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Snow in Rome / Neve a Roma

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Yesterday and today we experienced snow in Rome.  Although it lightly snowed in February 2010, this is the first significant snowfall Rome has seen in more than 25 years.

Che bella!  The ancient city is quite beautiful blanketed in the white snow.  Below are a few photos from the main area of Trastevere.    This is what I saw when I awoke about 6:30 AM this morning.  

A side street in Trastevere.  Even through the snowy weather, Mother Mary stands constantly keeping watch over the street.    

The main square, Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere.  

This dog was frolicking around the piazza.  I couldn’t decide if he was having a good time, or just trying to figure out what was going on and moving quickly to keep his little feet warm.  

One of the trusty public water fountains found throughout the city.  

A patio of an outside cafe covered in snow.  

Another side street in Trastevere.  

P.S. – In case you missed the post on the Facebook page, World Nutella Day is tomorrow (Feb 5th).  If you are as crazy about the chocolate hazelnut spread as I am, or if you need a few recipes to inspire your celebration tomorrow, you should check out the great ebook, The Unofficial Guide to Nutella, written by the World Nutella Day’s sponsors. 

An End of a Series, the Beginning of a Friendship and a New Obsession

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If you have been following along on the blog, then you probably know I take part in a series titled ‘La Dolce Vita’ most Mondays.  I usually write about something that makes my life in Rome a ‘sweet life’.  I’m sad to say the series will be coming to an end, but happy to let you know we (the hubby and I) will still be posting about things and places we enjoy, and events going on in Rome and sometimes throughout Italy.  We will try to keep the content fun and informative and still include lots of photos, but you can look for it on different days of the week, not just on Mondays.  Sound good?  Yeah, we think so, too.  🙂

So how did the ‘La Dolce Vita’ series get started anyway?  It was a brilliant idea of a fellow expat.  Do you believe in destiny?  I do!  (The hubby and I credit destino (destiny) for us meeting each other, so yeah, I’m a believer.)  I had just entered the ‘blogging world’.  I wasn’t sure where to start, which direction to go, or what I should write about.  (I basically wasn’t so sure about this whole Italy ‘thing’ either … I’ve had a difficult time with the language, finding a job, making friends with other women and adapting and adjusting to a different life and culture.)  That’s when I stumbled across Ciao Christy.  It’s a lovely blog written by a girl very similar to me, and she invited other bloggers to join in a series and write about something each week that makes life in Italy, or in general, a little sweeter … la dolce vita. 

At first click I felt a connection with her.  We are both from the South (me from Alabama, she from Georgia … technically, we’re neighbors), we both live in Italy (me in Rome, she in Florence), we both miss and crave the same things from home (peanut butter, oatmeal, Nyquil … the list goes on), we both are in love with twins (her fiancé and my husband both have a twin brother), and we both love and yet struggle with our new found lives in Italia.

Participating in the series gave me a focus for the blog, and more than that, it allowed me to focus on all the positive things about life in Rome.  Let’s face it, Rome is spread out, it’s busy, the overcrowded public transportation with regular strikes and delays can make any sane person absolutely crazy, some of the women I’ve come in contact with aren’t always the nicest, you pay a lot for a little space when it comes to apartments, the bureaucratic system is a joke and the paperwork and waiting time involved to do ANYTHING will turn a nun into a cursing sailor.  All that aside, there are so many lovely things about life here in Rome … the food, history, wine, ancient ruins, fresh fruit and veggie markets, public spaces, the location, coffee, energy in the piazzas, free cultural exhibits, public transportation (when it functions properly), gelato, and the little surreal moments that take your breath away and remind you to be thankful.

Even more than a direction for the blog and an attention toward the positive things, participating in the series allowed me to connect with a fellow expat who goes through, understands and relates to almost the same things as me.  I am blessed to have great friends, but not everyone can exactly relate to some of the feelings and trials I’ve experienced in my new life, just simply because they have not experienced the same themselves.  It’s comforting to know I’m not alone.  Christine, the blogger behind Ciao Christy, and I have had the pleasure of meeting in Rome a few times.  We immediately clicked when we met in person.  It was like visiting with a lifelong girlfriend.  It’s so easy to talk with her because we have such similar southern characteristics and life experiences.  When she visits, her laughter and company are like a rejuvenating breath of fresh air for me.  At the end of our visits, it always seems like I’ve had a small trip back home … to a place where fun, laughter, food and girl talk are abound.  

