Our last week in Delhi

Johnson teaching Gio the art of driving in Delhi.

Sebastian and his family on Topher's last day in India. He, of course, had no idea what was going on, but our staff and neighborhood children were all very sad to see him go.

Meanwhile....Giovanni has been busy with his diaper project. Every morning all diapers must be cleared from the changing table.

Any more?

A job well done.

Practicing my intimidating NFL linebacker stare.

At 3:30 AM on Nov 7th Topher and I boarded the first of two flights on our way to Washington, DC.

The worst photograph ever taken. Apologies for all of my recent photos, actually. Giovanni managed to remove and lose the cover lens of my camera so all photos now look grainy and dull. If you are searching for a gift for me....a new camera is a terrific idea!

If you look closely, with a slight squint, you can see Topher's crate being loaded onto our second flight (Frankfurt-Washington). I was happy to see the baggage handler riding the belt up to the plane's hold with Topher. Lufthansa is a fantastic airline for handling pets!

So 6 days and counting until we depart Delhi. I am so sorry to have been neglecting this blog. You should be "honored" that I have finally gotten around to updating it. Actually, I am sitting next to over 20 forms I SHOULD be filling out (inventory, customs forms, powers of attorney, insurance forms, etc.) but decided instead that this was much more important. It should also be noted that the forms were due two days ago!

It has been a crazy few weeks in the Belli household. As you saw in the photos, Topher and I took a trip to Washington last week. He is safely back home and staying with his beloved dogsitters Penelope and John. I am sure he is confused by all of the changes in his life but I am comforted that he is with two people who love him so much. While we were together in Washington last week Topher and I got reacquainted with the neighborhood (and with cold weather!). In addition to getting Topher home safely, the main reason for my trip back to the US was to get our house ready for the Giovanni invasion. I arranged for painting to get done and a baby-proofer to come in to make our many stairs and railings safer for a newly mobile 11-month-old. I also arranged for rental furniture since our shipment will take about 12 weeks to reach home.

While I was in DC with Topher Paolo took Giovanni along on a business trip to Kathmandu, Nepal! The boys had a week of bonding with early morning walks, lots of playtime and shared naptimes. Paolo had a nanny in the hotel to help while he was working but otherwise was a solo parent and loved the chance to finally be in charge (that is, without my bossy self ordering him around and making "suggestions"!) Although I am suffering from double jetlag from such a long journey for such a short stay, I am grateful we decided to do this as I saw a huge change in Paolo and Giovanni when I returned- Gio is much more attached to Paolo and Paolo is an even more confident parent (quite possibly more than me).

So now we are at the tail end of our time here. Paolo has been in Bangkok all week (even went to a restaurant last night decorated entirely in condoms- only in Thailand!). Once he returns tomorrow we will begin the rapid race to the end with the packers arriving on Monday and endless trips to cancel accounts, pay bills, and, at some point, fill out this huge pile of forms! On Sunday all of our appliances disappear and on Monday we give up our car. Then it will be fast food, dirty clothes, cold tea and rickshaw rides until we depart on Thursday, Nov 19th at 3:30 AM (yes, the same flight Topher and I took less than two weeks ago!). Giovanni and I will arrive in Washington that same afternoon (remember we are 10.5 hours ahead of the East Coast here!). Paolo will leave us in Frankfurt and fly on to Italy where he will take care of some family business before joining us in DC on Nov 23rd. SO...for those of you in Washington, we are on our way! And those of you in Delhi, I have no words. I am grateful to have you as friends and hope some of us end up again together in another exotic port of call. After all, if we can survive (and thrive!) in Delhi, we can make it anywhere!

Some important info for those of you who want to stay in touch, please email me and I will send you our new address and my new cell number. I will be giving up my Earthlink account at the end of the month so please change your Clara info to: czbelli@yahoo.com

Cheers to all. Happy Thanksgiving to all of our American friends and family. Love, Clara, Paolo, Topher & Giovanni

Relaxing on our houseboat on the Kerala backwaters.

Gio's first swim in the ocean!

An elephant ride!

A walk through a tea plantation with our guide. One of us is not really paying attention.... Guess who?

Gio and our fantastic driver. Gio learned how to honk the horn...now he truly is a baby of India!

We have just returned from a week in Kerala, a state in the southwestern tip of India. Three guests from Italy travelled with us: Angelo, Sandro and his wife Sabrina. Below is my journal of our time there….

