Alla fine della giornata scolastica -- Reality bites

Max's teacher bringing him upstairs at the day's end

One of the delights of our Viterbo days' structure and logistics is that I'm able to pick up Max from school. I've taken Anna F's advice of long-standing and bought an electric scooter that allows me to get around anywhere in the city -- both inside the wall, and outside where the school is sited. (The scooter wasn't viable in Lincoln, where we live a ways from downtown, with fast roads and no  sidewalks in between.)

The scooter has been thrillingly liberating here. I'll save reports of scooter ups and downs (quite literally) for another day (and perhaps for a less self conscious and more disclosing personality). But the opportunity to independently traverse the kilometer or so and be there when Max is released is precious. 

In this picture, if you can make it out in the dim light, you'll see something less than joy on Max's face. In fact, he seems happy and energized at the end of the school day. But there's also an element of indignation.  Max was shocked that teachers can require him to do homework. The first assignments involved copying words several times in script and print. "I've done it once; why do I have to do it again? How is that a good use of my time? How do they have the right to make me do this?!?"