Epic!

I just spent the most glorious day in the most glorious place. It was Epic. I dont think I can describe just how Epic today was. Words fail. But I've come out of it feeling changed.

I went to Rome. Yesterday I arrived at my hostel in the outskirts of Rome (Ostia), but today Amy and I went into Rome proper. We took a bus to the main train station in Ostia, then a train to the end of the line to statzione Piramide (pyramid, which happens to be right next to - you guessed it - an ancient pyramid!) Snapped a few photos, ogled over the amazing ruins right next to it and then began our hike into La Cita Eterna. It was really just a few blocks up, but it felt like forever, after all we were completely excited to arrive and the walk was just in the way of getting there... but I digress.

After a few blocks we finally caught our first glimpse of The Colosseum. WOW. That word is a complete understatement. It was a dream fulfilled. I felt like a giddy school girl. I did a happy dance and giggled. Yes, me.

First view of the Colosseum

We kept walking and came upon the Forum, and so decided to veer around and get to the Collosseum via the Forum. Well, we happened to take the LOOOONNNG way around. Seriously. We completely walked the perimeter, which is fenced in with a high wall and a long drop. But in the end, it was the best mistake we could have made. The city, the ruins seemed to gently unfold before our eyes. Ruin after ruin through the high-wall. We stopped and took picture after picture, each view getting better and better.

!

A gorgeous little church along the back wall of the Forum

This adorable Italian woman came out of the church and filled her cup from the fontana (fountain, obviously! :)

Two hilarious old men having an animated discussion outside of the church!

At the top of one particular hill, we ran into (truly) an older Roman gentleman. He was an absolute dear! I spoke what little Italian I knew to him and he was just floored that I was trying. We talked about our hometowns and then he gave Amy and I directions to a che buono ristorante for lunch. Che bella, buono cibo e non expensive (beautiful, great food and inexpensive) It was an adorable encounter.

Our lunch director - Grazie!

Eventually we finally came out at the Piazza del Campidoglio. It was completely overwhelmind. I teared up. I didnt know which way to look, every turn of my head, every tilt and gawk brought a new treasure trove of eye-candy. It was a lush layering of history.

Fat and Happy on my little detour!

So today I was supposed to high-tail it to Ireland with my lovely friend Mary, who lives in Scotland. Except Mary ended up having to work! Tragedy! So after a night of insomnia, followed by a day of being completely inept and incomprehensible (seriously!), I ended up buying a very last-minute ticket to La Cita Eterna, ROME!

I have wanted to visit Rome ever since the age of 12, when we studied it in school: it fascinated me! So, though the idea of traveling to Ireland was mildly appealing, when my travel buddy fell through, I just couldnt help myself. (This Italian keyboard is freaking crazy. I cant find the apostrophe key and the parenthesis keys are all wrong! So no correct punctuation for you! Mi dispiace - sorry)

So I did it. And to top it off, my friend Amy, who is a travel nurse back in the states and between contracts decided to fly out and join me! She bought her flight 4 hours before she had to leave. It was THAT last minute. And with just one minor glitch (I had to fly from Glasgow to London to catch my flight to Rome and didnt know there were two glasgow airports - I ended up at the wrong one too late to run to the other, so I had to buy another flight to London,... ughhh, but SO worth it!)

While waiting to disembark the plane, the guy behind me was being really loud, I turned and glanced at him and somehow we struck up a conversation. His name was Giovanni (Of course it is!), but he's a natural-born American, from SACRAMENTO, living in Texas. In Rome because he owns an art-gallery there. I'm not trying to sound stuck-up, but the guy didn't take his eyes off me. I think he would have eaten me up with a spoon if he could have. It was crazy. He gave me his card and asked me to email him when I got back to the states. Then he told me "I really like your energy." (HELLO! Could you be any more Berkely-hippie???) That comment pretty much lost my interest in him, but he was way cute and it was fun... I mean, when in Rome, right?

I finally made it through customs, picked up my bag and Amy was there waiting. She was completely knackered (worn out). She'd flown all night and had some fun adventures along the way - first of all, she sat next to two Italian brothers who lived in Philladelphia (her flight connected there) who invited the both of us to come with them to real-live Italian wedding! Unfortunately, my flight didn't arrive until 8 hours after hers did, and the fratelli Italiano (brothers Italian) had to catch their train - they did leave her their phone number and hopefully she connects with them after I return to London! :)

Next, while waiting, she found a spot to curl up and go to sleep - only to be shaken awake by an Italian BUM, demanding she move out of his spot!!! How freaking hilarious is that?

