Hello my frozen ones (well, at least most of you in the US)! Groundhog Day is just around the corner. Maybe good ol' Punxsutawney Phil will give everyone a break and predict an early spring. That is if his hole isn't frozen over. He, he. It would be funny if it wasn't actually a possibility.
I'm more interested in this gentleman's mustache than what Phil has to say, truth be told.
I hear that it is Super Bowl Week in NYC. There is a giant slide in the middle of Times Square! I am not sure what this really has to do with football, but why question the significance? If I were still in the city you can bet that I would have taken my lunch break to go down it. I wasn't really sure who was in the Super Bowl this year and then I found out that it is the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos. Then I realized I didn't care. I guess I am rooting for the Denver Broncos because I am a fan of the Mannings. I love when they do commercials together, I feel all warm inside. Does that make me a Fanning? I don't know. Or maybe I should support the Seahawks as there are 2 Penn Staters on the team? It is a puzzlement.
Jordan Hill & Michael Robinson
WE ARE...
Speaking of commercials I think we can all agree that Budweiser has officially won the Super Bowl this year and the rest is just noise. Because... PUPPIES!!!! And... HORSIES!!!!
I sincerely wish that I could join in all of the pigskin revelry, but unfortunately it doesn't start until 11:30 PM here, and that's a little late to start digging into some nachos. I will simply have to live vicariously through Facebook and Twitter.
When we last left off I was walking through the streets of Roma with Luigi, Franco, and J. The next morning we got up early and drove out toward the beach. It is a lovely 15 minute drive from Luigi's flat. Many people don't realize how close the Mediterranean is to Rome. It was a little too cool to go for a romp in the water, it was still nice to be by the sea. While there are public beaches, many people who frequent Ostia, belong to a beach club. These clubs are great! You can get a cabana to retreat to when the sun becomes too much and they provide lounge chairs. There may be a pool and usually there is a restaurant. It is quite a luxury and something that I, growing up on the public beaches of Long Island, am certainly not used to! After our trip to the beach we went back to Luigi's for another delicious lunch. It is a good thing that we were only there for three days because any longer and I would have left twice the size that I had come! After lunch we went to... the outlets!! Now, one might not think "outlets" when one thinks Rome, but there is a great outlet mall called Castel Romano not all that far from the city center. If you have never traveled to Italy before I would NOT recommend you come here. Go see the sights, eat the food, walk the streets, and dance in the fountains! But, if you have been a couple of times, done all the touristy stuff and want to get some great bargains, come here. For us, coming from London, the Euro is in our favor and the shops were still running post-holiday sales. We were able to find some really good deals.
Charge it!
That night Luigi, Franco, J and I went for a fantastic dinner at Taverna Cestia in an area of Rome called Piramide, so named for the Pyramid of Cestius that is nearby. We met up with our friends Cristina and James who brought along their friend Francesca. Our happy party started with prosecco and focaccia. Followed by a pizza. Followed by fried anchovies and artichokes. After that came my main, a grilled tuna steak in tomato sauce with capers and olives. AMAZING. So, so good. From there we were off to a party at Papageno Cafe. Needless to say, it was a great time. We rolled home with Cristina and James around 6 AM.
12:00 AM and many hours to go.
The next morning (err... afternoon) we spent some time catching up with Cristina and James at their place. I didn't take any pictures because it was pouring rain, but trust me. You cannot ask for a more idyllic view. Cristina is an actress and James owns a really fun shop, Goodqueen, on the Via Del Corso-they are quite the dynamic couple and a lot of fun to chat with. We noshed on some lasagna, watched their wedding video and got to know their new puppy, Penelope. Then it was back to Luigi's to celebrate his mother's birthday. After some pastries and a toast with prosecco, J and I found ourselves heading back to Fiumicino to catch our Easy Jet back to London. The weather was not great and we ended up delayed about an hour. We did not get back to South Kensington until around 1:00 AM. Of course, our cab ended up being on the complete opposite side of Victoria Station at an entrance that was closed after midnight. (For the bookable cab services here, you indicate the pick up spot on the reservation. So, my bad!) Oh well, you live, you learn!
J and I had a fabulous time visiting our friends. It may have taken us about a week to recover, but it was well worth it. We cannot wait for our next trip!
No comments:
Post a Comment