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Learn Italian Hand Gestures … from Models

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Sorry fellas, this one is mostly for the ladies.  

Have you been wanting to learn how to make a few Italian hand gestures?  Or maybe you’ve seen the gestures and have wondered what exactly they mean?  Well wonder no more.  Now you can learn Italian hand gestures … and learn from models.  Dolce & Gabbana models that is.  In no time you’ll be gesturing like an Italian pro.  Enjoy! 🙂

 

 

American Christmas Traditions in Rome

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We did it.  We finally had a traditional Christmas.  We’ve been married and living in Italy for three Christmases now, and this year we had a traditional Christmas at home.  I couldn’t have been happier about it.  It was what I needed.  
 
Rome is beautiful around the holidays with all the lights, so it’s not hard to get into the Christmas spirit here.  One of my favorite places to go is to the Christmas market in Piazza Navona.  It’s magical at night with all the lights.  It’s also a little bizarre with all the overpriced commercialized goodies for sale at the market among the beautiful, ancient buildings and fountains, but it’s still a lot of fun to walk through.  You can read more about the Christmas market in Piazza Navona here.  

Continuing with our traditional Christmas, we decided to put up a Christmas tree this year.  We don’t have a lot of space, and we certainly don’t have much storage space, so we opted for a small tree.  The little tree was perfect for our little family.  I love having it on at night for the lights to give off a soft glow … so relaxing.  You can see our little tree below, and if you look closely, you can also see our little angel.  

On Christmas morning we woke early to open gifts.  Our little Dolce also had his own presents to unwrap.  He’s only slightly spoiled. 😉

*If you missed meeting Dolce, you can check out the newest little member of our family here.  

Dolce with his Christmas loot … balls, mice, treats and a walking jacket.  

Dolce having fun with his new toys.

For lunch, I prepared traditional southern dishes.  They are what I grew up eating every year for the holidays, and they taste like home to me.  We had cornbread dressing, green bean casserole and sweet potato casserole.  We also had roasted chicken (for the hubby since I’m a vegetarian) and cranberry sauce “substitute”.  Everything was made from scratch.  There are no French’s fried onions or cream of any kind of soup mix here in Italy, and other typical ingredients are hard to find (think sweet potatoes).  So at the end of the day, I was patting myself on the back for pulling off a traditional southern American holiday meal in Italy.   

*If you would like any of the recipes, you can find them here on Why Rome’s Pinterest, under ‘Expat Food’.  
  

When it comes to cranberry sauce, I’m a canned girl.  Always have been.  All for the better in Italy though because I have never seen whole cranberries here (or even cranberry juice for that matter).  Isn’t that strange?  Anyway, I found the perfect cranberry sauce substitute.  It’s lingon jam from Ikea.  To me, it’s a tad bitter sweeter, but does the trick and gave me the cranberry sauce “fix” I was craving. 
 

Sweet potato casserole with brown sugar and nut topping

Green bean casserole with homemade fried onions

And desserts, I couldn’t leave out the desserts … brownies, banana nut muffins & bread, chocolate almond candies, and cookies with dried cranberries (from the States), dark chocolate and hazelnuts.  Needless to say, we were STUFFED at the end of the day, and I was one happy girl with a belly full of American food! 🙂 

Coming to Rome? Don’t get a fine for eating!

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Pizza, pasta, gelato … I bet these are some of the things you plan (and dream) on eating when you visit Italy.  I bet you’ve even gone so far as to dream (and plan) on grabbing a gelato and eating savoring it while you take in the sights of the fabulous Piazza Navona … the Spanish Steps … the Coliseum … or any other famous landmark in Rome.  Hold that thought though.  Don’t think you’re going to transport yourself onto a movie screen when you visit Rome and eat your heart out around the city, like so many countless films you’ve seen before.  

Why you ask?  Well, because as absolutely absurd as it may sound, it is now a crime to eat on or around any public monument or landmark (which is every place you turn in Rome’s city center).  It is a crime that can be fined from 25 – 500 Euros (about $32 – $650 USD).     

No more stopping at my favorite gelateria and walking to Piazza Navona while I sit and enjoy my cool treat and take in the energy of the piazza … ancient fountains, street performers, artwork, people watching … it has all come to an end.  That is, unless I want to pay a hefty fine for enjoying my gelato in that picturesque setting.  And I can tell you, I do not.  

This crazy rule is not only for gelato.  It also applies to eating a panino (sandwich), a slice of pizza, a bag of chips, or any other snack food or dessert.  