When I arrived - We hopped out of the airport, onto a city bus bound for our destination, found out that the bus we were on was leaving that instant and we didnt have a ticket, which we had to go back into the terminal to buy... luckily, a local woman sold me two that she had spare and we were off! We bussed it out to Ostia, a Roman suburb and transfered to one more bus before arriving at our final destination - the hostel. Ostia is a bit ghetto. Im not gonna lie. It is practically covered in graffitti! Sad! But our hostel is very well taken care of, clean and pleasant. Its actually pretty plush for being a hostel! All linens are provided, there is a full bathroom in our room and we actually can open our windows and have a SEA VIEW! Killer! We were absolutely blown away. Jackpot!

View from our Hostel window

After checkin in and checking out our amazing view, we decided to go and look for some dinner. We were REALLY hungry. So we started walking. Not five minutes into the walk, an Italian guy and his friend walk by, the first looks at me - makes eye contact and just stops dead in his tracks and starts saying something in rapid Italian, the whole while smiling at me. We had a "conversation" with my limited Italian and his lack of English... LOL. It ended this way: He asked Me and Amy to go for drinks - we said no grazie - bisogno PASTA e Dormire (we need pasta and sleep)! He laughed. Then he gave me his card and told me to call him tomorrow evening when we ritorno a Roma (returned from Rome) and we would go for drinks and he would show us around. The actual conversation involved something like this: Him: Domani (tomorrow) you call me and say "Mi Chiami Christy" and then we'll go for drinks!...

IT WAS HILARIOUS. And totally flattering. I really expected the men to fall all over themselves for Amy on this trip... but it was the opposite! Everywhere we went, men were staring me down. I'm not gonna lie: I LOVED IT.

We walked a couple of blocks and came to a pasticeria (pastry store) - and couldn't help but let the lovely little Italian pastries draw us in... the lady at the counter was one of the cutest, funniest characters I've ever encountered. Think about the Dad in the movie "Life is Beautiful" - this woman had the same charming, foreign vivaciousness. She tried out every English word she knew on us before taking our order for Italian cookies. LOL. She asked us where we were from, we said California - to which she replied something that sounded like this: "Ah! Aiul lly Vood!" We were dumbfounded. It didn't sound anything like Italian or English... She repeated, while gesturing exaggeratedly with her hands and shoulders in a very animated way "Aiul llly Vood!"

... Uh...

Then she shouted across the store to the woman at the register some things in Italian, the woman replied things like: Via de Rodeo e Cinema! (Rodeo Drive and movies!)... HOLLYWOOD! LOL. Then she told us that the cashier had a che bello figlio (Very handsome son) living in hollywood who was an actor. I told her to give me his telephonino number (cell phone). We all had a bunch of laughs. We asked where we could eat buono pasta and a man in the shop gave us directions to head towards the sea to a certain restaurant.

The seaside town of Ostia at sunset.

The Meditteranean

We never made it to that man's restaurant, but we did find a great little restaurant on the waterfront. Ostia's seaside is covered with little establishments offering beach access - complete with beach chairs and those cute little beach huts you can rent for the day. It's quite the business. The restaurant we found was attached to one of those set-ups. We ordered our pasta - each both finding something that sounded amazing - Amy ordered saffron lemon Fettuccini and I ordered rigatoni d'Amatriciana... rigatoni in a red-pepper cream sauce with bacon.

HOLY PASTA, BATMAN!

That pasta changed our lives.

I'm not kidding.

It was a revelation. It was gorgeous. It melted in our mouths. EVERY SINGLE BITE was a new experience. American pasta is just not gonna cut it anymore.

We shoveled as much of the pasta down as possible - somehow Amy finished hers. As much as I'd wanted to, I just couldn't do it! IT was a mountain of pasta!

With dinner, there was also entertainment - a fellow played away at the piano, all the crazy elevator music that everyone knows and loves. Every once in while, one of us would look over at him and he'd ham it up, play a bit of extra flare and wink at us. I had the view of the doorway leading to the kitchen, which was also very entertaining, because every few minutes or so I'd see a gathering of the kitchen staff and waiters (male) in the doorway, just staring at Amy and I eating our food. It was hilarious. I guess we were quite a hit that night. ;)

No matter how full you are, there is always room for dessert. Especially Gelatto. I ordered my favorite: Dark chocolate and Nutella flavors combined... YUM

On the way back to the hostel, you'll never guess what happened. I picked up ANOTHER guy. Not on purpose. Seriously. Three phone numbers, one evening - in a matter of hours. ITALY IS SOOOO FOR ME.

Buona Sera and good night!

Okay, Peace Out!

