Via Dante Alighieri 14

Welcome to our home on the 4 1/2 floor 65 steps up

This is the view from our front door into the house. 

To the left is our main bathroom and at the end of the hallway you can see our kitchen.

This is a view of our living room from the kitchen table

This is kendall having breakfast this morning (toast with nutella)

This is our kitchen table and the kitchen behind that

Here is a view of our cooking space

This is Mom's bedroom and the room we dry all our clothes in.

This is Kendall and my bedroom. My bed is on the right and Kendall's is on the left

These are the dressers where Kendall and I store all of our clothes.

This is the desk where we will do most of our school work.

This is our main bathroom.

which is also the home for our washing machine.

This is Gram's bathroom.

This is Gram's bedroom at the end of the hall (to the right of the door when you enter.)

-Joel

A little House Hunters International.   Loving the big open windows and high ceilings.  Still trying to figure out all the appliances.   Laura

For being small, it is very spacious.  Very Very high ceilings.  Fast wireless.   Kendall

First full day

Waiting for our pizza drinking la tazza di vino rosa (checkout the dixie cup!) from the shop below our apartment.

Woke at 9:50 this morning, wi-fi set up then 

Practical walking tour- we know where to take our trash,  buy a dish drainer and hair drier,  good gelato and pizza, library with great wifi cafe.  All while walking by the duomo, river Arno and the David.  Are we lucky or what.

Got phones at end of night.

Tomorrow apartment pictures

Our first night in Florence. Made it. Tired, but happy.

Chianti, Calzone and Pasta

Part way there Munchen stop over

Packed

"All the bags are packed and we are ready to go"  Ciao

Last morning at the lake

10 days till we leave

So this is the first blog post for our Italian adventure and a learning opportunity for me.

10 days till we leave... and items on the to do list are getting checked off...

Yesterday was a big one - my application for a work visa was accepted!  This process began back in April with getting my doctoral degree and transcript notarized and apostatized in Illinois.  Next came my contract in Connecticut.  Then everything went over to Florence to be translated and submitted for a formal invitation to work in Italy. In the meantime I had to compile information re: my health insurance, bank account and itinerary.  The Boston Italian consulate got the invitation on Monday.  I had a standby appointment for noon yesterday -- at 12:35 I walked out of there with the Green light.  Just have to go back sometime the end of next week to pick it up.

Playing the packing game -- fitting everything in one 50 lb bag per person, and a carry on.  Joel and Kendall's list: 4 pants (3 jeans, 1 chino), 3 shorts, 10 shirts (long, short, at least one button down and one polo), PJs, bathing suit, 8 boxers, 3 undershirts, belt, 2 pairs of shoes, 8 pairs of socks, 2 sweatshirts, 1 light rain jacket, winter coat.    Joel was the first to pack... he came in at 33 lbs.   Plenty of room left for the medicine, toiletries, and Mom's extras!

And now I have to make sense of my things... luckily I have 10 days more to decide what goes in the bag :)

So  in writing this blog entry I have learned how to upload pictures from my phone, access the blog and  write from both the laptop and the phone... so if I can take it to the next step and post it for you all to be able to read... then I should be set.   And ready to teach the boys how to use blogger, as this is the Family Blog, not Mom's blog!