Aaaaaannnnnd we're back

UPDATE: Our last days in Rome are FINALLY documented below, and I adjusted the post dates a little to reflect the days we were actually there. It's so great to read through them and remember. I miss you, Italia!

It's official. I'm sitting in a kitchen in Ohio, not Assisi. Listening to conversations in English, not Italian. We're back in the states! After an active last week with Kendra Carol, we hopped our planes and made it home. However, we have some major blog-catching-up to do, so the next few posts will be a little out of order. Bear with me.....

Day Two in Rome

It's break time in Roma. After a full day yesterday, we pushed on until our feet screamed. We started out with a healthy breakfast on the roof deck of our hotel overlooking the Trevi Fountain. Next? The Vatican in all its glory. We saw tombs, paintings, sculptures, baptism fonts, altars, the whole works. My favorite sculpture by far is the Pieta. The David is a distant second, I think.

So after the Vatican cathedral, we walked around V City to get to the Vatican Museum, where the Sistine Chapel is. It takes a while to get there, people. First you see sculptures, then paintings, then tapestries, then more paintings, then modern art, then older art...... And although the Sistine Chapel is a masterpiece, I found myself more excited to see Rafael's fresco of the philosophers in one of the rooms leading up to it. Take a look:

Lunch was deelish. Pizza and gnocchi. Next stop, the Piazza Fontana, where they have lots of street vendors, a carousel, and carts with gigantic hot doughnuts with optional nutella. Mamma mia. We headed east to the Spanish Steps, where we rested our weary bodies for a while and snapped a few pictures.

Then we sauntered back to the Trevi fountain, did a little window shopping, and are taking a break before dinner. We're dining at a restaurant called Chianti, which has both gnocchi and pizza, our two top priorities.

Break over! Dinner was fantastic. I had an amazing margherita pizza with basil and buffalo mozzarella, and I finally got to try Creme Caramel, which turned out to be really good flan. Yum. We had a delicious Ruffino chianti, and a large amaretto after we finished. (They spelled it "di Saronno" instead of Disaronno. Innnnnteresting.)

So we walked back to the hotel and tossed a few coins in the Trevi fountain before heading in for bed. I'm cheating now and seeping into the next day - Day 3 of Rome, I suppose. Kim and I were up at 3:15 this morning to get our bags downstairs for the 6:10am flight. Kendra got to sleep until 6, but then she has to work tomorrow and Saturday. Booooo.

For those of you who don't know Kim's friend (and now mine, I think) Kendra, she's a real gem. Not only was she fun and smart and a great addition to our small Italian American tribe, but she really kept our spirits up these last few days. It was hard not to be cranky all the time, knowing we were leaving our Italian home behind. Thank you, Kendra!

Now I'm somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, on my second of three flight legs to get home. Amsterdam is behind me, and a potentially snowy Detroit is in my future. When I checked my guitar case this time, the nice KLM rep (who looks JUST like my cousin Catrina) strongly advised me to take it as a carry-on. First of all, really? It's huge? Second, I totally can't. I'm at the limit with carry-ons, and they have stuff like my good camera, irreplaceable ceramics, and laptop in them. No ma'am, can't do it. She helped me out and let me check it in at an elevator that gives it a more direct trip to the plane, but she thinks it'll be broken into and/or stolen...... fingers crossed for a safe guitar return!

Saying goodbye to Kim in the Amsterdam airport was hard. She's heading to Memphis, then Strawberry, Arkansas. We've really had a charmed life here, and she sure made it fun. She'll be in New Orleans soon, so hopefully I'll be able to visit her, as well as Nathan and the Baton Rouge crew.

Ciao, Italia. A presto, spero!

Say two rosaries, and it's fine

Today was our first day in Roma. Barbara had the taxi at the house at 9:15, we handed the keys to Massimiliano, and we were off! Two and a half hours and one good nap later, we were in Rome. The van couldn't come right up to the hotel (pedestrians only), so I waited outside with our 73 bags while Kim and Kendra checked in. The Hotel Fontana faces the Trevi Fountain, which we can hear loudly from our window. What a great sound - like the ocean.

So today was packed! First we walked past the Piazza Venezia and over to the Colosseum and spent an hour or two walking around that phenomenon. (I kept thinking about how it was used to promote and celebrate such barbaric, sadistic activities. And due to its grandeur and endurance, it's still celebrated today!)

