goodbye airwaves

So long free internet waves...
We’d like to thank “manu manu” whoever you are, for hosting our internet service for the past 2 weeks. We are much obliged and now we can’t help but wonder where you are? You no longer appear on our Airport scanning, did you move? or merely go out of town and turn off your router? Well, most likely, you are not reading this blog (for many reasons, only one of which is that you no longer have internet). sigh

So now we must confine our internet usage to those brief moments in the Villa Rossa giardino when the children are occupied by the three resident turtles so that we can turn our attention to the pages of emails that have arrived in our inbox during our connectionless lapses. Forgive us, friends.

Alas, here is a post of a typical day for us:

Our fearless heroes!




observations of an adorable 3 wheeled automobile,



a visit to the bombolini (donut) shop where fresh, hot donuts come tumbling down a shoot from the ceiling landing into a bowl of sugar,




Food glorious food!




a salumeria that beckons,


an artist hard at work in the hot sun creating an ephemeral masterpiece (note the exquisite shadow from the outstretched hand in the second photo)



A visit to the new public library: children’s section with leather tuffets for seating and a mere fresco on the wall. We registered for our library card and then immediately signed out the two english language children’s books on the shelf.


Oh yeah, and just another fabulous view of the Duomo from the library’s rooftop cafe. bummer.


A stroll past the main post office in Piazza Republica with the traditional red mailboxes. (must remember to send postcards one of these days...)



This is the face of a boy begging for a ride on the merry go round. Of course, one can't pass through Piazza Republica without seeing this face times two. Today we somehow managed to get a please and a thank you.


Oooh a poster for the traditional calcio fiorentino: a costumed sporting/brawling event. Can’t wait for that - mark your calenders!


Wow! A super gigantic bug!



And Gulliver has found two more special doors - not quite secret, but not really proper either.



This also happened to be the day that we ventured out after two days of rain only to get about 4 blocks from our apartment when Gulliver exclaims, “Wubby!!” and points to a soaking wet, dirty stuffed dragon pacifier that goes by the name of “Wubby” and belongs to none other than our Eisen. Yes, there on a stone wall, under a blooming jasmine shrub, on a street that we only sometimes take, sat a forlorn, abandoned pacifier that normally hangs off of Eisen’s face most of the day. With the help of two other stand-in wubbies, we had managed two days without even noticing that the dragon had gone missing. And lo and behold here it was. Good eye Gulliver!