The Little Americans First Day Around The Eternal City

Bon Giorno!  After a good night's sleep I am ready for my first tour of the Eternal City.

First, I'm on my way downstairs for some breakfast before getting on the hop on hop off tour bus.

One of the main reasons I love a vacation is that my parents aren't so strict when it comes to eating.  Today, I decided to start my carbo loading for energy with a donut,sausages and cream filled pastry.

hmmm, I wonder if kids here like eating donuts and sweets as much as I do.

Okay, stomach is full and I'm ready to start the day.

Oh, and my parents wanted me to share some photos of the sitting areas in the hotel lobby.

The hotel Parco Dei Principi is located at the gate to the beautiful Borghese Gardens behind the Borghese Palazzo, directly across from the park's zoo.

It has 179 rooms.  The decor is traditional with lots deep toned woods, marble and rich colored textiles.

The hotel rooms have great views of the park, zoo and a great outdoor and indoor pools.   Beside the pools for me, they picked this hotel because it offers a fully equipped state of the art fitness center and water spa.  They also love the fact it's only a 15 minute walk through the park to the old city center yet far enough away to escape from the noise and crowd to the quiet of the park.

We're on the Rome Open tour bus having a great time enjoying the sites.

We're coming up to the Vittoria Emmanuel monument which is a favorite of my Daddy(Julio).  He still remembers how it  captivated him on his initial visit to Rome in 1996.   I think it was brand new  then.

It was built as a monument to Italy's first King.  I thought it was funny that they called it the Wedding Cake.

This was actually a site I looked forward to seeing up close.  One of my very favorite shows "Little Einsteins" visited Roman Coliseum and so I had to come see where Leo,Annie,June and Quincy flew their Rocket ship inside to save the helpless musical notes that were locked in the basement by the evil Big Jet.

Papa Dan is helping me search the crowd for my Little Einsteins friends....so far no luck.  I can't believe it was built thousands of years ago when my parents were my age.

After just 45 minutes on the upper deck in the hot sun, I was ready to finish the tour in the shade on the deck below.  My Daddy says this picture of me makes him want to sing songs from the Tapestry album by Carole King.   An album is an old fashion Itunes player.

After the bus tour, we finally hopped off at the Spanish steps stop which was only a few blocks away.  On our way, I spotted a nice clothing boutique and had to have the hot pink polo shirt on the store mannequin.

I can't believe I'm  running the famous Spanish steps...whoo hoo! My parents say there are 138 steps to the top.  I couldn't tell but you would have thought there were twice that amount the way they were so out of breath.

 

This is me doing my victory dance once I reached the middle.  I still have two more flights to go up what is referred to as the widest steps in Europe.   Papa told me they were built more than two hundred years ago for the Spanish Bourbon Kings to access their church at the top of the hill.

After a great morning and early afternoon tour of the old city, it was time for some much needed fun poolside.

Ah! the water and weather is perfecto!

After our late afternoon swim, we showered and changed to find a place to eat within walking distance from the hotel.  We stumbled upon this beautiful building on the opposite end of the park from our hotel.  It just so happened to be a restaurant.   It was built in the 1800s near the Villa Borghese by architect Giuseppe Valadiera.

Look at my dinner...delicious.  Tubes of pasta stuffed with cheese.

The view was outstanding, but my Dads sat here for too long...so I fired up the baby sitter(Ipad).

I had such a fun and busy day that I passed out on the floor 3 minutes after we got back to the room.  Thanks for visiting.  See you tomorrow.

The Little American's Journey Begins

 Bon Giorno everyone!  We are at the San Francisco International airport getting ready to check in for our flight to Rome, Italy.  Sheepy is very excited he gets to be carried on the plane.  My other friends, Inchy(stuffed inch worm) & George(stuffed monkey) have to hide out in my carry-on until we get settled on board and safely in the air. We fly directly out of San Francisco to Paris(11 hours) then take a transfer flight to Rome(1 1/2 hours).

 So glad Sheepy and I cleared security.  I was also happy Inchy and George didn't make a sound or move in the carry so we passed through without a hitch.

 I am Taking advantage of the complimentary snacks and beverages at the airport lounge as we await to board the plane.

Aaaah! I can get used to this.....

Movie and a meal, what a deal.

I am in my pajamas having an orange sorbet for dessert.

I received an activities kit from the flight attendant.  First dinner, then dessert and now this...I know I am going to like this vacation.

A little night lullaby before sleep

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Whoa, I thought for sure I'd be at our destination by the time I woke up....can't believe we still have 2 more hours to go.

We finally arrived at our hotel, Parco Dei  Principi and boy am I ready for bed.

Daddy, can you please shut the camera off and check in with the front desk.

Yes! Nice old world style which is a family favorite.

Time to unpack,shower and hit the sack for tomorrow's adventure.  Good night.

Hot Pink Hydrangeas For A Fifty Year Old Man

I  wanted to share these images of the beautiful hydrangeas from our garden that I brought inside for the cake cutting ceremony the boys, Papa and Little Daniel, and I had to commemorate my 50th birthday yesterday.

The hot pink is a favorite and compliments the floral accent pillows and ottoman perfectly. The beauty of the flowers makes it hard for me to want to do anything but sit in this room for hours with my laptop and classical music in the background.

This is a delicious fruit basket cake covered in fresh whipped cream that the boys, Papa and little Daniel, picked out.  It's from Freeport Bakery which is a European bakery and local favorite.

I added fresh Geraniums,also in hot pink from the garden, for a more festive and elegant touch.

To celebrate my 50th, we are leaving in a few days for 1 week in Rome and another week in our favorite city, Paris. Of course, our little American will be sharing this adventure through his eyes. Please stay tuned.

