When In Rome

Our last few days in Termoli were really nice.  Boxing day we had to drive our rented car back to Rome on boxing day and exchange it for another one, and then drive all the way back to Termoli. It was about 9 hours. I know, it's a long day but it really wasn't that bad. As I told you when we arrived into Rome the first night our drive was done in the dark but we could tell how beautiful it was; this time it was during the day and we got to see everything! It was as beautiful as driving through New Zealand. There were mountains everywhere, some with their peaks covered in snow, I felt like we were driving through the Swiss Alps. There were green valleys, towns speckled all over the hills, ruins of castles, it was breathtaking. We did however see one of my dads mates from back home at one of the service stations on the motorway, lol how random.

Two nights before we left my mum and I were sitting out on the steps (drinking of course) talking and enjoying our evening.   Everytime someone walked by I would say good evening in Italian.   Well, one guy actually stopped to talk, though talking was on his translator on his phone as he didnt speak english and my Italian is less than basic.  Him and I ended up going for a drink at the bar in our little castle town.  It was interesting as we couldn't say much (there was no wifi so we couldn't use his translator - there were on the steps because we were outside the hotel).  I kept asking him if he wanted a wine - meaning I was going to buy him one - I would point and say "vino" and he replied "ok" and drank from my wine. LOL.  It's not what I meant but at least he had some wine.   I was suppossed to meet up with him the next night but  I was so exhausted from the drinks the night before, plus we had spent the afternoon in my dads town,  and I still had to pack because we were leaving for Rome at 6am the next morning.   I left him a message on FB before we left for dinner, but we ended up meeting him in town, so he walked me back.  Our walk was so quiet as we couldn't use his translator lol,  it's so difficult when two people want to have a conversation but they are lost in translator, though we used his translator to talk out the front of the hotel for almost an hour then I called it a night.  He really wanted me to stay out for drinks but I had to decline,  I wanted to be fresh to see Dan the next day.

The next morning (not bright) and early we drove, AGAIN, to Rome to pick up Dan.  I was so excited.  I missed him so much, plus this was the first time my paretns were going to be meeting him so it was a big day.  

Rome driving is intense,  my mum was white knuckled the whole time, her heart probably missing a few beats.  My dad, cool as a cucumber.   After we dropped our stuff off at our hotel we were off to the airport, my mum sitting in the backseat and adding up all her visa slips and humming to herself so she didnt have to look out the window, she is so silly.

I was so happy to see Dan!!!  It was only 10 days but it seemed longer and it was the first time we had ever been in different countries so I am not used to being that far away from him.  The rest of the day was filled with drinks and food, with plans of going to the Coliseum the next day.

We are not staying in the nicest part of Rome.  It's really dingey and dirty but we are pretty central, the Coliseum is a 10 minute walk from us and the subway is less than five.    Every shop or bakery has places to sit and eat or drink as almost every place sells wine beer and apertifs which we have no problems with.  Our hotel is old,  the elevator is the craziest thing I have seen.  The shaft is pretty much a gate and the elevator itself literally looks like an old phone booth and it only take two people at a time.  I walked up the stairs when he got here, with my backpack all 15 kilos of it.  By the time I got to the third floor - or what I thought was the third floor as ground floor is considered 0 - it started getting really heavy, but I made it to the fifth floor, before my parents did in the elevator lol.

The Coliseum was awesome and it was packed with people.   We kept having guys asking us if we wanted to skip the line but we just kept walking, but when we heard the lineup was 2 hours we decided skipping the line would be a good idea.  Two of the guides started arguing over who gets us -commission- one guy even asked me something about the other guy coming up to us  when I finally decided to say "this is not a good sales tactic, you are arguing about your sales and now I don't want to take a tour at all and, for your information the other guy talked to me before you.  Learn some business manners."  "this is between me and my colleauge, not you." "well you are arguing in front of us and questioning me on who talked to me first I am now involved.  Go away I am going with your colleague."   :)  I am such a bitch.  We had a 10 minute wait until the tour started.  I scanned the crowd for my parents hopeful we could get them on our tour but no such luck.  We had to go without them.  Just before we left a couple came up and started bitching about a tour guide that had taken there money, claiming they didnt need any tickets, surprise surprise, they got ripped off, soo glad it wasn't us.

