Stephanie Howell

So. This will be long. I don’t like not blogging. So I have some words built up in me. Apologies in advance. 🙂

Now that I’m out of the land of no-internet-exile…

Where to begin? Let’s see.

The movers came.

They brought everything up into our apartment on this tiny lift. You see, it’s about a zillion stairs just to get up to our apartment. And the stairs are NARROW.

Hence this contraption. I said a prayer and let it go. No time for worrying.

The Italian movers? Were amazing. There were seven of them. One was about 80 and his name was Gigi. He had an eye patch.

He knew I didn’t speak Italian but he LOVED me and would go on long winded tirades in Italian. I would just smile and nod. He let me ride up and down on the lift on the back of his truck.

One looked like a German bearded Harley rider. One was the perfect cross of Jason Statham and Hugh Jackman.

One was ridiculously handsome and charming and drew me a map to the best wine store in Vicenza. They all treated our belongings the way they should be treated. Like treasures. Memories.

The results from America? Not so amazing.

All of the glass Christmas ornaments that I’ve lovingly collected since the beginning of our marriage? Smashed.

Tables, armoires, dressers, headboards and footboards, framed photos…broken.

I found my Mac Desktop and my John Derian trays shoved in boxes with other items. With no wrapping around them.

Gigi went on and on in Italian. All I caught were the words “American brutes!”. German Harley rider and Hugh Jackman taught me curse words in Italian. It was very helpful.

Moving on. What else has happened?

We unpacked. Pretty much all of it in 2 days. I’m GOOD after so many moves. Not afraid to toot my own horn.

We explored our neigborhood:

(their birthday is 24 november)

and walked/explored our neighborhood some more:

I found out that Italian groceries sell liters of prosecco for less than 2 euro. That’s what you get for living in the birth place (well, region) of prosecco!

We went grocery shopping dressed like this:

I discovered my new favorite drink is Prosecco Spritz with a dash of raspberry.

We attended our first Italian carnival.

Oh yes.

I also got my debit card eaten by an Italian ATM machine.

I ate too many pasta dishes and too many clams. I had too much gelato. For the record? Nocciola is still my favorite.

I tried, and failed horribly, to speak Italian. Usually the Italians take pity on me and start speaking English. I don’t like this. How will I learn? 🙂

I had my washer and dryer delivered and undelivered 3x because they kept bringing the wrong kind, then they forgot the lift, then they brought the wrong kind of lift that couldn’t fit in my courtyard.

I had a long conversation with a nun on my street. I understood maybe 1/3 of it.

I drove. A lot. And stopped gripping the steering wheel so hard.

Lucy stuck her ciocallato gelato on Harper’s bottom. The Italians laughed so hard.

I tripped the breaker. Lots. Still don’t know why.

I navigated a Chinese buffet where everyone spoke Italian and I had NO idea what to do.

I filled up my car for the first time.

I tried to explain bidets to our girls.

I tried to bake 12 minute break and bake cookies in my oven. It took one hour. And they still weren’t cooked.

Don’t think I’ll be cooking poultry anytime soon.

Ciao Ciao!

S

Guys- I apologize in advance. This one is L O N G. I started working on it yesterday and just finished it tonight. But I really wanted to share these stories and photos.

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On Saturday we decided that we needed to get out of the hotel room.

We didn’t plan well and ended up in the car, ready to go…at nap time. And no one had eaten. Oh…we also didn’t know where we were going. Way to go Team Howell!

I grabbed this book (that I carry with me) and decided we were going to Verona.

It’s amazing that we now live in a place that we can decide at the last moment to take a quick jaunt to a place like Verona.

Keeping it real moment: My children are having a tough time learning how to behave here. In America…I could take them ANYWHERE. And yes, there were meltdown moments, but not like we’ve had since we’ve been here.

We are still adjusting. And adjusting means not giving up. We talk to them regularly about what is appropriate. Yelling during riposo is NOT appropriate. Running around in restaurants is NOT appropriate. It never has been. Not sure why it’s happening here. We are the type of parents that leave if our children are misbehaving. We don’t think it’s cute. Or funny. And it absolutely stinks to have to leave places in Italy. Sigh.

I’m sure they can feel my stress over their behavior. Also, this is a BIG change for everyone. But we are working through it, and it’s getting better every single day. I am working on patience and just breathing. We did just move to another country, after all.

Side note over. Moving on. 

