Fiola!

If you want to be a writer, don't have a day job! It's been two and a half weeks since we returned from our five week Italian odyssey and despite truly best intentions of posting some follow up stories and photos, writing about our Iron Chef tour of the Eastern seabord and musing about the difference between life in Italy and America, my keyboard has been silent. Life has a way of intruding.

But I would be absolutely remiss if I didn't at least post the briefest tease and an ode to what I am absolutely confident will become one of Washington's hottest restaurants - Fiola di Fabio Trabocchi.

Buon Viaggio

Heading home after five weeks. Check back for post facto posts!

Perbacco

Why Cannara? The answer to that question could be summed up in one word. Ernesto.

Daily Affirmation - Apologies to Stuart Smalley

Over four weeks into our trip here, and entering the home stretch. We head to Rome in three days and then back to the U.S. the following day. What a journey it's been.

As the final days whiz by, here are some random musings and images from the past couple of days . . .

Assisi

I can remember the first time I visited Assisi nearly twenty years ago. My father was driving a rental car with Suzy, my mother and me and we had been planning to visit the basilica of St. Francis to see the famous frescos by Giotto that depict the life of the saint. As we arrived in town, despite there being a perfectly good parking lot below the basilica, my father insisted on getting closer to the basilica, ignoring the "pedestrian only" and "restricted access" signs and driving into the enormous piazza right in front of the church. I had no idea how athletic my mother really was until that moment, as she was able to fold herself in half and literally hide herself underneath the passenger seat as we parked our van in front of a sign that read "reserved parking." I'm sure the pope didn't mind that we parked there that day.

Happy Returns

We're back home in Cannara after an overnight in Florence to pick up our twin sons. Today will be a short post. We have a house full of 16. With a group this size there's not a lot of time to think or write.

Bistecca

Ok, so I lied. When I wrote previously that Cannara was our home, I lied. Today we came home. To Florence.