Wednesday, January 7, 2009
The Food----OOOOH THE FOOD!
What to say about the food here? How to describe how incredible it is? How to articulate how yummy the pasta, sausage, chicken, tomatoes, cheese, wine, and EVERYTHING is here?
I can't.
How's that for a post?
In all seriousness, I have to begin with the table. The table here in the kitchen has at least 4 LEAFS in it. FOUR. Quatro. WOW. It is HUGE. Clearly it is the center of the room and the center of the home in many respects. And as people show up, it just grows. Kinda neat, huh?
And then there is the time these meals are served. Lunch is usually served about 1:45ish. And isn't over until about 3. Yes. Over an hour. Dinner is usually ready about 7:45ish. And isn't over until about 9. I have to tell you that last night Byron went downstairs at about 11pm to grab my camera and he said that Quinto was fixing himself a snack. At 11 pm? After the HUGE dinner we had just eaten. It made me laugh.
And now to tantalize you with some of the yummies Melissa has prepared for us during our time thus far. And keep in mind that most of it is fresh from their farm. And all of the sauces are homemade. We've had rigatoni in a red (meat) sauce that was so savory it makes my mouth water just thinking about it. We have had stuffed olives. Yes, olives. Which I don't even eat at home. But here, oh here, they stuff them with sausage and then batter and fry them. What's not to love! They are soooooo good. The sausage here is so spicy (but not in a hot spicy way, in a yummy savory way). That has probably been my favorite so far, after the olives. No. Cancel that. My favorite has been the tortellina in a white sauce. OMG. It was so creamy and delicious with these bits of pancetta and fresh parmesan cheese on the top. Incredible! Tonight we had chicken for dinner. Perhaps it was the chicken whose crowing woke us up this morning! HA! And thankfully Max speaks English b/c when he saw the feet and the neck on the platter, he couldn't contain his surprise. It was quite funny. Melisa also served quail. None of us had the quail, just the chicken. Mario (Melisa's father) tried to convince me to try it, but I politely declined. ;) Melisa asked me if we had ever had gnocci. I shared with her that it was one of my favorites. She was surprised when I told her that at one of my favorite restaurants at home, it is served in a white sauce. She said that it is traditionally served in a red meat sauce here. I think she said we'll be having it for lunch one day this week. I can't WAIT!
And now let me tell you about the quantity of food. I don't understand how people here aren't as big as a house. For lunch, we have pasta first. A FULL bowl of pasta. Then there is the main course, which is usually a meat (so far we've had chicken cutlets, meatballs, and sausage). Then there are the sides. So far those have been tomatoes with fresh olive oil (Byron's new favorite), a corn salad, stuffed olives, or potatoes. Then after that, everyone has fruit. Usually oranges from the trees outside or apples. Then there is coffee--Italian coffee. Not American. We have now gotten used to Italian coffee (espresso). Oh, and then there's the wine. Obviously it is made by Quinto with grapes they grow here. It is so good. Not too strong. But soooo delicious! Lunch has been a bit bigger of a meal than dinner. Dinner is usually a meat, no pasta, and a few side dishes. Oh and after dinner there is the lemoncello. For those that don't know what lemoncello is, it is basically lemon zest in everclear alcohol then a little sugar mixed in. You only drink a TINY bit (small shot glass) at a time b/c it is so strong. For me and Byron who don't drink often, it has been interesting....but it is just so good, you have to try it!
Now for a few photos. Here are a few photos from today's dinner:
I can't.
How's that for a post?
In all seriousness, I have to begin with the table. The table here in the kitchen has at least 4 LEAFS in it. FOUR. Quatro. WOW. It is HUGE. Clearly it is the center of the room and the center of the home in many respects. And as people show up, it just grows. Kinda neat, huh?
And then there is the time these meals are served. Lunch is usually served about 1:45ish. And isn't over until about 3. Yes. Over an hour. Dinner is usually ready about 7:45ish. And isn't over until about 9. I have to tell you that last night Byron went downstairs at about 11pm to grab my camera and he said that Quinto was fixing himself a snack. At 11 pm? After the HUGE dinner we had just eaten. It made me laugh.
