Some things are the same where ever you go

Some days one is struck by how everything is so different.  Today I was struck by a number of universal truths.

1. Everyone loves a good farmers' market.

The Mercato Centrale is as much of a feast for the eyes as it is for the stomach.  The market is housed in a rather "new" building for Florentine standards - it only dates back to 1874. The stands sell fresh fruits and vegetables, smoked meats, breads and pastries, olive oil, and alcohol.  While most people recognize that fresh food is best, Italians seem to have mastered this concept.

2. Getting a 7 year old to eat a balanced meal is next to impossible.

Scarlett proved the toughest customer in the Mercato Centrale.  Now, we all know that 7 year olds are finicky eaters but my little fruititarian wasn't budging about what would satisfy her needs.  She thumbed her nose at every meat stand, and Scarlett is a HUGE fan of the smoked meat family (I think it was the fact that a number of the carcasses still had their heads and were staring at her from the refrigerated case).  Fortunately, the market had a few stands that specialized in dried fruits.

3. It rains everywhere - even when you are on vacation.

I assumed that the weather may not be perfect every day, but I hadn't actually executed a plan for foul weather.  The only thing on my packing list that didn't ultimately make it into a suitcase was a mini-umbrella.  When we checked into our flat, I was relieved to see two substantial umbrellas sitting by the door.  As we ventured out this morning, I failed to grab those umbrellas (even with the sub-par forecast) because another universal truth is that you never have an umbrella when you REALLY need one.

4. A rainy day doesn't have to be a washout.

From our flat we could see that some blue sky was trying to squeeze out from behind the clouds.  So, I gathered the girls and gave them the "let's go have another adventure" pep talk.  We decided to expore our neighborhood a little more with an impromptu urban hike.  We spotted a castle-like stone keep that was yearning to be explored.  The markers indicated that it was part of the Piazzale Michelangelo.  The kids were determined to make it to the top of the trail and navigated it like little billy goats.  We were rewarded with an unexpected, but magnificent, view of the city center.

5. Comfort food is comforting.

After making the kids trek all over the city, we were ready for some comfort food.  On our adventure, we discovered a trattoria just down the street from our flat (which was good because we were too tired to go very far, even for food).  The menu was in English and included foods that were well-known, much loved dishes served often by my mother in law.  The girls were so hungry they each had two servings of lasagne.  I drowned myself in mushroom risotto and chianti to celebrate the 7 year old eating like a champion!