Buona Pasqua! Sono quasi pronta!

Happy Easter!

I'm almost ready. Just a few days to go before I leave for Rome, and I'm working long hours so I will have less to do once I arrive in Zagarolo.

And the stars seem to be in my favor! Here's what my horoscope from iGoogle had to say today:

"You are looking forward to beginning something new in the days ahead, but you first have to finalize your plans. Acting impulsively won't be sufficient; this isn't just about doing something for fun. The Moon's entry into your 9th House of Adventure reflects your current need to expand your horizons. Don't settle for the easy way out; creating a sound strategy can be your key to accomplishing your goals."

I will take heed!

Easter is BIG in Italy, some say even more so than Christmas. I was tickled to receive email greetings and e-cards from most of my Italian friends, even those I haven't had regular contact with in the past year. And along with those greetings came invitations (and several pleas) to visit friends in Paris, Ascoli Piceno, Bologna, Modena, Parma, Rome, Florence and Trento. After several months of laying low here at home, I'm ready for another gad-about time with my Italian friends. It looks as if my only major expenses in Italy this time will be for transportation. Sono molto fortunata! I'm so fortunate to have such generous friends who seem so eager to have me around.

I'll be arriving in Rome during a week of many celebrations. Easter Monday, called Pasquetta, coincides with a national holiday on April 25. Liberation Day, considered the July 4 of Italy, commemorates Italy's liberation from the Nazis at the end of WWII. And all the faithful who came for Holy Week will likely stay another week to celebrate the Beatification of John Paul II, which takes place on May 1, another national holiday: International Workers Day. A day known for its many protests, it will be an interesting contrast to the Vatican's celebration of a new and popular saint. And I'll be there to witness the event.

Because of the two national holidays, along with Easter and Pasquetta all occurring in the same week, many Italians are taking the week off between Easter and May 2. But the streets of Rome are filled with tourists, pilgrims and refugees from Tunisia. I'll soon be adding to the numbers....a presto!

Spring in Kansas

Japanese Cherry Tree

It's spring in Kansas, and some days, it even feels like summer! On Sunday, it was 90 degrees F. (30 C.) and the flowers started popping out on my Japanese cherry tree: by the end of the day, it was fully in bloom. I planted the tree ten years ago: it was a birthday gift from my son, and it is the same type of ornamental cherry tree that one sees in Washington D.C.

A gift from the mayor of Tokyo in 1912, the trees in D.C. were donated in an effort to enhance the growing friendship between the U.S. and Japan. When my tree blooms, it's like a soft pink cloud floating in my yard.



Tulips have also started blooming, and it's a lovely show of color around the house. This is my favorite time of year at home, and I'm glad to see the flowers blooming before I take off for Rome in three weeks.

Best Laid Plans

view from bedroom window in Zagarolo

I've been on a roller coaster ride during the last month. My usual work projects were minimized, which wiped out my funds for renting the apartment in Firenze that I'd lined up for three months. I'd been having some reservations about spending so much time in the city during the height of the tourist season and hot weather, and the loss of income made me realize I would have to scrap my original plans and see if I could go to Italy in the fall instead. Bummer!

However, traveling in the fall would also be complicated. The apartment I had lined up for the summer is not available in the fall, and going though an agency would be expensive. If I went in the fall, I could only stay 6-8 weeks, instead of the three months I was hoping for. I was starting to feel resigned to the fact that I might not make it back to Italy at all this year. Che peccato!

Then a few days ago, I got an email from a friend who lives near Rome, asking if I would be interested in housesitting for her in May and June, while she travels to Canada. The housesitters she had lined up last month had backed out, and she knew that my plans had also gone awry. I'd met Deborah in 2009 through a housesitting website that matches people wanting to housesit with people needing someone to look after their house or animals. I was unable to housesit for her that year, but traveled down to visit her and see what it would involve to take care of her house and cats. As a result of that visit, we became friends and have stayed in touch. While I was in Rome last fall, we spent an afternoon together roaming the city and eating some wonderful food.

To make a long story short, I decided that housesitting for her would be the perfect solution to my dilemma. I won't have to pay for lodging for two months, will have a different kind of adventure, and will be in an environment where I will have to rely on Italian in order to communicate, the best way to improve my language skills. With a DSL connection already set up in the house, I can easily do my online work projects while I'm there.

I'll be staying in a sweet little house in the country outside of Zagarolo, a small village east of Rome, that is easily reached by a 30 minute train ride. The area around the town boasts hazelnut and olive groves, and there is a vineyard across the road from Deborah's house that produces a well-known white wine, and I've been told I can take long walks through the vineyards. I'll have a car to use, which will be an interesting new challenge. I'll have a 1.5 km walk into town, and no easy access to gelato and other yummy foods that constantly tempted me in Firenze. I'll be able to see the seven hills of Rome from my bedroom window. Che fortuna!

