plenty of down-time to soak up one another's company.

Our hotel, below.

Christmas Eve dinner.

Back of the house from The Sound of Music.

Mirabell Gardens

After 5 days in Salzburg, we were off to Prague for 5 more days. It was my mom's first time, and basically mine too, since I was only there for 2 days on my Innsbruck trip in the summer of 2007 (and that time was not exactly spent site-seeing..). Prague was absolutely beautiful, and even though we arrived the 28th, it was still completely decked out for Christmas. We stayed at a great hotel right by the Old Town. Again, we had great times exploring, great meals, great shopping, and great company!

It snowed during our 4 hour, 14 course dinner!

My souvenir from Prague. These figurines were all over the place in art galleries and shops in Prague, but these were my favorite and I loved the 3 together. They will be waiting for me in my bedroom in Charleston.

Charles Bridge, Vltava River

New Years Eve gala dinner

New Years day dinner at Kampa Park, and our last night!

Leaving Prague in the snow.

Buon Natale from Roma!

As many of you know, I was fortunate enough to have my mom come over here for Christmas, but I was able to enjoy a bit of the holidays in Rome before and after our trip. The kids' last week of school was filled with different Christmas concerts, fairs, etc. to get everyone in the holiday spirit. After their last day of school, we went ice skating, which was a blast, and then took them to a Christmas decorations arts & crafts workshop. I wish I had taken pictures of the ice skating, but I was very occupied with Liv and her friend! Here are a few pictures from Jasper's Christmas musical. (The school's music teacher got in an accident on the way to school that morning and was the only one who knew all of the songs on the piano, but unfortunately she was in the hospital after her accident... Ten minutes before the musical, Shana offered to play the piano for the musical (she is a professional musician, for those who didn't know) and saved the Christmas play! It was very sweet. Jasper was so proud, and everyone else was very thankful too!)

Jasper is the cute little "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Kanga(roo)" sitting on the far right of the picture.
Jasper's dance! He's the one on the far left.

While my mom and I traveled, Shana, Tommaso, and the kids spent the holidays in St. Barts, so we exchanged presents when we were all back in Rome. The kids loved the gifts I gave them, but the most priceless reaction was from Liv. For those of you who have lounged with me before, you know that I rarely walk around the house without my Ugg slippers on- that hasn't changed here. Liv always asks to wear my slippers, have them kept in a special place in my room so she can find them, and longs to have them in a "4 year old size." So, her most special present from me was a pair of her very own Ugg slippers just like mine! She was SO surprised and excited when she opened them, she took off running around the house holding them up in the air, and now she wears them all the time! It's absolutely adorable.

Opening their presents from me. (Liv with her Uggs on)

Jasper's new roller blades from his parents.