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It would seem there is a tradition in Rome -- and I suspect all of Italy -- that when Mom is out of the house, the bambini are not farmed out to a babysitter, but instead cared for by someone much closer to home. La Nonna. Grandma. | |
I started to pick up on something in my wanderings through the streets, piazzas and coffee bars of Rome. Many of the children were clearly not with their mothers. These women were much too old for babies. Nor, were they the classic babysitters we're used to in America. No one from Jamaica or Ireland or small-town USA was tucking these kids in. They were hanging out with Grandma. Or, groups of their Nonne. Now, I'm not one to pay that much attention to kids. But, it was unavoidable. Before I even saw them, I could hear them. Their grandmas calling out names like Gabriella. Claudio. Fabio. By the way, they sound so much cuter with names like that. And, they can speak Italiano so damn well. Here's Grandma, handing out the biscotti, wiping off the chins, running into the piazzas to keep their little wards out of trouble. I wanted to take pictures of them, but out of respect, did not. Tourists are fair game for photo taking, but the Italians just living their lives deserve a little space, I think. Back to le nonne. Every day, when I would go into my neighborhood coffee bar to get my morning cappucino, I would see this little girl with her nonna. The barista would spoon out the latte from the pitcher into a little espresso cup, sprinkle some cocoa or cinnamon on top, and hand it to the child with a delicate little spoon. This small daily act has probably been played out for years with generations of Italian little ones. Very sweet. Carina. | ||