After the Colosseum, we slugged our already tired feet* west to the Pantheon. What a great building! It's the only building in the city still in its original state, completely intact. Wow! Very grand, perfectly built, with an opening in the middle of the domed ceiling. Gorgeous.

We treated ourselves to some coffee, gelato, and a little pizza in the afternoon. We trekked back to the Colosseum, where we met Kim's cousin Gianluca. His girlfriend Martina drove us to his mother's house. Laura had made us a full Italian meal of canneloni, steak, salad, enormous rolls, prosciutto, cheese, wine, coke, chocolate, and panettonni. Mamma mia, I'm full.

This family was hilarious. Smart-alecs one and all, we chuckled throughout the evening. Though I can't remember everything, one conversation that stands out was about the Catholic church. They're all Catholic, of course. We agreed that the new pope usually displays a cranky facial expression. He's German, Laura explained. Hee hee. She described one of his cardinals, who she thinks is exceptionally good looking. She then shared her belief that the church should allow priests and whatnot to marry and have families. (Coincidence?) Her son play-scolded her for talking about the cardinal's good looks, but I told her two rosaries would make it all better. Hah!

Her home was beautiful, and the food was fantastic. We looked through some old family photos, and left around 11 this evening. We're tired over here! I wish we could sleep in tomorrow, but we have another full day of Vatican visiting, Sistine Chapel viewing, Spanish steps climbing, and pizza eating.

Ciao, America.

*Kendra's and my feet are pretty sore. Kim's are out of control. Her toes inexplicably pop through brand new pairs of socks, and then they rub right up against the shoes and drive her crazy. She has hawk claws for toes, people. She is the Hulk.

Annie's spoon debacle

Where are my spoons?

I broke down and bought a few (3) olive wood spoons for myself for kitchen use.  I also found a nice gift for a family member (can't spoil it here), and was pretty proud of myself for spending under 20 euro two days before we leave.  I'm getting intensely sentimental, and want to buy or take pictures of everything.  Usually I opt for pictures, but not always.....

Anyway, all three of us made purchases at the olive wood store today.  We all found things for ourselves and things for others, and we all walked away with little red bags full of purchases.  After an entertaining evening (to be discussed in the next post), we came home, made dinner, and started packing.  I soon realized that I had no red bag.  Where could it be?  I'm quite forgetful, so I started hunting.  This happened with our keys a few days ago, and we could only leave the house one at a time for a while until I found them.  Luckily we're not as stuck this time, but it's still a disappointment.  After verbally retracing my steps with the girls, I think I must have left my bag on the bus.  Shame shame shame..... che peccato!

Accidental Vespers

Our last Sunday in Assisi, we decided to go to the cathedral of San Francesco (St. Francis) to hear the vespers sing. I managed to snap a few really great pictures before we went in - lucky!

Par for the course, the vespers performance wasn't what we thought, which was fine. It was in the lower chapel, near St. Francis's tomb. The walls are painted very intricately and beautifully down there in deep, lovely colors. The wood is dark, and the place has a quiet, solemn feeling.

So when we heard the first yelp, we were a little stunned. Then the yelling became more and more frequent, though still random. Soon we realized that more than half of the forming congregation was mentally disabled. Many folks knew each other, and I'm guessing they have a special vespers once a month or something for this particular group. It was really pleasant to be in the mix, and quite a change of pace. Rather than the hushed tones of formal Catholicism, the chapel was abuzz with quiet but friendly greetings, giggles, recognitions, and singing. And the singing! It wasn't hymns with the organ. The songs were more casual, and sung with an acoustic guitar and a little organ in the background. Really interesting and lovely - a truly friendly and energetic atmosphere.

But that's not the best part. The best part is that we arrived too early for vespers and happened upon another concert entirely. In the upper chapel of the cathedral (if you can call it a chapel - it's huge), there was a live concert in progress by the "Bambini d'Assisi" - Assisi's children! They seemed to be ages 4-12, and they were an enthusiastic bunch. They sang all Christmas music, with hand gestures, swaying, the whole bit. A-dorable.

Sad Goodbye

Mamma mia!