For my new obsession … another very dear friend of mine introduced me to Pinterest recently.  I don’t know why I put off checking it out for so long because it is SO MUCH fun!  If you’re a pinning fanatic too, I’ve added all the La Dolce Vita posts to one of my boards in  Pinterest.  If you’re interested, you can check them out here, or click on the Pinterest suitcase at the top right hand side of the page.  If you need an invite, just message me and I’ll be glad to send you one so you can get started and join in all the pinning fun, too.  You can send me a message by clicking here.  Happy pinning!   

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© copyright 2013 – All rights reserved

Why Rome?

La Dolce Vita Series: School Days at a Museum

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Immediate view upon entering the museum. . .larger than life statues.
My sweet (and smart) husband is on his way to finishing his degree in Pharmacy (it’s his 2nd degree).  He is studying at the University of La Sapienza in Rome.  He has a habit of studying and spending his exam preparation time in the library at the university.  In my university days, I hardly stepped foot inside the university library.  I always preferred studying at home, in my regular, more comfortable (not to mention quieter) environment.  I find it annoying to spend the time going to the university, sitting amongst a few hundred other students and listening to other people whisper or get up and down from their chairs.  Not to mention, it seems like everyone has a cold this time of year.  Everyone is coughing, sneezing, hacking and/or blowing their nose.  Gross!  Needless to say, I easily get distracted and am not comfortable in that particular setting. 

 

The hubby does better in a more traditional study environment though, so to the university we go.  No, I don’t have to go with him, but on the days I am able to, I prefer to support him and spend the time with him (plus I have plenty of things to keep me working on the computer, like this blog and our website with the free wi-fi available).  It’s nice to have breakfast together, ride the train with each other, sit next to each other throughout the day, pause for a coffee break and share our lunch together before heading off to work in the afternoons.  Many married couples wake in the morning, leave for work and don’t see each other again until time to eat dinner and go to bed.  I really enjoy the fact that we are fortunate enough at this time in our lives to spend a great deal of time together throughout the day.  For this, I am very thankful!  

So I mentioned I am not a big fan of going to the library.  That is, I wasn’t a big fan until a few weeks ago.  You see, one day we arrived to the library and it was packed with students.  There were no seats available, and we set out to find an alternate place for the day.  We entered inside the museum on campus to see if there were any available tables.  As soon as we entered, I fell in love with the place.  There are statues and relics everywhere!  They are all reproductions from the originals, but they are beautiful.  Tables and chairs are placed sporadically amongst the statues and works of art, so no more ‘sitting on top’ of other students.  It is truly like we are sitting and working inside a museum.  It is a lovely place to be, and it is inspiring to look around and sit amongst so many beautiful pieces of art.  I feel completely in my ‘element’ when there.  These days, I no longer mind coming to the university … I even look forward to it.  

What do you think of the photos?  Isn’t it a lovely place to study, write and get some work done?After entering, this is what we get to walk through.  I love it!

A perfect setting to study, write and work.  

Copies of Venus de Milo, an ancient Greek statue from 130-100 BC.  (We were so lucky and got to see the original during our anniversary trip to Paris, France a few months ago.)

It is inspiring to see and sit amongst so many beautiful pieces of art.  

One of my absolute favorite pieces, Nike of Samothrace.  I fell in love with her years ago during an art history class in college.  I can’t explain it, but she is so beautiful to me.  We also got to see the original in person during our anniversary trip to Paris, France a few months ago.  (Scroll down to see the original.)

The original Nike of Samothrace (190 BC), displayed at the Louvre in Paris, France.  

To see more La Dolce Vita stories and photos, click here.  To check out how the series began, click here.  

© copyright 2013 – All rights reserved

Why Rome?

Hanging Laundry in Italy

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I know this may be a little strange, and I can’t come up with a reasoning for my infatuation, but for some reason I have a thing for hanging laundry.  I find it so beautiful and nostalgic.  Perhaps because it represents another age and a simpler time to me.  
 
In Italy, laundry hanging outside to dry is a pretty normal thing (clothes dryers are scarce here).  Even though I see it regularly and it is part of a normal, every day household chore, I always find my gazes being drawn to the various, free-flowing fabrics, and I am always stopping to take way too many photos of other’s bed linens and undies.  
 
I guess the beauty really does lie in the simple things.  I somehow never feel this way about my own laundry when it’s hanging out to dry. I’m too busy missing my American clothes dryer at the time. 😉

Taken in Venice, Italy

Taken in Tivoli, Italy

Taken in Trastevere (Rome, Italy)

Taken in Burano, Italy

Taken in Rome, Italy