Good Wines, GREAT Meal, the end of Phase 1.

I think that wine country was put on this earth to remind us of how beautiful everything can be. After my fantastic four days with Liz in Sonoma, I eagerly hit the road on a course for Yountville, the land of all things Thomas Keller. There's wine there, too, I guess. I wasn't my best self as a driver, for the simple fact that I couldn't stop staring at my surroundings. Rolling hills covered in vines, spectacular parts of the drive through the petrified forest--I was, and still am in awe. I rolled into Yountville around 11:15, and was one of the first people at Bouchon when it opened at 11:30. I took an early lunch to be sure I'd get a seat. Lunch was amazing--Bouchon is TK's French bistro restaurant, serving unpretentious fare in a bistro setting. As I was alone, I sat at the bar, ordering oysters on the half shell, salmon tartare, and mussels with a saffron dijon broth. Everything was incredible, from the perfect mignonette that came with the oysters, to the salty-sour mussels. I ended up sitting between two parties who were obviously good friends, as they kept talking over and around me (they arrived after I did and sat on either side). I offered to slide over, which they declined, but my offer was rewarded soon thereafter. One of the diners was a master sommelier, Brian Cronin, and they were drinking a really interesting French white, of which he gave me a taste. I thought that was a really nice gesture, which he totally didn't have to do, but it also gave me an opportunity to ask if he knew another Master, which I knew he would, as it's a small community. 

After a more than satisfying lunch at Bouchon (where for the first 10 minutes I was holding back tears of excitement because I couldn't believe that I was ACTUALLY THERE), I headed to a few different wineries, namely Rombauer, Mumm and Silver Oak. Any more than three and I wouldn't have been able to drive myself anymore, which is why as I mentioned in a previous post, if I go back I'd like to do it with A) a group and B) a driver. The Rombauer grounds in particular were so beautiful, I couldn't believe it- flowers everywhere, such an idyllic setting to taste some new wines. I had a pretty early night after that, because I was exhausted and knew today would be a long one...

...which it was. I swung by Bouchon Bakery for some treats for my trip, then hit the road back to Los Angeles so I could return one car and pick up the other. With a combined total of 8 hours on the road, stopping only once for gas, and twice to nap for 20 minutes-- my efforts at a good night's sleep proved futile-- I finally made it back to Rick and Michie's place, where I am currently enjoying a well-deserved glass of wine before they get home. Tomorrow I will return my rental car, pick up Tim and Erika's, and phase 2 of my road trip will begin: The Drive Across the Country. First stop: LAS VEGAS.

Oysters and Everything is Good With the World

^^This picture represents all that is good with the world.^^

After San Francisco, I switched gears completely and came up to Sonoma county to visit my friend Liz. She lives in Healdsburg and works in the wine industry. She has a beautiful little house pretty much right in town, so everything is super convenient to walk to. I spent some time walking around the first day- since it was a Friday, Liz was still at work. There's some beautiful restaurants and shops, though most of them seem to cater to a higher-rolling clientele. Once Liz finished work, we went out to BobCat ranch, where her parents are retiring to. They have their own wine label, and gave me a couple bottles, which was really nice. BobCat ranch is a place that is meant for peace and serenity. Alongside the vineyard, there is a beautiful lake, complete with bullfrogs. I can picture it being an idyllic place for kids to go to, once grandchildren are in the picture. 

Saturday is up there as one of the top-ten best days of my life. After Sean (Liz's bf) came back from his run, the three of us packed up the car with picnic supplies and headed out to Tomales bay, an incredible place where you can buy oysters by the 50 and either shuck them raw or grill them on the grills provided by the picnic site. I was in heaven. First of all, I love oysters. Second of all, I love being part of a convivial, festive atmosphere. There is nothing wrong with an environment in which you can cook and eat as many oysters as you want, while drinking wine and beer, talking to good friends and looking out over a beautiful bay. I had made a mignonette sauce for the raw oysters, as well as a lemon-garlic-butter sauce for the cooked ones, and we had some Mexican-style corn with cotija cheese...it was the best, if I lived out here I would do that probably at least once a month, since it's about 50 minutes from San Francisco. Liz tried to convince me to move to Healdsburg and get a job in the wine industry, but it's too much of a small town. 

Yesterday, I was on my own because Liz went to work, so I went to a couple of wineries in the area, tasted some wine, bought a couple. It was really fun, but the kind of thing that I'd rather do with at least one other person and/or someone to drive us around. After that, this Healdsburg housewife came home and made dinner for Liz and Sean- sweet pea, mushroom and leek lasagna, which was pretty great if I do say so myself. 

Today, I'm off to Thomas Keller-land, aka Yountville. It's the promised land, and I can't wait to eat at at least one of his restaurants- the French Laundry is a no-go probably (I had a chance for a res on Friday, but I'll already be on my way home by then), but Bouchon and ad hoc are still there...! Time to hit the road again......

If You're Going...To San Francisco...

