It's been a month since I was in Italy and my recollection of it all is starting to become hazy... but there's one special story I remember very vividly from that trip that I want to share. It is the kind of story you'd be able to pull straight out of a romantic comedy, except what I'm about to tell you is real, not scripted.
The date was December 31, 2007, the time 11:59 p.m., the place Piazza di Popolo in Rome, one of the big plazas of the city that drew in large crowds on that vibrant night. As my friends and I are counting down the seconds to the new year, others are already indulging in make-out sessions, guzzling champagne, shattering beer bottles on the ground, and lighting up fireworks. And then there was that one guy, the one scanning the crowds, hoping to lock eyes with the woman of his dreams whom he hasn't met yet. And then he would finally catch her attention, distracted by all the chaos encircling her.
"That guy is staring at you."
"Is he cute?"
I turn around, to check out who this guy is. My friends were probably mistaken, I thought. He's not staring at me. He's staring at that blonde chick behind me that's falling out of her dress. Hey, he's not bad. He was towering over the otherswise short Italians, piercing into my eyes with this look of seduction, as if trying to reel me in like a fish from an ocean full of celebrating tourists and natives. But it's not working. Didn't take the bait.
Next thing I know, he actually comes up to me, tells me buon anno (happy new year in Italian), and gives me the bises. OK, now that we got that out of the way, maybe he'll leave a happy camper. But no. Next thing I know, he's walking towards me with a yellow rose in hand, and as he hands it to me, he says, in Italian of course, "For the most beautiful woman of 2008."
Are you kidding me?
So we got to talking, figured out his name was Franco, an Italian-Romanian who felt the electrifying power of love overcome him when he laid eyes on me. Unfortunately, I didn't feel the same way. But hey, I'm in Rome, on New Year's Eve, why not? As we shared a New Year's kiss, he told me that "tu sei bella" and that "ti amo." So we exchanged numbers and agreed to meet the next day.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Let's Play Catchup...Italia, Part I
Happy New Year, Bonne Année, Buon Anno & Feliz Ano Nuevo!
I spent Christmas break in Italia, as some of you may know, and it was... umm... I guess I can't really sum it up with one adjective. So let's try 10:
deliciousssss,
GRANDIOSE,
enlightening,
hilarious!!!,
stressful,
diverse,
...astonishing...
ridiculous,
perplexing??
AWESOME.
For the first leg of the trip, my roommate's family hosted Desiree and me in their cute little Italian apartment with a dinner table that can easily sit 20 people, or 50 different dishes, or both. Most of our time there was spent at this table, as the meals were painfully long and arduous (averaging 2.75 hours). Don't get me wrong--the food was delicious, hence my first adjective, but it was just too much at times (scratch that, ALL THE TIME). A normal human being cannot possibly stomach a full appetizer (with drink), antipasti, a huge plate of pasta, tons of bread, then a huge plate of meat and vegetables, then dessert, then the espresso, and to top it off, the fruit. Even at the restaurant, they bring you a basket of fruit at the end of the meal! Needless to say, I gained some weight in Italy, and this hard belly is a very much unwanted souvenir from the trip.
The south of Italy is really a hidden gem and I would love for it to be kept that way. Rosangela's region is the Puglia. You know how Italy is shaped like a boot? Puglia is the heel. The Puglia doesn't see many tourists since it's so far south so it's more authentic. We visited:
Bari- The big city in the south, has an Oriental/Mediterranean vibe, by the sea, lovely
Matera- A town carved out of rock, truly breathtaking, The Passion of the Christ was filmed here!
Alberobello- a small town known for the trulli, which is a sort of house that is cylindrical in shape, they look like little white teepees but people actually live/work in them. Cute!
Lecce-The furthest south of them all, lots of baroque churches, kinda reminded me of Miami on a smaller scale, but less flashy and more modest.
Rosangela's town is called Santeramo in Colle. The population is just under 30,000 and everyone knows each other. Nobody ever really goes there, so when these two Americans showed up, it was quite the event. We constantly had a crowd, as if we were celebrities or something! They would stare at us when we spoke (or didn't speak) with this look in their eyes like, "Wow, they're real! Real Americans! This can't be happening!" And would ask us countless questions to see what we had in common. It was endearing.
The specialty of the town is horse meat. If you've never tried horse meat before, you're missing out. It's really flavorful and has a special kick to it like no meat I've ever tasted. Yummm.
I learned some Italian and how to play with Napolitan cards, which is traditional during Christmas time.
I spent Christmas break in Italia, as some of you may know, and it was... umm... I guess I can't really sum it up with one adjective. So let's try 10:
deliciousssss,
GRANDIOSE,
enlightening,
hilarious!!!,
stressful,
diverse,
...astonishing...
ridiculous,
perplexing??
AWESOME.
For the first leg of the trip, my roommate's family hosted Desiree and me in their cute little Italian apartment with a dinner table that can easily sit 20 people, or 50 different dishes, or both. Most of our time there was spent at this table, as the meals were painfully long and arduous (averaging 2.75 hours). Don't get me wrong--the food was delicious, hence my first adjective, but it was just too much at times (scratch that, ALL THE TIME). A normal human being cannot possibly stomach a full appetizer (with drink), antipasti, a huge plate of pasta, tons of bread, then a huge plate of meat and vegetables, then dessert, then the espresso, and to top it off, the fruit. Even at the restaurant, they bring you a basket of fruit at the end of the meal! Needless to say, I gained some weight in Italy, and this hard belly is a very much unwanted souvenir from the trip.
The south of Italy is really a hidden gem and I would love for it to be kept that way. Rosangela's region is the Puglia. You know how Italy is shaped like a boot? Puglia is the heel. The Puglia doesn't see many tourists since it's so far south so it's more authentic. We visited:
Bari- The big city in the south, has an Oriental/Mediterranean vibe, by the sea, lovely
Matera- A town carved out of rock, truly breathtaking, The Passion of the Christ was filmed here!
Alberobello- a small town known for the trulli, which is a sort of house that is cylindrical in shape, they look like little white teepees but people actually live/work in them. Cute!
Lecce-The furthest south of them all, lots of baroque churches, kinda reminded me of Miami on a smaller scale, but less flashy and more modest.
Rosangela's town is called Santeramo in Colle. The population is just under 30,000 and everyone knows each other. Nobody ever really goes there, so when these two Americans showed up, it was quite the event. We constantly had a crowd, as if we were celebrities or something! They would stare at us when we spoke (or didn't speak) with this look in their eyes like, "Wow, they're real! Real Americans! This can't be happening!" And would ask us countless questions to see what we had in common. It was endearing.
The specialty of the town is horse meat. If you've never tried horse meat before, you're missing out. It's really flavorful and has a special kick to it like no meat I've ever tasted. Yummm.
I learned some Italian and how to play with Napolitan cards, which is traditional during Christmas time.
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