Fri, Sept 11- Flew from Delhi through Hydrebad to Kochi. Gio was a perfect traveller even though he has a cold and has 3 teeth coming in at once. Huge van met us that fit us all. Drove to Malabar House in Fort Cochin. Beautiful clean rooms with an inner courtyard and pool. In the evening went to see a Kathakali show- a traditional dance/play of Kerala. We went early to watch the performers apply makeup. Gio fell asleep at the start and was passed out for the entire performance. Dinner back at Malabar House- huge plates of grilled seafood.

Sat, Sept 12- Early morning walk all around Fort Cochin with Giovanni. Then a great breakfast- best toast we have ever had! An Italian-speaking guide came to take us around the town. Saw oldest Christian church in India, and Chinese fishing nets in action. Had a coffee at Kashi Arts Cafe and then drove to Jew Town (yes, this is the actual name!) where only about 11 Jewish people still live. Most went back to Israel when they were offered free transport and jobs- now an area for antique shopping. Also saw Dutch House museum- nice but too hot inside. Then off on 4 hour drive west into the mountains. Gio slept much of way. Saw beautiful waterfalls, pineapple and tea plantations. Arrived at our mountain hideaway, Tall Trees, in time for a rest, shower and dinner. Rain began at end of drive so everything very wet and quite cool. Place not as nice as Cochin (very damp, rustic) and food not as good but setting is spectacular. I stayed at our cottage while Gio slept and the others went off to dinner.

Sun, Sept 13- I took Gio on a lovely run in the hills this morning. Everyone was quite amused by me running (in shorts) with Gio in the B.O.B. stroller. Breakfast and then off with a guide to visit the area. Started with a walk to see a tea plantation. Then drove up to the Eravikulam National Park and took a bus into the park. Mist and rain made it not such a great visit. Saw only one goat and a lot of fog. Oh well. Best part was bus ride out of park where the Indian passengers cheered wildly every time Gio shrieked or waved his arms. Needless to say, it was a loud ride down! Gio loves the attention he gets here.

Went on to tea museum. Gio asleep on the way so I stayed in the car with him while the others went it. Raining very heavily. Once he woke we went in just in time for the tea tasting- delicious. Visit to a beautiful church (simple stone and wood inside- none of the gawdy overdecoration of most Indian churches) and some shopping for spices and nuts. Back to hotel to put Gio to bed. I again stayed back while the others went to dinner. Enjoying Curtis Sittenfeld's book "American Wife." Thunderstorms tonight.

Monday, Sept 14- Took Gio on a run to the tea plantation where we toured yesterday. Breakfast (Gio ate lots- dosa, omelette, potatoes, fruit!). Drove to an elephant park where we all took rides. Such incredible creatures. Then a long drive to the resort Coconut Lagoon- spectacular with cottages spread out around a seaside area with a pool, swings, etc. We all swam as the sun was setting. After Gio asleep a woman came to sit with him so we could ALL go to dinner. Yeah!! Excellent food including very naughty chocolate balls. I went back early to relieve babysitter while Paolo and others tried out the bar and played chess.

Tues, Sept 15- Up very early so out to explore the grounds with him in Bjorn. We are on largest freshwater lake in the backwaters of Kerala. Visited butterfly garden and tried out swings. Met others and we all took a pre-breakfast swim. BF delicious- everything from dosas to American-style pancakes, cereal, eggs to order. Love breakfast buffets! A walk to the nearby village after Gio's nap and then waited for our houseboat to arrive which was perfect for us- 3 clean bedrooms and a comfortable sitting area in front. Gio fell asleep soon after we boarded. Served fish, veggies and rice for lunch then we played cards and read until Gio woke 2+ hours later. As we were feeding him lunch (and snacking on banana fritters and tea), the engine broke down. Ah, India. Incredible? Sure, but not when it comes to engine maintenance! Eventually we were back underway. Gio happy sitting up with us in the front as we all enjoyed the sunset. Dinner was prawns, chicken, rice, okra and a coconut salad. Pineapple for dessert.

Wed, Sept 16- Gio awake by 5- not able to settle again so he and I came out on deck to play. Beautiful morning. After breakfast (frittata, toast, mango juice), Gio back to sleep and we sat to watch life along the banks of the water as we cruised to port. Then a 4 hour drive to Kovalam to the Travancore Heritage. Resort is ok- not my favorite. Rooms are 2nd story hotel block types and one of two pools is closed. Beach is fabulous (exceptionally clean for India) but the walk to get there is drudgery- rusty stairs, trekking through a seemingly empty eerie hotel. Oh well. Took a swim in pool (and cut my knee badly on broken tiles) and then tried to get G to take a much-needed nap. No luck. So walked him down in Bjorn to beach where others were hanging out. This is definitely the best part of resort. G had his first dip in the ocean! He was too tired to really react but still fun for Paolo to introduce him to the sea.