The past few days have been AMAZING. I feel like California's putting its best food forward to try and convince me to move out here...and it's working. The weather in San Francisco was gorgeous, although I know that's not normal. I ate at some incredible restaurants, did a LOT of walking, spent time with friends, had a breakfast meeting with a friend of a friend to try and figure out a potential job out here, and tried a SoulCycle class. Ian invited me to try one of his classes gratis, and I did, and...I understand why people get so into it. It's an incredible environment, this room full of people all doing the same exercise but also at their own pace, the thumping music, and the inspirational mantras coming from the podium. At my request, Ian created a 90s alt-rock/grunge playlist, which was amazing. I learned a couple of things: I'm terribly uncoordinated, and had trouble with literally every single movement, and that if I ever do it again, I'm going to get seat pads. I'll just leave it at that. 

One of the things I consciously did in San Francisco was ask questions and hear peoples' opinions on what it's actually like to live there. I joked that I was auditioning the city for a starring role in my life, and I think that's pretty accurate. it's easy to see the good parts of a city, especially with that incredible weather, but I wanted to hear the bad as well. The biggest complaint from people is the cost of living, something I'm familiar with, coming from NYC. On the other hand, I feel that people get so much more bang for their buck. I helped Ian move one day (read: brought champagne and watched him unpack boxes), and was taken aback at how much space he had (TWO walk-in closets) for less than I paid for a studio in midtown. He also had a ridiculous view that would fetch nearly twice that anywhere else. You pretty much need a car in the city, so that drives the cost of living up as well, especially the up-front costs with permits, etc. Parking is also a nightmare. Food in general seemed pretty reasonable, compared to the cost of eating in New York. At the end of the day, it's a question of if I can see myself being happy in a place, and I think the answer with regards to San Francisco is a resounding YES. I love the proximity to so many fun places. I love the sense of calm that resonates through the city. I love the abundant and varied food culture. I didn't hit half the places that were suggested to me, loved all the places I went to, and am eager to go try the rest. I loved the people I met, super laid-back and friendly. The jury's still out on SoulCycle, but they do have a number of CrossFit boxes, so I can pick my pain. 

We'll see what happens. As luck would have it, I've been in touch with a few people who MIGHT know of something regarding work that MIGHT be a reason to come back out here, and not just for the wedding of two of my favorite ladies. Who knows? Maybe the permanent vacation needs to become...permanent. 

Such Great Heights

I don't really have much to say about my time in Carmel or Monterey. Both places are so beautiful, but I feel like such touristy towns are almost harder when you're by yourself. Besides, I had bigger and better things to do. 

Let me tell you, the drive from Monterey to San Francisco up Route 1 is hands down one of the most breathtaking things I've ever experienced. I stopped a couple of times to just stand on a cliff and stare out into the vast blue of the ocean. With the waves crashing against the craggy rocks in a relentless, punishing rhythm, I was overcome by a sense of peace that has been missing in New York, where occasional glimpses of contrived nature clash noisily with the concrete jungle. It's a consistent cacophony of sounds and sights that assaults the senses and makes it near impossible to think straight. I have been looking for a place where I can breathe, and the dizzying cliffs at the edge of route 1 are damn near perfect. 

I arrived in San Francisco, finally turning on my GPS to take me to a Holiday Inn near Fisherman's Wharf. I had a little bit of sticker shock at the price of a night, but my desire to begin my exploration of the city won out, so I checked in. Quick change, then I was off to the Wharf, where I had a lunch of oysters and linguine with clams at one of a thousand seafood restaurants. It was actually really good, though it didn't hold a candle to Maialino's spaghettiini alle vongole, but then few others do. After walking around for a little bit, I went back to my room to relax because I was meeting Ian (former coworker) for dinner. 

In New York, if something is less than a mile away, you walk. I learned the hard way that you don't do that here. I was meeting Ian just about a mile away, so I set off...and upwards. THIS IS NOT A WALKING CITY. Those breathtaking vistas from atop San Francisco's hills are best reached via cab or cable car. However, at this point my stubbornness kicked in, and I pushed on, arriving at Ian's SoulCycle studio panting and sweaty, with a vague sense of accomplishment, not quite as great as climbing Everest, but maybe one of its foothills. Had a nice dinner and some drinks catching up with Ian, who relocated here from New York about a year ago, and has nothing but great things to say about living here. 

Day one in San Francisco was amazing. I love this city so much! The photo below is a view of one of the vertical streets I climbed.

Suuuuper-Smalltown, USA

Image of 'the steel rodeo'

I've been absent from posting for a couple of days because I spent those days in the middle of nowhere, with no internet access besides what 4G service I could get on my phone. After the hustle and bustle of LA (and a great night staying at Susan's house), Springville was a welcome retreat. Located 3.5 hours Northeast of LA, Springville is a tiny town in the Sierra Nevada foothills where my friend Kendra lives. Friday night it was raining, so we ended up going bowling, which she said is a common night-out activity in neighboring Porterville, which is the 'big' town. That was fun times, and gave me a chance to meet some of Kendra's friends, as well as get a feel for the nightlife. I did get into a heated debate with a guy at the bar over politics, but I need to learn to pick my battles in Republicanville...the next day was the main event: the Springville Rodeo. This thing is a big freaking deal. What seemed like the entire population of Springville (around 1,000) was there, as well as most of the neighboring towns. It was a pretty awesome rodeo, though rodeo will never be my favorite form of entertainment (poor animals). Kendra said that calf-tying doesn't hurt the calves, but I just don't see how that's possible when you're being jerked around the neck at top speeds. 

