Good Times & Cheap Wine

Last night Jeanny, Anna and I met downtown where we ate dinner at this amazing little place called "Auto Grill." It doesn't sound appetizing, but this place had delicious pizza and stands upon stands of pastries, gelato (with some interesting flavours I haven't tried yet like watermelon - yum!). I was really excited once we got to Scholar's because a few other au pair girls were there. I met Ronja from Sweden, Jenna from Australia, and another girl from Holland who was really nice! I ran into my Irish friend Stephen again and since it was karaoke night at Scholar's, we agreed to go up on stage together.
I am dreading writing about this one guy we met that we couldn't shake. He asked me what my name was, and because I hoped not to see him again, I came up with the fake name of Claire. He asked me if I wanted a drink and I told him no thanks. He asked, "why?" And I said I don't take drinks from strangers. Then he told me his name (which I forget) and that "now we aren't strangers anymore."

Clearly, this guy could not get a hint. As if to win me over, he went on stage and said very boldly into the microphone, "This is for Claire." He then proceeded to sing a depressing love song and the au pairs and I couldn't stop laughing even though we felt bad.

Benedictus XVI & I

If you read my last blog post, you'll have known that I was supposed to spend the weekend in Tuscany with my host family. I woke up yesterday morning with sore muscles and an even more sore throat than the previous day before, and so when I started asking the mom what she wanted me to do before we headed off to Capalbio, she said, "Would you feel better if you just stayed home for the weekend instead?" I was like, you know what, that's the best idea I've ever heard of. So everyone has gone away while I have three whole days to spend by myself in this huge Italian palace. I spent all day Saturday doing "me" things like giving

myself a mani/pedi, had a deep conditioning wash for my hair, and had a perfect bubble bath with soap roses and candles while drinking a generous glass of red wine. Ahhh... Was that all I needed to feel better? I guess so!
This morning, I was feeling as good as new, so I decided to go to the Vatican. It was incredible to see and hear the reactions of the people around me when the Pope stepped onto the balcony and appeared in front of thousands upon thousands of people in the crowd. I didn't understand anything he said, but that's ok. I really enjoyed being there, and now it's one more thing to cross off my "European Bucket List". Before I left for Italy, I made a list of all the things I want to accomplish while I'm here, but I'm always adding new things to the list. I'm going to post it at the bottom, and cross off the things I've already done. For example... Seeing the pope with the naked eye! That's one thing to cross off now!
After the Vatican, I walked to the centre so I could check out Rome's International Film Festival. It's the sixth annual festival and is held at the Auditorium Parco Della Musica, which is a world famous art complex. During the festival, the 1,300 sqm walkway is lead to the Cavea outside the Auditorium and transformed into one of the biggest red carpets in the entire world. Its used for international celebrities, but also for festival goers. 

It's getting late now and so I need to pick out an outfit to wear tonight, because I'm meeting up with some of my girlfriends so that we go to Scholar's for karaoke night. I don't know if I'll be singing tonight but it's always packed on Sunday's. Sometimes, it can be really hard to choose what I'm going to wear because the weather is really unpredictable for me. I don't mean that it has surprise rain showers every day, I just mean that I kind of follow what the rest of the people in the house wear and then follow suit. For example, on Saturday, I saw the mom wearing a pair of jeans and a thick jacket. So, I put on a pair of jeans as well and wore a chunky knit sweater which was a BIG mistake. I wore a T-shirt under that and thank GOD I did, because I took my sweater off. I would've died on the sidewalk in my cream coloured H&M knittie. Anyway, this amazes me, that it's November on Tuesday and I can still get away with wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. I'll cross things off the list as they happen.
1. Meet someone special (or someones special)
2. Ride on a gondola in Venice
3. Make a wish at the Trevi Fountain
4. Go clubbing
5. See a live soccer game
6. Spend Christmas with Magda and travel though Germany, Austria and Czech Republic
7. Go to a museum
8. Tour the Vatican
9. Go to a semi-nude beach
10. Celebrate 'Friendsgiving'
11. Sing at a karaoke bar
12. See the Pope
13. Spend the night at a convent
14. Sit on the Spanish Steps
15. See the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam
16. Go to a live concert
17. Be visited by family
18. Ride on the back of a vespa
19. Have a photo of me published in Glamour magazine
20. Take a trip to London, England
21. Drink beer in Germany
22. Tour the Colosseum
23. See Michelangelo's 'David' in Florence
24. Go hiking through mountains
25. Go to the Pantheon during a rain storm
26. Swim in the Mediterranean Sea
27. Learn Italian
28. Learn how to play the harmonica
29. Take a trip to Greece
30. Get into the best shape of my life

