Wednesday, October 27, 2010

7-18-09

Moving day for the troops. We are officially leaving the sleepy streets of Cortona for the bustling metropolis of Rome. Cam and I both woke up with a killer headache thanks to the Absenthe we drank last night. Though, we rallied ourselves, packed, and trudged up the hill to where the car was. Gunnar, Margie, Tom and Julie had left early. But my family, Cam's family and Leisha stuck around to look around the annual open-air market, and have coffee. And I needed coffee.

But all too soon it was over, so we said goodbye to the quaint town atop the hill and hit the road for Rome.

Now, if the two hour car ride wasn't enough, every time a motorcycle or car would get too close for comfort, Leisha would let out a scream that busted eardrums. I was thankful when we made it so that the ringing in my ears could die down.

We ditched the cars and crammed nine people into a Mercedes van and headed to town.

My dad had booked three nights at the St. Regis hotel, and I have to say it was the nicest hotel I've ever been in. Entering the lobby one would think they've stepped into the palace on Palatine Hill. I was tempted to ask if this was "Ceaser's Palace," but I think the joke would've been lost on the man behind the counter. We got our rooms, dropped off our bags and left for dinner. We stopped at a tasteful restaurant off the main drag. We sat outside in the narrow alleyway and sipped wine, making up for our real Italian experience we missed at Montepulchiano.

After returning to the hotel my parents and sister went to bed, but I went for a walk. I walked down Republica Square, the heart of Rome basically. Then I went down one of the busier streets. What I found was a city life I had never seen before. Shops were open til 1am or later, live music was being played on every street corner, everywhere I looked there was another twenty-something year-old beautiful Italian woman.

I went home after an hour tired, but very excited about exploring more tomorrow.

Monday, October 18, 2010

7-17-09

Sorry I haven't been posting, things got real. Now I'm in school again, studying business of all things... Ah, no matter, new journalism classes are on the way, and I'm sitting tight until then.

Today is Victoria's birthday, so you know it's going to be a special one. Cam and I took a lazy morning. Though, when we did decide to drag ourselves out of bed, we went downstairs to find a banquette of food waiting for us. French toast, gnocchi and a bounty of fresh fruit was a welcome sight for hungry eyes.

After breakfast I accompanied my family on a hike to see the sights we hadn't at the beginning of the week. In one of the churches, where stuffy air filtered the dusty light which angled itself through stained glass, there was a purported piece of the cross Christ was crucified on. True or not, it was the size of a dime and in a glass case, making it hard to take pictures of it. We visited St. Marguerite's Church, otherwise known as the oldest church in Cortona. My sister tried to get a picture with one a nun, but she ran into the church, her habit flapping wildly behind her as she retreated. We took a tour of the fortress atop the hill. We got to go out on the ramparts and get a panoramic view of Tuscany.

We drove to the pool, and after our sweltering hike, jumping into the cool water was a welcome refreshment. The others showed up, and we quickly made presence known. Cam performed a sideways backflip, causing the lifeguard to ban us from jumping in the pool. We protested, just like loudmouthed Americans should, but they still didn't let us jump.

At night we got all spiffed up and walked down to Republica Square where two hired cars waited to take us to the restaurant in the hills for Victoria's birthday. No expense was spared on the meal, which was succulent. Ashley, my sister, and I helped make the gnocchi. It was neat to learn real Italian cooking from real Italian cooks. My dad of course never stopped asking questions, he even started writing the recepies down on a scrap of paper he tore from a tablecloth.

We ate till we were stuffed, and drank all of their wine. We stumbled into the hired cars and made our way back to our warm beds. As I watched the great restaurant fade into an Italian night, I thought about the power of food and great cooking to bring people together. This was a treat, one birthday we won't readily forget.