On Wheels

We had another marathon market day in Cuneo yesterday. It was made longer by the fact that the 1:30 bus inexplicably never came, which left us stranded till the 2:45 bus. The bus schedule is exceedingly complex. Some busses come only on weekdays, others only on weekends, others only on school days during the school year. There are a few other nuances we have yet to understand completely.

However, in the intervening time we found a local beekeeper selling honey and pollen. The pollen comes in a jar, and it looks just like those little yellow balls of pollen one sometimes sees on the back legs of bees. Because you see, it is! Supposedly, the enzymes in bee pollen (along with the trace minerals, vitamins, and essential amino acids) are what cause many beekeepers in Georgia (that’s the country, not the state) to live well past 100 years. It’s worth a try. And the kids love it.

When we arrived home from the market (completely overloaded, as usual), we found Mother Goose, Adler’s How to Read a Book, and the whole six-volume set of Charlotte Mason waiting on our doorstep. Miss Mason suggested that children under six should spend 4-6 hours every day outside. I’d like to spend more time outside too.

So we decided to get bicycles (outfitted with child seats and baskets, just like the Italians’) so we can ride up into the Alpine meadows in the afternoons. We’re going to pick them up tomorrow, so I’ll let you know how it goes. Who needs a car?

What do you think?