The tour was really good,  we learned heaps about the Coliseum.  It only took 8 years to build,  it collapsed due to an earthquake in the 1300's but they have barely had to do any restoration as the thing is solid and has crumbled since then.   We learned all about the Gladiators which originates from the word Gladias meaning sword hence they were sword fighters.   People sat in their seats by class,  1st on the bottom, then second, 3rd was for men, 4th was for women and children.   The events there were an all day thing, from morning to night.  Blood, sweat and dirt were cleaned from the stage with sand -  the word sand comes from the Latin word Arena which means sand which is now what we call our Areana's :)   The Coliseum is huge, and being able to stand in a place where the gladiators fought was so cool.  We ended up bumping into my parents who were leaving as they had a really horrible tour guide and were quite tired.   Dan and I wandered around for a bit and then went for lunch.   We ended up with a big surprise on our lunch bill there was an  euro 8 euro ($10) charge.  "what is this?" I asked at the cash "fresh" he said making a twisting motion with his hands.  Apparantly Dan's orange juice was fresh, he is still mad about that one.   We had another part of the tour to do but Dan wasn't feeling well so we went back to the hotel to relax before dinner.

The day after (which was yesterday) I was so excited.  We were going to the Vatican!!!  Being the last sunday of the year it is free to enter.  The Vatican opens at 9am which is about the time we got there.  It took us 10 minutes just to walk to the end of the lineup, it was massive.   After about 20 minutes my dad asked one of the security if we were in the right line up.  We actually didn't have to wait in line, we could just walk in,  the line was for the museum.  So we hoped out of the line and walked into the Vatican City.

Saint Peters Square is pretty big all inclosed with pillared walls where past Popes stand atop them.  The Cathedral is directly across from were you enter the city.  There were people milling about taking pictures, and just sitting down in the middle of the square.   We walked around snapping pictures of the fountains,  the cathedral and the Swiss Guards.  After about a half hour we decided to line up to go into the Cathedral.  The lineup went all around the square, it was almost a two hour wait.  Just as we got to the front of the line all these people started pushing their way in.  Angrily I pointed to the otherside of the square and said thats the begining to an older guy he just kept saying "va benne, va benne."  My parents got pushed back so far I couldn't see them.  My dad said something to them in Italian and the women replied "it's because we are old."  My father is over 70 and never once has used that as an excuse.  There was no security at the line so nothing was done.  I wonder if people had been budding the whole time. 

There are absolutely no words to describe the beauty of Saint Peters Cathedral.  The ceilings, the statues and the feeling of spirituality I felt in there is indescribable.  "It feels like you are in the presence of such greatness doesnt honey," by dad leaned in and whispered to me.  "It sure does daddy."  I could feel tears at the back of my eyes trying to push their way through.  Michael Angelo's statue The Pity ( Mary holding Jesus after he died) was absolutely beautiful.  It is displayed behind glass.  My heart fluttered as I looked at it,  I felt even more emotional.  I am  not a religious person but I have high respect for religion and am very moved by the power of it.  

My dad kept looking up at the ceiling saying,  "this could be the Sistine Chapel"  "No, daddy,  its not done in little drawings it's one big drawing.  This definitely isn't it."  The Sistine Chapel was the main thing I wanted to see so I was keen on finding out where it was.  Guess what...the lineup we started in when we got there in the morning, the line up for the museum,  well that was the lineup for the Sistine Chapel and it was now closed.  I was gutted but we ended up getting something better (or just as good).  When we walked outside the square was absolutely packed.  There were thousands of people and the stairs of the Cathedral were swamped with people as well, we could barely move.  There was a voice over loud speakers, we had no idea what was going on.  "The pope is making his New Years speech." we were told!!! The Pope?  The Pope is here?  I pushed my way through the swamp of people (many years in nightclubs has made me a pro), got down the steps, past the barricade and pretty much ran to the Square.   Hi up in a window I could see a white speck waving his arms around as he said his speech in English, Latin, Italian, Spanish, German and Polish.   I stood there in awe.  Of all the days we decided to go, we end up on the last Sunday of the year when the Pope makes his speech.  We had joked "oh ya the Pope will be there, he knows we are coming."  But we never actually thought he would be there.  As we left the Vatican, I cried.  Like I said I am not religious, but wow!!! What an experience.  I was there!  Amazing!