Some highlights from the rodeo:

- Denim on denim on denim, as far as the eyes could see. 

- A young boyscout half-heartedly selling sunflower seeds in the stands as his father followed him around.

- Churros and $4.00 beers 

-The Steel Rodeo, a high-flying BMX show that happened after the horses were put to bed

All in all, it was a great experience, and I'm glad I went out to Springville. The weather was a bit colder than I guess it usually is, but I'll just have to go back. It reminded me of all the things I loved about going to college in a small town. Kendra actually has a river going through her back yard, so I'll have to go back so we can go tubing. However, after eating like smalltown America for 2 days, I was pretty psyched to hit the road in search of some crisp, clean seafood. After a disappointing lunch in Carmel, I'm still looking.........Better luck in SAN FRANCISCO!!!

That's so L.A.

I had written this long post when I arrived the other day at Rick and Mich's house about our beautiful drive down to LA, and our (and then my) nights at Allison's, but I accidentally deleted it. I was so angry about it that I couldn't bear to try and write it again. Here are the main points, then I'll talk about the last couple of days:

-After the wedding brunch on Sunday, me, Oliver, Kinnon, Tee and Jess all drove down from Ojai to LA, along the Pacific Coast Highway whenever possible. 

-I can never get enough of the ocean, just staring at it. Sitting on the shores, whether East or West, I can stare into the ocean and see everything and nothing all at once. The horizon presents the promise of something on the other side, we just have to trust/know it's there (there's a metaphor there but I won't insult anyone's intelligence by belaboring the point).

-Oliver and Tee are crazy, and we stopped so they could jump in the freezing ocean. 

-After lunch in Venice, we went to an indoor-outdoor bar in Santa Monica, which was PACKED. We wondered if anyone actually had jobs, as this was a Sunday afternoon.

-We took a $25 Uber cab that lasted 4 minutes to go meet Allison's friends at a bar. We walked back, upon our insistence. Apparently everyone takes cabs here.

-Had a lovely dinner at Eveleigh. Our server had just moved out here a year ago from NYC, where he had worked at my favorite late-night joint, Blue Ribbon. 

-The next morning, we drove up to the Hollywood sign, so we could take some touristy photos. This accomplished, the others piled in the car, it wouldn't start, then finally got a jump and drove to the airport. 

-Monday night, Allison and I went to the Hot Tub, a comedy showcase at the Virgil in East Hollywood hosted by Kristen Schaal (she played the really weird page in 30 Rock who dated Kenneth). It was surprisingly funny, given that it was mostly experimental comedy, as well as a forum where comedians could try out new material. 

 Tuesday, Rick picked me up and brought me to his house. He and Mich live in this beautiful residential neighborhood that is perfectly serene, especially given how close it is to Hollywood Boulevard (more on that in a minute). He had a meeting, so I went shopping unsuccessfully, then after his meeting we went to Buffalo Exchange, where we both had a lot more success. After that, he had to go out for a bit, so I sat down and wrote the aforementioned doomed blog post, then when he came back we went out and got sushi. Yesterday morning, I got up and after looking at a map, realized how close they live to Hollywood Boulevard, like less than a mile! I spent the morning doing the touristy thing, walking up and down the Boulevard, looking for stars, then I went to the Hollywood Museum. It's in the old Max Factor building, where supposedly stars like Marilyn Monroe and Lucille Ball got their makeup done (in the same rooms that were preserved for people to gawk at now). A few highlights: the pill bottle found with Marilyn when she died, Elvis's tattered, peanut-butter-stained bathrobe, and a replica of Hannibal Lecter's cell. It really is the little things for me. Last night, we had a little dinner party with their friends from Australia and their roommate Dan, which was really fun. Today we are puttering around a bit, then I'm off to Susan's for my last night in LA!!! More later, miss everyone!  PS the picture above is of Pam Anderson and David Hasselhoff's swimsuits from Baywatch. I texted Oliver a picture. 

Here I Go Again On My Own...

Well, four years later, here I am again. One chapter closed, doing my best to figure out the next one. Having spent the last three years getting my Masters degree in Food Studies and working full-time at Maialino restaurant in NYC, I'm exhausted. I'm proud to have gotten my degree while working in an industry that is, arguably, one of the more challenging, both physically and emotionally. I come away from my time there with a stronger sense of how to manage people, as well as a continued love and passion for food, especially Italian. One of the greatest things that Maialino gave me, however, was a group of people who were both a joy to work with and to get to know individually. Leaving them was the hardest part of leaving the restaurant, but we had a baller going-away party and I look forward to crossing paths with them in the future. 

