Taking off for a little vacation to Verona and Ortisei. Libbyjean may have some separation issues. She’s taken over my backpack.
What with the relocation, we haven’t had a getaway since we came home from our last Italy trip on New Years’ Eve 2011. Yes, we had 2 weeks of glorious pre-deployment training, and a trip to the midwest to see family before the move, but this is to be a Ric-and-Laurel-Getaway. Be back in a few days to share photos and stories. Ciao!
Our sea shipment of household goods arrived Monday. It was very emotionally rewarding to see our stuff after almost 10 weeks! We had no idea how comforting it would be to see our furniture, rugs, etc. But of course we are once again in chaos as we decide where to put everything. Good thing we “downsized” as much as we did.
It may not look like much, but we already know we brought too much stuff. This is the bedroom with a dresser, nightstands, boxes, and a crappy wardrobe we had removed.
The kitties were so glad to see the furniture! Libby lounged on the couch, they rolled on the carpets, and took turns, reluctantly, in the cat tower. It was clear they felt more at home — as did we — by having familiar things arrive.
Janie in the cat tower.
Tuesday we had IKEA deliver 3 new wardrobes and 3 kitchen base cabinets, all requiring assembly. Today, Wednesday, we had the wardrobes assembled by a crew and we worked on the kitchen. Almost done!
Before and after photos to follow when complete. Don’t hold your breath.
A friend recently asked “Is there anything you really miss here?” (“Here” being the U.S., Portland, or my former office depending on context.) He got me to pondering…. After almost 7 weeks in Rome what do I “miss?” The adventure is still new: so much to explore, to learn, to see. But I do miss
That’s about it. I love my job, love the people I work with, and the location is amazing. Food to die for, markets to dream about, and don’t get me started on the pork salumi! Good thing we walk several miles a day. I do not miss Starbucks as much as some would conjecture. The coffee here is damn fine, and we have our amazing Nespresso machine at home.
As to Independence Day, we were fêted at the Ambassador’s last night, along with 3000 or so others, including Premier Mario Monti.
The crowd gathers in the garden at Villa Taverna
It was definitely a unique 4th-of-July party in an Italy-meets-America sort of way.
La Porchetta, artfully done and oh-so-delizioso!
The menu ranged from hotdogs and hamburgers to porchetta and parmigiano reggiano.I especially enjoyed the Virginia baked ham, which many Italians eyed with suspicion as if thinking “why would you do that to a prosciutto?” There was watermelon, ice cream, and corn-on-the-cob, but also pizza, pasta, and the most impressive cheese table I have ever eaten my way through laid eyes on. Italian wine flowed along with Miller beer. (If you can lay your hands on a bottle of Brachetto d’Acqui, do it. A fine summer red for aperitivi!) The National Anthem was sung by one of our Marines, and the musical entertainment was 100% American jazz/swing/pop. The party is a hot ticket for Italians: Efforts to secure an invitation endured until the last moment. Italian guests out-numbered Americans by a huge majority. In fact, Ambassador Thorne gave his speech entirely in Italian. Lest you think the U.S. Government spent taxpayer dollars on this largesse, be assured corporate America and L’Italia delle imprese (Italian business) made the evening possible through sponsorships. Crowning the evening, an impressive fireworks display. Happy #236 America!
Fireworks above the carefully trimmed trees of Villa Taverna. Bravissimo!
Quite a show in the middle of Rome.
It has been brutally hot in Rome for 15 days; there is no end in sight (well maybe it will be in only the upper 80’s by Tuesday). AccuWeather.com varies the forecast with catchy phrases like “plenty of sunshine” and “blazing sunshine.” The low here tonight is higher than Portland’s forecast high for the day.
Il Colosseo at night, glows as if lit by torches.
But night time is magical and soft. Last Saturday (we are repeating the pattern today) we did our morning shopping, then holed up in air conditioned comfort from Noon until 7:30PM, when we hit the streets. For those who know us, this is aberrant behavior. We were usually on our way home from dinner by 7:30PM in Portland.
Rome comes alive about 8:00PM. We headed to a riverside “event” called Lungo il Tevere. This is a street market that runs along the Tiber (Tevere) River for about a mile. It’s a seasonal, semi-permanent installation that occurs every single night until September 2. Some nights the focus is on jazz, on others comedy or the creative arts. So one can return over and over and find something a little different in terms of entertainment.
The Tiber is >30 feet below the city, thanks to flood-control walls built in the 1870s. The broad riverside walkway is perfect for the tents, booths and cafes that line it for the summer season.
Lungo il Tevere (along the Tiber) summer market, cafe, entertainment venue.
Lamplight makes the river walk more romantic.
Young and old, singles and families, strolled from booth to booth, café to café, enjoying the night and freedom from being cooped up in apartments. We declined to eat at Lungo il Tevere this time, preferring the Largo di Torre Argentina area and a little place we found last December. But on our way out, we paused on the bridge to savor a lovely sunset and the dome of St. Peter’s.
Sunset and the Basilica San Pietro
A summer night out in Rome would not be complete without a stop at the neighborhood gelateria. This is the scene a couple of blocks from our apartment at 23:15. And it is like this every night of the week (at least in summer). There seem to be two peak times: around 18:00 for pre-dinner aperitivo and about 23:00. Bar Gelateria Duse has a melon gelato that is to die for! So intense is the fruit that it is practically healthy.
This is our go-to place for gelato. Open late!
Another night, we ventured out as dusk descended with guests to see the monuments along Via dei Fori Imperiali, which leads from the Coliseum past the Roman Forum. There we so few people compared to daytime, you’d have thought you were in downtown Omaha except more scenic. (No offense to Nebraskans, but you know what it’s like.)
Monuments at night: serene, peaceful, lovely.
Even our neighborhood is bathed in gold at night!
Goodnight Moon! Parioli – view from our window.
A lovely Italian tradition is to serve some sort of snack with your cocktail or wine. Whether at 11:00AM, 3:00PM, or 10:00PM, you’ll get at least a bowl of potato chips, often peanuts or a spicy/salty snack mix, and sometimes tiny sandwiches or pizza bites.
We enjoyed this “guest” that swept in to enjoy a few peanuts as soon as the couple abandoned table next to ours.
Tha waiter didn’t think this was nearly as funny as we did. The pigeon downed about 20 peanuts in less than 30 seconds.
Girovaga 