Thurs, Sept 17- A very loud Catholic festival began on the beach at 5:00. When G woke we went on a run through the roads behind the resort. Quite fun actually to see the homes and to greet all of the people going on about their morning routines. Children were especially amused by us and eager to shout "Good Morning!" and "How are you?". When we returned the others headed out on a run on the beach. They ended up having a terrific time watching (and helping!) the fishermen pull in their nets and then the women conduct actions for the catch. Breakfast and a swim in the pool until G became crabby (quite hot) and we returned to the room for nap #2. Lunch then to beach. Gio still not a happy boy so we did not last too long. I took a walk along beach to "take a break" but after seeing a dead dog and a man pooping I turned back in disgust. Took G back for a showe with Paolo and a short nap (#3). Horrible church chanting began again which woke him up so we played a bit and then took a walk into village to buy Gio a ball and me a Diet Coke. Fun to see real life here. Back to have a drink with Paolo (Gio tasted beer...and liked it!!) and then Paolo stayed to work while I took G back to put him to bed. Dinner while babysitter stayed with G. Rain.

Fri, Sept 18-woken again at 5 by blasting music. Not a plus of this resort. P got up with us and we headed to the beach. I ran along the shoreline village and into the interior again while P took G onto the beach to watch the fishermen haul in their nets. G touched his first fish. He was quite shocked by the taste when he put his thumb back into his mouth! Returned to room so G could nap. Breakfast, a swim and then packed up to head to airport.

Two Months to Go...

Five fellows on the Porch- Paolo, Gio, our driver Johnson, his son Abraham and, of course, Mr. Topher. We have just taken the two boys to the pediatrician. Gio had a shot and giggled when he was stuck. As Dr. Kumar says, "He is certainly well padded!"

And the moms.... Rosemarie with 17 month old Abraham and me with 8 month old Gio.

Playtime with Topher as an ever faithful babysitter. I wonder if he can be trained to keep Gio's fingers out of the electric sockets?

Snuggle time with "Mama Victoria." We are all going to miss her, but Gio most of all. He squeals with delight whenever he spots her.

Gio is, to no one's surprise, a pastry guy. Here he is finishing off a croissant. Someone at our baby group had accidentally left her full plate on the floor. Here is what she found upon returning!

Though we still do not have an exact move date, it looks like we will be flying back to DC in the beginning of November. In the meantime we are trying to squeeze as much as we can out of our last two months in India. The heat of the last month has "forced" Giovanni and me to the pool every afternoon. Such suffering. Only the monsoon rains keep us away from our swims. There have been some amazing storms here lately, including such a monster one two weeks ago that our house flooded nearly 3 inches in nearly every room. It was the most spectacular display of nature I have ever witnessed. Pitch black skies at 3pm, rain driven sideways, trees swirling and whipping about. Of course, this was the one day I chose to indulge in a few hours at the salon. There I was getting my toenails painted and watching the storm clouds approach from the top floor of a hotel while Sebastian and Victoria were at home babysitting and dealing with the incoming flood. It took hours to get home so when I got there the house was cleaned up, Giovanni was dressed and ready for bed. Sebastian and Victoria, as always, handled it all beautifully. I am still in denial that I will soon be without them.

This weekend 3 house guests will arrive from Italy. After some days touring around Delhi we will all fly down to Kerala for a week. We will spend a night on a houseboat and days on the beach, where Gio will get his first taste of sand (and undoubtedly ingest quite a bit of it). Look for photos and stories about our adventure later this month. After this trip our time will be spent getting ready to move- packing, selling (car, appliances), finding new positions for our staff... yikes! And then we need to restart our lives in Washington- baby proofing the house, finding a car for one year, relearning how to cook/do laundry/drive.... YIKES!!

Look for one or two more updates from Delhi. And then I will have to think of a new name for this blog.... perhaps "WashingtonWeeOne" and then "KievKid". Something else to add to the rapidly expanding TO DO list. Happy Autumn to all of you lucky enough to be feeling a bit of chill in the air. We will look forward to a dose of that in a few months. Hugs from the Bellis to all of you. Clara, Paolo, Giovanni and Mr. Topher

June 22nd: In the USA!

