Courmayeur

Our first day in Italy was a whirlwind. At least I think it was all the first day. I think we’d been awake something like 33 hours. But why didn’t you sleep on the plane you ask? Enter Annaliese. An energizer bunny bopping around  the plane every 2 seconds with many concerns. “If I take this sip of water will I have to pee on an airplane?” “If I don’t take this sip of water will I die of dehydration?”  She’s a funny one—mostly a joy to be around,  but constantly thinking and worrying 😂😂😂 Hopefully the Italian way will help her calm down and RELAX!!!! 

We were greeted into Italy with hot, strong espresso and news that Grace’s luggage had never left New York. Grace cried “why does everything bad always happen to me?” Little did she know that it would be her greatest blessing when we shopped for a brand new wardrobe for her in courmayeur, where there are only designer brands to be found. You can’t find a sweater for less than 200 euros. MAMA MIA. But grace is looking stylin’.  Rebekah would be proud @lovelybeks !!! Anna managed to sneak a fur jacket into the shopping bag and fits right in here. We even heard an Italian say to her husband “que Bella!” while passing Annaliese. 

Yesterday we had croissants, cappuccinos, pizza, gelato and la birra. Maybe that doesn’t sound like a lot but we were so excited for Italian food we bounced from the bakery to the pizzeria to the gelateria within one hour 😂😂😂

Our friends Stefania and Fabio here are simply THE BEST! We have been spoiled with traditional Italian food, including liver and tar tar (much to the bewilderment of Anna and Grace). 

Last night, Ricardo (the nephew of Stefania) cooked a dish typical of the Milan region: Rissoto with safran (? don’t trust this spelling but it is a yellow spice) for dinner. The little girls ate most of theirs and I finished what they did not. Fortunately, we ice skated for 2 hours the day before and I am counting on that to counter all I eat on this trip. We finished dinner around 11pm  (#normal. We now know why my mom serves dinner at 8pm every night. It’s the Italian in her!) last night and then Lydia was kind enough to babysit Anna and Grace while I got drinks to celebrate Alleccia’s birthday (the niece of Stefania and a good friend of mine!). 

The little girls are learning other things typical of Italy too. For example, the power goes out  when you blow dry your hair. The blow dryer stays on about 30 seconds before the power in the apartment shuts off. With 4 girls we are more often living in the dark than not 😂 Grace and Anna do very well during the days but start to miss our mom at night. At the airport shopping mall, Anna sprayed Chanel number 5 (my mom’s perfume) on her scrunchies and she falls asleep smelling this and clinging to my mom’s rosary that she lent her. We have grown much closer on this trip, and I mean that as much figuratively as I do literally. For example, I’ve assumed the  role of big spoon AND little spoon as I sleep between grace and Anna  to keep them calm at night. They also received some comforting words from my mom last night: “Knock it off! you are very lucky girls to be in Italy! If you want to be sad and cry, keep it to yourself!” They immediately dried their tears and fell right to sleep!!!! I was very thankful for her tough love!! If you know my mom, you know she is NO nonsense. This is definitely not the Italian in her. More likely the marine. 

If this post seems confusing and you can’t tell what we ate or did on each day, know that neither can I. I am on Italian time never missing an opportunity for afternoon tea or a beer with my lunch. Mostly I am grateful for this time with my sisters and that I get to show them the country I’ve come to love. Annaliese keeps track of what day it is in order to make sure we don’t forget to go to church. We will not: there’s too much to thank and praise God for!! 

Right now Annaliese, Lydia, and Grace are at the most delicious bakery in Courmayeur eating croissants. Courmayeur is charming and basically one street long so I trust that even Lydia will not get lost (Lydia shares my sense of direction—that is to say she could get lost on a straightway Street so I’ll keep you updated) I’ll join them after I blow dry my hair, which should only take 2 hours by the time I run back and forth to the circuit breaker. Then we will go for pizza. Tomorrow we head to France, just on the other side of the mountain!

A dopo!

Kir