And now to tantalize you with some of the yummies Melissa has prepared for us during our time thus far. And keep in mind that most of it is fresh from their farm. And all of the sauces are homemade. We've had rigatoni in a red (meat) sauce that was so savory it makes my mouth water just thinking about it. We have had stuffed olives. Yes, olives. Which I don't even eat at home. But here, oh here, they stuff them with sausage and then batter and fry them. What's not to love! They are soooooo good. The sausage here is so spicy (but not in a hot spicy way, in a yummy savory way). That has probably been my favorite so far, after the olives. No. Cancel that. My favorite has been the tortellina in a white sauce. OMG. It was so creamy and delicious with these bits of pancetta and fresh parmesan cheese on the top. Incredible! Tonight we had chicken for dinner. Perhaps it was the chicken whose crowing woke us up this morning! HA! And thankfully Max speaks English b/c when he saw the feet and the neck on the platter, he couldn't contain his surprise. It was quite funny. Melisa also served quail. None of us had the quail, just the chicken. Mario (Melisa's father) tried to convince me to try it, but I politely declined. ;) Melisa asked me if we had ever had gnocci. I shared with her that it was one of my favorites. She was surprised when I told her that at one of my favorite restaurants at home, it is served in a white sauce. She said that it is traditionally served in a red meat sauce here. I think she said we'll be having it for lunch one day this week. I can't WAIT!
And now let me tell you about the quantity of food. I don't understand how people here aren't as big as a house. For lunch, we have pasta first. A FULL bowl of pasta. Then there is the main course, which is usually a meat (so far we've had chicken cutlets, meatballs, and sausage). Then there are the sides. So far those have been tomatoes with fresh olive oil (Byron's new favorite), a corn salad, stuffed olives, or potatoes. Then after that, everyone has fruit. Usually oranges from the trees outside or apples. Then there is coffee--Italian coffee. Not American. We have now gotten used to Italian coffee (espresso). Oh, and then there's the wine. Obviously it is made by Quinto with grapes they grow here. It is so good. Not too strong. But soooo delicious! Lunch has been a bit bigger of a meal than dinner. Dinner is usually a meat, no pasta, and a few side dishes. Oh and after dinner there is the lemoncello. For those that don't know what lemoncello is, it is basically lemon zest in everclear alcohol then a little sugar mixed in. You only drink a TINY bit (small shot glass) at a time b/c it is so strong. For me and Byron who don't drink often, it has been interesting....but it is just so good, you have to try it!
Now for a few photos. Here are a few photos from today's dinner:
Time for School, Church, The Cheese Man, and More Family
Day 3: Wednesday, December 17Today Max and Nicholaus went to school with their brothers. Oleg and Ivan are in different schools but they are very close together. And the interesting thing about their schools in this area is that they go to school about 7:30 and then are dismissed at 1:30 for the day. They don't serve any type of meal at school. The kids just take a snack and then they eat lunch after school at home.
So Max went with Ivan to school and Nicholaus went with Oleg. They really didn't have too much to say other than that it seemed the teachers yelled a lot and that everyone stared at them and tried to talk to them, which they didn't understand. I explained that it is easy to think that people are yelling but that it was probably just that Italian is spoken with such, ummmm passion, that it often seems like yelling. HA! Max did say that it seemed the his classmates' English skills were better than Ivan's. So they joked that Ivan needed to study harder in English class.
So Max went with Ivan to school and Nicholaus went with Oleg. They really didn't have too much to say other than that it seemed the teachers yelled a lot and that everyone stared at them and tried to talk to them, which they didn't understand. I explained that it is easy to think that people are yelling but that it was probably just that Italian is spoken with such, ummmm passion, that it often seems like yelling. HA! Max did say that it seemed the his classmates' English skills were better than Ivan's. So they joked that Ivan needed to study harder in English class.
After school and lunch (which I've got a post coming on the food!!) the kids went for a bike ride. Then it was time for Ivan's drum lessons. Yes, drums. Melisa and Quinto are much braver than I am to allow drums. So while Ivan was at drum lessons, the rest of us went down to the marina where the fisherman catch and sell their fish. It was beautiful and interesting. And I didn't bring my camera! After that Melisa needed to stop to get some cheese. She told me that the cheese man was from England and spoke ENGLISH! YEAH! It was so nice to hear English. We talked with him for a long time. And he gave us samples of cheese and said what wonderful people Melisa and Quinto are. His "store" was quite interesting. It isn't so much a store as a rolling shop of cheese and meat. But given the number of customers there and the quality of the cheeses we tried, he does a great business.
