Alexandra's Rallying Cry...

"Look at that one! It's so CUUUUTE! (but not as cute as mine) And that one! Look over there!"

You guessed it: last weekend, Florence and I went to another Fiat 500 rally. There were about a dozen of us who showed up (it was a nasty day), and we had a great time inspecting all the others. There was one that was designed for (don't laugh. On the other hand, go right ahead) racing. And this was at the factory level: its body was designed with air vents to provide extra air flow to the engine, among other details.

The cutest one at the rally.

After a period of mutual admiration, we all got into a line and set off. Of course, I was squealing about how cute the thing was the entire time. Because it was.

We drove for about 30 minutes or so, and then we ended up in the main street of a village. At that point, our leader stopped the car. Typical Italian form (even on a highway) dictates that, when you have to stop your car unexpectedly, you get out of the car to investigate. So we all piled out, and found out that we were just going to hang out in this town for 40 minutes or so. We were parked in the main road of town, and no one entering could get by.

Blocking the street

I never thought I'd say this, because I thought they were nasty and pasty the first time I had them, but I got a powerful hankering for roasted chestnuts. I asked around hopefully at a few stalls (they were having a Christmas fair), to no avail. Florence and I ambled through the village, looking at the stalls, admiring the presepe that was out (and enjoying watching the dad explaining to his 18-month-old that she wasn't to touch -- she wasn't having any of it), and so on.

And then we found them! Roast chestnuts! Florence shares my early opinion, and didn't have any, but she did get some hot chocolate to satisfy her taste buds' exigencies.

When everyone was sick of it, we got back in our cars, vroomed up the engines, and were on our way to the next destination. As I told Florence, it would have been a lovely drive had it not been dark and foggy. It was dark and foggy.

The next destination was our final one. The others were staying for dinner, but Florence and I (unbeknownst to Florence) had an appointment with a bunny (this was the day Faith arrived). We toodled home after a lovely afternoon.

Love,

Alexandra

Racing car

Fancy dash!

Note the airflow vents!

Check out the hood! Must be another racing one.

Cool sunroof

Great faring!

A dash almost like mine

Note the suicide doors 

Traveling model. This one has been to France.

The fellow on the right completely restored his, and is very proud of it. 

We still can't get over how small these cars are!

Florence and I were both smitten with the color on this one.

Lining up!

And they're OFF!

In Mantegnana, on the hunt for chestnuts!

Our final destination.

Faith in the Family

Tonight, we welcomed Faith into our family.

We had been warned that she's a very timid rabbit, but extremely cuddly...supposedly she even likes to sleep with her family members!

Boy, were we misinformed.

Far from being timid, Faith is a very adventurous little soul. She has been hopping around our house very happily for the last two hours (even on the tile! Goodbye ugly runner!), and we have been very noble about not jumping to snuggle her, despite our desire to do so.

And the good news? She's been around the cords (we've watched carefully), and she's not a chewer. Lessee...good with the litterbox, serious snugglebunny, adventurous, and doesn't chew. Yup, we've got ourselves an ideal rabbit.

Love,

Alexandra

A cup o' joe with Daniele

On our way home from lunch today, I stopped back by Daniele's to say hi. As we were chatting in his shop (he is an amazing inlay artist), he offered me a coffee. "Sure, but it's my turn to pay!""No, no..." And he gestured to the young woman who was working to organize his shop...gave her an order (I changed mine to cappuccino)...and she walked across the street, coming back seconds later with a tray holding china cups, sugar, and spoons.

Yes, this is a taste of daily life. I've seen this happen at the butcher's, too.

Love,

Alexandra

Babbo Natale!

My presepe needed a capanna, or stable, so I asked Orietta if she knew a carpenter I could get to build me one. Of course, since we'll be moving back to the US, I didn't want to pay a lot for anything, and really wanted a knock-together type of thing.

She smiled, and said that she knew of someone who might be interested, but he wasn't really a carpenter. She pointed out that a professional would be very perfectionistic, and it would be beautiful but would cost more than I wanted to pay. I agreed, and she said that before she gave me the name, she wanted to check with him as to whether he would be prepared to do it for me.

After thinking about it overnight, I decided that I really wanted to have a surprise. I haven't had someone do something nifty like that for me as a surprise in forever, and it felt like a secret Santa...I wanted to know that someone in town was doing something nice for me without actually knowing who it was. So I conveyed that to Orietta, and she was game.