Hanging out with my very own great grandmother. She has the coolest measuring spoon ever. Here I am giving them a chew.

With my super-cool Aunt Molly. I think in a year or two I'm going to be able to lift her.

And my awesome Uncle Andrew. He really likes hanging out with me and my toys. Here he is trying to steal one of them.

With "Uncle" Forest (really a first cousin once removed, or something like that). He came to visit me all the way from Chicago and sent me the following three photos. I think I look quite adorable, if I do say so myself....

With my papa...in the "potato sack" position. Notice my svelte thighs. Oops, my underwear is showing!

With my mama.

It has been a whirlwind 3 weeks since we arrived in the States. Giovanni has been getting to know Great-Grandmother Day, Aunt Molly, many cousins and DC friends. He was reunited with Grandmother and Grandfather Zurn and, of course, his beloved Uncle Andrew. We traveled to Erie, PA, for his baptism June 14th. Our days in Washington are spent visiting Great-Grandmother and other friends. We go up to the Zoo every morning with the jogging stroller though so far Gio has missed the pandas as he falls asleep each time we approach their habitat. If only I could run faster to get him there while he is still awake! Nancy & Dave Roll have been incredibly generous to allow us to stay at their amazing P Street house while they are up in Michigan. Giovanni sleeps so well high up in his 3rd floor room. While he naps I tend to Nancy's garden and cook baby food. It is such fun to feed Gio these days as each new vegetable and fruit is a wonderful discovery for him. He has not met a taste he does not savor. Today I tried a papaya-banana-avocado mash on him- he lapped it right up!

Paolo's 17-year-old niece Cristina is visiting us and is giving me a lot of help with Giovanni. She takes English classes in the morning and then the 3 of us spend the remainder of the day shopping, strolling and swimming. We will all go up to New York City this weekend. Paolo and Cristina will fly to Germany together on Friday, July 3rd. From there she will go on to Italy and Paolo on to Delhi. Though I will be so sad to see them leave it will be such a relief to know Topher will finally be reunited with Paolo. On July 18th Paolo, Giovanni and I will meet up again in Italy for 3 weeks in the mountains.

Our big news, which many of you already know, is that we will be leaving New Delhi for good in early November. Paolo will begin a new position at the Bank working in Eastern Europe. We will live in DC for one year and then relocate to Kiev (Kyiv), Ukraine. What an exciting beginning of life our sweet Giovanni will have (though he will not likely remember all of these places)! More details later on this big move. Now I need to think of a new name for this blog....

Happy 4th to all of you! Love and hugs, Clara

On our way....

Who says babies take over parents' lives??

He has certainly taken over our living room! And even with all of these options, pappa's lap is the best place to be....

The blonde hair is coming in fast!

Don't tell Topher but Gio is wearing a cat outfit.  Horrors.

Two brothers.  So sweet.  

Big news is that we are on our way to the US in 3 weeks!!  We will fly into Washington on June 5th.  We will be in town for the month while Paolo works from the World Bank's headquarters downtown.  We will drive up to Erie, PA (my hometown) the weekend of June 13-14th for Giovanni's baptism which will be conducted by Charles Brock, my uncle who also performed our marriage.  Paolo will leave to come back to Delhi around July 3rd to work for 2 weeks before Giovanni and I join him in Italy.  There we will spend 3 or so weeks visiting family and hiking in the mountains. And Topher? He will stay behind in Delhi this summer.  We feel very sad about leaving him for so long but are comforted that Sebastian and his family will be living here with him and tending to his every need.  

For lack of much else to write about, I thought some (perhaps just a few) of you might be interested to have a glimpse of a typical day for me: 

Thursday, May 14th: Had a busy but good day today. Life is a challenge in many ways but in others quite a luxury. Today was the sort of day when life seemed quite easy: Paolo and I walked to the lake near our house with Topher after Gio's first bottle at 6. Gio rode in the Bjorn.  He has 2 pounds to go before he hits the carrier's 26 lb weight limit so we are trying to get a few more walks in with it before we have to put it away! I gave treats to the two old, crippled stray dogs I have grown quite fond of on the way home. Paolo spent time playing with Gio when we got home as this is his only chance to see him during the day as he gets home from work after Gio's bedtime.  At about 8:30 he went down for his morning nap which gave me a chance to do a bit of exercise. I was showering when he woke so Victoria changed him, fed him and played with him in the living room until I was ready. Here is where life is a luxury for me- to have someone in the house always ready to take Giovanni when I need a moment or two for myself.