The Pignotti's church is near the cheese man, so we stopped by to meet their priest. Mass had just ended and we thought we had missed the priest. But we hadn't. And I'm so glad we got to meet him. He immediately gave me and Byron a hug and then hugged all of the kids. He then promptly smacked them all upside the head. Hard. Max and Nicholaus were a little stunned, but they immediately picked up on Oleg and Ivan that this was a term of endearment. The priest was younger than I expected and their church is very modern. It was beautiful. The priest asked if we were Catholic. I explained that we were Protestant and he asked if the boys had been baptized. I explained that yes they had, but that in our church, baptism is by immersion not sprinkling. This amused him. ;) He clearly loved the kids and based on their joking and playful interactions, it is mutal.
The Pignotti's church is near the cheese man, so we stopped by to meet their priest. Mass had just ended and we thought we had missed the priest. But we hadn't. And I'm so glad we got to meet him. He immediately gave me and Byron a hug and then hugged all of the kids. He then promptly smacked them all upside the head. Hard. Max and Nicholaus were a little stunned, but they immediately picked up on Oleg and Ivan that this was a term of endearment. The priest was younger than I expected and their church is very modern. It was beautiful. The priest asked if we were Catholic. I explained that we were Protestant and he asked if the boys had been baptized. I explained that yes they had, but that in our church, baptism is by immersion not sprinkling. This amused him. ;) He clearly loved the kids and based on their joking and playful interactions, it is mutal.
Following our fish, cheese, and church excursion we headed home, but first stopped by the home of Melisa's cousin (Melisa's mother's sister, her daughter and her family). Nicholaus had already been visiting with Ivan and had met them all. Immediately upon walking in the house, we were hugged by everyone there and told how wonderful Max and Nicholaus were and what good boys Oleg and Ivan are. The Aunt (sorry, I couldn't make out her name) is quite old and Melisa shared with me that she is in poor health. But she clearly loved all of the boys. Shortly after arriving, Maura (the cousin) told me that her son, who lived on the 3rd floor, was on his way downstairs and that HE SPOKE ENGLISH. 2 people in one day! So Marco came in and greeted us with a "How you doing?". So we chatted with him and his girlfriend who is studying to be an OBGYN in Rome in English for a bit. He cracked us up with the admission that he learned English by watching Friends on DVD. How funny. Meanwhile the cakes and pastries start appearing on the table. And the coffee and drinks. Such hospitality. Interestingly enough, the Aunt shared with me how Ivan comes to visit her EVERY.DAY. I can not tell you how much it warms my heart to hear that like our 2, they are also compassionate kids. Amazing.
In the photo, you will see Maura (Melisa's cousin), Maura's husband Frankie, Ivan and Max, and Maura's father, Primo. And if you look at the top left of the photo, you will see some hand crocheted flowers. The Aunt gave me a bunch of these as a gift when we were leaving. So generous
In the photo, you will see Maura (Melisa's cousin), Maura's husband Frankie, Ivan and Max, and Maura's father, Primo. And if you look at the top left of the photo, you will see some hand crocheted flowers. The Aunt gave me a bunch of these as a gift when we were leaving. So generous
So after some cake and lots of hugs and lots of conversation (that was soooooo loud. I LOVE it!) we said our goodbyes for the night. Such an amazing extended family. Who clearly love Oleg and Ivan and already love us.
When we got back to the Pignotti's house (which is literally across the street), Ivan's Godfather (who is also Quinto's cousin) was waiting to say hello. He was most intriqued by the kids playing Uno. And he also came to invite us for dinner tomorrow. He seems genuinely nice and clearly loves Ivan as evidenced by the numerous hugs and love taps. ;) It's been a good day. I must say that I have learned so much about the Italian culture on this trip. They truly know how to treat guests. I have never been treated with such hospitality. It's humbling. And also about the value of visiting. It seems that people visit constantly. It's nice and makes me miss that we live so far from our family at home.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Day 2: An Interesting Observation
Tuesday, December 16
We just had an interesting conversation with the kids. It began by Ivan pointing out that Max is the only one with brown eyes. Oleg, Ivan, and Nicholaus all have greenish/blue eyes. Then immediately, Oleg pointed out that Max is also the only one NOT born in March. All of which is true. Yes, that means that the boys are literally stairstepped: Oleg will be 15 in late March, Ivan will be 14 in Mid-March, Nicholaus will be 13 in early March, and Max will be 12 in May. Whew. Makes me tired just writing it.....
This then turned to comparing each other. And what we have learned is this:
Oleg and Nicholaus share the freakish double jointed thumb thing.
Oleg and Max have the same HUGE hands with SUPER long fingers.
Oleg and Nicholaus share the same short stubby toes.
Oleg and Max have the same nose.