Familiar Faces

It’s been a few days since my last update, so I’m just going to ramble on without structure and hope you enjoy. On Tuesday, my cousin, her boyfriend, and her best friend Liz who is also currently living in Italy were waiting for me at the Bed and Breakfast on my street. I took them to all the usual places – the Spanish Steps, Via Condotti, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon. 

Throughout the day, Liz was giving me tips on places to go in Salzburg because I mentioned I’d be there over Christmas Break. She lived there for 3 months and gave me the names of a couple places I should check out. 

We had plenty of free time to roam around the city on Wednesday because I had the day off, and so we decided to go to the Vatican. The weather was surprisingly beautiful and when we got there, the line up was a disaster. I mean a COMPLETE zig zag of people from all over the world waiting to get their prayer on. This little American woman with the most adorable cream coloured jacket I have ever seen came up to us and invited us to join her tour, and so we paid the extra money to cut the line and get a little history lesson during our time inside. It was totally worth it because we didn’t wait long and we learned all the important details about the history of the Vatican, the art inside, details about previous Popes… It was interesting and I really enjoyed it. My favourite part was of course the Sistine Chapel, but there were so many sculptures, fresco's and tapestry’s to admire that the entire day was just wonderful. But more than the history and the appreciation of Catholic tradition (which I don’t follow but again, I can appreciate it) was being with people from home.

Today was my family’s last day in Rome before they moved on to tour other Italian cities, and so of course we went to the Colosseum. I’ve been waiting forever to do this and decided to wait until my family got here. I’m so happy I did because I got to enjoy it with people I know and love.

I had a really wonderful time seeing my family, familiar faces from Canada, and I loved being able to show them around my new 'home'. But it made me sad because I won't see them until June, and that's a whole seven months away.  
I believe (as well as Italians, of course) that you should enjoy, enjoy, and enjoy. 

The Times They Are A Changin'

Today at lunch, Cely, the maid and I, were talking about marriage. I find myself having many random conversations on topics that have nothing to do with anything relevant to my current life, but I always have deep conversations with Cely. I asked how old most Filipino women are when they marry, and she looked me very seriously in the eyes and said, young. She gave me a piece of advice that I already know, but will cherish anyway.  

No matter if you have an unplanned pregnancy, need love, or want a green card, don't marry young. Don't worry, I won't! 
Cely got married at 19 and I asked her why she agreed to it if she didn't feel ready. "I don't know what happened," she told me. "We met in November and were married the next April. He came over one day and him and my father had a conversation, and I don't know what happened after that. I got married."
Last night I met up for some drinks with my friend Jeanny who just returned from Amsterdam to visit a friend. I'm so happy I have my partner in crime back in Rome with me. She got on the wrong bus and kept me waiting for almost an hour before we were supposed to meet, but I didn't mind. I sat at the bar talking to two men who just might be reading this right now if they remember the name of my blog. One man, Brian, is 63 years old and from Scotland. Brian is living in Rome as an accountant and when he told me he was 63, I thought I'd be clever and tell him he's almost at one of my favourite Beatles' songs (When I'm 64). This turned into a conversation of how Paul McCartney is at the top of his hate list. Being a fan, we argued back and forth, and he wrote a list of other people he hates. So here is Brian's hate list:
1. Paul McCartney
2. Sting
3. The Queen of England
4. Someone named Margaret
5. George Bush
The other man who kept me company while waiting for Jeanny is named Steve, and he's a priest from Ireland. He's quite young for a priest - my guess is early 30's. This Tuesday, my cousin Erica and her boyfriend Derrell are finally arriving in Rome, which means that between Tuesday and Thursday I will have absolutely no time to update my blog as I'm their own personal tour guide of the city. 
I very recently found a picture of myself back when I was 13 years old. It's hard to imagine I was really that young (I'm sure I'll be saying the same thing in another few years while looking back on my time here in Italy). At that point in my life, my idea of a good weekend was taking stupid pictures of myself and talking on the phone for hours with my girlfriends and watching That 70's Show after school every day at 4. At this age I liked to copy what my sister did, and she introduced me to some of the best music of time. The Beatles, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, etc. I pretended I knew all about them when really, I hadn't read books or understood the depths of the lyrics, but because my cool 16 year old sister liked it, I thought it must be cool too. 
Five years later I still listen to this music and am making it a personal goal of mine to learn the harmonica. I have the tabs of Bob Dylan saved on my computer and visit the park as much as I can and practice practice practice. So far I'm no Dylan, but I'm working on it. When I was 13 I was for some reason obsessed with... ugly shoes. I had a green and a black pair of converse sneakers and I would mismatch them to look cool, I guess. I also had a drawer full of black eyeliner because that was as much as I could do at the time. It's funny how much one picture can trigger so many things. Like, for example... Where did those awesome earrings I was wearing go? 

