Roman Meanderings

For those who know me, don't worry, I did dedicate an entire afternoon of being a tourist instead of a shopper! I was very impressed with myself, albeit motivated by the fact that my parents had not previously visited Rome. I feel some guilt for not getting them down the Appian  Way or catacombs and, well, many classic touring destinations. However, they did get the Ancient Rome walk, several days of Pantheon stalking (excellent shopping district), and the last Vatican Museum trip ever in my life. Seriously, Vatican Museum tourists represent the worst. It is a rabid dash through all the apartments, Sistine Chapel, and amazing artifacts of all cultures, checking off in their heads that they've officially seen it, illegally snapping photographs that are far worse quality than simply buying the Vatican book. I suppose the crappy snapshots prove they were there? I have no idea. My poor mother was standing in Raphael's apartments studying the ceiling paintings only to nearly knocked over and elbowed on many occasions. Bleh. Hopefully their experience in the Treasury today won't be as stressful to simply appreciate art and history.

Ellie was very successful in finding 95% of the toy shoppes in Rome, along with the carousel. I love how Rome and Paris places their carousels in the optimal historical areas, in this case next to Castel S'Angelo, for some lovely photographic backdrops!

We are winding down our meanderings...this is the last day of shopping with the emergence of slow packing. I have just a couple more things on my list that I can get on Cola d' Rienzo later this afternoon, and then sink into the realisation that while I'm excited to get back to my new house and start the moving process, the reality of life returns in full force. I have started my preparation process by getting my hair tamed with a local salon, which was an interesting experience given the language impasse, but the results were very nice and it's a good start to feeling fresh for the crazy January ahead of me.

Christmas Thoughts....

It is indeed a lovely Christmas Day! There was a lovely little nip in the air as people start meandering from their Christmas mornings into the cafes for prosecco and finger foods, in which I readily embraced. We walked down to the bazaar that would open later tonight (above), and then puttered home for more wonderful finger foods (salami, olives, cheese, marzipan, etc.) and the amazing cake you see below.

The sky was absolutely beautiful with a bright moon late in the afternoon at the Vatican. My parents loved the Vatican, which was very busy with people coming and photographing the Nativity and watching the various services. Our challenge was to keep Elle off the pillars and out of the gratings...everywhere except where deemed suitable. 

The final walk home involved the pizzeria with the behemoth beer that Eric so readily embraced. He seemed to forgive the lager long enough to enjoy something slightly less than a pitcher :) 

As we close on our Christmas Day and move forward into the New Year; I muse about what the holidays represent, and what they mean to me. I recognise how fortunate we are, as a family, to get the freedom of choice for career and living. The bottom line for us is the reality of options. While I could date back to certain decisions that provided the current positive outcome in our lives, there is a certain amount of good fortune as well, and I consider the hypothetical results of falling into one of the many suffering groups within the "system". A classic example would be the widows who lost their homes in the housing crash because their husbands had the temerity to die and the banks refused payment because it was the dead husband who had the loan, causing foreclosure. What would happen with our systems if we took people as individuals and worked with them based on their circumstance instead of falling back onto rules of the system, whichever or whatever system of point. What would happen if we respected people as individuals, and not lumped them in XYZ group with passed judgement?

Also I think people have a personal accountability to be aware of others' needs. What would happen if everybody, even the poor, took a responsibility in ratio of ability to help those in more need? I'm not suggesting that we put personal enjoyment and go into sacrificial mode like Mother Theresa, but maintain awareness of others, and help when the opportunity is obvious. While I've sworn off New Years Resolution since they never work for me, I do have a certain resolve to be more aware of the needs for others, as well as work on what systemic influence I can have in my dissertation as a starting point. Quitting my job effective January 31 is the tipping point, in my opinion, for what I can do in my career as a scholar practitioner, with more time dedicated to applied research, writing, conferences, and active studies. It will be an incredibly different year this time, with growing excitement and openness of my responsibility and respect to others as individuals.

"Busy sidewalks...."