It's a little after midnight on Sunday night, and things are sinking in.  One of the most prominent things sinking in is that my things won't fit in my bags.  Hmmmm.  It's tough.  My carry-ons have breakables and books, while I try to put the lighter things in my larger suitcase.  Lucky for me, Kendra brought an extra bag and will let me put a few things in there. It's much cheaper to do that than to ship things back home.  I looked into shipping a 20-pound box of stuff, and it would have cost over 300 euro.  Sheesh!

Anyway, other things are sinking in, too.  We have one more full day of Assisi left.  Tomorrow we're walking through town in the morning and having lunch with Barbara, Francesco, and Vincenza in the afternoon.  (Dad and Joyce rented from Francesco and Vincenza when they lived here, and Barbara found the place for them.  All good people.)  Vincenza is making lunch for us at their home.  I'm excited!  

It'll be hard to be in good spirits tomorrow, though.  It's been hard all week.  No more denial; this is happening.  

"I think it's better that you leave Wednesday morning."

Wow. This "weekend trip" was very amazing and very emotional. We reluctantly left Assisi on Friday with intentions to return Monday morning. We finally made it back today (Wednesday). Annie has written daily blogs about what happened in Napoli, so I'll spare the recap, but I had to write a bit about my family.

I'm really amazed with the way we've been treated. When I saw these people two months ago, it was the third time in my life to see them. The first time, I was two years old and obviously don't remember. The second time, I was 18 and was with them for a week. So, it's been ten years since I've seen them. I wondered if they'd even remember me. Not only did they remember me, I feel as though I've grown up knowing these people my entire life. Also, they welcomed Annie into their houses as though she was family as well....which was pretty awesome.

We stayed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights with Antonio and Adriana (my grandmother's niece). They are in their 50's and are obviously very in love with each other. Many times it sounds as though they are yelling at each other but Annie and I have decided it's just the inflection of the Italian language. They're adorable. They're both very patient and helpful with our Italian and we learned a lot from them. I had asked Adriana if she could take me to the cemetary where my grandmother's family is buried. We went Saturday morning and wow is it different. Since Naples is such a large city, there is little room for cemetaries. So, the bodies are buried somewhere else for five years. Then, they are dug up and put in boxes in the wall with a concrete headstone. The bones are wrapped in sheets and are changed every few years to prevent them from smelling. The bones of my grandmother's mother, father, brother, and sister are all kept in the same "box." My aunt says she overseas the changing of the bedsheets. It's very, very different!

Sunday was probably my favorite day of this Naples trip. We went to Caserta, a suburb of Naples where Rosanna and her family live. Rosanna is another one of my grandmother's nieces. She and her husband, Enzo, have two children about my age, Valentina (28) and Alessanro (34). Antonio, Enzo, Anna, and I went to the King's Palace, which was only used as his weekend home. The Palace has 1,000 rooms! We visited around 10 of them and the garden. The garden is about three miles long. Momma Mia! Afterwards, we went to Rosanna and Enzo's house for "lunch." Lunch didn't start until around 3 and ended around 5ish. Wow, Rosanna is an amazing cook! We had pasta with eggplant, chicken wrapped in prosciutto, vegetables, fruit, wine, limoncello, coffee, and cake. Needless to say, Annie and I were in pain. We really enjoyed talking with Valentina and Alessandro. We would speak in Italian and they in English and we would all help each other with the language. It was great! At one point, Rosanna said that she was sad that we weren't staying with her any nights. We must come back and stay...it broke my heart. Around 7, we headed back to Antonio and Adriana's house. Rosanna called and asked if there was any way we could come and stay with them for a few nights before leaving Italy. Annie and I decided that since we were already there, we should stay with them one night. We had so much fun with them and what is one more night anyway?

So, Monday morning, when we thought we would be returning to Assisi, we went back to Caserta. When Valentina picked us up, she said she had looked at the train schedule and thought we should return Wednesday morning. I tell her that we were planning on leaving Tuesday morning and asked what time the trains leave. "Tuesday morning?" She said. "I think it's better that you leave Wednesday morning. It's better not to travel in the afternoon." Okay, we think. Well, what about Tuesday morning? "No, you should leave Wednesday morning." Well, what can ya do? You can't argue with these people. They just want to cook you wonderful Italian food, and hug on you. We knew that there was no arguing and so we agreed to stay until Wednesday morning.