Ivan and Nicholaus share many similar features—the shape of their face/chin/nose and the little bit of natural curl in their hair.
We just had an interesting conversation with the kids. It began by Ivan pointing out that Max is the only one with brown eyes. Oleg, Ivan, and Nicholaus all have greenish/blue eyes. Then immediately, Oleg pointed out that Max is also the only one NOT born in March. All of which is true. Yes, that means that the boys are literally stairstepped: Oleg will be 15 in late March, Ivan will be 14 in Mid-March, Nicholaus will be 13 in early March, and Max will be 12 in May. Whew. Makes me tired just writing it.....
This then turned to comparing each other. And what we have learned is this:
Oleg and Nicholaus share the freakish double jointed thumb thing.
Oleg and Max have the same HUGE hands with SUPER long fingers.
Oleg and Nicholaus share the same short stubby toes.
Oleg and Max have the same nose.
Ivan and Nicholaus share many similar features—the shape of their face/chin/nose and the little bit of natural curl in their hair.
Day 2 Together--Basketball and Beaches
Day 2--Tuesday, December 16
This morning I was feeling even worse, but thankfully we slept in a bit. But we were woken up by the crowing of the roosters. Yes, roosters. We knew they had a farm, but didn’t realize it was as big as it was. Byron headed downstairs and had tea (?) and some other breakfast. The kids were up and playing outside. They spent the morning being shown the entire farm and all of the animals. I had no idea that they had an entire farm. Complete with goats, chickens, pigs, quails, and rabbits. They also grow corn, olives, lemons, tomatoes, and lots of other vegetables. Out front they have a Japanese orange tree and a mandarin orange trees as well as lots of palm trees.
Once I motivated (thanks to a cup of coffee!), we walked around the farm and Nicholaus was able to pet the baby goats that were only a few days old. I’m hoping this real farm experience will fill his desire to live on a farm when he grows up. Maybe he’ll see how much work it is and be done with that. Mario, Melissa’s father, took him way out in to the field, too. Y’all know how nosey Nicholaus is!
For lunch, Melissa fixed Max’s favorite---spaghetti. And my goodness it was sooo good. I don’t see how they eat so much food, though. The spaghetti was only the first course. Then there was more prosciutto and cheese and vegetables. I was about to pop! Melissa was thrilled that Max had 2 helpings of spaghetti.
Oleg and Ivan then took the boys over to a friend of theirs—Edwardo. Then Edwardo came back over and they played basketball, which is Oleg and Ivan’s favorite sport. They are both quite good--especially with their height. They then played soccer a bit. Again, the language hasn’t been an issue at all. It is amazing to watch. They act as if they see each other all the time and haven’t missed a beat yet.
A little later, Melissa and Quinto had to run an errand so we were home alone with the boys. Oleg took the time to show us some of his artwork from school. He is quite talented. He says that art is his favorite subject. Max and Ivan then wanted to play a game of---you guessed it—UNO. So while the 3 of us played UNO, Oleg and Nicholaus got out Oleg’s paints. Oleg proceeded to show Nicholaus how to do a watercolor painting. It was very nice to just watch them interacting. Like it was the most natural thing in the world to do.
Late in the afternoon, we took a walk down to the beach. When we arrived last night, I could hear the beach and knew it was close. Turns out, it is about a 15 minute walk. Based on what I could make out from Melissa, the ocean has been very turbulent lately and has flooded up to the street leaving a lot of debris. The beach was covered with sticks and other ocean matter. But it is still beautiful. And most of the hotels are closed for the winter. Quinto explains that they will open again in April. This truly is a resort town that is generally frequented by Italians.
After our walk, Toni and his wife came over and Quinto indicated we were going for real pizza for dinner. So we went to a local pizzeria that I am sure is swamped during the tourist season, but tonight only had about 4 families there. The individual pizza there is the equivalent to a medium or large family pizza at home. The boys had a 4 cheese and sausage pizza and I had a cheese and tomatoe. It was very good but it felt wasteful to leave ½ of it there.
Once the boys finished dinner, they went outside the restaurant to play and our conversation turned to the story of the boys’ adoptions. Our boys came home to the US in April. Melissa and Quinto made their first trip and met the boys in June. In July/August, Oleg and Ivan were hosted in Milan by an Italian family. Quinto is still angry that they were not allowed to see the boys during that time. They made their second trip to bring them home to Italy in September. Oleg was very apprehensive about school in Italy but quickly adjusted. Ivan still isn’t a big fan of school and it sounds like he does the minimum to get by—sound familiar?????
