Famous for its Numerals

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POSTING # IX - August XII

For some reason, I am all of a sudden feeling strongly drawn to Italy.  There are many, many beautiful sights here in Rome.

Well, maybe not this guy

The Italian portion of my trip started off  VERY well. I was met at the airport by Antonio who drives a fancy black Mercedes. The only thing he knows how to say in English is "You are very beautiful." I suspect he knows how to say that in a lot of languages. He drove me to my hotel where the two Alessandros checked me into a cool hotel on a very cool street. 

I was eager to explore, so without unpacking, I headed for the nearest piazza where there happened to be a huge crowd forming. Curious, I joined them to see what was so interesting. They were filming a movie! The crowd was five or six deep so I couldn't see much, but then I noticed that on one side of the circle they had formed was a cafe, and there was one empty chair at a table with two women. I asked if I could join them and ended up with one of the best places from which to watch the action. 

Some of you may recognize the director.

After the shoot, I walked from one groovy restaurant to the next, all around the piazza, trying to choose one.  It was difficult because they all looked great, but when one of the waiters came up to me and actually offered me his arm and escorted me to a nice table, how could I resist?  Maximo was quite charming, and in between courses, he asked me to marry him.  He actually got down on one knee.  Italian men REALLY seem to appreciate women!

All of this in the space of about four hours on my first day in Rome!

Since then, I've been walking and eating gelato and exploring and eating gelato. 

I love the way his foot hangs

Last night, I was treated to a home-cooked dinner and interesting conversation. Adriana, a friend of David's (you will no doubt meet David in the up-coming blog, but the short version is he is a friend of Shirley's, from Boise, who now lives in Italy and works as a tour guide) -- anyway, Adriana cooked an amazing, authentic Italian meal -- all organic and fresh and delicious -- which David and I enjoyed along with Adriana, her husband Jack, and their beautiful daughter, Lucy. What a treat to eat on their sixth floor terrace under a nearly full moon! 

Rome is a beautiful city, and more than anything, I'm appreciating the ancient-ness of the place and trying to come to terms with the idea that there is over 3,000 (MMM) years of history here.  Ruins are interspersed with "newer" buildings and the streets and stairways are worn with the feet of so many people over the centuries. 

And the style! Gucci, Versace, Armani, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Ferragamo. 

However, many of the buildings look about ready to fall down.  Since parking is a big problem here, I want to suggest that they get rid of this thing and build a six-level parking structure.

And now, after two months, my solo traveling comes to an end tonight. Tomorrow, I meet up with Shirley-Hurley for the remainder of the trip. Truthfully, I am ready for company. It will be great to have someone with whom to share the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of Italy.

I have been thinking of this adventure as a journey -- full of self-discovery and a time to sort through the events of my life. I wanted to use Jackson Browne's "These Days" as my song for this entry because it really fits with how I've been feeling lately, but I couldn't download it, so I will settle for giving you the lyrics.

Well I've been out walkin'
I don't do that much talkin' these days.
These days.
These days I seem to think a lot
About the things that I forgot to do...
And all the times I had the chance to.

And I had a lover.
And it's so hard to risk another these days.
These days.
Now if I seem to be afraid ... to live the life that I have made in song,
Well it's just that I've been losin' ... for so long.

Well I'll keep on movin' ...
Things are bound to be improvin' these days.
One of these days.
These days I'll sit on corner stones
And count the time in quarter tones to ten ...
Don't confront me with my failures.
I have not forgotten them.

Hmmm, I guess I'm feeling a bit introspective tonight. 

Tomorrow, with Shirley's help, the vacation part of my trip truly begins. 

Ciao!

Love, Mom/Sissy/Gaylie

Viva La France!

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POSTING  # 8 - AUGUST 9

Once again, it has been a while since I blogged. I think I left off in Bordeaux, so that's where I'll pick up again. What a beautiful city! I loved it, even though the pedestrian streets were often sidewalk-to-sidewalk with tourists, reminding me of Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras. But this is how it looks early in the morning.

The city is full of parks and squares with cool cafes everywhere, and a great place to run on the Garonne River. There was a festival on the river one day, complete with very cheesy (fromagy?) French karaoke singers.

I loved window shopping in Bordeaux. It seems that each shopkeeper tries to outdo his or her neighbors. This was a chocolate shop -- and the high heels are actually chocolate, too!




After enjoying Bordeaux for four days, I took another train to Paris where I stayed for a little over a week. I went to the Louvre VERY early in the morning, saw what I wanted to see in about 3 hours, and got out before the crowds. 

The only other museum I made time for was the insanely creative Salvador Dali. He is someone I would like to have known!

Compared to Bordeaux, the energy in Paris took some getting used to. And the prices took some getting used to as well. I went into a shop to buy hair conditioner, and on my way past one counter, grabbed a tube of lipstick -- (I know -- you're saying "Gayle? Lipstick?" I'm trying to be sophisticated!). The woman at the counter said something that sounded like "sankasankuro" and, though I thought it sounded like she said 55 Euros, I was certain I had misunderstood. Not wanting to appear stupid, I handed her what I thought was PLENTY of money -- a 20 Euro bill (not quite $30), thinking she'd give me back some change. She just stood there with her French-nail manicured hand out and one perfect eyebrow raised in a very impatient look. I said, "Combien?" and she looked me square in the eye, and in English said, slowly and loudly, as though I were not only stupid but deaf as well --" fif..ty..five..Eur...os!!"-- nearly 80 bucks! When she saw the shocked look on my face, she very condescendingly said "It's VEHHHHHHRRRRRRY gooood", and looking at my hair said, sympathetically, "Now, no more . . . fhhhhhreeeeeeezzzzz." So far, I have used the liptstick five times, which brings its cost down to about $8 per application. I need to use it several times more before I feel Okay about that part of the purchase, but my hair is now very happy.

OK -- a little about the food. One night, I walked along the Seine for about an hour and then found a promising restaurant on a little side street that wasn't overrun with tourists. There was a man playing the accordion when I arrived, and to be honest, he was the real reason I chose this place. I ordered a half bottle of  '05 Chateau de Rochemorin Bordeaux. My starter -- "Artisinal roquefort mousse with candied pears over caramelized walnuts and endive salad". My main course -- "Laquered duck breast accented with honey and spices with bourguigononne mashed potatoes". Dessert choices included "caramel floating island on creamy vanilla custard; teramisu cake with teramisu ice cream; cream puff filled with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce; coffee flavored creme brulee; warm French apple pie with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce; or warm molten chocolate cake with vanilla custard. I couldn't decide so went with the cheese sampler -- brie, camembert and roquefort. I was still full the next morning!

On my last day in Paris, I visited Jim Morrison, and some of my favorite writers at the Pere Lachaise Cemetery, a beautifully eerie city of over 300,000 deceased. Many of the crypts are works of art, tributes to the painters, writers, and musicians who are buried there.

It took me a few days to shake off the sadness I felt after spending several hours there. I guess I had gone with the idea that it was a tourist attraction, but once I began walking around and seeing banners honoring those who served France in times of war, fresh flowers, wreaths, and love notes, I came away with a deeper appreciation of the legacy they left behind.


Reluctantly, I said goodbye to France.

Sarah, Noora, Dina & Saif

What made leaving France a bit easier was the fact that from there, I flew to Basel, Switzerland to see my Swiss kids -- a visit that was far too short.They served a beautiful brunch at Sarah & Noora's apartment the day after forcing me to drink vast quantities of alcohol. And I got to see Dina before she leaves for her year abroad in Mexico. Thanks, Kids!


Stay tuned for Adventures from Italy!


Love, Mom/Sissy/Gaylie