My imagined perfect Christmas Eve is the acting out of one of my favourite songs, Silver Bells. Focusing on the "Busy sidewalks, city sidewalks" along with several other phrases that fit but I can't remember, The Roman Italians certainly agree. I didn't quite believe it when my first Christmas here was the same, but now I know it for truth. It is the quintessential shopping day without the more familiar suburbia's blaring horns, rude people, overstuffed stores in a mall with noxious fumes that cross crappy Chinese food with Bath & Body and threaten everybody's wellbeing. Instead, it's in the 50s-60s for a nice light jacket, hitting the streets filled to the brim with gelato, busy yet un-annoyed people,  and wonderful shoppes (not to mention being in a beautiful city). Lines are long for the last minute prosecco, cheese, and salami, but very forgiveable as you realise that you're standing in Rome with delectable delights on Christmas Eve.

Shopping was a completely mad success. Tights, trousers, long sweaters, shoes, belt, leather mouse pad, and gifts for friends rounded out my list nicely. Eric has a complete wardrobe overhaul on top of my success, which is overdue. Happily, my parents positively influenced him to go for more stylish shoes. That is not to suggest that he wears out-of-date clothes; his metrosexual ego would be bruised. However, he has been officially nudged into the next stage of style :)

Piazzo Navona has a winter festival, where again, I thought was somehow just a fluke during our last Roman Christmas; but no, it seems consistent. Due to visits in Rome during the "regular" time of the year, I know that Navona is typically full of artists, but once again, the Christmas season has all the fair games, carousel, trinkets, and cute little immediately made crafts, such as animals made of grass leaves, cotton candy, Nutella crepes, and anything else you could imagine in a European version fair. My prizes are a wide blade grass frog and butterfly, which currently adorn the potted red flowers serving as our Christmas tree.

The day was nicely wrapped up with a thorough review of purchases and gifts, and deliciously fresh snacks (olives, chocolate, and undetermined bread type snack) from the local bazaar in "our" piazzo down the street.

Tomorrow promises to be a quiet, musing day full of great foods and drink we've collected, companionship, and nice walks.

Moments in Time: Maltese Reflections

Nesting only a few blocks north of the best (affordable) shopping streets EVER in Rome (Cola di Rienzo), it's exciting to start the next part of our holiday. Celebrating Christmas so near the Vatican was something that I did not expect to repeat, so it is with all my hopes that we can get my parents into the Christmas Eve service that we so enjoyed previously.

However, before delving into all of that and sharing endless shopping orgasms for the next week, let me take a few minutes to reflect on some of poignant photos indicative of our different experiences in Malta! I'll have the full album set up when I return for those who want to dredge through a couple hundred photos between Malta, Gozo, and Italy, but for the "bottom line folks" (such as myself), I thought this a valuable post!

Classic imagery of Elle and me - one leaping child in constant motion with the focused fast walker trying to serve as both anchor and propeller.

While no pets or bicycles seem likely candidates for exclusion in the child's playground, there is a certain appreciation one must have that stilettos are also banned. I love the issues that Europeans must manage :)

This is a good capture of pure happiness in a favourite area of the world!

While some areas of the country may boast of friend chicken recipes on their linen, I found common Maltese dishes to be fun, such as rabbit, lampuki, and octopus. Sidenote: they are all very good!

A tired Elle announces she is done walking and plops in the nearest wee fishing boat until everybody finishes the market day experience!

There are some things that will never change regardless of location. Sitting outside some boathouses in Gozo, Elle still finds rocks amazing and Marian still finds reading relaxing.

The Hobbit ... in Malta!

Once again, Peter Jackson relieves my mind. I feared a quick little tale filled with comic relief with cameos of our favourite LOTR characters. I could not imagine how they could have multiple releases for The Hobbit (read the story....pretty cut and dried!). However, his inclusion of Tolkien lore to set up a better perspective of why the The Hobbit happened really justifies the length. If this is kept up, the transition into the LOTR will be flawless. Instead of the feared 'cute' cameos, it becomes very clear of the power these characters have, yet how much difference can be made "in the small things", as Gandalf predicts when Galadriel asks "why the Hobbit" in reference to this particular quest.