Good thing we did too. Rosanna taught us the official way to make gnocchi. When we made it before, we just googled the recipe and went from there. Now we were working with a professional. We both had difficulty making the beautiful gnocchi form (one of us more than the other, ahem, Annie). The two extra days were well spent. We spent the majority of the time sitting around the fire talking with Alessandro and Valentina. I absolutely fell in love with this family. They were so loving and attentive. They claim that they will be visiting me soon and I can't wait. Annie and I have decided to continue to learn Italian so that we can speak with them when they visit. I'm just still amazed at how quickly you can love people...but these people are so easy to fall in love with.

To see my pictures from our weekend with the family, click here.

Italy won't let us go!

Annie and I returned to Assisi this afternoon (from Naples) to find two disturbing and stressful emails. Our flight from Rome to Amsterdam has been canceled!!! Yikes! Instead of automatically putting us on an alternate flight though, the airline has us leaving from Amsterdam. Guess what? We're not in Amsterdam! Annie is now on the phone with India (cause that's where the number dispatches to) trying to figure out what happened and how we can get from Rome to Amsterdam. After several tries, we received new flight information and instructions to call the airline in Rome for confirmation. Now, it seems that we will be leaving about three hours earlier...but at least we're on a flight that departs from Rome. Or so we hope.

Adriana is very angry with Anna

Story time. You may recall that when we last visited Naples, we were picked up at the train station by Antonio, who had to pay a 40 euro fine when our tickets didn't go into the metro machine properly. Boooooo. He wouldn't take our money when we tried to repay him, finally saying "Doppo, doppo," which means later. Okay, I can live with that.

So our last morning in their home, just before he drove us over to stay for a couple of days with another part of Kim's family (Rosana, Enzo, Alessandro, and Valentina), I snuck 40 euro under some notes and a paperweight on their office desk in the room where we had slept. Easy peasy.

Off to Caserta, a town near Naples where we stayed with the other crew. Good times and good food. That evening, Valentina, Vale (vah-leh) to her friends (that's us) took us to the local mall, which was huge. We pretty much just window shopped, happy with our previously made purchases. On the way home, Alessandro, Ale (ah-leh) to his friends (that's us) called Vale's cell phone. She answered it in the car, where we could all hear his voice through the car speakers.

"I must tell Anna something."

"Ok."

"Oh, now?"

"Si, go ahead."

"Adriana called this evening. She is very angry with Anna...."

Uh oh. Apparently we offended or brought bad luck or whatever by leaving our 40 euro behind. I can be stubborn, but not enough to leave a sour taste in our host's mouth.

So the next afternoon, after forced guitar playing and fabulous gnocchi making, we left Caserta for Assisi with several gifts, chocolate, fruit, biscotti, and an extra 40 euro in our pockets. Reminds me of my own family. Mamma mia.

Real gnocchi lesson

Sta mattina, Rosana, Valentina, Kim, e io abbiamo fato gnocchi insieme. This morning (actually meaning Tuesday morning, December 9), Rosana, Valentina, Kim, and I made gnocchi together. Rosana is a great cook. Certamente, Alessandro watched and critiqued. Hah! So now we know how to make gnocchi the way a real Italian mama makes them. After cutting them in little pieces, she does a trick with two fingers, making the gnocchi into a certain concave shape. Ours didn't look exactly like hers, nor could we make them as quickly. Let's say they were.... artistic. However, rather than just smothering them in sauce, she put them in small oven-safe bowls, then covered them in red sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil and baked them. Mamma mia! Incredible.

Though we had planned to spend the afternoon exploring historic Caserta with Valentina, we opted to stay home and sit by the fire. We've been running around so much, it was nice to rest and be comfortable. Unfortunately her *expletive* boyfriend was there as well. I don't want to spend too much blog time on this guy, but I will share that he likes to use American curse words, he gropes his girlfriend in front of her mother, and he argued with us (rudely) claiming that there are 52 states in America. (Apparently the extra two are New Mexico and Puerto Rico. !)

But I digress. We spent the afternoon relaxing and improving our Italian. Then at dinner we had pork wrapped in beef (I think), vegetables, and what they call pancakes. These pancakes are actually pizza dough rolled up in big balls and fried in oil. A. Maz. Ing.

We are not losing weight in Italy.