A Russian River Dacha

 As our plans evolved to fill our small wooden house with rich fabric, ornate light fixtures and formal furniture, I kept thinking about the country home in Dr. Zhivago.
  Of course, that house was grander than ours but I remember it was a wooden house in the country that was decorated in the Russian aristocratic style and called a Dacha.

Peter The Great's Dacha

The original Dacha's were gifts of small estates in the country from the Tsar to a loyal member of the aristocracy.

Well, our little river cabin was not given to us by an emperor, and it is not in Russia.  However, coincidentally, it is located at  Russian River which was named after the Russian immigrants that first settled in the area. In addition,since we are furnishing with an eye toward splendor, we are calling ours a Dacha.

 Nowadays, dachas are much more similar in size and construction to our cabin.  They are owned by working class Russians as well the privileged.   During the Communist Era, the government allowed people from the cities to build small  summer houses in the country and permitted them to farm around their homes.  While the state owned the land, the people were allowed to possess their land and when the government fell privatization of land occurred and ownership followed.  Consequently Russia has one of the highest percentages of any country with its population owning second homes.

This dacha is actually located in the U.S. about 30 minutes away from us in Tomales bay.  It is owned by the Lipnosky family.

photo source:unknown

I love the aged wood patina of this dacha and its private hillside location.
      Our diminutive getaway may not be a true dacha, but our goal is to transport us to what we imagined was the look and feel of the dachas of yesteryear when we open the door.  The challenge is to achieve this on our not-so aristocratic budget.

Cabin update:

The great room chandelier  and wall sconces were installed last week.   I was a little disappointed that  the bottom crystal bowl(or half dome?) didn't drape further below the surrounding u-drop crystals.  I think it would have gave the piece a softer more elegant silhouette.

I am however, happy the way the sconces turned out.

This week the back hallway and bathroom floor / shower tiles are scheduled to be installed.  Keeping my fingers crossed.  We are two weeks behind as the company hired to do the installation lost 2 of their installers pushing everyone's schedule back.  Once the hall and bathroom is completed, we can finally move to put down the floors in the dining,great and bedrooms.

A Sweet Lesson On Patience

Just sharing this touching story that's been circulating on FaceBook this week.  Enjoy.

A NYC Taxi driver wrote:


I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard
box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'

'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive
through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly..

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice..'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired.Let's go now'.
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move.
They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug.She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut.It was the sound of the closing of a life..

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day,I could hardly talk.What if that woman had gotten an angry driver,or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.


Author: Unknown

Latest Cabin Update

Greetings!  Thank you all for the email messages expressing concern about my absence from the blog.  My family and I are in good health.  I've been giving more of my "alone" time to the little guy lately since he seems to be growing so fast.  He will already be starting Kindergarten this fall.  Time is really starting to fly.
    I wanted to share with you the lined rod pocket drapes in a Stewart plaid fabric which I had made by a very talented seamstress name Fanny.  I hung 2 of the panels in one of the bedrooms just to see how they drape...just beautiful!
 I found the vintage cosmetic train case on ebay in the same fabric.
    The 10 panels will go in both the great room and dining room.  They measure approximately 58" wide by 84" long.   Fanny is also re-doing a pair of lamp shades and making accent pillows for the great room in the same Stewart plaid fabric.  This will give the room a more custom look.  The porcelain tiles are scheduled to be installed in the coming days.

The porcelain tile made to resemble slate for the back room,bathroom floor and shower walls.

 

The antique white vanity with Earth tone granite top and white basin for the bathroom.

Bathroom faucet

Log Cabin Update

Initially, our goal was to move in furniture and accessories by June.  Unfortunately,we may not be doing this until later.  The good news is that after weeks of meeting with numerous contractors in the area, we found one that we really like and we hired him.   Mike Casso, owner of Russian River Construction came highly recommended by Dax and Smitty , local owners of the antique store named Sonoma Nesting Company .  Of course, we met  them while visiting their shop looking for items for the cabin.  I found a beautiful large convex mirror(shown below on the design board)which I think will look perfect in the cabin.

When we had the carpet and other flooring in the cabin removed several weeks back, we found asbestos tiles underneath. This created a problem and setback as we learned that many flooring companies are prohibited by California EPA law to install flooring over asbestos since it has been deemed to cause Mesothelioma.

 

 The tiles needed to be removed before any new flooring could be installed.  Once we found someone to remove the tile, dry rot was discovered on the original/sub floor. Another set back.  Now, this floor needs to be repaired and covered with an entirely new sub floor.

  The perfectly round hole you see in the wall(above photo) on the right of the archway to the french doors previously housed the pipe to an old wood burning stove we removed.

We have finally started the bathroom demo this week.  Below are the images sent to us by our contractor Mike.

Check out the redwood logs on the wall!  These make us think the bathroom was an outhouse accessed by exiting the cabin and entering through an outside door.

This is the design board for the cabin's great room with the exception of the 4 chairs in the center which will go in the new dining room.  The only items on the board that I do not have at this time are the leather ottoman,wall sconces and french empire chandelier. Most of the pieces are coming from our main residence.  My hoarding obsession came in handy.  The empire chandelier I want has 21 lights and weighs 100lbs.  However, if we keep finding repair problems with this renovation which impacts my fixture budget, I may end up with just a light bulb up there.

I just purchased this pair of mid century lamps this past weekend for $100.00 from an estate sale.  I'm thinking a green or red tartan plaid fabric lamp shade would work nicely with the "Ralph Lauren" style interiors I have planned.   I am going to attempt to another DYI to see if I can fabric the lamp shades myself.  If not, there is an online company called Fenchel Shades that will custom make the shades with the fabric of my choice and specifications for about $65.00 a shade...ouch...Hopefully, I can do it myself and save $130.00.