Visit from the Brooklyn Crew, and Venice

April seems to bring nothing but showers in Torino, but our month has been enlivened by a vist from Sarah's sister Katie and her family. One day we trudged through the rain to Trattoria Valenza, as authentic a Piemontese place as we could desire, in the Borgo Dora section of the city. Here we are hanging out with the owners, who treated us to all the rowdy hospitality they're famous for.

Grace and Sam got Italia hats at the nearby Porta Palazzo market before lunch.

After our happy meal.

We closed down the place, so one of the owners was ready for his own meal.

Dads with the son-owner in the middle.

Then, in search of sun, and the ineffable, we headed to Venice for three days.

And here it is!

About to take a gondola ride.

Katie on the gondola.

Ahh... La serenissima (at least on the boat trip - Venice otherwise was a madhouse - mobbed with tourists).

The apartment! Katie has a friend whose parents have a place - half the crew stayed here.

Venice and the Seven Dwarfs.

One of the few trees in the city.

The sweet side canals, my favorite part of the city.

Ben's carnevale mask.

Heading home on the train, with pea pod art. (Peas bought off a boat moored in one of the canals.)

Birthday Party - Ben Turns 11!

We celebrated Ben's 11th birthday with a party -- first at Parco Valentino along the River Po, and then back at the apartment. Here are some photos.

A favorite Italian park activity: rent the pedal thingies.

The Parco Valentino, looking east across the swollen River Po.

Jean-Yves, who came with Ellen and kids from Switzerland for the weekend.

Simone, one of our new Turin friends, professor of Gastronomic Sciences... with wine bottle in foreground.

Birthday boy drives the pedal thing!

Jennifer, Tom's colleague at IUC and mom of Alberto.

Supercilious Tom.

Jean-Yves and Ellen enjoying the sunshine.

Alberto, Julien, Ferdi in the back seat as they're about to take off in the pedal thing.

Ben's soccer skills have really improved since coming to Italy.

The crazy Italian cake...

Birthday boy ready for cake.

Anouk and Sarah unwrapping the cake.

The cake, with marzipan race cars. Even though it's very clearly for a kid, the bakers still soaked it in rum. Cultural differences or mess up? You be the judge.

And finally, a 15-second video that places you right in the birthday action with the boys:

Weekend in Rome

Bees, symbol of the Barberini family, powerhouses of the Baroque period in Rome, at Santa Maria di Aracoeli.

Random medieval tower - that's Rome...

At the Colosseum.

Pintoricchio fresco, Santa Maria di Aracoeli.

Maze with white geese at the Villa Doria Pamphilij, a park where we had a picnic.

Ben as Austin Powers at Trattoria Monti, celebrating his 11th birthday!

Cosmati floors - 12th century or so, Santa Maria di Aracoeli.

Michelangelo's Moses, with horns, San Pietro in Vincoli.

We had a fabulous weekend in Rome recently, seeing sights we'd missed in the fall, visiting with friends, luxuriating in the chaotic pleasure that is the crazy-ass Eternal City. Some pics....