Ever since the kids and I visited the Casa delle Farfalle (House of the Butterflies) in the spring, Elliott been wanting to go too. We finally got our act together and went for a picnic lunch one weekend after church. I’m so glad we went on the weekend because the park was packed with Italian families grilling out, picnicking, and kicking soccer balls around, and we felt like we were truly experiencing an Italian Sunday afternoon. The butterfly house wasn’t that bad either!
In addition to butterflies, the tropical garden included several crazy insects. That stick insect and that millipede are the biggest I’ve ever seen!
Look at Gil’s face!
The butterfly house also includes a few rooms dedicated to the history of the Silk Road. It was fascinating to see live silk moths and realize what a tedious process it is to extract the silk from their cocoons… even in the 21st century.
Gil amused himself by taking apart the displays…
And my favorite moment of the day is in photographs below when a butterfly landed right on Elliott’s face… and then Gil noticed it… and then…
Not pictured: the flight of the butterfly. Lucky guy!
Wow…that millipede really is huge! At first I thought it was a small snake! Love the way Gil is looking at that insect on Elliot’s finger, and love his beautiful curls! :)
Thanks, Alica! That photo of Gil looking at the insect is increasingly becoming my favorite… maybe because he is so adorably cross-eyed with wonder!
Every time you post I marvel at the beautiful pictures (of course, of folks dear to me) you have taken. Thank you so much for these gifts. What a neat place to go and interact with live insects, like the stick insect and so many beautiful butterflies.
Thank you so much! We wish you could be here to go with us. Maybe in April?
These photos are absolutely delightful. I love the series of Gil and the butterfly on Elliott’s face. The photo of the butterfly on Lena’s hand is precious. You’ve captured so well the delight of the children and the beauty of the butterflies. I have a small plant that looks like the one in the picture with Elliott, Lena, and Gil. It’s called the ‘crown of thorns’.