Friday, July 27, 2012

Avanti tutta!

Chiudiamo oggi, io e Leo, la nostra prima settimana di vacanze, e da domani ci raggiunge la mamma e si va in montagna.

10 Giga di fotografie non basterebbero a raccontare Leo in questa settimana: divertente, buffo, allegro, esploratore, sorridente, curioso, tenero, ingenuo, entusiasta…

Alla fine ho scelto questa foto a chiusura di questa settimana, che, in qualche modo, rappresenta il Leo che sta venendo fuori e che sto imparando a conoscere: di petto e con il sorriso sulle labbra - verso le onde così come verso la vita che gli si apre davanti.

E tra una settimana avremo un anno: avanti tutta!

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Lido caput mundi

That of ‘the world is small’ is a recurrent theme in our Blog. I accidentally met friends I have not met for ages around the world in the most improbable places.

But I would have never thought of meeting Elena, an old friend from my times at university (who have not seen for the past nine/ten years) on the shoreline of Lido degli Estensi.

The world is small. And Lido degli Estensi is its centre!

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

How to survive on vacation with Leo by myself - trick # 2

In my past post I declared I would have spent a week with Leo by myself, and was explaining how to handle it.

Trick n. 2: call your mum in support!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

How to survive on vacation with Leo by myself

Mathilde left yesterday. She went back to Rome. As she only recently started her new job, she has not yet accrued enough days of leave, so she could not take this week off.

‘No problem, I’ll go on vacation with Leo’ has been my position from the very beginning.

‘By yourself???’ was the astonished reaction of most of the people who got to know it. ‘How will you do???’.

Well, I don’t want to appear presumptuous, but the recipe is simple: clear division of tasks, and taking turns.

Today it was Leo’s turn …

Monday, July 23, 2012

Wandering about ‘il Lido’ by rickshaw

Although I have not been to Lido degli Estensi (‘il Lido’) for nineteen years, since the summer of my ‘maturità’ (my high-school leaving exam), il Lido is almost home for me. I have spent here the summers of my childhood, youth, and teens. Every square-centimeter of this place is soaked with memories. Every scent, every glimpse of this place evokes thousands of remembrances…

I’ll tell in another post the tempest of feelings I felt in coming back in this place after so long.

Certainly, as much as familiar il Lido is for me, as it is alien for Mathilde and Leo. And so, a little ‘family’ rickshaw-ride to familiarize ourselves with this new place…

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Cuginetti

Taking advantage of our invitation, Silvia, Davidino and Andreone came to Lido degli Estensi to visit us over the week-end.

As it doesn’t happen often to have the three cousins together, we tried to take advantage of the event to take a picture of the three.

We spent the whole day running after them. This was the only moment in which we managed to have them close to each other without moving…

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Friday, July 20, 2012

On vacation

Les M&M’s go on vacation:

- 21-28 July to the seaside, on the Romagna Coast: long and sandy beaches, warm and shallow waters, great food;
- 28 July-4 August to the mountain, on the Alps: gorgeous hikes, good air, chilly nights;
- 4-11 August to La Bourboule: grandparents, uncles and aunties, cousinettes, and… hopefully some rest for Matteo and Mathilde!


Apologizes in advance if we won’t manage to keep the Blog updated in this period. We’ll be anyway back in Rome on August 12th, with plenty of stories to tell and pictures to show.

(Ps: if any of you is in the outskirts during these periods and wants to visit us, do let us know - we have plenty of beds to offer!)

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Summer (2)

Summer continues chez les M&M’s…

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

First steps

‘The longest journey begins with a single step’, once said Lao Tzu.

And today, after eleven months, two weeks and two days, Leo took his first step. Naturally. Apparently without thinking of it.

Of course still a bit shaky, hesitant, unsure. But by himself, without anybody helping him.

And we, silent witnesses of this new milestone, observed (a little bit moved) our little bird flying off - aware that this step will be followed by many many more.

Dear Leo, we wish you could walk through hundreds of countries, run dozens of marathons, reach dozens of mountain summits on your feet. Remember then, all started with a first step today…

Leo’s new haircut

… à la Balotelli !

(And please, don’t say that Leo is bald anymore !)

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Pic-nic al lago with friends

It’s interesting to notice how the process of identifying new friends and establishing new friendships has changed since Leo has arrived.