We then headed over to my friend Victoria's house for coffee and a chat. She has a boy one day older than Gio so the two of them lay on a quilt and stared at each other and giggled while we chatted. Her boy is large for his age yet he is dwarfed by Giant Gio! My son threw a few jabs and kicks at Christino so I did have to separate them a bit at one point.  Is this a sign of things to come?  Do I have a bully on my hands??We then went home for another feed and his afternoon nap- this is the one Topher always joins him for. In the heat of the day he loves the relief of the A/C in the nursery and so the two of them snooze away for 2 or so hours. Once awake we went to visit my friend Islay who just had a baby two weeks ago- so bizarre for me to see such a tiny fellow. Even though it was only 5 months ago I cannot remember Gio that small!  Next we went to the American Embassy where we met up with my friend Katja and her 18-month-old son Alfie for a swim. I go to the pool every day at 4. It is such a relief and Gio has really taken to the water. I usually invite a friend along or meet up with people there so this is also my chance to socialize with adults (yes, today I did see two other friends before the pool, but that does not happen every day!). After a coffee together Katja and I each headed home to get out boys in bed. Gio had a bath (supervised by Topher), his last bottle, we read a few books, I sang to him and then he snuggled into his crib, thumb in mouth. He fell asleep 5 minutes after I left the room with Topher. 

After I finish this update I will head to the kitchen to bake brownies for our cook's birthday tomorrow. I gave him and his wife the night off since Paolo plays soccer on Thursdays and does not get home until past 9. They left dinner for us- leftover fish from last night, gazpacho (made by me!), salad and Sebastian's homemade bagel chips. Yum! We will have lychees for dessert- a fruit I have grown quite fond of here. So that's a somewhat typical day for me. Hope it gives you a picture of my life,as mundane as it may be. 

We hope to see as many of you as possible this summer.  I will try to write updates from the US but am making no promises.  

Things I am looking forward to once I hit US soil:

Grandmother.  She will finally meet her great grandson for the first time.

My family

Seeing as many of you, my dear friends, as I can!  

Whole Foods (or any clean grocery store where the foods are not past their expiration date!)

Sidewalks

Driving myself

Reliable electricity

Not worrying if water gets in my mouth during a shower

Beef

Daytime temps below 100

Baby stores

Online shopping

Decent bread

Fresca

Twizzlers

Turkey sandwiches

The Today Show

Netflix

Being in the same time zone as most of my family and friends

Chocolate that has not sat on a store shelf melting and reforming over and over again until it is a tasteless blob.

Less dust

Clean air

Rain

Frozen yogurt

Montrose Park

Being able to cross the street without risking my life.

Things I will miss when I am away from India:

Topher

Topher

Topher

Topher

Barbara upstairs.  

All of my other friends, esp my "Babies and Bumps" group

Our staff

Having a driver (yes, contradicts my desire to drive...but it is nice to have someone who parks, gets me anywhere I want to go and allows me to read/send emails on the move!)

Our morning walk to the lake and the two old strays I feed

Topher

Back from Italy

Topher on our morning walk.  He was sad to see us head off to Italy without him but managed to keep himself well rested and fed while we were away thanks to the careful attention of our cook Sebastian and his family.  

In Italy standing on the land we just bought near Castelnovo ne' Monti in the Reggio Emilia region.  Housebuilding begins this summer!  We hope all of you will come for a visit.

Standing on the road just above our land.  The weather was horrible most of our visit but we were able to capture a bit of the view for you here.  In the background is the famous "Pietra di Bismantova," a fantastic rock formation that sits in the heart of Castelnovo ne' Monti.

Once back in Delhi we had to deal with the sudden heat of summer that arrives like a freight train in April.  We quickly introduced Giovanni to the swimming pool at the American Embassy.  We now head there once he wakes from his afternoon nap, often inviting one of his pals along.  His girlfriend Matilda (an older woman at 7 months!) even comes in a pink swim outfit just like his own.  What a cute pair!

