Project 365: Day 39

I was making a March themed picture for a private blog I belong to. I think of March and despite the fact that my birthday is in March.......I think of St.Patricks Day :)

My vegetable debacle and catching up on project 365

So this morning, Reese is home sick from school with the "congestione" aka the common cold. She was really congested yesterday and I was going to get the doctor to come today but she actually sounds better this morning, just not well enough to go spread it around at school!!! And yes.....here in Italy doctor's still make house calls, old school style! Its awesome :)

The vegetable man stops his truck here at 9am every Tuesday and I'm told his vegetables and fruit are awesome so this weekend we didn't buy any produce at the grocery store, the plan was I'd get it from the vegi man. Its chilly and pouring rain here today, I bundle Reese up, try to get her into the stroller while holding an umbrella over her(yes you can imagine how well that worked out for me) then I'm walking towards the exit of the complex, trying to hold the umbrella over Reese and push the stroller at the same time. Yeah, I'm not coordinated enough to do that. So Reese's feet/legs are getting soaked, its cold out, I'm getting soaked. So I stopped just before the gate and turned around because clearly it was a really stupid idea to go take my sick child outside to get vegetables in the pouring rain. Sometimes I think my brain might not actually work first thing in the morning. We are now dry and warm in the house, with no vegetables. *sigh* Guess Richard will have to stop on his way home.

Here are the Project 365 pictures since the last one I posted!!!!!

This is Reese's new scooter. She ADORES it!! Between that and her bike I'm certainly not concerned about her getting exercise!

Reese is growing sunflowers, strawberries and cherry tomatoes :) So far only her sunflowers are starting to sprout!!!

This was at a baby shower we went to that day :)

Reese having fun with her very washable markers!!

Yeah, I just love how she's holding the forceps in this picture!!! Future surgeon??

Another to add to my Italian Housewife series

It was nail painting day in our house, we have matching fingers and toes! Reese was VERY excited about having painted nails :)

Sunday morning goodness. Richard's milky tea on the left, Reese's hot chocolate in an espresso cup in the middle and my black coffee on the right!

Our Valentines Day fun!!! We made paper Valentines and wrote all over them, then we made heart shaped Valentine cookies. Reese also delivered her valentines to the dogs and gave them treats. The car is from Daddy, its the limited edition Barbie Fiat 500!!

The Milan Apertivo Experience- Date Night #1 :)

Well first off, here is how to walk in stiletto heels in Milan....................DON'T :) I'm fairly certain that Milanese ladies have been trained from a very early age on how to navigate cobblestone streets, crumbling, uneven sidewalks and subway grates as large as the pavement.  I did get myself around but we ended up not going for a walk before heading home because my shoes had ripped my feet into strips, note to self for next date night- get better shoes! I actually just bought a pair of Camper shoes today that look fabulous. I've noticed a lot of the Italian ladies wearing them, they have  big thick rubber heel but still manage to look fabulous, so maybe I'll wear those next time.

We didn't have a solid plan just to head into Milan for apertivo and dinner. For those of you that don't know what an apertivo is, Milan has moulded it into something that takes it above and beyond what it is in the rest of Italy!!!
Apertivo
" Aperitivo italiano is NOT a “Happy Hour” in the traditional sense.  Happy Hour in the U.S. is a concept about getting a drink “discount” and drinks and/or appetizers are usually discounted or bundled together. Not so in Italy. Aperitivo in Italy is plain and simply aperitivo: A pre-dinner drink, meant to “open” the palate and it gives you a chance to socialize, relax, and nibble as dinner approaches or is overlooked altogether. Aperitivo is more popular in the north of Italy, though you’ll find a form of it throughout Italy.  Drinks during aperitivo are not only not discounted, but often they have a supplement added to them to compensate for the refreshments being offered alongside. How much supplement will depend on the reputation and location of where you are"

So basically you go into these places, its CROWDED in the best ones and you have to fight for a seat, then you order a drink(alcoholic or non-alcoholic) and then they bring you a plate of bread with meat on it, olives and potato chips. Then there is usually a big food spread at the bar too, salami, bruchetta, brioches, pastries, vegetable plates, fruit etc etc.  Apparently some of them go all out and there is pasta in a buffet style!! All of this food just comes with the one drink you order!! Its brilliant really.
We ended up going to a place called
Radetzky
which I found out today is described as "possibly one of the most “fighetto” (posh) bars around, on a nice night the square in front of this bar fills up with hundreds of people in suits, carrying motorino helmets and checking out…everyone"

Well it certainly was busy, we were lucky to score a table right off the bat but otherwise people just milled around like vultures waiting for someone to leave!!! We saw one disagreement(which of course in Italian sounds like they are about to throw down) about who got the one seat at this big table. The waiter came over and sorted it very quickly. Hilarious! A lady walked in wearing what looked like a small fox on her head in the form of a hat. There was another lady who I'm sure must be a famous porn star because, well, she looked like one!!!  We are laughing this morning that Radetzky is one of the "places to be seen" in Milan, well we were seen there!!! hahaha We only stayed for one drink and some snacks there and then we wandered down the pedestrian way to a place called
Bento
it was a sushi restaurant and it was SO GOOD!!!! Scrumptious, delicious, BUONISSIMO!!!!
So if any of you come to visit and have a hankering for sushi we've got just the place for you. After that we walked back down Corso Como. We went in and checked out Corso Como 10 which is another awesome little place tucked back out of the way in its own private interior garden, might go there next time.
We saw Lollapaloosa, and Hollywood which are two of the major clubs in the Corso Como area, Hollywood wasn't open yet but Lollapaloosa was PACKED with the young and fabulous looking!!!!
We had a blast window shopping and people watching, the Italians are always amusing to watch, they come out in the most ridiculous outfits!!!!!

Project 365 Day 27 and 28

PISA!!!! And a few pics of Tuscany along the way :)