June 13: We got in around 7:30 p.m. and everyone was very tired and jet-lagged. Tanner still doesn't think we got on the right flight. Everything looks too high tech so we can't be in Rome. Mom said that everything was really old here and it sure doesn't look like it. I assure him we are. We find our driver and he immediately says, "La familia grande, la familia bellissimo." We mostly hear the first which means big family. We have seen that we are a huge family by European standards. The place were are staying is perfect. Of course Todd has researched and researched and picked out the best spot. We are a mile and half from the Colosseum, the forum, the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, and the list goes on. We are staying in an apartment in a local neighborhood in the heart of Rome. We are surrounded by shops, artisans, and homes. The plaza outside out apartment has the one traditional European marketplaces. Every morning, the Italians set up their wears from flowers, to candy, to fruit, and clothes stalls. The market place was moved to this square a number of years ago because of its lack of a church building. There is a church on every corner. The reason for the absence of a church being built in this location over the past centuries, we were told, was linked to the guilt associate to this sight. In the middle of the square is a statue in honor of one of the individuals burned at the stake for being a nonbeliever. Yupe. We are staying in an area that regularly burned people at the stake for being non-christian. First you were burned when you believed and then when the Christians took over, they returned the favor and burned those who didn't believe as they did. I thought we were suppose to learn from history. I guess we are slow learners.
The boys are loving the Nasonis. That is Italian for big nose. We have downloaded a map to find all the Nasonis in Rome. Italians do have big noses, but these are not found on real Italians. They are the public drinking fountain system. There are structures that look like fire hydrants with a big hook pipe coming out of them that run constantly. When we first say one we thought a pipe had broken and they were putting a bucket under it to catch the excess water. We saw a lot of them just running, and coming from the desert thought what a waste of water. Marco informed us that the water is pumped from the mountains through the nasonis and even all the fountains. Needless to say, Tyler has found everyone and drinks from each which requires us to also find the toilettes often. The boys think they are cool because Marco taught them how to drink like the locals so they don't look like foreigners. Now, they laugh at the way the foreigners drink. To bed early and let's hope we get up the next morning before noon. I am sure with the schedule Dad has, we will.
Loving Italy and loving Todd speaking Italian.