Rerouting

Every Tuesday, Scholar's hosts karaoke night, which makes Tuesday my new favourite day of the week. But before I go into the details, first I need to tell a little tale of my ride up there on the bus. I decided to wear my new short, ruched white dress with the one shoulder strap I bought from this cute little boutique. I love finding random little stores tucked into the crumbling alleys of Rome. Anyway, this old woman came on the bus and made it very clear

that she did not approve of my outfit. In my defense, I was going to a bar? I also had on a pair of black leggings under the dress that I took off once I got to the bar and shoved it inside my purse. The bar is hot, and I wanted to dance. When she first started lecturing me, I told her I don't speak Italian, but she kept rambling on. Some people overheard her and explained to me that she always comes on the bus and talks to people about Jesus Christ.

A bunch of other au pairs and myself went into Scholar's and spent the entire night flirting with other tourists and singing embarrassing ourselves on stage. 
At the beginning of the night I had an awkward moment in the bathroom with a guy from California. He bumped into me 'accidentally' (so subtle...) We talked for a bit but I was definitely not interested in him. After making small talk he told me to meet me on the dance floor later, and unfortunately he spotted me with my au pair friends by the bar. I told him, "Oh great, you found me." I don't think he knew that I was being sarcastic. 
I also got to meet a group of Australian boys which was wonderful. We all left the bar around 3 am and the other au pairs and my outback mates went to find something to eat near Piazza Venezia. When we all said our goodbyes this is when the worst night of my life hit. I had to take the night bus alone because the girls I went out with don't live near me. I should've just taken a taxi or called one of my Italian friends to come get me, but for some reason I like to learn all of my lessons the hard way. Before I got on the bus I told the bus driver my neighborhood and made my voice high at the end so he knew it was a question. I'm not going to name my neighborhood on here but he assured me that yes, yes, this is the right bus. Well... He stopped everywhere but my neighborhood. In fact, I saw everything in the entire city except where I needed to be, and lucky me got a nice tour of the outskirts of Rome. For the entire two hours, I was the only girl on the bus. One guy was even drinking straight from a wine bottle. I mean... Can you even do that on a bus? I sobered right up once I hit the outskirts. I panicked and called my Italian friend freaking out but his phone died. So then I called my friend all the way from Canada and in between tears explained to him my situation. I could only hear about half the things he was saying but it helped, and finally... finally, finally, FINALLY, I arrived home at 5:30 am. I took a nice hot shower, made myself a cup of tea, and went to bed. 

Today it rained, and back in Canada, this would be considered a pretty rainy day at best. Nothing out of the ordinary. On and off periods of showers that left puddles and a bit of flooding, but nothing serious. Well, the Romans lost their minds. News crews were up and down my street filming the 'floods' and everyone on the streets was talking to me with fear in their eyes, and it really wasn't difficult to understand what subject they were talking. I would love to put a Roman on the Maid of the Mist just to see their reaction. It was a rainy day, yes, but va bene.
At dinner tonight while everyone was happily chatting about their day, Giulia asked me what kind of wine I liked best. I told her the red kind we always drink from Capalbio, and she went on explaining the different wines of Italy. This is a 9 year old girl, here... Amazing. She's wise beyond her years, and can teach me a thing or two about good wine.