As NBC News noted on their website, after receiving fines and learning about the new law, several tourists pointed out the fact that there are no signs in the vicinity alerting people that they are no longer allowed to partake in any food or drink while near the various monuments.  NBC News reports that police in the area were asked about the complaint and said there was no need for signs.  A local policeman patrolling the area is reported as saying, “It’s common sense. You can’t dirty such a beautiful and historical monument with ice cream and bread crumbs just because you can sit on it.”  You know, dirtying and vandalizing a historical monument is one thing, but trying to control the free world is entirely something else.    

Another thing that makes the matter even worse, is that many eating establishments have very limited or no seating available, forcing patrons to take their food to go.  Where exactly are people supposed to eat?  This I would like to know.  

I would also like to know why the city can’t put those same policemen in place to prohibit the horrid men who force roses into your hand then try to get money from you by chasing you down, or the men who shine the damn toy lasers that they are trying to sell directly into your eye (pet peeve of mine, can you tell?), or the men who sell illegal goods displayed on a bed sheet along the sidewalks who speak ugly words to you if you gaze an extra second at their merchandise and then not stop to by something.  To me, these are a few of the things that are ruining and dirtying those beautiful and historical monuments.  Nothing is being done to address those matters.  

So … if you’re planning to visit Rome, don’t plan on eating your Italian treats outside while enjoying the fresh air and taking in the amazing scenery the city has to offer.  You’ll have to savor your morsels inside.   

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Roman Romance

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We took this photo several months back, but I came across it the other day and wanted to share it with all of you.  My husband actually snapped this photo.  We took an evening stroll down by the river near to Castel Sant’Angelo, and it was one of those perfect, magical Roman evenings.  The breeze was blowing, the water was passing by from the river below, a castle and an ancient city served as the backdrop, a saxophone played in the distance, a rainbow of colors filled the sky as the sun set and my sweet husband walked next to me as he held my hand … it was perfection!  Ahhh … the simple moments in life. 🙂  


How about you guys?  Do you have any unforgettable moments in Italy?

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Why Rome?

May Flowers Bloom in Rome

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Spring is here, and in full effect with a beautiful array of colorful flowers blooming all throughout the city.  Even in the heart of the busy city, pops of color stand out and delicate, sweet aromas drift by.  It’s lovely here!

If you would like to enjoy Rome in all its flower glory, below are a few places where you can do just that.  Ancient city + historical ruins + lots of lovely flowers = recipe for swooning!  At least in my book it does. 😉

 
Rome’s Rose Garden


Rome’s Rose Garden, Il Roseto Comunale di Roma, is located on the Aventine Hill across from Circus Maximus, and has been open to the public since 1931.  It is truly a beautiful place, and a quiet oasis in the heart of the city. 

The garden contains more than 1,200 different varieties of roses.  It features two sections … upper and lower.  The upper section contains the permanent collection with classic specimens, and is currently open to the public.  The lower section showcases the competition entries from the international floral competition of ‘Premio Roma’, an annual competition among international floriculturists.  The 70th edition of the Premio Roma competition will be held on May 19th.  After the prize ceremony, the lower garden will be open to the public for viewing until June 24th.

 
Entrance to the garden is free.  It is open from May throughout the summer months from 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM, although the best time to visit the garden is during the May/June flowering season.  The garden is located at Via di Valle Murcia, 6.  For additional information, or to schedule a free guided tour of the garden, email premioroma@comune.roma.it, or call +39 06 574 6810.
 
Flowers on the Spanish Steps

Each day thousands of people pass by the Spanish Steps in the heart of the city.  The grand staircase is the perfect place to stop and rest, visit with friends, relax, people watch and watch the world go by.  Now throughout the month of May, you can do all that amongst flowers.  Each year the city decorates the steps with an abundance of pink azaleas.  Below is a short video on the yearly blooming event.
 
 
Flowers on the Palatine Hill 

When visiting the Palatine Hill from now until October 14th, you will be able to step back in time and visit the ancient area in all its glory.  New flower gardens have been added in an attempt to recreate the vibrant gardens the area held 2,000 years ago.  The exhibit features a variety of vegetation such as, flowers, plants, trees and fresh produce.  The chosen vegetation derives from years of study by Italian archaeologists.  You will be able to walk in the path of emperors, and experience the Palatine Hill almost as they did 2,000 years ago.

Tickets to the Palatine Hill are €12.  Tickets also include admission to the Coliseum and Roman Forum.