Short, sweet and to the point: I'm leaving for the airport in six hours. 10 hours after that, I'll be in London. A few hours later I land in Glasgow. 1 blessed week away from work! I'm not bringing a computer this vacation, so blogging will happen on my return! Have a fantastic week and I'll catch up with y'all soon. :)

En Route to London

What I've craved:
The air of international mystery. It's a difficult thing to understand if you've never been a traveler. It's easy to forget if you either grow accustomed to it, or stop traveling for a period.
I began traveling seriously at the age of 18. I completely under appreciated what was offered to me at the time - not knowing enough to know how much was out there, and just how much attention I should have paid to it. But it was by no means a waste of travel - much good in my life came of it and it awakened a sense of adventure and self assured-ness. I began to appreciate for myself the knowledge that there was MORE out there than just the few ways of life I'd known.

By the age of 25 I'd visited 40 countries. After that, the frequency of my travel decreased exponentially as I settled into first school, and then a proper career. And now, even with the current economic downturn, my situation is becoming such to allow me to once again begin wandering a bit during my holidays. I once again feel my wings stretching a bit, joints loosening and that dusty wanderlust coming out of hibernation.

I sat tonight in the international terminal of San francisco international airport (which on a side note, I'm almost surprised hasn't been changed to a vulgar sponsored name like "staples international airport") it was familiar, exciting and lovely to hear the peal of the British accent, the lilting Italian and harsh Russian being spoken all around me. I sat in a small pizza cafe and enjoyed a small pie, taking in the sights and sounds of this international crossroad, feeling immediately mysterious to others and curious about those around me. Some were happy and carefree (the boisterous Italians) and others somber and bogged down in their troubles (a little Indian man sitting opposite me).
 ...
What contrast!

To be in a land where even the very worst of manners trump the finest of American. Shocking to be told please and thank you at every turn. To have thing like "very nice my love" and "lovely, carry on" said to you in a constant barrage.
England emerges prim and proper at first glance - from far above the terra, seen from my cramped economy British Airways window seat. Lovely rows of red-roofed houses seemingly straight out of a muggle neighborhood in a JK Rowling novel, imterspursed with the rambling towers and peaked roofs of large manors.
Even from the air this land, this Inglaterra, bespeaks age, evolution and propriety. Each neighborhood seems connected to at least one large park which ambles and wanders, neatly trimmed in, landscaped immaculately and finished off with hedges. All is in place.
 ...
What is appreciated:
One nice English leather sofa sitting empty in a lovely array of similar sofas and armchairs! It's been 25 hours since I woke Friday morning (not counting the 8 I lost somewhere on the trip over). I have a layover for a good three hours. Before finding said couch I enjoyed strolling amidst the shops, not buying anything, but staying true to my nature I needed I explore every avenue before I settled on a decision for what to do next, despite my exhaustion.
Sigh.
Curiosity satisfied, I head for the sofa and claim it as my own. I use it cautiously at first, sitting up proper-like, legs crossed, observing the organized chaotic dance that takes place in interntional terminals. Tiring of that very quickly, I soon found myself leaning on my backpack, eyes drooping. And finally, when I was quite sure that I was not going to be breeching any cardinal laws of British airport propriety - I curled up on the couch, legs on leather, and passed out.

Lovely.

...
What is the big dang deal with all of this travel nonsense, you wonder?
For those of you who know me well, you know that I can be rigid - I tend to categorize things and then shelve items in my life neatly in those categories. I'm overly literal and this methodical categorization helps me move past the factual, trivial things in life to devoting my energies to making bigger decisions. Change to any of my core categorizations is dificult because it requires a conscious restructuring of my entire system.

For some reason, when I travel I am able to step out of that box and be the mysterious international woman of mystery. The rules no longer apply; My eyes are softer, lips flirtier and I feel relaxed, comfortable and intriguing. I can consciously be the persona everyone at home expects me to be - carefree, blonde. Not dumb blonde - the blonde that brunettes see - the girl that sticks out without realizing, who follows her own set of rules and shrugs off discrepancies with a smile and no one minds. The girl that drives my sister crazy with jealousy. I am not her often. Or rather, I don't get to consciously enjoy being her very often. This is my element. A place where so much merges all at once - language, culture, levity and experience that it makes my head spin with delight. The fact that it would take me a very long time indeed to explore every nook and cranny of these alien lands to my satisfaction before making decisions is intoxicating. The fact that I don't speak all of the local languages keeps the mystery and frustration alive. To be thus for me is to thrive.

--
PS - I typed all of this from my phone and I'm not going to proofread it all until I get home... so sorry, you'll just have to deal with the bad grammar and spelling/punctuation errors!
PPS - If you hadn't noticed, my travel writing tends to get flowery... lol.