Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Ciao! All is perfect in beautiful Roma! Yesterday I took a tour of Vila d'Este in Tivoli, which is just outside Rome. Built by the son of the infamous Lucretia Borgia (boy, she had a life!!!), the gardens of this Renaissance villa are breathtaking!!!! The air was about 78 degrees, there was not a cloud in the sky, and the fountains were magnificent!!! I was so glad I took the time to go out there!!!!!
If Cardinal d'Este were alive today, I would say, "Dude! Well done! If the goal was to impress your guests, color me impressed! So, where's the Texas-shaped pool?"
I also had the chance to visit Villa Adriana, the complex built by the Emperor Hadrian WAAAY back in the day....mostly ruins now, but nonetheless impressive.
I did have to chuckle at this one woman on my tour....she and her husband were in Italy for their last day, and she was having a TERRIBLE time deciding between two polyester souvenir bags....one said "Roma" and the other said "Rome". She was concerned that people might not know what "Roma" meant, and she felt pressured to make a quick decision, as the group was leaving Tivoli.
Really....this is your major concern? Lady, the answer is NEITHER bag, because they are both heinous, and you should NOT carry either around under any circumstances....or the "What Not To Wear" folks will be knocking at your door!
Sigh. Tacky Americans! :) Now, I am hoping my Mickey Mouse sweatshirt somes clean, because I am planning to wear it to the Pantheon tomorrow!!!
Ciao ciao!!!
If Cardinal d'Este were alive today, I would say, "Dude! Well done! If the goal was to impress your guests, color me impressed! So, where's the Texas-shaped pool?"
I also had the chance to visit Villa Adriana, the complex built by the Emperor Hadrian WAAAY back in the day....mostly ruins now, but nonetheless impressive.
I did have to chuckle at this one woman on my tour....she and her husband were in Italy for their last day, and she was having a TERRIBLE time deciding between two polyester souvenir bags....one said "Roma" and the other said "Rome". She was concerned that people might not know what "Roma" meant, and she felt pressured to make a quick decision, as the group was leaving Tivoli.
Really....this is your major concern? Lady, the answer is NEITHER bag, because they are both heinous, and you should NOT carry either around under any circumstances....or the "What Not To Wear" folks will be knocking at your door!
Sigh. Tacky Americans! :) Now, I am hoping my Mickey Mouse sweatshirt somes clean, because I am planning to wear it to the Pantheon tomorrow!!!
Ciao ciao!!!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Happy Sunday! What a great day it has been!!! I slept in, despite my good intentions of getting up to take a run, enjoyed a lazy couple of cups of coffee, and headed out for church.
I am attending services and a Bible Study at Rome Baptist Church, and LOVE the people I have met there! I sat next to Laura Jones...a darling girl I met in Bible Study, who is here with her husband working for Campus Crusade. The message was excellent, and I enjoyed chatting with Pastor Dave after the service. Laura and I made a plan to meet with another new friend Kate, who is here with her husband who works for the American Embassy....I will have to take a bus to very northern suburbs of Rome to meet them, but I think I am up for the challenge! Laura promises to walk me through it!
On my way home, I wandered into an indoor flea market, and boy was that fun! Lots of antique vendors, and.....several antique jewelry booths. Those of you who know my fetish for old jewelry know what's coming....I was in hog heaven! It was so fun to see all the cool old pieces the vendors had for sale, and I made friends with one vendor who was a hoot!
Fabio is from Rome, but travels to the states a lot. In fact, he is leaving for NYC on Wednesday. He told me that each trip must have it's own theme....like one trip is only Broadway, and the next trip is only performance art.....he thinks this trip is going to be about cats....and I don't think he is talking about the musical.
Anyway, we had a great time together, and he let me try on absolutely every piece he had, including this super-cool bangle, faux emerald-encrusted with a large cameo, that fit nicely on my upper arm....couldn't think where to wear it, so I had to pass, but did pick up two fabulous charm bracelets. One from the 30's and one from the 40's that is an unsigned, but obvious Miriam Haskell.
Happy Birthday to me!
Having blown my wad, I did not go back to my flat for more cash, but still headed up via Flaminia to a flea market that only happens the 4th Sunday of the month. Fabio had been there earlier in the day, and told me it was mostly "junk", but I wanted to see for myself. After all, can you ever really have enough fleas?
It was kinda fun...lots of old clothes, lots of booths of quasi-antiques....nothing I couldn't live without. It was hot today, so I was not super motivated to dig through the racks of clothes.....although a cool fur stole did catch my eye....but again....where to wear it? Tom Thumb? Cafeteria duty? Hmmmm. I had to pass.
Back to my 'hood, a zucchini and tomato pizza on the steps of a church, a spin through the grocery store, and back home. Worn out, I did take a tiny nap.....I am embracing the concept of Sunday being the day of rest!!!!
Ciao!!!!
