We departed Copenhagen in the dark, way too early. We generously gave the “happiest people on earth” one last chance to roll their eyes at our brood, and roll their eyes they did.

Jude screamed minimally on the flight, which brings his odds to about 50/50 for pleasant flights. We crossed the Alps in sunshine and smooth skies. Several Italians stood in the aisle and chatted with their friends the entire flight. They spoke with faces close, voices cheerful and warm. We saw smiles, and people made neutral to friendly eye contact. Things already felt so different from Copenhagen.

After riding the crazy rollercoaster monorail Marconi Express into town, we found our apartment easily.

Some initial impressions of Bologna: noisy, lots of trash everywhere, warm colors on every wall, free smoking via secondhand smoke, lots of ethnic diversity, so much going on! But with all the craziness, we felt perfectly safe and more welcome than in Copenhagen. We have gotten plenty of double-takes and audible gasps of “Quattro!” We’ve also been congratulated on our beautiful children. A street musician took a moment to exclaim, “Mama mia – uno, due, tre, quattro!” Another perk: prices are universally lower here. Our grocery bills and lodging are about half the price as in Copenhagen. Espresso and four enormous bakery treats were cheaper than at home. Haircuts and manicures and all sorts of things are cheaper than at home as well.

While exploring a bit we stopped first at a bar, which is where you get coffee as well as various other food and drinks. The barista asked me the most delightful question that should be asked with every coffee order (and that I did not my understand): “Would you like some chocolates with that?” Yes, of course, and they were delightful!

Sickness has continued to bog us down, and I’m pretty convinced it’s the flu. Day two in Bologna was a day for rest and school. I’m having a hard time making school happen, and it’s easy to see that the lack in continuity is not helpful to the girls. We’ve had several weeks of straight Mondays!

We made our way into the historic center of Bologna today. The kids walked 10,000 steps. We are surrounded by so much history, and because of the pace of our trip, we’ve done a dismal job at understanding each location on even a basic level. The kids are doing some research for social studies, but that just barely scratches the surface. There is always next time!

The awe-inspiring cathedrals provided welcome respite from the sounds and smells of the street. It’s hard to tell what exactly the kids think of what they’re seeing, but I think they enjoy the churches just as much as we do.

Enjoying the food scene of Bologna is not the easiest with our crew, but we’ve had pizza, focaccia, bakery treats, and some delicious pasta. I read that kids are welcome at restaurants, but we have done fine with quicker options. Laila has enjoyed everything. Morgan is fairly adventurous with eating, but he’s currently stuck in a power grab mood where he throws a fit one meal a day for all sorts of reasons. Quinn is our pickiest eater, and she’s not as big of a fan of the new and unexpected flavors. Jude’s favorite word is “bar,” typically signifying a firm and forceful demand for a granola bar or other snack, to be followed almost immediately by screaming if demands are not met.

Fillings the kids chose: berry jam, ricotta and chocolate chips, white chocolate, and hazelnut butter