                                         

(This video is shot badly, but;  I really just wanted to get the feel of all the people there to see the Pope.  You Can see him as a little speck in the window for a few seconds and you can hear his speech.)

We went for a beautiful lunch at a little restaurant just down the street from the Vatican.  We sat out on the patio and enjoyed pizza and two bottles of Vino Rossa (red wine) were we saluted "to the Pope" literally.  The 4 of us had such a vibe, we were buzzing and smiling like we had just been cleansed, it was so great.  

After the last drop in our wine bottles was finished we hoped back on the subway and made our way to La Fontana di Trivi.   Now I don't know anything about it but when I travel I usually end up or want to go to places that I have seen a picture of and one was this fountain.  What a fountain it was. Now I am not good with desicriptions so I figured this photo would probably give you a better idea then anywords I could write. 

This wasn't the fountain I was thinking of but I didn't care.  It was fantastic.  And the people, there were so many, standing around taking pictures having a coffee,  sitting on the ledge,  talking.  It was almost impossible to find a spot to get a picture,  the Piazza was packed.  We just stood there going "wow.  wow.  wow."  My dad says "Rome just keeps on impressing me."

We had to take the subway back and the subway is jammed pack.  When the doors open people are literally spilling out the doors either trying to stay on, get off, or push their way on.  My dad not wasting anytime squeezes in meaning we have to follow.  We were body to body with everyone on the train.  My mum got pickpocketed.  Yup,  when in Rome...it happens.  A girl got on just after my mum and was squshed against the door.   The girl handed my mum her smokes as if she had fallen out of her purse and when my mum looked down her case for her glasses was halfway out of her purse.  When the doors opened the girl hopped off.  My mum always zips everything up so the girl had unzipped it, but not knowing that my mums wallet was burried deep in another pocket in another zipper within another pocket...she's so smart.  The girl though, must've just got on in another door because we saw her on the train again.  Thank god nothing was stolen.   Then an older woman yelled at Dan.  She was letting him know that she was getting off at the next stop and he was trying to move out of the way which was difficult when there is nowhere to move and the train was in motion.  Dan said ok hold on and she starts screaming at him in Italian and basically pushed him out of the way, it told her not to be such a bitch.  Yes I know, I have a short fuse.  But ever since we landed in Greece and then flew to Italy the woman (mostly the older ones) have been so rude to us, and it's always woman.  I must say,  us North American's have strict laws and we might be more uptight but we definitely have manners and it's really starting to irritate me.  These people that think they can bud the line and yell at others for no reason,  it's not always easy being in someone elses culture.

Now, today is New Years Eve and Dan and I have tickets for the Ice Club.  A bar where everything is made out of ice, even the glasses.  It's going to be a cool experience - literally lol.   Anyways this is my last post...no not ever...just of 2012.  It's been a great year,  I got married in Bali, spent the summer in France, living in the UK and now 3 weeks in the Mediteranian.  Next year is going to bring more adventures and more blogs :)  Take care and be safe and I will talk to you in the New Year...next stop Venice.