All in all things are going well. I am a little stressed by the language. Oleg and Ivan’s English is not good. And although I’ve been studying Italian for 2 years, I have a hard time speaking it. But the kids seem to be doing well. It doesn’t seem to bother them at all. Although, when I ask Nicholaus about it, he just now told me that his solution for the language issue is to just say YES to everything. Pretty funny. I can not convey how amazing it is to watch the kids together. It truly is like they haven’t missed a day together. Although Ivan kisses and hugs Max a LOT. He is very affectionate and just hugs and kisses on him a lot. It’s quite cute. And personality wise, from what we gather from watching Oleg and what Melissa has said, Nicholaus and Oleg have similar personalities. They are both VERY organized. In fact, Melissa said that she would have to put the Ukraine photos in a very safe place b/c Oleg often takes to cleaning and organizing drawers around the house. Just like Nicholaus. And Ivan and Max are MUCH more playful. Maybe it’s b/c they are both the younger siblings (Ivan in Italy, and Max in the US).
What amazing kids they are. All 4 of them. It’s hard not to look at them and wonder what would have become of them in Ukraine. Or what would have happened had we and the Pignotti’s not connected. I know that my boys are better off knowing and having a relationship with their brothers. And I know that the Pignottis feel that way too. But I sometimes would what would have happened….
The photos below are of them playing basketball, Oleg painting, and just hanging out on the couch at home.
This morning I was feeling even worse, but thankfully we slept in a bit. But we were woken up by the crowing of the roosters. Yes, roosters. We knew they had a farm, but didn’t realize it was as big as it was. Byron headed downstairs and had tea (?) and some other breakfast. The kids were up and playing outside. They spent the morning being shown the entire farm and all of the animals. I had no idea that they had an entire farm. Complete with goats, chickens, pigs, quails, and rabbits. They also grow corn, olives, lemons, tomatoes, and lots of other vegetables. Out front they have a Japanese orange tree and a mandarin orange trees as well as lots of palm trees.
Once I motivated (thanks to a cup of coffee!), we walked around the farm and Nicholaus was able to pet the baby goats that were only a few days old. I’m hoping this real farm experience will fill his desire to live on a farm when he grows up. Maybe he’ll see how much work it is and be done with that. Mario, Melissa’s father, took him way out in to the field, too. Y’all know how nosey Nicholaus is!
For lunch, Melissa fixed Max’s favorite---spaghetti. And my goodness it was sooo good. I don’t see how they eat so much food, though. The spaghetti was only the first course. Then there was more prosciutto and cheese and vegetables. I was about to pop! Melissa was thrilled that Max had 2 helpings of spaghetti.
Oleg and Ivan then took the boys over to a friend of theirs—Edwardo. Then Edwardo came back over and they played basketball, which is Oleg and Ivan’s favorite sport. They are both quite good--especially with their height. They then played soccer a bit. Again, the language hasn’t been an issue at all. It is amazing to watch. They act as if they see each other all the time and haven’t missed a beat yet.
A little later, Melissa and Quinto had to run an errand so we were home alone with the boys. Oleg took the time to show us some of his artwork from school. He is quite talented. He says that art is his favorite subject. Max and Ivan then wanted to play a game of---you guessed it—UNO. So while the 3 of us played UNO, Oleg and Nicholaus got out Oleg’s paints. Oleg proceeded to show Nicholaus how to do a watercolor painting. It was very nice to just watch them interacting. Like it was the most natural thing in the world to do.
Late in the afternoon, we took a walk down to the beach. When we arrived last night, I could hear the beach and knew it was close. Turns out, it is about a 15 minute walk. Based on what I could make out from Melissa, the ocean has been very turbulent lately and has flooded up to the street leaving a lot of debris. The beach was covered with sticks and other ocean matter. But it is still beautiful. And most of the hotels are closed for the winter. Quinto explains that they will open again in April. This truly is a resort town that is generally frequented by Italians.
After our walk, Toni and his wife came over and Quinto indicated we were going for real pizza for dinner. So we went to a local pizzeria that I am sure is swamped during the tourist season, but tonight only had about 4 families there. The individual pizza there is the equivalent to a medium or large family pizza at home. The boys had a 4 cheese and sausage pizza and I had a cheese and tomatoe. It was very good but it felt wasteful to leave ½ of it there.