 What am I doing now? Having come out to California for my friend Tim and Erkia's wedding, I decided to stay on and explore this state that I don't know very well at all. Right now I'm in Los Angeles, staying with Allison. Oliver, Kinnon, Tee and Jess just left for the airport to go back to Boston, and I feel like my trip is really starting now. I look forward to seeing hopefully all the people I know and love in California, but I'm also excited to spend some time alone as I drive. 

 Los Angeles is like a foreign country to me. I speak the language, fortunately, but that's about as far as I can go. Shiny, happy people doesn't even begin to describe it. The one thing all of us were asking yesterday was, "don't these people ever work??" The East Coast is so career-driven, and people are almost defined first and foremost by what they do, where they went to school, etc. Not here. Allison confirmed my suspicion that a lot of friendships are forged by gauging what another person can do for the other, who do you know who can help me get ahead/get famous, and the like. This is certainly not to say that real, true friendships aren't forged here, but it seems to me that you have to work just a little bit harder to find the genuine ones. Also, coming from New York, the need to drive everywhere is insane to me. 

 I'm writing this from Allison's living room, sunshine pouring in from the sliding doors that overlook her pool, having just returned from a drive to go see the Hollywood sign, and even though I"m nervous about my time here, and I don't know what the future holds, I am convinced that I made the right choice. How could all this sunshine be wrong??

Spring is Here!

After a more-than-a-little-slow start to the spring, and a massive hiatus from yours truly from blogging, it seems that the famous Roman weather is finally in swing. That Icelandic volcano has apparently been behind the poor weather, which will probably continue to be gross through at least August, but at least for now (and the last couple of days) it's sunny. Nothing too new has happened in the last few weeks, we've just been enjoying the spring. Our team finished 2nd place at the last Pub Quiz, and fourth in the league overall, which we're pretty proud of. The picture up top is of me and my team. Work is going well, it's nice to have a source of income, at least! I have 2 weeks off in August, and we are planning a little trip around Tuscany, for which I am so excited. We stayed in Tuscany 3 years ago as a family, and I can't wait to revisit all the little hill towns and eat the delicious food. Even though Rome is in Italy, it is such a tourist city and the food is not as great as in the rest of the country. Which is not to say that I haven't had some fantastic meals. We had dinner the other night, 5 of us, and went to a little place in Trastevere that I've been to before, but the gnocchi was just fantastic. You can really ruin gnocchi. If it's too dense, it's really bad, but these were perfect fluffy pillows covered in a tomato sauce with mozzarella. Fantastic. On another note, today I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my Rosetta Stone language software. After visiting me here, and seeing how poorly my Italian has been progressing, my dad generously offered to foot the bill for the program, and I'm so excited. It's my summer project, to become at least functional by the fall. I'd like to be able to get myself around by the time we go on holiday, because I don't like having to have someone always speak for me, so here's hoping. I'm sorry I've been so lazy in posting, maybe the Italian lackadaisical quality has rubbed off on me!!! Much love to all.

Senioritis

I feel like I owe it to the elderly of Italy to give them a shoutout. For a country that so values physical appearance, "La Bella Figura," it is more than marginally shocking that people age the way they do here. It's as though all of a sudden they reach a threshold, say at 60 or so, and all of their prior careful primping and coiffing and meticulously chosen wardrobes go flying out the window. To put it bluntly, the old people here look, well, OLD. It's like they wake up one morning and acknowledge the passing of time, and resign themselves to spending their twilight years in a world of shapeless, blandly colored outfits and orthopedic shoes. My mother has always believed that age is nothing but a state of mind, and that you are only as old as you feel, and I agree with her. I don't think I would be alone in giving a nod to my parents, who are in their 60s and could run circles around most people in their 50s, and probably some in their 40s (and me, in my 20s, but that's another tale). What, then, has caused the decline of Italy's elderly? Should this even be worth mentioning? Or are Americans conditioned to fear old age? Popular celebrity culture, most rampantly prevalent in the United States, has essentially made aging a cultural faux pas. Botox, collagen injections, and face creams made from placenta are all footsoldiers in the army against Mother Nature. And maybe that's not right, either. There is certainly something to be said for aging gracefully, but what about the sunset of life screams, "MY OUTFITS MUST BE DRAB AND MY SHOES PRACTICAL?" Granted, I understand the need for the shoes, but the kind favored by the Italian grannies is the kind that gives people cankles. For those who don't know, a cankle occurs when there is no distinction between the calf and the ankle- they are one and the same. And orthopedic shoes cause cankles. Alright, there are a few resilient members of the Golden Girls set who simply refuse to don the uniform of seniority, and instead still flaunt their "Golden Girls" in tight sweater sets and short skirts with fishnet stockings, as though they were teenagers on their way to the sock hop. But that's not graceful either. I guess you just have to know when to say when, but I sincerely hope that when I get to the magic age of dressing 'old,' that I have the strength and courage of conviction to throw on a pair of jeans now and again.

