Week 6

5th Grade Thanksgiving party

Aiden's class invited parents for a Thanksgiving party.  I always love seeing my kids in action at school with their friends!!

Thanksgiving Day

For Thanksgiving we went to Trento, Italy to visit their Christmas Market

The drive was scary but beautiful!  Trento was up in the mountains so we had to go on very curvy, narrow roads for a long time!

Looking for the Christmas market

We found it!

Goulash Soup - Amazing!!

Jeremy had an organic, fresh from the mountains meal: corn meal patty thingy, fried potatoes, grilled onions, egg, and a piece of grilled cheese that came from the milk from the cows that graze at the highest part of the mountain.

The kids enjoyed some crepes.  Whitney struggled but insisted on eating them like a lady!

Very cool handmade candle holders.  You can see the guy in the background making them. 

Local market

Walking through the city

City center and one of the best fountains I've ever seen!

For dinner we decided to try a Mexican restaurant - which is always scary when you're in Europe but this one had some good reviews from Americans

It was pretty good... not quite the same though.  

Saturday night we went to see our house that we are moving into.  We decided to go with a different house.  The tenants are still living there so we can't move in until Dec 20.  We found a pizzeria close by the house on the way home so we stopped for dinner. mmmm....

La Vecchia Fattoria - soon to be our favorite Pizzeria

Week 5

Turkey Trot 

Aiden and Whitney's classes held their annual turkey trot.  Each class ran almost 1 mile in honor of Thanksgiving.  I got to run with each of them!! :)

Benvenuti

I signed up for a 3 day course for newcomers to learn more about the area.  We went on a couple of trips during the 3 days to learn how to use public transportation. 

Our first trip was to downtown Vicenza

We went to the last remaining theater in the world built in the 1500s by Andrea Palladio

This is an optical illusion to make it look like long streets.  However it is actually just wider at the opening and very narrow at the back.

The original wooden bleachers

Church of Santa Corona - built in the 13th century, one of the oldest in Vicenza

In this room they have preserved one of the thorns from Christ's crown

These are statues of the King of France, Jesus, and the Bishop of Vicenza.  The church was a gift to the Bishop from the French King Louis IX

The market that is open from 8-2 every day of the year!

This bridge is over 2000 years old!

Verona

Second day of Benvenuti we went to Verona for the day!  One of my favorite cities we visited when living in Germany.

Entrance to  main square

Second largest colosseum in Italy (after Rome's)

The wall at Juliet's house - you are suppose to write your name and the name of your true love and put it on the wall to make your love last forever

Juliet's balcony

Statue of Juliet.  The right breast is discolored because everyone rubs it for good luck in love.  I just missed this lady - she must have been 80 years old - she climbed up there to rub her breast.  I guess you're never too old for love!

Christmas market

Roasting chestnuts

The Christmas Market was from Nueremberg Germany so lots of German food!  Loved it!!

First Christmas mug of the season!!

Arco dei Gavi - built in the 1st century BC for the Gavi family

Castel San Pietro

The view from inside the castle

Thanksgiving

We were very fortunate to be able to volunteer with the USO for Thanksgiving this year and feed the Soldiers here who are away from their families over the weekend. I can't think of a better way to spend Thanksgiving than to serve the men and women who serve our Country.  I was extremely honored!

Our great new friends the Pedersons

Cute little customers

Happy Thanksgiving to us!!! :)