We had a fantastic 10 day trip to Italy! Giovanni handled the 9 hours of flying quite well, though he did enjoy practicing his new high-pitched squeal for much of the time (to the delight of our fellow passengers, I am sure).  We spent our time in the idyllic town of Castelnovo ne'Monti, which is about 2.5 hours south of Milan in the Reggio Emilia region.  Here is where Paolo spent much of his childhood running free with his best friends Angelo and cousin Willy.  Both men still live in the town so we were able to enjoy many days and evenings with them and their families. We stayed with Paolo's aunt Louisa and uncle Renato who took excellent care of us, filling us with homemade pasta, endless bottles of wine and laughter.  Giovanni was a huge hit with his Italian family and seemed to thrive in the cool temperatures and fresh air of Castelnovo.  We spent most days on walks through the rolling hills, drives and strolls in town.  

Paolo and I were lucky enough to get some "insider info" on some beautiful land coming up for sale near his family's home.  We bought the land and plan to begin building a house this summer- a place for vacations, visitors and, someday, retirement!  It is so easy for me to picture senior citizen Paolo hanging out in the town square with his childhood friends, playing bocce and debating Italian politics.  Maybe by then I will have finally mastered the Italian language?  In between the ground-breaking this summer and our senior moments we do hope many of you make your way to Italy for a visit to the Belli home.  We are at the edge of an enormous chestnut forest so after a day of chestnut gathering we will entertain you with local cheese, wine and prosciutto.  For you more active types there is skiing (alpine and nordic), running trails, rock climbing and bicycling options aplenty.  Hope to see you in Castelnovo very soon.

We are now back in Delhi for another month or so before we make our way to the US.   We are still not sure of our arrival date as we are awaiting (still!) approval from the World Bank for Paolo to work from DC for one month.  We will be staying in Georgetown and will be quite busy introducing Giovanni to the USA and to all of his friends and family there. We will have to leave dear Topher behind for the month of June while we are in Washington.  He will certainly miss us, especially his new brother Giovanni (Topher rarely leaves his side these days), but we are reassured that he is so well loved by Sebastian and his family who will live here at the house to care for Topher.  He will never lack for company, special treats, and cool air conditioning.  We do hope the month passes quickly for our dear dog.  

Enjoy the coming month of May- we have Paolo's birthday to celebrate and the hottest temps of the year to contend with (often 120 and above in May!).  After nearly a year away from the US I am eagerly awaiting my homecoming.  I cannot wait to see as many of you as I can.  All of my love, Clara

Off to Italy!

Here we are out on an early morning walk.  Gio, Topher and I head out before the heat arrives (hence the strawberry cap).  On this morning we ran into a photographer waiting for the zoo to open so he decided to capture a few images of these strange Western beasts.

  I attract quite a bit of attention on these walks as the Baby Bjorn is a strange contraption to most Indians and they find Giovanni's chubby cheeks quite tempting to squeeze!

Sorry to be out of touch for so long.  It has been a wildly busy March here in Delhi.  Giovanni took his first plane trip, Topher had his first shave of the summer and we had houseguests nearly every day this month. This coming week we have more guests, I host a baby shower and we leave for Italy on Thursday.  Phew!  Somehow while all of this was happening spring came and went.  Now we are right smack in the summer heat: ceiling fans are spinning, mosquitoes are buzzing and Gio is sporting some cute sunhats.  Lately these hats have become even more important as over the last two weeks our son has gone completely bald!  We now think he might be blonde, which would be quite exciting for me as so until now he has looked nothing like me.

Our trip to the south of India earlier in the month was an exciting one where we visited Chennai and Pondicherry.  Giovanni handled the flights quite well, though the first one troubled his ears a bit as the cabin pressure was not well regulated.  Maybe it was not smart for us to start Gio's airplane experience aboard an old Air India plane!  We brought Sebastian and Victoria along with us so that they could visit their villages; it was such a treat for us to visit them over the weekend and to see a bit of rural India.  Giovanni was a huge hit wherever we went. His cheeks were pinched countless times and toes tickled by many we passed.  When I had him out in the stroller women and men would just reach in a grab him to cuddle and bounce him about.  I was at first quite startled by this but soon got comfortable and was touched by the warmth and openness of this baby-loving population.  Giovanni took it all in stride and seemed to love the attention.  Luckily he has no stranger-anxiety yet!

We will be flying to Italy this Thursday night for Giovanni's first trip to meet his Italian family.   I will try my best to write soon after our return April 8th.  Meanwhile I hope you enjoy the coming spring wherever you are.  Big hugs to all, Clara

Hair in mid-shed (now there is nothing but a bit of a tuft at the back!)

Meeting children in Sebastian's village.