All About Vicenza (About Damn Time)

As we quickly approach our third Permanent Change of Station (PCS) in three years (crazy, isn't it?), we are in the throes of bidding farewell to our Italian post. Although we have had less than a year here, we have sincerely called it home and forged some amazing friendships and memories. Our family has been under one roof more often than not since moving here, and we had the joy of bringing Josephine into the world in this bella terra. 

When we moved to Bamberg, we gave you a tour of our hotel, our home, and our city. But I realize that we never did that since moving to Vicenza. We just hit the ground running, taking trips around the country and making sure life didn't pass us by. So instead, treat this post as the remaining bookend for our European tour.

For the highlight reel, let's begin at, well, the beginning. 

Within our first month, Liam broke the ginormous tree in our yard through his powers of urination. 

So maybe it was actually the termite infestation compounded by heavy winds one night... all I know is one day our son was peeing on the tree and the next thing we know, half the tree is splayed acoss our backyard. We are still waiting for Housing to repair the rolladens, holes in the siding, and destroyed outdoor light. The personal losses included a plastic beach wagon and a poposan chair -- not too shabby, given the potential for destruction. Nice work, Son.

As you'll see in the pictures we link you to once I finish my monologue, Vicenza is a beautiful city, rich with history and culture. There is a lot about the city that I failed to explore or learn, but we certainly enjoyed surrounding ourselves with it. I didn't work as hard to educate myself about Europe as I predicted (nerd that I am). In both Bamberg and Vicenza, it seems like the best education you can give yourself is found in sampling the food, strolling around the neighborhoods, and breathing in all that is life.

We had a beautiful home and yard here, even without the tree. You'll see we replaced that hole with an awesome, unclaimed outdoor chimney we swiped from the common area. Our common area had a fun little playground where Liam learned how to do this:

We even kept an herb garden going for awhile. Liam would eat chives, basil, mint, and oregano by the fistfuls almost every day. 

The area here has a lot of opportunities for exploring, like the agriturismo where we ate among the animals. Seriously. There was a donkey in the parking lot. An agriturismo is an Italian gem that should be developed in every country. Basically, you run a farm and a restaurant together, and so long as all the food and wine you serve is grown on-site, your property is tax free. Everything was incredibly fresh, delicious, and intimate. 

We found a lake about 45 minutes from our house where Zeke and Liam hopped in a kayak, Liam played with dragonflies, and he also showed just how much debris from Andy Capp's Cheddar Fries he could smear on his rashguard.

Although Liam did not attend preschool, we made fun out of learning on a minute-by-minute basis. He would practice his letters on a little whiteboard while I worked out; we made homemade playdough together and designed tunnels and bridges. (And worms. Lots of those guys.) I think the most important learning experiences he is getting lately is his time interacting with Josie. The world got a little bit bigger when she was born -- as in, it doesn't revolve just around him. Liam adores Josephine and that relationship is going to be one of his most important and influential ones in the coming years.

When my parents visited, we showed them around the main piazza (Piazza dei Signori) and then they went out on their own with Liam the next day and got to know our town more than we ever will. I would bet my parents have spent more time in the downtown area than we have!

As everyone knows, Vicenza is the birthplace of our dear, sweet little daughter. But what you may not know is that it is the birthplace of another baby we got that same week -- our 2014 Jeep Trailhawk. When Liam rode with Zeke and my parents to the Venice airport, he made sure everyone there thought he was royalty, blowing kisses and waving from the sunroof:

We may be heading to Missouri for our next adventure, but Italy will forever be near and dear in our hearts. You can see why it's easy to love this place by checking out our pictures.

Arrivederci, mia bella Italia. Grazie mille per le memorie.