Toilet Humor

Contrary to what the title may lead you to believe (and given my often crude sense of humor, who could blame you?), this post is not about poop jokes and the like. Rather, it's a bit of a rant on the conditions of toilets, not just in Rome but in the world at large. As part of my Christmas stocking this year, my mom gave me a small box of disposable toilet seat covers. Clearly, I laughed, and she just said knowingly, "you never know when you might need one". Well, I haven't needed one yet, because THERE ARE NO TOILET SEATS IN ROME. Okay, to be fair, there are some, but at a vast majority of places, it's just the bowl. So many things that we in America consider to be necessities (dishwashers, drying machines, triple-grande vanilla soy lattes), are considered mere luxuries here, not for the average Giovanni. This attitude towards certain amenities begs the question in light of today's post: Are toilet seats a luxury? Or are the Italians so lackadaisical about everything that putting a lid on the porcelain throne was too much work? I have this theory that they put in all the toilets in Rome at the same time, and then decided that the effort would be too great to outfit them all with seats, so they just didn't. Am I being too harsh? There is no law anywhere that states that there needs to be a buffer between my derriere and the toilet bowl, it's just something I've become used to. As I write this, however, I think about the benefits of not having a toilet seat. Men don't have to worry about putting it down (not that they do anyway)...women don't have to touch it when men forget to put it down. One of my least favorite things about public restrooms is that space on the U-seats, where you can see the edge of the bowl under the seat, and without a seat, this problem no longer exists. I guess that one of the reasons that I'm baffled by the universality of subpar toilets, is that going to the bathroom is one of the most basic human functions, that all humans must perform in order to survive. Why then, has this necessity been relegated to some of the dankest, most disgusting places? I guess the world may never know.

Craig in Rome- Part Two

Another picture of Dad and me at Tivoli- this time Villa d'Este!!
Let's see...when I left you last, Dad and I had just gone to Tivoli for the day. On Monday, he braved the half-hour+ tram ride to come out to my area of Rome to see my apartment. What I didn't realize is that, because of track reconstruction, half of the trip out here was given over to a bus, a fact that Dad had to discover on his own, which he did admirably. When he got here, I showed him my apartment, which I was very excited about- I love it. Then we wandered around, looking for a cute little restaurant to have lunch- such a thing apparently does not exist out here in Centocelle. The afternoon was given over to separate endeavors, and that evening we went to Mirabelle for dinner. Located on the 7th floor of a hotel overlooking the Villa Borghese, this one-star Michelin restaurant had the most outstanding views of Rome, especially after the sun went down and St. Peter's was all lit up. The meal was excellent, although I confess to having preferred the one from Il Pagliaccio. But the whole evening was lovely. After dinner, I joined my team at Pub Quiz, which they had lost miserably without me. The next day it was early to rise for the Vatican. It was a rainy day (we've had a lot recently), so being at the Vatican's extensive museums was a good activity. Brandon again did a fantastic job showing us around-- the Vatican is his best tour, so it was really a treat. We've been there before, but the massive collection of art never fails to amaze me. Some highlights: The Laocoon, the Apollo Belvedere, Michelangelo's Pieta, the Sistine Chapel, Raphael's Transfiguration, and my personal favorite- The Raphael Rooms. The School of Athens is my favorite painting, ever. I'd be hard-pressed to tell you why, but it is a truly awesome masterpiece. I had to work that evening, but when I got off we met Brandon and Erin for dinner at a place near the Pantheon that a couple of us had discovered a number of weeks ago. I'm glad Dad got to spend some time with two of my favorite people, and it means so much that he wanted to! Wednesday was Dad's last day, and we met Brandon again for a less structured tour around- we stopped in a few churches that I wouldn't have thought of, which were great, and got to see Bernini's 'The Ecstasy of St. Theresa,' the obviously sexualized, beautifully rendered statue of St. Theresa in the throes of passion, being pierced over and over by an angel's golden arrow. Dan Brown didn't do it justice- it's an incredible piece of work. I had to work again that evening, but Dad and I met again for dinner at a place near his hotel. The dinner was bittersweet. We reflected on the week, and had a lovely time, then parted ways, as he was leaving early the next morning. I returned home and burst into tears when I walked in the door. I had such a great time with my Dad, and it meant so much that he came all the way over here just to spend some time with me. Seeing him made me a little homesick, so when he left I was a little sad, but it was a wonderful week.