Everyone behaved and had a really good time in Verona. 🙂

This is the door of a monastery that was built in the 8th century. Yes. EIGHTH. I still have a hard time wrapping my brain around this.

To start things off in Verona we got super touristy (why the heck not?) and visited Casa di Giulietta (Juliet’s house).

Y’all I’m a sucker for Romeo and Juliet. Sigh. Each time I just HOPE the ending will be different, even though I know it won’t.

And even though I know the account is fictional, I still got swept up in the romance of visiting “Juliet’s house”.

This is the street outside the casa.

And as you enter the tunnel to the courtyard, the walls are covered in scrawled love letters and grafitti.

When  you enter the courtyard you can see Juliet’s balcony to the right:

and straight ahead you can see the wall of locks and letters to Juliet.

in the garden is a statue of Juliet. Everyone rubs her right breast for good luck. It’s a totally different color from her other breast.

HA!

after getting frisky with Juliet we headed down the street for gelato. Jimmy and I shared una pallina (one scoop) of mascarpone con fragola (mascarpone with strawberries). AMAZING.

Next we wandered to Piazza delle Erbe where we walked through the market and (in a truly magical Italy moment) the girls ran into a fountain. It was pure joy, I tell you.

A “not so magical but inappropriately hilarious” moment? Sadie finding an apron in the market. It had an anatomically correct rendering of David on the front. Including larger than life um….male genitalia?

Those saucy Italians. You should have seen Harper and Sadie’s faces. And Jimmy’s face. I had to turn around because I was laughing so hard I was sobbing.

Allora.

Another thing we saw was this whale bone. Legend has it that the bone will fall if anyone who has never told a lie walks under it.

I was not concerned.

Harper was terrified.

Sadie? Was downright excited and not at all nervous.

Both girls were terrified for Cate and Lucy’s lives as they don’t really talk and therefore have not lied.

I said that I bet they’ve told some doozies in twinner talk. HA!

One thing we really enjoyed in Verona were the street performers.

This dude was dressed like a baby with a man face. I can’t really explain it but you can tell from my obnoxiously loud laughter that I thought it was hilarious.

Sidenote:Yes, I know Lucy is too old for a binkie. I’m totally defensive lady with her binkie. It drives me nuts. But I am proud to tell you that as of yesterday, it is in her bed all day and not in her mouth. BABY STEPS.

I kind of die when she says “NO YIKE IT” at the man baby at the end of the video. TEEHEE.

 

IMG 0582 from stephanie howell on Vimeo.

Y’all. I laugh so hard every time I watch that. I can’t help it.

The last thing we saw before we headed home was the Arina di Verona.

It took my breath away.

I got goosebumps as soon as we walked in. It was built in AD 30. I really can’t put into words the way my heart feels when I experience things like this.

The panoramic feature is pretty cool on my iPhone until it morphs people in the front of the photo and gets all freaky deaky.

But still…

As we drove away I snapped this photo.

Romeo and Juliet is being performed in the arena on my birthday at the end of this month.

I think a date night is in order, no?

I hope y’all are having a beautiful and blessed Monday.

Ciao Ciao (Bye Bye- the Howell girls favorite goodbye!)

S

This past weekend we packed up the car and headed out on a day trip to Sirmione. It is a little resort town on Lake Garda and it could not have possibly been more beautiful.

Here’s a map of where Sirmione is located. It was about an hour drive from where we live:

This castle protected Verona from their rivals in Milan.

You can climb a zillion tiny and steep stairs to the top of the castle. My knees were totally knocking but the view is spectacular:

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Seriously. Have you ever seen LAKE waters that look like this?

After we toured the castle we headed into town. The streets are winding and the buildings, homes, and businesses are quaint and beautiful.

As we walked down the streets, we could peek into the restaurants and hotels. Look how beautiful!

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We dipped our toes into the lake:

and then went to find lunch. The streets are narrow and cobbled and there are nuns wandering everywhere. It’s like something out of a story book.

We had lunch at a little restaurant/gelateria.


another shot of the lake:

Everything is stunningly beautiful here. Even the walls.

This was a tiny, unassuming church that we stumbled upon (that’s where the nuns had been headed).

We stepped inside and were completely blown away!

So that’s it. A little tour of Sirmione. Jimmy and I have decided to come back after tourist season is over, and without the kiddos.

This town begs for RELAXING. Coffee, wine, wandering the streets slowly and lounging by the water. We can’t wait to experience it again…just the two of us this time. 🙂

Happy Tuesday, beautiful friends.

ciao ciao!

s