Between Orietta, Babbo Natale, and Eleanor, they were able to show the location, the scale of the figures, etc. And when Babbo Natale arrived today to work further, I hid myself in the bedroom, and all the children were under strict injunction to say NOTHING.

It was all ready. I was sent out of the front door into utter darkness, with a light shining in my face...no chance of seeing my benefactor OR the capanna. At the last moment...

Paolo with Valerio

It was Paolo, our barista! He is sosososososo nice, and I am so happy that he was my Babbo Natale! And look at the amazing job he did!

He really wants a light on it as the star, but in the meantime we are using a star ornament that Valerio gave me. I feel so loved!

Alexandra

Isn't it GORGEOUS?

The piece behind the woodcutter is completely naturally like that...

Body Paint

A few months ago, I felt compelled (who knows why) to test my ability to get out of the little alley that was my nemesis when I first bought my car.

I don't want to talk about it.

However, I needed to have an *ahem* touchup on my paint before going to the rally on Sunday (can't wait!). So, off I went to Montenero to see my buddy at the body shop. While I was there, a LARGE truck backed into the driveway...a delivery, I thought.

Then it opened. It looked like a big version of the porchetta (sandwich) vans that pull up at the fairs and markets, so I figured at that point that he was bringing them lunch.

Wrong again. Turns out that Webvan is no innovation -- Italy's had it for years. This guy had a grocery store on wheels, and the repairman simply went to purchase those items that he needed.

Love,

Alexandra

p.s. Okay, the story of the alley is really too funny not to share, so I'll swallow my pride. I didn't go as far as the stairs this time, but got stuck in the right-angled left turn. I had Florence ring the doorbell that I thought belonged to my savior of the previous occasion. As before, a head was thrust out of the window above me (this time of an elderly lady), and the conversation went something like this:
"Is Giuseppe there by any chance?"
"Nope. He's at work."
"Drat it, I'm stuck again. I can't believe I did this!"
"Hang on, I'll call him. He works in the Piazza."

Four minutes later my car had been extricated by the way-too-nice-and-patient Giuseppe, who had come home from work to rescue me and I was promising him NEVER to do it again.

Oh, and this was my view on the way back (10 minute drive):

Yes, that's Todi in the distance

Magiorenne!!!

As some of you may or may not know, I recently (sort of) had a birthday-- I'm now a legal adult here in Italy and I've been proving it by signing all my absence slips (there have been quite a few), buying a ton of beer (and cigarettes), pawning my parents' stuff (SURPRISE, dearest givers-of-life!), and... well ok maybe not, but 18 is still a huge deal here and I was told by my parents, my friends, and random people on the street that I needed to celebrate.

I've been to quite a few 18esimi here, but while the food is always of utmost importance, it has always been Italian-- after all, why eat anything else??  But I (and by "I" I mean "my revered family", as I was not at all present during the planning or preparation of the party, instead studying for a particularly nasty test) didn't feel like conforming to those standards.  So my dad brought all kinds of exotic and mysterious ingredients (like brown sugar and Goldfish and chili powder) from the US, and I (again, "they") concocted a very American meal-- or rather, a meal of very American food, as in any self-respecting establishment they would never have been served together:  Southern biscuits and sausage, chili and cornbread, burritos, chicken-pot-pie, chips and dip (this took a lot of explaining and many wary looks before the guests actually decided it was edible, if not officially "food"), and as a slight concession, chicken tetrazzini.  Although some dishes were more popular than others-- and some guests more picky than others-- desert went down universally quite well.  Chocolate-chip-cookies (known here simply as "cookies" with a cute accent), brownies, and assortment of "fun-size" candies that Daddy managed to pick up on his trip in October... a week afterwards people were still telling me that Americans absolutely know how to make dessert.

I had 40-50 of my closest friends (ha!), from classmates, to Scouts buddies, to church friends, to some others that I know from around... a number even managed to make it over from Perugia!  Although it was a greatly varied group, my mother managed to sum up the guest list pretty neatly, as she put it to me when we got home at 2.30 in the morning: "There was so much love in that room for you... it really touches a mother's heart to see that she's not the only one who knows her daughter's awesome."  And really, that's what it was all about: forget the great number of years I've been walking this earth, forget the celebration of world-renowned American food (although it was pretty good)... but I can never, ever forget my friends and family and how special they made me feel that night.

Yes, my mother made my dress since I couldn't find the one I wanted.  And the cake.

BFFs!

Such a serious class

...not!

The Perugia crowd

Cecilia <3

It took forever to convince people that cheese dip is actually a food (well, sort of...)