Personally, this was an extra meaningful moment in the history of Tolkien films. Ten years ago, Eric and I came down here to Malta from our Devon wedding for our honeymoon and saw the first release of the LOTR series in Valetta. Our anxiety that the Fellowship would be sold out required early stalking of the theatre with assumptions we'd have a major fight on our hands to get decent seats. In reality, the theatre was nearly empty with only American and Japanese tourists filling the few used seats in quiet reverence to the unfolding brilliance. Now, we embark on the Hobbit series on the same island. I was less anxious about masses descending on all three theatres on Malta given our experience with the Fellowship, but still remain in shock how low of a priority the Maltese have towards Tolkien films.

A note about the Maltese approach to movies. We went to a northern theatre several villages away from the tourist area, so these attendees were only Maltese. These people do NOT take movies seriously. I could provide an essay on the lack of respect the locals have for proper movie attention, but sufficing for a small example, these Maltese ladies behind us babbled the whole time. Not whispers...oh no. Just straight out talking as if they were at a coffee shoppe. Seriously? Nobody seemed to care. A row in front of us has a phone ring...(issue #1) ...and is answered (sin of all time has occurred)! I couldn't help but think how these people would have been feathered and tarred in the USA, and probably burnt at the stake in London. Laid back islands are great for a holiday, but can add a great deal of trauma to the movie experience.

Gozo

Given my squeamish sea crossing capability (or the lack thereof), I was thrilled to be on a decent size ferry (the only method of transportation for lorries, cement trucks, and regular commuters). No part of the Mediterranean can be considered friendly seas in December, and this day was no less that case. After the passenger only ferry experience to the Aran Islands in Ireland this past April, I was not ready to leap excitedly into this excursion. It was incredibly rocky, much worse than Ireland, but I revived much more rapidly this time around :)

Gozo was indeed stunningly beautiful with the quiet (and tiny) cliffside roads to just look out and dream (carefully)! I was literally overwhelmed with the power of the sea; on the ferry as well as hiking, sitting, and dreaming on the cliff-tops.

The lace did not disappoint either. I have always loved the Maltese lace, but the Gozo lace gets extra props for the hand bobbin work. We found a quiet lace shoppe with a lady working on her lace, thereby learning quite a bit about the process with increasing respect. She could name the maker by the type and width of the petal weave, which was fascinating to me.

Back to the ... bigger island ... for some rest and Hobbit movie planning :)

Maltese Days

It is a lovely day in Malta, sitting at an open air bar in the mid-60s with Christmas music being drowned out by the futbol that clearly takes precedent (except when the French teams come on in which everybody vacated). The gathered fans' criticism, disgusted amusement and shared camaraderie across Maltese, Italian and English languages serves as my personal entertainment as I sip my Maltese cocktail of local Bajtra liqueur, white wine, and soda water.

Below represents one of the very excellent days so far of cliff hunting along the west coast, which is a quest of bendy roads and small villages requiring quick pull offs for cars to avoid head-on collisions (an experience that always seems to be avoided, but only by continual miracles of circumstances).

This followed after some very successful open market shopping in the fishing village of Marsaloxx. All the hand made linens and Italian clothes combined with fresh fish makes for such a unique market that attracts both tourist and local alike; vendors switching languages in mid-sentence as they quickly recognise which nationality they have in front of them.

Next major plan is our car ferry trip over to Gozo. I've heard the lace made there is incomparable as well as a strong preference for that island with the European tourists here. After three visits to Malta, we are certainly past due our first venture into Gozo anyway!

Fiumicino

The fishing village of Fiumicino is a perfect stopping place if you're going right back to FCO (Rome airport) the next morning and if you love fresh fish! I love the scenes boats coming in, pulling down their nets, and getting the mending process started. When we go visit Malta's thriving fishing scene in Marsaloxx next week, I'll have plenty of pictures of the process on a smaller and more manual level. 