 



Myths of the Motherland

When I was a little girl my bedtime stories were those of Roman Gods and Godesses,  Greek and Nordic Mythology,  how the sun moved around the earth accompanied by a wonderful demonstration from my dad which consisted of him holiding a crystal bowl or my globe (which ever was closest) and moving a flashlight around it explaining the effects of the sun in the different seasons and a one year cycle.  I know it doesn't sound like your average adolescent bedtime stories, but I loved these moments with my dad and stories or information about the world;  my favourite stories however and still are today are, the Myths of the Motherland.  These don't include gods and goddess' - though maybe at some point they might have been thought of with the high regard from others, holy grales - though holliness did take place, sons of god - though sons were born,  any wars or fights with opposing towns or beasts - though an attack did happen, nor are there ruins - though the stories do take place in a town once inhabited by a population of 4000 only now to be mostly abadoned with a population of 300.

The stories are centred around a little boy who was born into a poor family during the second world war.  He was the youngest of four and had a thirst for knowledge.  His family  barely had enough food or money for that matter. His toys were bumblebees, catching flies and the little alleyways and steps through out the town where he ran.  He was a  very happy child and loved his life, family and was quite content  in his village atop a hill, with panoramic views of rolling hills and farmland,  snow peaked mountains and the Adriatic Sea.  One day when he was 8 years old,  his family took a train to the otherside of the country, got on a boat and waved goodbye to their town and set sail for a new land and a new life,  never to go back.  Though it is to be said that he still has relatives in that town.

I always got told different stories about this little boy, there was never just one.  There was one story about him riding a donkey when he was three and the donkey got scared and threw him off.   How they moved from one house to a smaller house because they couldn't afford to live where they were.  The new house was small a kitchen, and bedroom and a basement area where him and his brothers slept.    He was baptized in the church at the centre of town.   There was a story about him and his friends  being outside the school windows when a rabid dog in the town approached them and there only place to go was on the window ledge but one being unfortunate and being attacked horribly.  A local man who had been in jail for killing his wife was sitting there on a stool, he picked it up and beat the dog to death, though the little boys friend passed away only a few days later.  Horrible I know, but thats the way the story goes. 

My whole life, my dream has been to go to this town where the Myths of the Motherland have taken place.   If not me at least my dad,  I've always wanted him to go more than I wanted it for myself.   It has been so important to me for him to go and the fact that both of us got to go together is incredible.

The town is about a half hour from where we are staying in Termoli.  Termoli is about 4 hours from Rome  which is where we flew into from Athens.   It was an easy and short flight and we didn't even have to go through customs - I was pissed off because i didnt get a stamp in my passport.  However, my parents are not used to traveling and didn't think to hire a car before we got there.  Nothing was available, nothing till Christmas or after Christmas, some places you have to give them 48 hours so they wont out if its not reserved.   Our hotel was booked out in Termoli for that night and my mum didnt want to lose the deposit so they were hell bent on getting out to Termoli.  Finally after an hour we found a company that would rent us a car but it had to be returned on Christmas day.  

We ended up with an Audi,  as beautiful as it is it is quite a frustrating car.   It stopped and my dad couldn't get it started, it took almost 10 minutes for him to get it started, plus the GPS they gave us is a TomTom and it is horrible,  it tells us to turn and then tells us we are going the wrong way,  it doesn't tell us to turn and then tells us we are going the wrong way.   It's night time,  we have no idea where we are going,  we are exhausted and the thing got us lost 2 or three times.   - Never buy a TomTom -

The drive was long, well 4 hours isn't long but its because it was getting late and we didnt know where we were it makes it seem longer.   The drive was pretty incredible, even though it was night.  I had no idea Italy's landscape was mountains and rolling hills.  The roads were windy and a lot of the time we were high up over towns - which i'm kind of glad it was night because I don't think during the day my vertigo would be too happy.   Even though we were driving through the mountains we never seemed to be in the middle of nowhere.  Lights from surrounding towns all over the mountains could be seen the whole time...it was so pretty.   I could see sillouhettes of mountains with peaks covered in snow "no honey thats just clouds" my dad said "no daddy, lol, they are mountains. But don't worry just keep your eyes on the road"   We arrived at our hotel at 2am.  We are staying in a castle.  This place is a little town with narrow streets hanging laundry and little eateries, surrounded by castle walls that look out the beach and the Adriatic.  This place is a landmark and so beautiful.  We were so excited when we got here we couldn't sleep,  we cracked a bottle of wine to celebrate, but within minutes we were all curled up in bed in sleeping. 

