I Am Full Of Shadows

We have some catching up to do.  You've missed two days.  I'll try to be detailed and concise at the same time.

Yesterday:
We woke up and RODE BIKES to the Friday, open air market in Conegliano... Ya'll...I have not been on a bike since I was a tween and it was a good twenty minute bike ride through real roads!!  None of this serene European bike riding through the lush countryside; we were in traffic, people!!  It was fun and terrifying, but definitely more on the terrifying side.  Europeans have, shall we say, "issues" with driving in a safe way.  Of course Mama Silvia with her two little ducks in tow (three including me, but I looked like such and idiot compared to the kid's cool, respectable way of riding that I don't even want to count myself...) could have taken on an eighteen wheeler with her calm but fiercely protective presence.  Seriously though, a man was using the bike path to walk in and she just about punched him in the face.  It was awesome.

When we returned from the market we had some lunch and got packed up for the pool.  Andrea has swim team practice every week day until the 7th of next month, we decided to head to the pool with him yesterday because it was blissfully sunny and we didn't have anything else to do.  We set towels out and laid in the grass.  I was unaware, but in Italy, you have to wear a swim cap if you get in the water at all.  The one they packed for me was hot pink.  How appropriate!!

The kids and I had our English lesson outside that evening whilst jumping on the trampoline (or trampolino) and then went in for a dinner of Caprese Salad and a cheese plate, yum!  Gianluca likes cheese almost as much as I do.  We went for a walk after dinner to the town square.  Delightful.

Today:
Woke up bright and early and were on the road to Trieste for a family beach day by 8:30.  It takes about an hour and a half to get to the coastal town from Conegliano, but well worth the drive.  We spent only a couple of hours at the beach because it was a scorcher and there was absolutely no shade to be found.  My favorite part of the day, however, was learning a little Italian as we climbed to the Miramare Castle right on the edge of the coast.  My favorite saying so far is "Sono pieno di ombre" which, translated, means "I am full of shadows."  Ombre is the word for shade and shadow in Italian, in English we use two different words in Italian it's only the one. (I'm getting to a point, hold your horses.)  The funny part is: that the word, ombre, is also used to describe a little glass of wine in Italian. So, when you're a little drunk on wine the Italians say "Sono pieno di ombre."  I think that's very poetic, don't you?!  "I am full of shadows!!"  Anyway, I love it, and this is my blog so get on board.

After the beach and the castle we headed to the Piazza in Trieste and met up with one of Silvia and Gianluca's friends, Giorgio, for a beverage.  (Cool your jets ladies he's 65 and gay.)  He was a marvelous time!  He speaks about three words of English and I speak about three words of Italian so naturally we got along just fine using body language and hand signals.

On the way home we decided to order pizza to take home because our day was long and ain't nobody got time to cook after being in the sun all day!  The pizza was perfect.  Silvia and I went for a walk after dinner so that she could show me her running route.  The family will sleep in tomorrow morning, but I've got to get some running in after all of this cheese and bread!  Mama Mia!!

Peace, Love and Travel,
Reba

Snails = Lumache

"should I touch these...?"

Fresh fish.

Buying (ahem...taste testing) formaggio for that night's dinner!

Caprese salad and regular salad! Vegetarian's dream.

Big helpers.

Float time!

Andrea

This one is all boy.

Laura

Just another day on the job...

At the castle wall.

La famiglia

If it looks like mouthwash, and tastes like mouthwash... It's probably this weird Italian drink with mint syrup in it.  Not to be repeated.

Laura lost a tooth tonight!  They have an Italian window/mouse version of the  American pillow/fairy thing.