Heaven In Italian Is Spelled 'Nutella'

Today I got a spontaneous phone call from a friend of mine here in Rome who asked me if I wanted to go out to the centre. I had the day off work until 5 and so I told him to meet me at the corner of Dior by the Spanish Steps. This is my go-to meeting place because it's not too crowded, but you can see everything from this spot. Not to mention that you look pretty cool when you're standing right outside of it. He told me that it was cold out and that I should wear jeans and a sweater, and since I hadn't gone outside that morning yet, took his advice. When Italians tell you to 'dress warmly because it's cold out', never, ever believe them. I put on a pair of skinny jeans, a long sleeve white top, my favourite pair of tall brown riding boots, and even my new multi-coloured knitted scarf in case I was really chilly. Big mistake - it was 24 degrees out, and I would've been comfortable in a summer dress and jeweled sandals. But since I was already on the bus and didn't want to be late, I decided to deal with it. This was my second mistake, because I spent the day sweating buckets. I think I lost like 5 pounds just from walking around.
We ventured into Campo de Fiori where my friend Shayna recommended I try gelato from a place called Frigidarium. When someone tells you to try gelato from a certain place, you don't ask questions. You just do it. Naturally, I went in and ordered my favourite flavour (armerena, which is dark sour cherries). But Frigidarium puts a twist on it. They will dip your entire cone or cup of gelato in... Wait for it... HOT NUTELLA! Or, if you want just old fashioned chocolate or even coffee. This gelato was so amazing, that I am going back into the city again tomorrow, but of course this time, I will get it in a bigger size. I'm having withdrawals from this gelato after trying it only once, and I am seriously considering pooling all the money I have in my wallet, bank account and future retirement fund to buy this place. When it comes to gelato, these people really know what they're doing. Think about it. Cold, creamy, sour cherry gelato smothered in HOT NUTELLA! I also tried a flavour that is yellow and pink. It sounds totally weird, but it has this fancy alcohol in it which is always OK in my books. 

Since we're on the subject of food (a subject I find myself on quite a bit these days), someone from the centre of the city came up to me asked me if I lived in a certain neighborhood. I'm not going to name my neighborhood, but the one he mentioned was the one I lived in. I told him I did, and he says, "Aha! I knew it. I see you in Da Agastino's all the time!" Da Agostino's is the pizza shop by my house. I mean, really, you know you go to the pizza shop way too much when people from the opposite side of town start recognizing you because you're always in there. My favourite man from the shop, Roberto, and I made an agreement. We will sit down together or talk while he's shoveling pizza in and out of the ovens while he speaks in English, and I speak in Italian.

Hello, Limoncello

Yesterday I went to the Vatican for the first time, and I'm pretty sure it changed my life. I walked from Piazza di Spagna to Vatican Square and I surprisingly did not even have to ask for directions. Now that I've been here for nearly a month, it's amazing to see how well I know my way around the city. I've even adjusted to the buses, which is a big step up from when I first arrived. I spent the entire morning in the Vatican, just appreciating how beautiful it was. 
It was breathtaking; the angels and saints carved from marble, the art looking down on it's admirers proudly, the nuns chatting amongst one another about their love of religion (at least I'm assuming so, since I of course don't understand Italian). It was just pure heaven (no pun intended) to be there. Fortunately there was a mass beginning that afternoon in which I got to sit in on. It was difficult to understand because the priest spoke Italian, and from what I could tell, had strep throat. But just to be in this atmosphere was lovely. 

On my way out, I saw the changing of the Swiss Guards, which was really a sight to see. These men protect the Pope with their life and stand outside with 8 foot poles while wearing a puffy pantsuit with stripes of red, yellow, blue and green. If you're currently unemployed and thinking, "Hey, this sounds like something I could do!" let me give you the down low. First of all, you must be a Swiss citizen who is a male and over 5"8. Secondly, you must go through a 3 hour interview process while talking only about your life goals and what kind of person you think you are. 
After that, I went shopping and exploring the city. I visited the area called Campo di Fiori (field of flowers) where my friend Shayna lived last year. I was immediately jealous because of the location but also because it is the best market-area in the city. Every corner you turn you find yourself faced with tables of fresh fruits, meats, vegetables and breads.  
I met up with my good friend Jeanny, who is one of the most hilarious people in the entire world. I was waiting for her on the corner of Dior on Via Condotti and I met a bunch of Americans from Rochester - just a few hours away from Niagara Falls! The men who always try to sell you roses approached us no less than a dozen times, and the one American really showed me how to get these guys off your back. A stern "no" really does it. When another came up after her demonstration, I said, "NO, no thank you," and she shook her head in disappointment. "No thank you is too polite. Just no," she said. So when another man came up and I said "no", he left immediately. Jeanny and I went out for dinner at this adorable little restaurant which also happened to be my Thanksgiving dinner. We order wine (red and white), brucetta, salad, pizza, and pasta. I cannot get over the pasta here, really, it is just too good to be true. Our waiter gave us free chutes of champagne (yummy!) and limoncello shots. Jeanny was disappointed he brought us limoncello because after a hard night of drinking one night in her native Germany, she threw up, and therefore, can never drink limoncello again. This turned out well for me because I had both of them, and they were delicious, even though they looked like highlighters.