I am attending services and a Bible Study at Rome Baptist Church, and LOVE the people I have met there! I sat next to Laura Jones...a darling girl I met in Bible Study, who is here with her husband working for Campus Crusade. The message was excellent, and I enjoyed chatting with Pastor Dave after the service. Laura and I made a plan to meet with another new friend Kate, who is here with her husband who works for the American Embassy....I will have to take a bus to very northern suburbs of Rome to meet them, but I think I am up for the challenge! Laura promises to walk me through it!
On my way home, I wandered into an indoor flea market, and boy was that fun! Lots of antique vendors, and.....several antique jewelry booths. Those of you who know my fetish for old jewelry know what's coming....I was in hog heaven! It was so fun to see all the cool old pieces the vendors had for sale, and I made friends with one vendor who was a hoot!
Fabio is from Rome, but travels to the states a lot. In fact, he is leaving for NYC on Wednesday. He told me that each trip must have it's own theme....like one trip is only Broadway, and the next trip is only performance art.....he thinks this trip is going to be about cats....and I don't think he is talking about the musical.
Anyway, we had a great time together, and he let me try on absolutely every piece he had, including this super-cool bangle, faux emerald-encrusted with a large cameo, that fit nicely on my upper arm....couldn't think where to wear it, so I had to pass, but did pick up two fabulous charm bracelets. One from the 30's and one from the 40's that is an unsigned, but obvious Miriam Haskell.
Happy Birthday to me!
Having blown my wad, I did not go back to my flat for more cash, but still headed up via Flaminia to a flea market that only happens the 4th Sunday of the month. Fabio had been there earlier in the day, and told me it was mostly "junk", but I wanted to see for myself. After all, can you ever really have enough fleas?
It was kinda fun...lots of old clothes, lots of booths of quasi-antiques....nothing I couldn't live without. It was hot today, so I was not super motivated to dig through the racks of clothes.....although a cool fur stole did catch my eye....but again....where to wear it? Tom Thumb? Cafeteria duty? Hmmmm. I had to pass.
Back to my 'hood, a zucchini and tomato pizza on the steps of a church, a spin through the grocery store, and back home. Worn out, I did take a tiny nap.....I am embracing the concept of Sunday being the day of rest!!!!
Ciao!!!!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Hello Blog followers! It was a beautiful Saturday in Roma!
Interesting update on the music....evidently, Saturday is opera, xylophone, and steel drum lesson day....seriously! As I did a load of laundry (see, life is as glamorous over here as it is at home), I could hear opera out the window of my bathroom, in my kitchen there was the unmistakable sound of steel drums and xylophones, and the front room has cocktail-quality piano music floating in....why did I even bring my iPod? This is fantastic!!!! It's like being in Rome, the Bahamas, and a smoke-filled cocktail lounge all at the same time. WAIT! I think this must be how the Copacabana must feel!!!! Sing with me friends "Her name was Lola....she was a showgirl...."
So, two very big decisions today: Are you ready?
First, I bought myself a wine glass and a champagne glass. Can you believe my fabulous apartment (and it really is great), did not come with a singe vino-friendly glass? I have been drinking my vino blanca in a juice glass, and I decided to just live on the edge, and get a real stemmed glass. I know...you're thinking "Whoa, Mary. Slow down! Next thing we know you'll be saying things like 'Ciao bella' and 'Baci, baby'." Crazy! :)
Big decision two: I can have two different flavors of gelatto in one cup. I mean, they allow it here. Actually you can have up to three, but I have this mixing-of-flavors thing....you should see me at Thanksgiving. The food must not touch! Yesterday I got very close to getting strawberry and chocolate, but chickened out at the last minute. Just strawberry. No chocolate. But today....I guess inspired by my wacky 2 glass purchase, I decided to try....wait for it....
Coffee AND tiramasu. Will the wonders never cease? And, it was fabulous! I must do this again! Probably tomorrow!!!!!
Baci, baby!
Interesting update on the music....evidently, Saturday is opera, xylophone, and steel drum lesson day....seriously! As I did a load of laundry (see, life is as glamorous over here as it is at home), I could hear opera out the window of my bathroom, in my kitchen there was the unmistakable sound of steel drums and xylophones, and the front room has cocktail-quality piano music floating in....why did I even bring my iPod? This is fantastic!!!! It's like being in Rome, the Bahamas, and a smoke-filled cocktail lounge all at the same time. WAIT! I think this must be how the Copacabana must feel!!!! Sing with me friends "Her name was Lola....she was a showgirl...."
So, two very big decisions today: Are you ready?
First, I bought myself a wine glass and a champagne glass. Can you believe my fabulous apartment (and it really is great), did not come with a singe vino-friendly glass? I have been drinking my vino blanca in a juice glass, and I decided to just live on the edge, and get a real stemmed glass. I know...you're thinking "Whoa, Mary. Slow down! Next thing we know you'll be saying things like 'Ciao bella' and 'Baci, baby'." Crazy! :)
Big decision two: I can have two different flavors of gelatto in one cup. I mean, they allow it here. Actually you can have up to three, but I have this mixing-of-flavors thing....you should see me at Thanksgiving. The food must not touch! Yesterday I got very close to getting strawberry and chocolate, but chickened out at the last minute. Just strawberry. No chocolate. But today....I guess inspired by my wacky 2 glass purchase, I decided to try....wait for it....
