In Giardino con i Bambini: In the garden with the children.

Today was the first day we have actually been able to play in the garden. This means that Spring is coming to Italy! This is exciting as it makes me hopeful for more days like I had last weekend in Venice which was perfection. More about Venice soon.

Here in the city I am living in it has been getting warmer everyday which is nice (because being cold makes me ravenously hungry all the time. It's like I keep needing to fuel the fire or something) and we are getting more and more nice sunny days which are absolutely golden. Awesome lighting I find for taking photos of things in too. Everything is rendered warm-coloured and mediterranean, and the sun is so cozy and warm without ever being too harsh. In short when sunny, everything looks postcard perfect and I walk around in a happy surreal daze. Is there anything more beautiful than a cobble-stoned Italian village in summer or spring?

The garden of my host family is massive and landscaped to make a paradise for four enegetic young boys. When I first arrived at night I thought maybe they lived facing onto a park. Nope. It's their property alright. There is a field to play soccer in, a shady corner of large dropping trees covering a spacious chestnut wood cubby house (it even has electricity inside, like you can actually live in it). There is also a pond beyond the field to sail boats on that comes complete with arched bridge and a little bamboo island for the boys to reach via another little bridge.

At the back there is a small glass triangular prism shaped greenhouse, now disused, but being converted into a mini sunroom. The empty flower beds inside the house are being turned into benches with sinks, the gravel floor will be replaced with tiles, the exposed brick walls will be painted and the glass panes will eventually be cleaned and decorated with Tuscan style curtains. It is intended to be the 'summer house,' where they can sit watching the children frolic in the sun, and not have to keep running back to the house which is quite far away at this point in the garden. Outside this little greenhouse are now bare rose bushes threaded over arched displays. In summer they are in full bloom and I cannot begin to imagine just how beautiful it must be. The gardenia plant is also coming to life. We saw the first magenta pink blossom just last saturday.

When I asked my hostess if the boys spent much time here in the garden, she replied 'Oh yes! In Summer, they never leave! We never see them inside.' I think if I was their age I wouldn't either.

Today in the garden that smelt delicously woody and smoky, of warming lichen and neighbours burning firewood, I kicked a ball around with the oldest child. He was teaching me the important difference between kicking lengthwise versus upwards...'No, you see like this! (kicks ball) not like this!' (kicks ball again as I nod appreciatively and affectionately). 'Bravo!' I tell him. Then the second oldest came out and wanted to have a competition, who can kick the ball the highest. I judged until the littlest one began calling me to push him on the swing hanging from a huge beautiful tree near the field.

I would pull back the swing and ask 'Troppo??' (too much? Too high?) The little one would giggle and insist 'No!' I would pull him back a little higher. 'Troppo??' 'No!!' Finally when I could not hold on anymore, on three I would release as he cackled, twisting around mid-swing so he could try and punch me or stop me from tickling him under the chin as he swung backwards.

Having brought a large bamboo rod from inside (used by my hostess to point to various parts of Italy on a map they have inside the house. She often tells me interesting things about different regions. Like where the different food specialties come from) the little one then thought it a good idea to chase me around the field with it. Sometimes I let him catch me, but other times my fear was genuine. He still doesn't quite understand the meaning of gentle yet. 'Gentle! Gentle per favore!' I seem to say this a lot. Of late, if he does hurt me, he has taken to gasping in an exaggerated manner of remorse then grabbing whatever part of me that he has injured and pecking it with babyish little kisses, in between mutterings of 'Scusa! Scusa!' But this becomes a game in itself. I inevitably end up tearing him off me and to his delight roaring 'Troppo de bacci!!' Too many kisses!' He laughs and laughs.

The older two left to go to their swimming class and the little one and I remained in the garden. We visited the cubby house finding there lolly wrappers left over from last summer. He picked them up and tried to feed me with them, informing me in giggly Italian they were made of poo. Needless to say I rejected his generosity. We then jumped on their large trampoline, or he jumped and I was told to stay put outside the trampoline...the cheeky muffin hasn't quite mastered the concept of sharing either yet.

My hostess suddeenly appeared above from the kitchen window on the second floor. She had the little one's sky blue jacket. She dropped it down for me to catch. 'Hai freddo?' (Are you cold?) I asked the little one. 'No!' he retorted. Negative reply, as always. He was happy wearing the jacket all the same once I had stuffed his arms inside.

While jumping the caretaker of the property wished us goodnight as he drove past, leaving for the day. I told the little one to wave goodbye. 'Arriverderci!' He stood up, turned around and wiggled his bottom in the direction of the car. I couldn't help laughing, and grabbed him in order to tickle him and he shrieked and darted away. He told me I was like a crocodile, so I reached my arms out in the shape of a crocodiles snout and tried to snap at his legs as he jumped this way and that, giggling and cackling.

Eventually our jumping left both of us listless and dopey, so we lay on the winter leaf-covered trampoline and watched the sky turn darker and darker. Or rather I did, the little one loves ambushing me and jumping onto me when I least expect it, so he was occupied with that. 'Andiamo' I said finally. Let's go play with the lego. And so piggy-backing him off the trampoline the little one and I made our way back inside.

Till tomorrow and hopefully the day after that, lovely garden.