Once the boys finished dinner, they went outside the restaurant to play and our conversation turned to the story of the boys’ adoptions. Our boys came home to the US in April. Melissa and Quinto made their first trip and met the boys in June. In July/August, Oleg and Ivan were hosted in Milan by an Italian family. Quinto is still angry that they were not allowed to see the boys during that time. They made their second trip to bring them home to Italy in September. Oleg was very apprehensive about school in Italy but quickly adjusted. Ivan still isn’t a big fan of school and it sounds like he does the minimum to get by—sound familiar?????
All in all things are going well. I am a little stressed by the language. Oleg and Ivan’s English is not good. And although I’ve been studying Italian for 2 years, I have a hard time speaking it. But the kids seem to be doing well. It doesn’t seem to bother them at all. Although, when I ask Nicholaus about it, he just now told me that his solution for the language issue is to just say YES to everything. Pretty funny. I can not convey how amazing it is to watch the kids together. It truly is like they haven’t missed a day together. Although Ivan kisses and hugs Max a LOT. He is very affectionate and just hugs and kisses on him a lot. It’s quite cute. And personality wise, from what we gather from watching Oleg and what Melissa has said, Nicholaus and Oleg have similar personalities. They are both VERY organized. In fact, Melissa said that she would have to put the Ukraine photos in a very safe place b/c Oleg often takes to cleaning and organizing drawers around the house. Just like Nicholaus. And Ivan and Max are MUCH more playful. Maybe it’s b/c they are both the younger siblings (Ivan in Italy, and Max in the US).
What amazing kids they are. All 4 of them. It’s hard not to look at them and wonder what would have become of them in Ukraine. Or what would have happened had we and the Pignotti’s not connected. I know that my boys are better off knowing and having a relationship with their brothers. And I know that the Pignottis feel that way too. But I sometimes would what would have happened….
The photos below are of them playing basketball, Oleg painting, and just hanging out on the couch at home.
The Day We Meet--Day 1, December 15
Monday, Dec 15
We woke this morning to POURING rain. I’m sensing a trend here. We had a reservation at the Vatican for 10 am. So we left the apartment about 9 and fought the rush hour metro to get to the Vatican. Because we were mainly there to see the Sistine Chapel and St Peters we walked quickly through the other art works. I wish we had more time there, but it just wasn’t possible because we needed to get back to the apartment to pack and prepare to meet the Pignottis at 3ish.
The Sistine Chapel was much better on this visit because the restoration was complete. It is still such an amazing site to see. My favorite is not the ceiling, but rather the Last Judgment. It also wasn’t nearly as crowded this time as it was when I was here in 1999. We followed a Rick Steves tip and slipped out the side door that leads straight to St Peters without having to go back through the rest of the Vatican. St Peters was so beautiful. But they were still preparing for Christmas. They were cleaning the main alter and were setting up the manger scene. And the Christmas tree in St Peters square wasn’t complete either. I wish we could see it all complete. Perhaps next trip!
Due to the pouring rain, we splurged for a taxi back to the apartment. It was well worth the 8 euros. By this time, I was feeling pretty sick with a sore throat, so Byron took the lead on packing and the boys straightened the apartment. Bless their hearts!
Promptly at 3, Toni (a friend of the Pignottis that speaks English) called to say they had arrived at San Giovanni in Laterno, a church at the end of our street which was our meeting point. So we ventured out into the once again pouring rain. We quickly realized that San Giovanni was bigger than we thought and we weren’t sure where the front was. So we walked THROUGH the church. And as soon as we walked out the door I saw Melissa, the Mom.
Oleg was next, and my goodness, this boy is HUGE. He has to be at least 6 foot 3 at this point. And he is sooo handsome. And Ivan, who used to be like a twin to Nicholaus has also grown so much. He and Nicholaus don’t really look alike anymore. After a brief round of hugs and kisses, Toni suggested we go to find Quinto, the Dad, who had stayed with the van. Nicholaus and Max walked ahead with Toni and Oleg and Ivan walked with Me, Melissa, and Byron. I knew the boys (my boys that is) must be a little nervous.
We quickly went back to the apartment to load our bag and then we were on our way to the Abruzzi region, which we knew would be about a 2 hour drive by car. Melissa clearly thinks I know more Italian than I do as evidenced by how quickly and how much she talks directly to me in Italian. This makes me nervous b/c I’m only getting a few words of what she says. During the drive, the boys sat in the back and looked at photos on Oleg and Ivan’s cell phones and digital cameras. And there was some discussion in 2 different languages that I’m not sure either boy got. I could tell my boys were starting to warm up a little bit, thank goodness. It’s so funny that Oleg is so interested in Zack Efron, from High School Musical. He has a photo he took of himself in which he thinks he looks just like him. It’s very cute. I hope that isn’t what he thinks American boys aspire to though.