The next morning we were up and in the car; off to the town of the Myth of the Motherland.  Lidia (what I have named the TomTom) got us lost, turned us town the smallest dirt road with holes instead of keeping us on the main road.  Honestly I swear she was having a laugh at us, almost like she was programmed just to piss us off.   Though, the drive was incredible, rolling hills with hills on them that rolled into the other rolling hills.   It landscape looks like a patchwork quilt of the most vibrant greens, some patches being brown with freshly turned soils.   Towns and farms dotting the patches,  and a backdrop of the biggest mountains I have ever seen covered in snow.  It was breathtaking.  We stopped a few times for pictures, but we were all really excited to get up to the Motherland town.   We finally get up there and drive around the nearly empty streets and park.   We walk up to a monument surround by local men and my dad asks (in Italian of course)  "where would I find the Piazza"  the guy looks at him with a smile and points to where we are standing "this is it" my dad smiles and continues to speak with the man who slowly leads us into the local bar where we order homemade wine that they freely poor to the top of the glass.   Within five minutes my dad had a circle of men around him, saying the know his brother.  My dad also gives them two womens names, one being a relative of the little boy from the stories.  The town is so small the men of course knew who they were, they even knew the family name of the little boy.  My parents and I couldn't stop crying, it was incredible.   My dad for the first time, after leaving on a boat had never gone home to his home town and for the first time in 62 years he finally stepped foot on his Motherland...my dad was that little boy.

He showed us the church where he was baptized and just outside on the stairs where he hit his head and got stitches.  He pointed out the old school where he sat on the window ledge while the rabid dog attacked his friend.   We walked the narrow streets,  95 percent being abandoned,  places borded up, no shops, one bar and restaurant, the school is all closed up, houses are crumbling.  I felt so sad, it was like a ghost town, but at the same town I was walking the streets that I had heard about over and over growing up, always trying to picture what it looked like and now having it write infront of me.  It was such a surreal feeling.  Even though it's mostly abandoned its exactly the way I have always pictured Itay to look like.  Narrow little streets barely wide enough for a car but they somehow magically fit perfectly.  The streets are cobblestone each side lined with buildings (mostly residences),  laundry hanging from oneside to the other, beautiful doors and windows and old fashioned buildings,  even though most of it is quite derelict it is probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever been too.

One of the main things my dad really wanted to see was the last house he lived in.  He has a picture of it at home and its the house he always talked about.   As small as the town is, when you don't know where you are going its easy to get turned around.   We didn't mind though, we were in no rush and my dad was pointing out things from when he was little and we were all quite happy taking photos.  All of a sudden this car pulls up and rolls down its window.  The men from the bar had called my Uncle's friend who hopped in his car to come and get us and show us around.  How awesome is that!  First stop, my dads house.

It's been abandoned for 30 years.  But there it stood, a one room house where his whole family lived.  I had heard so many stories and yet there it stood infront of us.   We broke in...well we just unhinged the wiring on the door.  My dad was shaking as we entered.  It was all concrete really not much of a site, but yet I found it so incredible, I was standing in the house that I heard stories about my whole life.  Plus,  with me being curious like a cat I ended up finding an original key to the house and grabbed it for my dad,  now he has the key to his past.  

Next we went for lunch.   There is no menu, they bring you what is being cooked, but it's a 4 course meal.  We only did two courses, we were so full after and our tastebuds were going crazy.   Homemade pasta and sauce, homemade wine, fried yet not greasy vegetables...I have never tasted food so good in my life.  I was speechless with overwhelmed tastebuds they have never been so happy.