 I was simply amazed with how fresh one could get their fish. You can't see the trays of fresh fish in the picture, but that's what everybody is carefully analyzing from the trawler's catch. Walking down the pier can be a dangerous business though, with the threat of tripping over nets, random boxes of fresh catch, or, amusingly, getting nearly slapped with an eel as one fellow tossed his line of newly caught eel back across the pier with some apparent disgust and the voice tone certainly said volumes. 

Heading to Malta in the morning, we decided to stay in Fiumicino and enjoy the docks for our official 10th wedding anniversary, snacking on incredibly delicious food akin only to what a tiny thriving fishing village would produce. Having been to Rome a few times, I can promise you that this particular pizza is more indigenous to Fiumicino!

Our New House!

All right, this was really unexpected.

The common tale is that we walked to the shoppe to buy a bottle of wine and returned with a house. That's not really far off! We pointed out to our in-laws a house that we really liked for sale as we went to fetch some good wine for dinner, followed by some wandering around the place, followed with "look, the back door's open", followed with an introduction to the neighbor who was working in it.... well, the rest of the story ends with a two-day whirlwind process that ended with an accepted offer. I'm sorry the housing market crashed for the economy's sake, but really, for us, it was pretty awesome given the price we got it off of foreclosure.

The neighbor was in some wonderment when he found out that a semi-young family of three was moving into a behemoth of a six bedroom home with an extra flat attached. When we put away his fears that we would split it up into rentals for college students, he asked what we would do with the space...to which he received a response of a couple of shrugging shoulders and goofy smiles!

We signed today, merely two days before getting on the plane out of here, which somehow seems amusing to everybody involved. The conversation goes approximately like this...

When you are moving?

Um, sometime in January I suspect.

I figured you'd be really excited about this and get in right away.

Oh, we are! However, we're heading for an Italian Christmas until the New Year. We'll sort the house out when we get back.

You have a rough life.

We nod our heads seriously.

And, indeed, we will sort the house out later. But we are VERY excited with a house big enough to entertain in a part of the world that we have fallen in love with so hard. Some very acceptable features (OK, really AWESOME features!) include....

• Speakeasy style built-in bar with plenty of room to turn into theatre
• Absurdly large boiler in a pit that is the perfect setting for steampunk conversion (the boiler inspector recommended pouring concrete over it - such a travesty to destroy potential like that!) 
• The perfect room to convert into a wine cellar (always wanted one of those)
• My open kitchen! It's currently full of blocky furniture that was noted positively to us as new and such good quality....hrm...yeah, that's all going away!
• My library! All my life I've wanted my personal library study with a big fireplace .... got it now.
• And finally, but certainly not least, a nice large extension on the side of the living room to fit my instruments (baby grands are no tiny things) perfectly.

Others are excited about the place for other reasons with some of these being shared, but these features are certainly my top favourite! Never have my recent attempts to really focus on the immediate moment to appreciate and be 100% present been more challenged, but never has the effort in doing so been more important as my life is filling up with such wonderful experiences and joys!

Pre-Holiday Getaway

Sounds absurd, right? It probably is, but I embrace it! Discovering that Hilton Head was a mere five hours easy drive from Asheville, our new adopted home, was too tempting. We will never abandon OBX as our favourite ocean scene with the best drive ever starting from the cute village of Duck down through Nags Head and ferrying over to Ocracoke Island to say hi to the horses, but oddly, it's three hours farther despite being in the same state in which we live ... so ... Hilton Head in the next state under will get at least equal attention from us with it's slightly warmer beaches and faster trip.

Even more fortunate to our exploration of adopting the Carolina's as our new base of operations is that Charleston, a lovely old seaside town is only four hours away with the best ever cider stop on this quiet highway south of town, not to mention an absurdly huge tree; a mere 28 feet around the trunk.

So after a week of being relaxed, checking out the new digs (in a state-wide sense), and overall excited about 60-70 degree weather in December, we head to Malta and Italy for the rest of December next week!