Before what we were looking for in a new friend or group of friends was the sharing of an interest or of a hobby. The general feeling of mutual understanding or the curiosity for something different they would bring.

These all remain important elements. But now a critical pre-condition for exploring the possibility of a new friendship has become the presence of a baby of, more or less, the age of Leo.

This pre-condition fulfilled, we agreed to go on Sunday on a day-excursion to a nearby lake with two recently met couples: Andrea and Sibyl, a Florentine-American couple, parents of Pietro (11 months), and Kevin and Melissa, from San-Francisco-California, parents of Nico (18 months).

And, at the end of the day, we were pleased to observe that Andrea and Sibyl, Kevin and Melissa, not only had a kid, but were actually sharing a lot with us.

A friendship to be continued…

(Photo credit: Melissa)

Monday, July 16, 2012

Les M&M’s sul Gran Sasso

Pictures of our week-end on the Gran Sasso finally on-line (click here to see them).

Don't forget to vote your favourite one!

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Leo baptism’s pictures on-line

The pictures of Leo’s baptism are finally on-line. You can find them here.

If you want a copy of any of them, please, let us know and we will send you the full-size file.

A special thanks to Massimo for having carried-out the role of ‘official photographer’ with such commitment. Thank-you!

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Friday, July 13, 2012

Trust is (2)

… to throw yourself into the unknown, confident there will be two arms ready to catch you…

Thursday, July 12, 2012

The mountain dweller's meal

After a strenuous hike, the mountain dweller's meal: polenta e cinghiale (polenta and wild pork). Leo's mountain dweller training goes through this practical exercise as well...

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Complicity

Cosa ridacchiano questi due? (What do these two giggle about?)...

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

I believe I can fly

Since he was young, Leo appeared to have a great inclination towards flying. I just help him on with his talent…

Monday, July 9, 2012

Gran Sasso

Happiness is: hiking in the mountains with my family...

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Fragments de Paris - La salle de jeux

Un grand merci à Victoire et Hortense pour avoir partagé leurs jeux.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Summer

Summer has begun chez les M&M’s…

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Meet Ann & Neil

They say that Italians have a strong accent when they speak English, but have you ever heard a French speaking in English?

Well, one of Mathilde’s (small) prides is that when she speaks English, very few think she is French. Actually the majority believes she is American.

Well, most of the merits for Mathilde’s American accent go to Ann and Neil, an American couple from Louisiana who hosted Mathilde for a few months during her youth, allowing her to learn and improve if not the language of Shakespeare and Dickens, at least the language of Whitman and Hemingway.

And many years after, we are happy to have been able to return the favour and to have hosted Ann and Neil here in Rome, even if for one night only.

We hope people will now think you are native Italian when you order a pizza or a plate of spaghetti at the restaurant.


Nice to have met you Ann and Neil, and please, come back to visit us again next time you pass by Italy.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Vă prezentăm Claudia (intrducing Claudia)

This is a long due post. Ladies and gentlemen, we have the pleasure of introducing you a person that since November can be considered a full member of our family in all respects: Claudia, Leo’s nanny.

Do you think I am exaggerating? Ok, let me give you an example in support of my statement.

I had returned from a mission during which Leo hadn’t seen me for about ten/eleven days, and I was very happy and very proud to experience the warm welcome he gave me: he did not only not forget my face, but he seemed truly excited to see me again. But when the day after I observed that the excitement he expressed to me the previous evening was only half (or a third) of the excitement he expressed to Claudia when she arrived the following morning for her daily duty, I understood which place Claudia takes in Leo’s affective hierarchies.

So, if in addition to Italian, French, and hopefully English, Leo will at one point be fluent in Romanian as well, don’t be surprised!

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Leo, santo subito! (Leo, immediately saint!)

Last week-end we celebrated Leo’s baptism in Paris.

It has been a week-end of families and children.

Pictures and stories soon.

Monday, July 2, 2012

The last monthiversary

We celebrate today Leonardo’s last monthiversary (le dernier moisiversaire; l’ultimo mesiversario). Starting from next month, we will start counting the ‘years’!

Happy (last) monthiversary, Leo!

(Ps: above, from our files, another of Mathilde’s favourite pictures, which I have been accused of deliberately not publishing. Again, I was just waiting for the right occasion...)