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 That is not to suggest that he wears out-of-date clothes; his metrosexual ego would be bruised.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.