After that Teddy (my uncles friend) took us to see the two women my dad wanted to go see.  As soon as we walked down the narrow street to Maria's house she recognized my dad - Maria has kept intouch with my aunt (my dads sister) for all these years - and they embraced in hugs and kisses.  Then the neightbours door opens and another woman pops out; her and my dad exchange a few words and she says "Ahh,  Nicola,"  then they embraced with hugs and kisses ending with us being invited upstairs for some drinks.   To top it off the room we were standing in was the first house my dad lived in and the room he was born in! It was an incredible and extremely emotional.  My dream of my daddy going home finally came true.

Ive heard my dad speak Italian all my life, but hearing him speak it in his own country and to see his face light up as he is surrounded with others in his homeland is incredible, I really can't explain it.

The next day was Christmas Eve and in Italy mostly everything is shut until the 27th. However, the owner of the (only) bar/restaurant in his town said that if we were coming back the next day (Christmas Eve) they would open just for us, so we planned to be there for lunch the next day.  That night we went for pizza.  Now for those of you that know me well, you know that pizza is my favourite food group.  Let me tell you, this pizza was the best pizza I have ever tasted.  It was just a Margarita one but it melted in my mouth when it touched my lips, I hadn't even taken a bite of it yet.  I think I even melted with the pizza.  Its quite strange as you can eat quite a bit but the food even though cooked with oil is not greasy, or heavy and you never feel bloated after a large meal, it's heaven.

When we arrived the next day there was a table set for us.  They brought out a carafe of there lovely homemade wine and we poured ourselves a glass, "salute."  Within in five minutes we had the biggest plate of homemade spaghetti with fresh seafood and a tomato oil sauce.  I ate half of the plate (which was meant for all three of us)  after that was done they bring out salad and a plate of seafood.  I had no idea we were getting more food, i thought the pasta was the only serving which is why I ate so much of it,  I could barely eat anymore but it was soo good I didn't want to stop.   We had to go to the bar downstairs as thats where you pay and we ended up having more drinks and talking to the locals.  After that we went by Maria's house (the first lady we met the previous day) she invites us in for espresso's.  We find out she was my grandmothers cousin!  She is family and her kids (who were there) are our distant cousins, how amazing is that!  We met family!  After that we stopped by Gina's (the second woman from the previous day)  I knock on the door - knock knock "buonjorno, zia gina"  I said as i knocked my mum was laughing at me.   She invites us in for coffee, these incredible homemade pastery things smothered in a homemade wine and chocolate drinks which is like drinking a fudgcicle in a shotglass.  We even got to see her kitchen where she makes her oil out of olives...unreal.  It was an amazing two days.

My dad was pretty beat when we got back.  He had a bit of an emotional hangover so my mum and i decided to go out and have a few drinks. 

We went to two places for some wine and came back up to our castle town as one of the bars was open, but it was a private function so we went back into town and settled at the bar we had just left.  3 glasses of wine, 2 sambucca's and 3-5 plates of tapas was 15 euros (about $20 CAD).  Tapas plates are brought out automatically with every glass of wine ordered here.  You don't even need to eat dinner, and you dont get drunk.  It was soo yummy and we had such a good night.  Our waiters name was Massimo and even with a huge language barrier - i've been spoiled having my dad around as a translator - we still managed to communicate :)

It was still quite early when we got back but with everything pretty much closed we decided to call it a night.  I could hear the bells ringing outside and people getting ready for midnight mass.   My FB messages pop up from my mum "wanna come outside and meet me for a smoke."  I grabbed my wine and blanket and we sat outside till past 1am drinking wine and giggling, while we watched everyone go to and come back from midnight mass, what a great way to spend Christmas Eve.

Today was Christmas and we were exhausted.  The past two days had been really emotional for all of us and it had caught up so we napped for a few hours and didn't head out till about five.  We found a place that was open and just had some munchies and then headed back.  We have only been in italy for 3 days and it feels like we have been here longer than Greece, but so much has happened it has made it seem longer - in a good way of course.

Tomorrow we have to drive to Rome to switch our cars around and come all the way back.  Thats another story to explain and you will have to wait for that one.

Bone Netale  (spelled wrong) x