Coffee AND tiramasu. Will the wonders never cease? And, it was fabulous! I must do this again! Probably tomorrow!!!!!
Baci, baby!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Below are pictures of Piazza de la Repubblica....I have never seen this section of Rome before, and what a contrast to the "historic" zone....all 18th and 19th century buildings...very different from the cobblestones of my neighborhood!
I did stumble across a flea-market specializing in....well, um....naughty Italian movies and magazines.....I cracked up a the attempt some vendors made at covering up their wares with pieces of cardboard....I was still able to see LOTS of body parts, despite their cloak-and-dagger efforts. And no, I did not make any purchases...'cause I know you were wondering! :)
I did stumble across a flea-market specializing in....well, um....naughty Italian movies and magazines.....I cracked up a the attempt some vendors made at covering up their wares with pieces of cardboard....I was still able to see LOTS of body parts, despite their cloak-and-dagger efforts. And no, I did not make any purchases...'cause I know you were wondering! :)
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Hey there!!
Mary -- you sound like a million~and I love your precious apartment -- and the music across the courtyard -- hopefully less tubas and more violins!! Loved your "statue" description -- can you imagine earning your "living" doing that.....haha; know you will have a ball with the American girls this weekend -- you have LOTS of StatesGossip to impart!! And that vegetable stand -- I am starving. Very proud of you! Lots of love and keep those stories coming!!
Be safe, Becky B.
Be safe, Becky B.
What a great day! I met many new friends at the women's Bible Study at Rome Baptist Church. Representing the whole globe, there were women from Portugal, the UK, Germany, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Japan, and the states.
I met four cute American girls whose husbands work for the American Embassy, and we are going to meet for coffee this weekend. Most of them have been here a while, and they are starved for news from the States, so that will be fun to make those friendships. They also have good information about a vegetable market in their neighborhood that is right off the Metro, so that will be easy!
OK, so funny observation for today: You know those creepy people in all the major cities who are dressed all in gold and pose on street corners? Well, I observed a "gold statue" shift change today. It cracked me up, and I could not help but watch. They stood and chatted for a bit....there was a bottle of water exchanged, and a fanny scratch or two, and the the new gold statue assumed their position, while the old statue talked away on their cell phone....I literally laughed out loud!
Then, I saw another funny "costumed person" moment. There are beefed-up men all over Rome dressed as gladiators. They pose with tourists for pictures, and ask for a euro or two in exchange. At the base of the Spanish Steps, there was a gladiator....cigarette hanging out of his mouth, trimming his finger nails with clippers. OK, so a little gross, sure, but the dichotomy of the costume and the cigarette and the nail clippers....again, a LOL moment for me!
Sigh. It's a good thing I am so easily amused!!!
I met four cute American girls whose husbands work for the American Embassy, and we are going to meet for coffee this weekend. Most of them have been here a while, and they are starved for news from the States, so that will be fun to make those friendships. They also have good information about a vegetable market in their neighborhood that is right off the Metro, so that will be easy!
OK, so funny observation for today: You know those creepy people in all the major cities who are dressed all in gold and pose on street corners? Well, I observed a "gold statue" shift change today. It cracked me up, and I could not help but watch. They stood and chatted for a bit....there was a bottle of water exchanged, and a fanny scratch or two, and the the new gold statue assumed their position, while the old statue talked away on their cell phone....I literally laughed out loud!
Then, I saw another funny "costumed person" moment. There are beefed-up men all over Rome dressed as gladiators. They pose with tourists for pictures, and ask for a euro or two in exchange. At the base of the Spanish Steps, there was a gladiator....cigarette hanging out of his mouth, trimming his finger nails with clippers. OK, so a little gross, sure, but the dichotomy of the costume and the cigarette and the nail clippers....again, a LOL moment for me!
Sigh. It's a good thing I am so easily amused!!!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
My favorite place in Italy is the street leading up to the Pantheon...between the buildings, it kinda sneaks up on you, and then POW! There is is! I like to stand directly under the occulus and think about all the famous people who have stood there before me. Like Napoleon....and Elvis Costello.... :)
Campo di Fiori's famous open-air farmer's market. Great fun to watch the women haggle with the vendors! I really wanted to buy some tomatoes and eggplant, but since my apartment is about 42 blocks away, and I knew I would be bitter at block 21, I decided not to....plus, there was a great "buy Italian" demonstration taking place around the corner, and I got distracted. Fortunately, since this was a food, not political rally, the crowd was fat and happy, as opposed to skinny and militant, I guess....
Monday, September 21, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Travel Data
Dallas Via Chicago then to ROMA...wow! Go sis! Have fun and send pictures and remember to launch "Looptlc" each day you get up so it is active!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Hi friends!!!! In three days I will be headed to Rome for a wonderful 30 days of writing, resting, praying, thinking....and, oh yes.....eating and drinking!!!! I have set up this blog so that I can post pictures and comments about the day's happenings, and you can post back if you choose!
I look forward to sharing this Italian adventure with you!!!
I look forward to sharing this Italian adventure with you!!!
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