Craig in Rome- Part One

As you can probably tell by the picture, my Dad's here in bella Roma! Seeing as how we have already done a lot of things, and still have a lot to do, I figured I would divvy up the blog entries into a couple individual ones, so you weren't all bombarded by a lot of crap at once. Dad got in on Friday, at around 10:30 AM. I was working, and didn't get off until 2, at which point I headed over to his hotel and woke him up from his well-deserved nap. Between leaving Colorado, flying into NYLGA, transferring to JFK and flying to Rome, it took him about 24 hours to get here, a Herculean effort which I hope to reward with fun experiences. We took it relatively easy that evening, just walking over the river to a restaurant which wasn't open, so we wound up going somewhere that neither of us enjoyed, but it was nice catching up. The next day, Saturday, we joined my friend Brandon's tour of some of the underground sites under churches, etc. I had already been on the tour, but it's truly fascinating what is just under our feet as we traipse along the streets of this city. We had to leave the tour a bit early, however, as we had dinner reservations at Il Pagliaccio, the only 2-Michelin-star restaurant in Rome. It was a superlative meal, and I can now say that I have eaten baby goat. Fantastic. When we sat down they presented us with a wine-list-type tome so that we could select...a bottled water. After asking for the waiter's expert recommendation, we settled on the San Faustino, a choice which indeed proved to be an excellent accompaniment to our repast. I mean, it's water, people. Anyway, like I said the meal was just amazing, and what's even better is that Dad and I got to catch up. I hadn't seen him since I left Vail after the holidays, and we always do have such a good time together. Today we went to Tivoli with Brandon, and got to see two UNESCO World Heritage sites (of which there are approximately 500 in Italy alone)- the country villa of the emperor Hadrian (which I'm pretty sure covers more acreage than my college), and the Villa d'Este, a magnificent villa overlooking the Lazio region with about 30 fountains of varying size and impressiveness, the coolest of which was one that, through water pressure alone, played a 16th-century Classical tune on an organ. I much preferred the Villa d'Este, which is from the 16th century, although Hadrian's villa is staggering both in its size and its architectural impressiveness, especially when you consider that it was built in the 2nd century AD. Tomorrow Dad's coming to see my apartment, and on Tuesday we have reservations at the Vatican, so I will post more about that as the time comes. Seeing my Dad reminds me of all the family and friends I miss so much, but I'm so thrilled to be able to share my life here with him, because as the two saccharine-sweet posts prior to this one may have hinted at, I'm kind of happy here. Don't worry to those who only read for my causticity-- I have a rant coming soon. XOXO

Life is Good Today

Me, Becky and Erin at our picnic today.
I've done it again...neglected to post. In all fairness, however, this week has been hectic. In a good way- I started my new job (!) on Monday. I'm working for a school called the Trinity school, and it's teaching English to adults, and it's awesome. There's no lesson planning and no traveling. It takes place at the school, and we basically follow along on the students' learning trajectories. Everyone's very nice, and I really like it so far. We've had a couple of days' wretched weather here, but today was absolutely beautiful. Becky, after being temporarily foiled by the dastardly Icelandic volcano whose name I can't pronounce, let alone spell, has arrived in Rome. She got in on Friday evening, and it's been a wonderful time so far. Today, she, Erin and myself went to the Porta Portese market, which sells everything from clothes to used batteries (really). It was awesome, and so sunny. The market closes at 2, at which point we went and had a picnic in a park somewhere, where various others came and met us. An absolutely perfect day. I have briefly returned back to my apartment to regain my energy and take a shower, then will be heading out to Sunday night karaoke at Scholar's Lounge. I wish I could convey to you all just how great it is here. I am so freaking happy, and for someone who rather cynically has spent the majority of her life waiting for the other shoe to drop, it's a bit unsettling. But in the immortal words of the McDonald's advertising team, I'm Lovin' It. The food is awesome, I finally have a job, and the people have met and exceeded any expectations I had. I miss my family, and my friends in the States, but I'm on this awesome rollercoaster, and I'm going to stay on it for a while. I don't know what each day will bring, but every night I fall asleep smiling, having fallen just a little bit more in love with existence, messy and strange though it may be sometimes.

Happy Happy Joy Joy

Wow, I can't believe another week has gone by! I'm having such a great time that every so often I have to step back and wonder if this is really my life. I love Rome, and I love the people I've met so far. I have been offered a job, which I start tomorrow (Monday) so hopefully I'll be able to get some solid hours with them! Becky was supposed to visit this weekend, but the volcano in Iceland foiled those plans, so she's re-booked for next weekend, but I hear that flights might be grounded for a while. I hope she makes it. On another note...Dad's coming! Craig Foley will be in Rome from April 30th-May 6. I'm so excited. We had such a great time when we came here as a family 3 years ago, and I'm planning lots of fun things for us to do. It means the world to me that he's coming, and it's also a great excuse for me to do a bunch of tourist-y things that I might not think of on a day-to-day basis. I can't wait to show him my apartment, and introduce him to some of my friends, and be able to share in some of the excitement I have for my life here. I just re-read this, and realized that I have become one of those people who can talk about nothing but how happy they are. I'll try and throw in some bite next time, but for now it's springtime in Rome. Tonight a bunch of us are going to the Pakistani ambassador's house to watch the Rome soccer game. Should be fun, it's always an experience at Rahim's. Much love to all.

Money Talks

So I've been constantly applying for jobs since being here, and since nobody ever responds to emails in Italy, the search has been somewhat disheartening. However, I know that something will come up, and in the meantime, I have started advertising for private lessons. When you learn how to teach English, you go into it with the knowledge that you will never get rich doing it. This is a vocation for those who love interacting with people, and who have a desire to subsidize a life of minimalism. Basically, we just need to cover the rent and maybe some food. English teachers are typically paid very poorly, so most go into private lessons as a way of earning some extra cash. Now, I just had my first private lesson this morning, and I can say that aside from the potential for gratification by watching one person improve before your eyes, another positive to this endeavor is the instant, off-the-books gratification of cash. I have heard horror stories of people who work for companies and schools having to literally beg to be paid, and I'm sure at some point I too will encounter such joys, but in the meantime I am jumping up and down with joy over having received my first payment for anything in Europe (I have yet to be paid for my part-time work with the kids). It seems so silly, to get excited about a little thing like this, but it gives me some modicum of hope that maybe, just maybe, I will be able to support myself here. Or at least cover my rent.

