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Ben's tortellini in
blueberry sauce.
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Despite missing eight snow days back in Michigan, my boys lucked out this year. I made a mistake when looking up the Italian school calendar, and planned a trip (Prague) during a week that they actually had school. Thus, they get two spring breaks in Italy.
None of us were in any hurry to get on the road. We had had a lot of travel recently, and Dave and I both had work to do. We spent the first few days of their break hanging around Padova, checking out all the things we had been meaning to do the whole time we've been here. The timing was good, as the boys' bus passes expired early in the week. We were able to pick up some Padova Cards, which gave us access to the city transportation system and entrance into the major sights.
We started with a fantastic dinner at the Falconiere restaurant with Dave's graduate student, Eleanora. It had been recommended to Dave, and I was finally able to step away from pasta to have steak. It was cooked on a plate at the table and was delicious!
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We bought books here. And at
the next two stores. |
The next morning, Thursday, the boys and I were headed for Palazzo Zuckermann. They were absolute terrors before we left though, refusing to listen to basically any direction. It may not have been a wise decision to ask them to get homework done before getting them out of the house, but that doesn't excuse their inability to take simple directions like 'get dressed' and 'brush your teeth'. Eventually we made it onto the tram.
Now that we all can get by with scripted interactions in Italian, we get a lot of positive attention for it. Museum docents tend to be really easy to impress. My theory is that they are bored stiff standing around in silence all day and look forward to talking to anyone. This museum was no different. I explained that we were in Padova for a few months to the docents at the door, and Ethan charmed them enough to earn chocolate.
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Another point of pride-
the boys can now sit for an
extended meal in a
restaurant. We remember
this when they make us crazy. |
After over an hour of wandering and checking out dishes, weapons, art, coins and furniture (some of it dating back to the third century B.C.), the chocolate docent spent a few minutes complimenting the boys on their behavior and interest in the museum. I welcomed the praise, given our morning. I also didn't mention that they were most impressed with the paintings that depicted people with their heads chopped off...
Ben really wanted to make it back to a bookstore, so that was our next stop. Padova, being a university town, has no shortage of bookstores. First we visited one of the larger chain bookstores, then headed over to one of the independent stores for kids' books. Again, I was so pleased by their behavior. Other than nagging me to buy them books, they were entertained by browsing and reading until we met Dave for lunch. I had spinach salad with grilled chicken... yum!
We also visited the Baptistry of the Duomo in Padova on Thursday. As with so many of these sights, it was absolutely amazing. Every surface is covered with frescoes. (For more on this, go to this
website and click on the images to make them larger.) The space itself seemed a little smaller then a basketball court, but stretched up many meters. It's gotten hard for me to do justice when describing art. I'm not a connoisseur*, and it blends together after a while. After that, we headed back home to get the unfinished homework from the morning done before soccer practice.
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Scrovegni Chapel
He's checking out the
'heaven' side of the main fresco. |
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| Churches 'aren't Ben's thing'. |
Friday morning, we had tickets to visit the Scrovegni Chapel. I had visited with Robin and Bob, but the boys and Dave had not. It reminds me of the Sistine Chapel, because it's about the same size (smaller than you'd expect), and again, every surface is covered with art. This chapel is the most famous in Padova. Before you can enter, you have to watch a 15-minute movie in a climate-controlled space to regulate the humidity in the room... it's that special. Then you get to move into the chapel for a 15-minute visit. Ben and I had an interesting discussion about religion and what's depicted in many of the scenes, as we have in most places we've visited. Ethan thinks all of it is amazing. Somehow, photos were allowed here- they aren't in many places.
We had lunch** outside in Padova's ghetto area. It's one of our favorites, with narrow, winding roads between multi-story buildings. All of the windows have flowerboxes, clotheslines, and wooden shutters. You get the picture. Then it was time to head home for the dreaded homework. Dave went to work for a bit.
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| Overlooking Piazza dell'Erbe |
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Dave explaining the pendulum
that's continually in motion in
the Palazzo. |
That evening, it was finally time to formally visit one of Dave's favorite areas in Padova: The market area. Piazza dell'Erbe and Piazza alla Frutta are next door to each other, divided by Palazzo della Ragione in the middle. During the day, the piazzas (squares) are filled with vendors selling their wares. At night, the local bars and restaurants extend tables and chairs further into the squares, and the Palazzo (palace) is lit. The Palazzo is also a museum space, and we hadn't had a chance to visit yet. Dave really enjoyed being up high, able to look over the piazzas. I enjoyed checking out pictures on the walls, which all corresponded to astrological signs. The boys liked running and sliding on the floor... so much for their museum behavior.
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| The horse is HUGE. |
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| So imagine the size of the room... |
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| We will definitely miss this view. |
*I spelled that right on the first try!
**Pasta. Scrumptious. (Not spelled correctly on the first try.)
