Italian Christmas: Sorrento

We spend Christmas day in Sorrento. The kids set their stocking out the night before and found them filled with surprises from Pere Noel in the morning.



Christmas breakfast
We thought the the place would be totally dead, but there was actually a lot of action. Even the Christmas market was open.



We wandered around Sorrento before finding the perfect restaurant for Christmas dinner.

Pizza, gnochi, cannelonni...what better Christmas dinner could there be?
Claire found that she loves fettucini alfredo.


Later we had ice cream. Poor Jonas slept through it again.

We visited a Catholic church in the evening and listened to Christmas carols played on the organ.
I wasn't sure how it would be to spend Christmas away from home, but it was great! Everything worked out perfectly and we were especially happy that we didn't have to fast all day...

Italian Christmas: Vatican City

We spend Christmas Eve day visiting Vatican City.

Nothing like beginning a trip to the Vatican Museum with a little wrestling match.
I love this painting and I have never succeeded in finding any prints of it.

Outside of St. Peter's cathedral. After spending these several hours at Vatican City, Jaxon decided that not only is it the world's smallest country, but also its most boring. Although they did enjoy chasing pigeons.
After the Vatican, we headed south to our new destination, Sorrento.

We found this little pastry shop first thing and we knew that we were going to like it here. The workers gave the kids a little treat.

It wouldn't be Christmas Eve for me without acting out the Christmas story. Our cast: Claire as Mary (that required a lot of coaxing; she really wanted to be one of the animals), Jaxon as Joseph, Emily as the donkey, Jonas as a shepherd (he is very impressed by the angel of the Lord in this picture), me as innkeeper and angel of the Lord and Daniel as the narrator/videographer. Both the dress rehearsal and the performance were great successes.


Then we broke into our pastries a little bit. The one that looks like peanuts (it is actually deep fried little balls covered in honey) is a Christmas specialty from the region.

Jonas loved it the most.

Italian Christmas: Rome

My very best friend from Houston, Emily, came with her oldest daughter, Claire, to spend Christmas with us this year. Emily is awesome. Not only did she fly halfway across the world to some see me, she was even willing fly into Geneva in the morning and hop back on a plane to fly to Rome that very afternoon. Jet lag and everything. But one would not have even known.
When we got into Rome that night I was thrilled to find that I had totally scored on the lodging. I had booked for us at a monastery with the sweetest nuns and the coolest room.

We sent Daniel out to forage for food. He did well.
It even included free breakfast in front of the Christmas tree.

We started our first real day in Rome at the Colosseum. It was awesome, although I never could convince Jonas that he wasn't going to see a guy fighting a lion. I think he was a little disappointed at the end.

Jonas playing the emperor. Will he let the gladiator live...?
Apparently he was feeling generous that day.












Next we headed to the Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum



Then Capitol Hill
Followed by gelato at the Pantheon

Unfortunately Jonas slept through it.


But he got his own gelato later. He was especially excited about the little cone.


We leisurely made our way to the Trevi Fountain.



Then we found a nice little place for dinner on our way to the Spanish steps.

At the Spanish steps.
It was a great and full day!