Once Upon Another Time....

A year on the Mediterranean

A walk to remember - 150 stairs for 365 days

Home sweet home Viale delle mura Gianicolense

The towers of Bologna

Gran Sasso, Abruzzo

Attending the Last Supper

Atop St. Peter's
San Pietro, Vatican City

The nasoni of Rome

The view from the Gianicolo, Monteverde
Civita di Bagnoreggio, Umbria

The Palio, Siena

Wine casks of Montepulciano

Wine tasting in Montalcino

The GD David

The Italian male

Cinque Terre

Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre

Wine tasting in the Piemonte

The keyhole

The Tiber

Vittorio Emanuele
Porto San Sebastiano, Monte Argentario

Talamone, Tuscany

Villas of Lago di Como

Bellagio, Lago di Como

Palermo, Sicily
Panarea, Isola Eolie

Italian fashion

Ponza

Aventine Hill

The Forum

Fontana di Trevi

Spanish Steps

The Pantheon

The Colosseum

Apologies for my long absence from bloggerville - I had to abruptly leave Italy in the middle of December when I found out I was forced to fly back to the U.S. on the last day of my contract (Dec 14th). In the craziness of FAO and life as a consultant, I had no idea when I left if I would be returning. So I had to give up my precious apartment, pack up all my things, and take a giant leap into the unknown with no home, no job, and no idea of what would come - and all in time for the holidays.

A few extra special Christmas gifts were amidst all this madness......By forcing me home on the 14th (with paid airfare) I was able to surprise my best friend Erica for her 30th birthday. I was also able to spend a month in the U.S. visiting family and friends, eat so much American food that I was longing for Italy again, and go on 4 job interviews to see if I could stay. In my month in the states I was in five cities, went from 75 and sunny on the beach to sun and wind in the mountains to frigid city streets and snow. I managed to see every one of my family members, attend two birthday celebrations, dress like a flapper, get asked on a date, and go to Anthropologie four separate times.

I received my contract renewal on Christmas Eve - but only for two months. So back into the unknown. This return to my life abroad was probably the hardest yet, maybe because I was home for so long and really got accustomed to being with people I love, or maybe it was my unlimited access to hot sauce, sushi, mexican food, and condiments that I didn't want to leave.

As you may imagine it's hard to find someone to give you a lease for just two months, but I had thought I found a solution in an apt I found before I left in December. Unfortunately, that fell through three days before I was returning, so I scrambled and found a vacation rental. And somehow in the spirit of giving - another gift - a super cute, cosy, apartment in the most coveted neighborhood in Rome for half of what I was paying before. My new commute to works includes having to shove past the Colosseum which is directly in my path. When I landed back in Italy it sort of felt like I never left - especially when I was greeted with the most Italian of welcomes home - a taxi strike and no way from the airport. Oh Italy - I missed you

In honor of my return and my nearly one year (interrupted) anniversary here, I've decided to regale you with a two part bonus blog - one part year end report, and one part that you've all been waiting for - an NZed/Italy match up. So here's part one, and stay tuned for part two coming soon......

Trust me that I was the last person to think when I left the States two years ago, that there was going to be a second chapter in this fairy tale. And while it has surely been a fairy tale, it hasn't always been a fantasy......

Once upon a time, the UN hunted me down in NZed and gave me a ring (not the wedding variety, the phone variety) and asked if I'd like to move to Rome, the only thing was that this time I'd have to work. They could tell I wasn't quite convinced to leave the splendor of NZed behind, so they promised no taxes, all the vacation time I wanted (unpaid), diplomatic immunity (except for the bus), and at least a one way flight back to the U.S. if I still wasn't convinced. And while it hasn't always been a fantasy, it has always always been a dream come true.....

It took awhile to battle the Italy of my dreams (and former vacation) while trying to actually live in Italy. Italy can be amazingly beautiful and glamorous and delicious, and it can also be brutal, frustrating, and illogical. So in the tradition of the great Roman conquerors, here's a tally of who came out on top and where:

Street domination: WINNER - ME: Now granted when I arrived I had already had some practice with the need to dominate the streets in Italy from my brief visit a few years ago. Using my legs as my primary means of transportation has resulted in not only a need to dominate the streets, but has also provided me many occasions to lose. I am proud to say that I have walked to work (and most other locations in this city) everyday of my year here, and not once been hit by a car or stepped in dog poop = total domination. And as I instructed my many visitors, it is all about confidence and caution

Carbs: WINNER - Italy: Coming here I was still of the American mind that carbs are bad and will definitely make you fat. I will tell you that either it's our carbs or it's a lie, or maybe see street domination above. The fact is, eating pasta, pizza, and paninis everyday won't make you fat, as long as you're doing it in Italy

Males: WINNER - Me: Again, coming here I was set to think that men would be aggressive and annoying, and they're not, they're hilarious. As long as you're okay with being stared up and down, having all your things paid for, and never letting a man walk before you through a door, then Italian men are harmless, generous, and caretaking.

La Bella Lingua: WINNER: Italy - Everyone, even me, thought it would be easy to learn Italian given my knowledge of Spanish and French, and yet still after 11 months I struggle. Now maybe it's cause I never took a real class, live alone, work in English, don't have an Italian boyfriend - but it still frustrates me. And now, in Italy's utter glory, I can't speak Spanish or French well either because I intersperse Italian words. The Tower of Babel is here and now

Exercise: WINNER: Draw - I thought that I had ingrained exercise enough into my daily routine and psyche in NZed to make it last wherever I went, but Italy makes it hard. The combo of cobblestone, lack of a car to get 'outside', danger (roads, muggers, see cobblestone again), and the lack of an exercise culture have all combined to thwart me or make me thwart myself. Thank god for my means of transport in my legs or Italy would have really won

History: WINNER: Italy - I somehow thought just by living in Rome that I would immediately become a history buff. Any of you that came to visit soon found out I was making up a bit of my own history with my own Libby Beall's tour of Rome. The fact is, no matter how hard I try to memorize/learn it all, I'm battling over 2,000 years, so I'll happily cede this one

Patience: WINNER: Draw - Each day that I think that I've won and that Italy can't get to me/surprise me anymore with its snafus and hassles, I am as my Dad says "put at the end of a long line". And while I won't say I've won this one, Italy I thank you for continuing to test me and teach me there is ever more patience to learn

Acceptance: WINNER: Me - And while I may not have won on the patience front, I have accepted Italy for the duality that it is, which has made not only life much easier for me here, but also unleashed an ability to see more of its hidden charm. However, I'm not sure Italy has accepted me and my undid hair and lack of a puffy shiny jacket

Living Alone: WINNER: Me - I'm not sure why I thought living alone for the first time in my whole life in a country without customer service was a good idea, but it has certainly taught me that I can do it and thrive. I have to thank my charming landlord Pietro for taking it pretty easy on me

Italy by the numbers:

-I somehow managed to top my NZed year with 15 visitors

-Not pictured here the 8 other countries visited (yes, I'm including Vatican City)

-5 Italian islands visited

-200+ gelatos eaten

-500+kgs of prosciutto devoured

-1000+litres of wine imbibed

-50+ churches toured

-Countless more things to see and do!!!!!!

*I will give you superlatives only when I'm really leaving

And now that I'm back for at least a little while, I better get after it. Stay tuned as I try to check off all those spots I didn't get to and WIN at all those things I failed at, to truly conquer Italy

Once again, I could not have survived, or even lived, this second chapter of this fairy tale without the support (from near or far) from all of you. Thank you again for taking this truly ridiculous journey with me - I couldn't do it without you.