New Beginning's

After the Christmas holiday, the mom wants the girl I au pair for, Giulia, to have a 'break period' from an au pair to see how responsible she has become. However, we're going to work out a day where I can visit the house each week and tutor Giulia in English. Earlier in my stay I mentioned that my sister would be in Rome from May 3rd to June 20th to hopefully work as an au pair. They would like to have another au pair in the spring, and have agreed to hire my sister (who I know would absolutely fit into this family much like I did). In a couple of weeks, I'm leaving the quiet suburbs of Rome to the bustling neighborhood of Campo dei Fiori. 

I will never have to take the bus again, because all of the hot spots in Rome (the Colosseum, Pantheon, Piazza Venezia, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, etc.) are all in simple walking distance. In Italian, Campo de Fiori means 'field of flowers'. Don't let the name fool you, though. The name originated from the Middle Ages when the area was a meadow and used by the Romans for public executions. The great philosopher Giordana Bruno was burnt alive here because his theories (such as heliocentrism) were deemed dangerous. A statue of him now stands on the exact spot of his death, directly in the centre of the square. Today it offers one of the best open markets in Rome where fruits, vegetables, handmade accessories, clothes, and anything else you could possibly want are sold each morning. There are tons of outdoor restaurants and cafés in the area that turn into bars at night. So whether you go in the morning for some fresh food or the night to meet up with a group of friends for drinks, Campo de Fiori is the ultimate location. 

The new family is actually the same one that my friend Shayna worked for last year, so I'm going into this family knowing the ups and downs, and feel prepared for what's about to come my way. The father works as an oil broker and the mother is a professor for the history of architecture in one of the local universities. They have four children - yes, four. However, I'm only responsible for the two little ones. Clemintina, the eldest, is 14 years old and an artist. When I met her she dressed beautifully in Ralph Lauren and showed me her artwork in her loft. Manfredi is 12 and very shy, but the mom assured me that he's very independent and spends most of his time outside of the house doing sports. Lodovica (Lodo) is 8 and is super talkative. When I went over to the house, she asked me ten thousand questions and gave me a tour of their mind-blowing home. Desideria (Daisy) is turning 6 in December.

The kids all go to the super exclusive private French school in the middle of the most famous park in Rome, Villa Borghese. The street they live on is how you would picture a typical Italian street - narrow, cobble stone, rich oranges and yellows, with a huge arch you have to pass under to get into the house. They live in a four-story yellow townhouse with a courtyard, and the house is filled with expensive art and every toy imaginable. There's tons of interesting antique shops nearby and in order to enter the neighborhood, you have to pass one of the best bakeries in Rome. So whenever you walk by, you take in the smell of melting sugar and Italian pastries. 

Two minutes from my house is Piazza Farnese. There is a palace in the centre that was designed by Michelangelo and is one of the most important Renaissance Palaces in all of Italy. It's run by the French Embassy which of course means it isn't open to the public for most of the year. It's an area only for the aristocratic, so the prices are sky high, the wine is rich, and the fashion is beyond anything you can imagine. In about fifteen minutes from the house you reach the Tiber River, and right across from it is the most ancient neighborhood in Rome called Trastevere which literally translates to "over the Tiber River". The people that live here call themselves the real Romans and is full of winding streets, cool bars, and laundry hanging from the windows. In celebration of my new situation, I'm going to Campo de Fiori for a huge, delicious pastry while I continue to explore the area.