We stopped for bathroom break after about an hour and the boys had a good round of punching each others arms (lovingly of course). Melissa and I talked some in the car ride. She explained that she was an only child and that her mother became blind when she (Melissa) was 8 years old. She and Quinto married about 18 years ago. She also told me about how large their extended family was. She has, I think, about 17 cousins. And Quinto, being the 5th (hence the name Quinto—which means fifth) of 7 children also has a large family.
Then we arrived to the Pignotti home. We had seen photos of it. But Quinto had decorated the palm trees for Christmas, and it really is beautiful. Melissa’s father, Mario, met us at the door and welcomed us in. Well, the 4 dogs welcomed us first, but you know what I mean. Melissa showed us around the house. It is such an interesting design, which I gather is typical for this area, b/c their house looks like all the others in the area. It is essentially three apartments stacked on top of each other. Although it appears that the main floor is the main living area. Melissa’s parents’ bedroom and the main kitchen and living room are on that floor. The second floor contains another small kitchen and living room and the bedroom of the boys and Melissa and Quinto. And the third floor is smaller, but similar design---no one lives there now.
Melissa quickly set about to preparing dinner. And oh my goodness it was so good. It was bread, salami, prosciutto, and various cheeses. It was delicious. Quinto also had a bottle of his wine on the table and we finished with a drink of lemoncello, also made my Melissa. Thankfully Toni stayed for dinner, so we could have some conversation. Then it was time for gifts. The Pignotti’s gave the boys some lovely bracelets, Byron a nice leather wallet, and me a beautiful set of handmade table linens. It was very nice. And we shared the gifts we had brought them from NC. The boys then went upstairs to play and the conversation slowly turned toward the boys’ lives in Ukraine. We had brought with us the photos the Ukrainian Grandmother had sent to us when we contacted her several years ago. There were photos of the parents, aunts, uncles, and other family, as well as photos of the boys’ first home, and grandparents homes. They are not easy photos to look at. So we asked if they would like to see them. So we then spent some time sharing the information with them that we had. Like us, they were happy to have a copy of the only baby photo that exists of our children. And it was validating to hear that all of our boys have very similar memories of the events of their childhood. I won’t share them here, b/c it isn’t necessary. But I will just say that these boys have survived an entire lifetime before their adoptions.
All this time the boys are upstairs just looking around the boys’ rooms and playing Playstati0n.
Shortly after dinner, we headed to bed. The boys called rooms—Ivan and Max would sleep together tonight and then the rotation would begin. And so as they are now in bed, they are talking just as if they completely understand each other despite the fact that they share NO common language at all. It really is amazing. It really is amazing.
These photos were taken by Nicholaus in the back of the van. Taking pictures was the last thing on my mind. More later. The first is Oleg. The second is Ivan.
We woke this morning to POURING rain. I’m sensing a trend here. We had a reservation at the Vatican for 10 am. So we left the apartment about 9 and fought the rush hour metro to get to the Vatican. Because we were mainly there to see the Sistine Chapel and St Peters we walked quickly through the other art works. I wish we had more time there, but it just wasn’t possible because we needed to get back to the apartment to pack and prepare to meet the Pignottis at 3ish.
The Sistine Chapel was much better on this visit because the restoration was complete. It is still such an amazing site to see. My favorite is not the ceiling, but rather the Last Judgment. It also wasn’t nearly as crowded this time as it was when I was here in 1999. We followed a Rick Steves tip and slipped out the side door that leads straight to St Peters without having to go back through the rest of the Vatican. St Peters was so beautiful. But they were still preparing for Christmas. They were cleaning the main alter and were setting up the manger scene. And the Christmas tree in St Peters square wasn’t complete either. I wish we could see it all complete. Perhaps next trip!
Due to the pouring rain, we splurged for a taxi back to the apartment. It was well worth the 8 euros. By this time, I was feeling pretty sick with a sore throat, so Byron took the lead on packing and the boys straightened the apartment. Bless their hearts!
Promptly at 3, Toni (a friend of the Pignottis that speaks English) called to say they had arrived at San Giovanni in Laterno, a church at the end of our street which was our meeting point. So we ventured out into the once again pouring rain. We quickly realized that San Giovanni was bigger than we thought and we weren’t sure where the front was. So we walked THROUGH the church. And as soon as we walked out the door I saw Melissa, the Mom.