The Animals of Rome

Although I'm in a major city, and encounters with dangerous animals are few, there are still a couple of notable experiences that I would like to share with you all today. First of all, the pigeons. Being a New Yorker, I am used to pigeons, or as I like to call them, "rats with wings". How they are of the same family as the elegant dove is beyond me. Pigeons are pestilent, unfortunate creatures that travel in herds and detract from the scenery wherever they go. That being said, the pigeons in Rome are also BOLD. At least in New York, when you walk towards a pigeon, they usually fly away. Not here! The pigeons here will stand their ground, engaging you in a perverse game of 'chicken' to see who moves first. NB: The pigeon will not move first. You have to get out of the way or risk actually touching one of these foul things. This was not supposed to be a rant, but I decided to write this post due to the fact that A PIGEON ALMOST LANDED ON MY HEAD YESTERDAY. I was walking down the street, I saw a pigeon flying towards me, I figured it would move, and...it did, but only at the last minute. It was such a close call that I wondered if pigeons don't harbor some sort of advanced pre-cognitive capabilities specifically honed to the detection of human fear and disgust. I imagine it's similar to the thought process of the budding serial killer who tortures cute animals for fun. FYI: The picture above is of a pigeon who seems to be suffering for the sins of his brethren- probably diseased and with only one leg. It would be heart-wrenching if I hadn't met the others first.
My other animal experience was less death-defying, and actually kind of funny, with only a small margin of annoying thrown in there. After I wrote my post yesterday, waxing poetic about how fantastic my new apartment is, night fell...and the cats came out. Anyone who's ever read a Garfield comic strip knows that Garfield spends a fair amount of his time caterwauling on some poor neighbor's fence. Not until last night did I know that these entertaining comics had some basis in fact. At first I thought a child was making some sort of noise indicating pain, but then I remembered my old cat, Buster. Buster made a noise like this once, and Mom thought one of us was hurt. If you've seen the South Park movie, it's sort of like the sound of a dying giraffe, but in a higher register. Anyway, I digress. A number of the neighborhood cats started in on this strange symphony, until the only sound I could hear over the cacophony was the intermittent sounds of my own hysterical laughter. Should this continue to occur, I'm sure it will become much less entertaining, but for the time being, it's still pretty funny.

Happy April!

Hi everybody, sorry I've been so remiss in writing...things have been pretty much the same here, although I can't complain because I'm in ROME! On Monday I went to the necropolis under St. Peter's Basilica, which was the coolest thing ever. Literally a city of the dead right under the basilica. Below even the grottoes, where the popes are buried. The highlight of the tour was of course seeing the tomb of St. Peter, as well as some bones which may or may not be his, but I've chosen to believe they are his, because that's so much cooler. As I write this, I am sitting at my desk in my new bedroom! I moved in yesterday, and it's great. My computer is right in front of a window, where I can look out the open window because it's a beautiful day, and see...mostly other buildings, but also lemon trees! It's amazing, and in a beautiful residential area called Centocelle, which is pretty far from the center, but it's so peaceful. And my room is huge. Like, legitimately huge. I have a queen-sized bed, and a closet that New Yorkers could only dream of. I can't fill it, it's amazing! The only thing wrong with the room is that it is poorly lit at night, but that doesn't even matter because during the day it's so bright! My roommates are nice, I haven't really spent much time with Natalie, but she is a student from Pennsylvania. Joseph is great, he's from Egypt, and very nice. We have a kitchen, which is small but very functional, and a washing machine but no dryer. People here don't use dryers. Apparently that's a luxury, and it's taken some getting used to, seeing people's clothing and sheets hanging out of windows all over the place. You can learn a lot about people from their clothes. For example, I can tell that the lady across the way and two floors up is kind of hefty because there are a couple of voluminous undershirts hanging out the window...better than her knickers, I guess!!! The job hunt is still pretty stagnant, I still have the part-time job, and apply for everything that I can, but nothing seems to be coming back. Just have to keep my chin up and hope something comes along! Hope everyone's enjoying good weather everywhere and Happy Easter! The picture is of my desk and window!

