Italian Myths About Americans

TOP 15

Myths

Italians have about

Americans

(As told to me by my Italian friends)

1. All Americans are rich and there is almost no poverty in America.

2. Everyone in America is from New York City. Or California. Or maybe Texas.

3. Americans eat ketchup all the time. With every meal. 

4. While chewing gum. All the time. 

5. Americans drive huge cars and they are all brand new.

6. All Americans have huge families.

7. Everyone in America vacations at Disney World or Myrtle Beach.

8. Every American owns and carries guns on their hip, John Wayne style.

9. Every American is a cowboy.

10. Americans wear jeans all the time, except when they are wearing workout clothes (because we are all in great shape because of all the working out we do).

11. Americans only own two types of shoes: flip flops and tennis shoes

12. We all know George Clooney.

13. And Julia Roberts

14. We all drink beer and never wine.

15. Americans think all Italians are in the mob.

And Summer Turns to Fall...

One of the many things I love about living in Northern Italy is that Mother Nature provides us with the opportunity to experience all four distinct and wonderful seasons here. As summer slowly shifts into fall, I'm reminded of all the things that make fall my favorite season: College Football, Back to School, cooler nights with still-warm days, Halloween, breezy days and falling leaves, chunky sweaters....

Just to name a few. 

I love fall. And fall in Northern Italy is equally easy to love. The vines are full of grapes just waiting to be picked, town sagras are in full swing, and my neighborhood farmers are busy harvesting. I love it all. 

Except the flies.

 If you grew up in a farming community, then you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about, but if you didn't or haven't ever lived in one, let me explain.

When the farmers start to harvest their fields, the flies arrive in throngs to feast on the dead foliage.  It's really quite gross...and don't even get me started on what happens when they lay the fertilizer here...because they use "natural" fertilizer here, and that's just gross.

The first year we lived here, I was convinced that the fly infestation was the result of my missing neighbor's decaying body--it wasn't by the way, at least I don't *think* it was, since he's still missing. But after talking to my other neighbors, we've come to the realization that the flies are just part of the landscape around here, at least in the fall...

We've asked almost every Italian we know how they combat the flies, and they all say the same thing...keep your windows shut.  Don't go outside, because they come inside when you open the doors.

Somehow, I don't think "Fly Infestation" is an excused absence from school, so we'll be going with the suggestion of another one of our Italian friends: The Fly Stick!

I stuck it in the corner of our window down by the bottom of the screen ON THE INSIDE OF THE WINDOW and this is how many we caught in just ONE day.

WARNING:  This is GROSS!!  Be prepared!!

I know, right?!?! GROSS!! I'm seriously considering keeping it as a centerpiece on the kitchen table--as   a warning to the other flies!

I'd love your vote!

Grape Stomping

Hey there!  Let me start by apologizing for being away so long...I am not dead and nothing is wrong.  With several people--family, friends, and perfect strangers included--contacting me each day to check on my well being, I thought it might be important to start with a little, "everything's ok" message.  But I appreciate the concern and the support.  It's so nice to feel the love.  I have just literally been bogged down with life at the beginning of this school year!  Yikes!  What a fickle bitch I am.  At the end of the school year last year, I was begging summer to hurry up and come and then at the end of summer, I was begging her to hurry up and end.  Now all I want is just a few more days!  Come back, summer.  Just hang around for a few more days!  Please?

So, like I was implying, we've been REALLY busy here at Via Fontanelle during my unintended break from the blog. Life in Italy with four brats kids in four different schools is hectic, never dull, but always fun (hahaha, I hope you can detect the sarcasm).  So I've got a lot of catching up to do over the next couple of blog posts, but I wanted to post today about something amazing that we got to do in Italy over the weekend.  When we moved here, I made this little Italy must-do list that I keep in my head of random things that I wanted to do during our time living here in Italy.  It includes things like:

*Ride in a gondola in Venice

*See the chess match in Marostic

*Pick grapes and mash them I Love Lucy style with our feet

I've done all of these now, by the way, because this weekend we went grape stomping!  What an awesome experience it was for us!  The kids LOVED it.  And Francesca and her wonderful friends and family at the Salvan Urbano Vinicola were super to invite us to give it a try.  The kids actually got to pick the grapes from the vine, dump them in the giant mashing tub and jump in with their feet to stomp them.  There was wine and local food for sampling, live music, and lots of fun.  It was a great way to spend a weekend enjoying what our local area has to offer us here in Italy! But I cannot even begin to describe just how sticky it was....

(Let me apologize for all the pictures now)

 (Tory and her boyfriend, Drake--they've been dating forever in teenage years.  This is the smile that I always get from them)

(Delilah's future husband)

The man up there pouring the wine carved his name into the stone back in 1993...

Sure would love your vote!

Wordless Wednesday

Yesterday was one of those "I love Italy" days

I'm back in first place! Please continue to vote for my blog by clicking on the picture of the happy mommy below! Thanks :)