Oleg was next, and my goodness, this boy is HUGE. He has to be at least 6 foot 3 at this point. And he is sooo handsome. And Ivan, who used to be like a twin to Nicholaus has also grown so much. He and Nicholaus don’t really look alike anymore. After a brief round of hugs and kisses, Toni suggested we go to find Quinto, the Dad, who had stayed with the van. Nicholaus and Max walked ahead with Toni and Oleg and Ivan walked with Me, Melissa, and Byron. I knew the boys (my boys that is) must be a little nervous.
We quickly went back to the apartment to load our bag and then we were on our way to the Abruzzi region, which we knew would be about a 2 hour drive by car. Melissa clearly thinks I know more Italian than I do as evidenced by how quickly and how much she talks directly to me in Italian. This makes me nervous b/c I’m only getting a few words of what she says. During the drive, the boys sat in the back and looked at photos on Oleg and Ivan’s cell phones and digital cameras. And there was some discussion in 2 different languages that I’m not sure either boy got. I could tell my boys were starting to warm up a little bit, thank goodness. It’s so funny that Oleg is so interested in Zack Efron, from High School Musical. He has a photo he took of himself in which he thinks he looks just like him. It’s very cute. I hope that isn’t what he thinks American boys aspire to though.
We stopped for bathroom break after about an hour and the boys had a good round of punching each others arms (lovingly of course). Melissa and I talked some in the car ride. She explained that she was an only child and that her mother became blind when she (Melissa) was 8 years old. She and Quinto married about 18 years ago. She also told me about how large their extended family was. She has, I think, about 17 cousins. And Quinto, being the 5th (hence the name Quinto—which means fifth) of 7 children also has a large family.
Then we arrived to the Pignotti home. We had seen photos of it. But Quinto had decorated the palm trees for Christmas, and it really is beautiful. Melissa’s father, Mario, met us at the door and welcomed us in. Well, the 4 dogs welcomed us first, but you know what I mean. Melissa showed us around the house. It is such an interesting design, which I gather is typical for this area, b/c their house looks like all the others in the area. It is essentially three apartments stacked on top of each other. Although it appears that the main floor is the main living area. Melissa’s parents’ bedroom and the main kitchen and living room are on that floor. The second floor contains another small kitchen and living room and the bedroom of the boys and Melissa and Quinto. And the third floor is smaller, but similar design---no one lives there now.
Melissa quickly set about to preparing dinner. And oh my goodness it was so good. It was bread, salami, prosciutto, and various cheeses. It was delicious. Quinto also had a bottle of his wine on the table and we finished with a drink of lemoncello, also made my Melissa. Thankfully Toni stayed for dinner, so we could have some conversation. Then it was time for gifts. The Pignotti’s gave the boys some lovely bracelets, Byron a nice leather wallet, and me a beautiful set of handmade table linens. It was very nice. And we shared the gifts we had brought them from NC. The boys then went upstairs to play and the conversation slowly turned toward the boys’ lives in Ukraine. We had brought with us the photos the Ukrainian Grandmother had sent to us when we contacted her several years ago. There were photos of the parents, aunts, uncles, and other family, as well as photos of the boys’ first home, and grandparents homes. They are not easy photos to look at. So we asked if they would like to see them. So we then spent some time sharing the information with them that we had. Like us, they were happy to have a copy of the only baby photo that exists of our children. And it was validating to hear that all of our boys have very similar memories of the events of their childhood. I won’t share them here, b/c it isn’t necessary. But I will just say that these boys have survived an entire lifetime before their adoptions.
All this time the boys are upstairs just looking around the boys’ rooms and playing Playstati0n.
Shortly after dinner, we headed to bed. The boys called rooms—Ivan and Max would sleep together tonight and then the rotation would begin. And so as they are now in bed, they are talking just as if they completely understand each other despite the fact that they share NO common language at all. It really is amazing. It really is amazing.
These photos were taken by Nicholaus in the back of the van. Taking pictures was the last thing on my mind. More later. The first is Oleg. The second is Ivan.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
One Photo for Now While I Upload
We have just said goodbye to the Pignotti's and have gotten checked in to the hotel near the airport in Rome. We don't have the greatest internet connection, but I wanted to post one photo. Here are all 4 brothers today before we left Villa Rosa. From left to right, they are:
Oleg(14), Max (11), Nicholaus(12), Ivan (13). They are 4 incredible boys. I will sum up the entire trip with one word: Amazing. More coming soon....I promise.
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