A New Fall

If I were home in Canada right now, my life would look like this... I'd be wearing jeans and a comfy sweater, studying, drinking hot chocolate and eating pumpkin muffins from Tim Hortons, and getting prepared for Thanksgiving. This is my favourite holiday because it's genuine, and one of the few that hasn't been commercialized. I get to spend time with my family as we're all sitting around my big dining room table (my mother always hosts Thanksgiving) with a huge feast set in front of us. Carrots, peas, corn, mashed potatoes, a big fat turkey (I'm a vegetarian, so I admire the bird from afar) and best of all - PUMPKIN PIE. I'd be going for walks and looking at how beautiful the trees are with it's multi coloured leaves of bright reds, oranges and golds. I'd be helping my mom put up the scarecrow, the fall decorations, carving pumpkins with my sister, and eating candy apples at Hallow's Pumpkin Farm. My sister, Nicole, and I are constantly coming up with ways to make each other laugh, and last year she bought this book called 'Cake Wrecks'. My favourite was a Thanksgiving cake with a giant turkey on it with what I can only assume is flaming wings. 

But... I am here in Rome. Where the weather, even in October, is still hot enough to wear shorts and a T-shirt. Instead of colourful trees I am surrounded by palm trees and pavement, without a pumpkin pie in sight. I know this because I checked out countless bakeries and asked in my broken Italian if they sold torta di zucca. Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not complaining about being in Italy. I just wish I could have a delicious Thanksgiving dinner while wearing a pair of jeans.

Yesterday I met downtown with another au pair from France named Marine. I was really excited to meet her because a) she's from France and b) she's close friends with Shayna. We ate lunch together at this white mod restaurant that was filled with handsome waiters. We both ate incredible pasta with the best tomato sauce I've ever had, and were sharing stories about our families. She is so funny and easy to talk to. At one point, I think water almost came out of my nose from laughing so hard. I also tried a canoli, which was like a piece of heaven in my mouth. Unfortunately she had to go back to work at 5, which left me alone to wander the city. I found an English bookstore and could not resist going in.

In Vino Veritas

This past weekend, the family and I drove back to Capalbio, the small medieval city where the family owns their second home. Basically, this weekend I was paid to enjoy myself. I swam in the sea, ate gelato, tanned, napped, read books, and walked along the shore. Luckily for me, Giulia's friends were also visiting Capalbio, so she played with them for the entire weekend. I honestly think this is the best job in the entire world. 
At the house, I picked fresh figs, apples and olives off the trees. On Saturday night we met up with Stefania's cousin and her husband at a rustic restaurant right outside the castle. The night consisted of Giulia and I making up stories of all the animal heads plastered on the walls (deer, boars and antler's) I sat at the table listening to these people speak beautiful Italian and had the most incredible meal of my life. My taste buds were in heaven. We started off with fresh bread, and then I had gnocchi that was so small and soft. It was dressed in a light tomato sauce with basil sprinkled on top. For dessert I had homemade biscotti, which was so.. so... YUM! The whole night, my glass was filled with rich red wine that was so delicious that I am having dreams about it. Normally, I'm a white wine kind of girl, but this wine was so thick and fruity and if heaven had a taste, this wine would truly be it. Every time my glass was almost empty, it would be filled to the brim again. Really, how could I say no?! Then we walked through the town where they showed me the crumbling but beautiful little Latin church from either the 11th or 13th century. I can't remember, mainly because I was intoxicated with expensive wine. I went to bed so satisfied that night.