Grottaglie: our new home

So, we've pretty much settled into our new home in Italy. Our apartment here in Grottaglie is situated over a macellaio (butcher shop) and twice now I've heard the butcher 2 floors below us pounding the crud out of some slab of meat that he's tenderizing. Yikes!

(For a photo tour of our Italian home, click here.)

Jackson wasn't too fond of apartment life at first (and neither was I to be honest). It was yet another adjustment to get used to, moving to our third location in 3 weeks' time. Thankfully, there were only a few days of crying and whining before we saw Jackson's usual playfulness, energy, and laughter returned.Although Jackson and I miss the pool and the friends we made at the hotel, it is nice to have a kitchen again so that we can eat dinner on our own schedule (instead of at 9 at night!) and cook fresh food for Jackson. Speaking of which, he no longer likes zucchini. He ate all of his potatoes and carrots but threw every bit of zucchini on the floor.
It's also nice being able to do laundry again in an actual washing machine, rather than the bathroom sink. Jackson is particularly fascinated by watching the front-loading washing machine whirling and twirling our clothes into cleanliness.It has been REALLY hot here in Grottaglie - some days as hot as 110 degrees! That being the case, we've been eagerly embracing any opportunity to meet friends at a swimming pool......or at one of Italy's VERY crowded beaches. CAUTION: beware of speedos.We're still working on adapting to the Italian lifestyle of staying up late and eating dinner well after the time we'd normally be in bed in America. One part of Italian culture that we've fully embraced though is taking walks down to the piazza and getting some yummy gelato to cool off after a hot day! The piazza is a busy and fun place to be in the evenings with kids riding their bicycles while mamas and papas discuss things with exaggerated hand motions and the old ladies stroll arm in arm. A city that looks dusty, bland, and gray during the day is transformed into a romantic scene by the dim glow of streetlamps and moonlight. And at the center of the piazza, the fountain warrants a robust "oooooooooooh" from Jackson each time it catches his eye.In true Italian tradition, Jackson is taking up calcio (soccer). Watch out, David Beckham!