An Ode to Italian Efficiency

A lot of what I have learned during my short time in Rome is how to deal with the pace of the country. Every time something happens (or doesn't happen) to this effect, I am told, "that's just Italy". Italian inefficiency is seemingly legendary. Take the Carabinieri for example, the police. I have yet to see the police here actually doing anything. Whenever I do see them, they are in groups of 3 or more, standing around and talking. I was informed that this is normal. I have this vision of a massive crime scene where criminals are escaping because the Carabinieri are just standing around, discussing what to do. This also seems to be an Italian affliction in general. There is a lot of discussion about 'what to do,' and 'when to do it,' but little definitive decision-making actually occurring. It's kind of funny usually. And then there's my boss. As I think you know, I am working part-time for an English-teaching company that sends teachers to private homes to teach. I am working with children. The lessons come from some mother-ship entity and are sent to my boss, who is then responsible for giving them to the teachers. This job is also intended to be done at day cares and preschools, for the most part, at intervals of about 20 minutes, especially for the younger kids. Every time I go to the office to pick up materials for lessons, I am treated to an hour-and-a-half-long experience of Daniel looking through the many boxes piled up around the office, forgetting what I am there for in the first place, getting sidetracked by his own thought processes, and ultimately giving me about half of what I need to do my lessons. I use the word lesson loosely here, as I am working with children. One of my groups is full of 2-year-olds, who do not speak their own language, let alone harbor some internal burning desire to learn mine. I cannot do lessons with them, and am supposed to teach them for about an hour. They are cute, but it's incredibly frustrating. Another group is 4 4-year-olds, who have already been in school all day, and have no desire to learn any more. I understand enough Italian to know when they tell each other to ignore me, and just keep playing. After that experience (last Monday), I told the parents, and they said that their old English teacher just played with them and talked English. I'm fine being a babysitter, as long as that is what I'm hired for. Daniel thinks there's something wrong with me, and asks what I plan to do about it, and my only response is that I can only think to just play with them, so that's that. Another example of things we learn to deal with here: I went to pick up materials from Daniel yesterday, and he called to say that he had stepped out, but that he left the materials with Lucia, the old, hard-of-hearing woman who manages the building. After 15 minutes of leaning on her doorbell, banging on her door, and searching the two buildings she could have been in, I left for my lesson without the materials, and basically just colored with the kids. Still actively looking for something else, and will let everyone know when that happens! Miss everyone!

Food for Thought

The food culture here is awesome. There is no other way to put it. Italians really don't eat breakfast like we do- they just have a cafe and cornetto (coffee and a pastry), usually at the local coffee bar. Oh, and don't order a cappuccino after like, 11 am here- they think it's weird. Lunchtime is amazing. Today I went to lunch at a real Italian home. BACKSTORY: When my mother was 20 she moved to Rome and worked for a period of time as an au pair for a Roman family with 5 children. She has kept in touch with the mother, Francesca, and now the children are all grown up with their own families. We met them a few years ago when we were here on vacation, and mom contacted one of the 'children' (now adults) and told her that I would be here. Sabina is lovely, she had me over to her house today for lunch, and it was amazing. I met her two older children, twins named Elena and Oliver(!). They are 19, and really great kids. Anyway, we had a pasta with meat sauce, which was amazing, then a salad (so simple, just mache with salt, oil and vinegar), and thinly sliced beef that she cooked in oil with some lemon, red wine and a tiny bit of flour. SO GOOD. Then ice cream and coffee. It's such a nice change from just grabbing a sandwich. America doesn't really have a defined lunch culture like that. Sabina told me that Italians like to have at least 2 meals a day like that, family all together eating. And the food is so simple. They eat a lot, but it's good food. Not covered in preservatives, just food. I love food, everyone knows that, so I think this is a good place for me! Miss everyone.

When in Rome...

...walk at a glacial pace, apparently. Seriously, if I did as the Romans do, it would take me twice as long to get anywhere! Now, I'm not saying that I like to sprint from point A to point B, and I'm all for a leisurely stroll to enjoy the view, but for Romans, every time they leave the house seems to be a quiet walk down a country lane!!! It's so funny, they walk sooo slowly, and will then stop. right. in. the. middle. of. the. sidewalk. It's one of the many unique and wonderful things about Italy that I have and will come to appreciate for what it is. Another funny thing is that Italians won't leave their houses, even just to run to the store for a jug of milk, unless they are fully coiffed and blinged out. Seriously, where in New York I would run out wearing my glasses and a ratty pair of jeans, here I get strange looks, like who is the new homeless woman on the block? I love finding out these cultural strangenesses, it's part of the fun of going to different countries. One of the things I love most about Italy is the food (obviously). It is fresh, it is simple, and it is delicious. I can't wait to travel around the country and sample some of the more region-specific food, but in Rome there are a plethora of markets to choose from, and fresh food available. I am still at Erin's apartment, but am looking at another one this weekend. I checked one out today, and it was right near the Vatican, had a private balcony in the room I would have, and was pretty well-connected, but...had no kitchen. OOF. That hit hard, especially because I had already fantasized about being able to see St. Peters every time I left the house, but alas, I will press on. Still looking for another job. Right now I'm still doing the part-time thing, a few hours a week, with children. I really prefer adults, so I'm still searching for something else. Today was a beautiful day, warm and sunny, and I fell a little bit more in love with the city, so I'm really hoping I can make this work. The picture above is of me, Erin and her friend Carly at a cocktail party at the Pakistani ambassador's house last weekend. Great experience! Love to all.