I'll be heading out a month sooner than originally planned...within 6 weeks I'll be leaving for Rome and another 3-month stay in Italy! After Deborah returns from Canada, I'll have 3 more weeks to travel around, visiting friends and exploring some new areas of Italy. I hope to make it Abruzzo for the first time.

You just never know what might be lurking around the corner. Sometimes the best laid plans can be surpassed by an unexpected detour that could easily be overlooked or avoided. But I've learned that when opportunity knocks, it's important to jump in and make the most of it!

A Feast of Reading

Here in Kansas, we've had snow, snow and more snow, along with sub-zero temperatures these past few weeks. I'm starting to go stir-crazy! The situation is not helped by the fact that it's 60 degrees in Florence this week. But I do love the snow, and have had some interesting stories to share with my Italian friends during our weekly chats on Skype.

Lately I've been reading/rereading many memoirs of people who have lived or are living in Italy, and this week stumbled across one that I've enjoyed more than many others. It's called "Keeping the Feast," and is written by Paula Butturini, a foreign correspondent who spent many years in Italy, though she now lives in Paris.

The book is a feast of words, and has wide appeal in its sensitive and rich account of the healing power of food, family and love. I highly recommend it!

Here's a link to her website: paulabutturini

As mentioned in the last post, another book that I savored over many weeks was The Agony and the Ecstasy, by Irving Stone, which relates the story of Michelangelo's life and struggles. I especially enjoyed reading about Michelangelo's life in Florence: his family home was located in the same area where I lived last fall, and I traversed the same streets that were part of his daily routine for many years.

In between reading memoirs and working on my own book, I've also been learning how to master a few Italian recipes, including risotto, crostini neri (fegatini di pollo), and minestrone. I want to be able to cook a complete meal, without shame, for my Italian friends when I return to Italy in May.

In another week, I'll begin my busy work season, which extends from mid-February until the end of June. During that time I usually work long hours, often 7 days a week, at two online jobs, so it's been a lovely reprieve to have 6 weeks off from both jobs for the first time in many years. And the light at the end of the tunnel: the income will fund another 3-month stay in Italy. It will be my first attempt to live there during the summer, so it should be interesting!

Buon Anno Nuovo

Perdonami, ero pigra....sorry, I've been lazy these past few weeks. Caught up in baking and the falderal of Christmas. Now that Christmas is over, it's time to prepare for the coming year and think about what I hope to accomplish in 2011. I've been reading The Agony and the Ecstasy, Irving Stone's biographical novel about the life of Michelangelo, and it reminds of the hard work and effort that goes along with creative inspiration.

At the end of each year, I plot out the coming year's goals, and outline what I hope to accomplish. Mind you, these are not resolutions, but commitments I make to achieving specific goals. For the most part, I am able to accomplish most of the things that I set out to do. I won't bore you by reporting on my goals: instead, I encourage you to consider doing the same thing. It's a powerful exercise, and depending on your motivation and will power, it's possible to achieve the goals that you envision.

Once I returned from Italy, I was surprised to learn that I won't have any work projects until February. I usually have a 2-week project in December and an 8-week class to teach starting January 1, so it's strange to imagine doing no work at all until mid-February.

However, it frees me up to focus on other projects here at home. Reading, writing a book proposal, learning to cook....I'll return to more regular blog postings in the spring.

Wishing everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Caos con la neve

Piazza della Signoria

From the album: Snow in Florence December 17, 2010 by Apartments Florence

Firenze was blanketed with 30 cm. (11 inches) of snow within 4 hours on Friday, creating major chaos throughout the city. In fact, all of Tuscany was affected by the snow, and airports in Florence and Pisa were closed to all traffic. Trains could not run due to ice on the tracks and streets were jammed with cars, causing major traffic headaches. Though a snowfall of this size is not rare, the city was unprepared to deal with it, even though an alert about the snow forecast was posted on December 13th, several days in advance.

I talked with my friend Patrizia in Florence yesterday; on Friday night when she was returning from work in her car, it took 5 hours instead of the usual 40 minutes to get home. Mamma mia! Tall trees were falling over from the weight of the snow and there was general chaos. She heard on the radio that cars would be allowed to drive through the city center, which is usually only open to taxis and residents of that area, to allow Florentines to get home as quickly as possible. But when she drove by the Duomo, her car was the only one in motion.

Now the streets have turned to ice, and large portions of le autostrade outside of Florence are closed. Residents have been warned to stay home and off the streets. Accusations of responsibility are rampant: how did it happen that no pre-blizzard precautions were taken?

On the other hand, many are enjoying the snow and the beautiful photo opportunities that are possible. I'm wishing I were there to see it myself. Well, not the ice. Instead, the temperatures in my town are expected to reach 50 degrees F (10 C) tomorrow. As long as there's sun, I can dig it.

Firenze sotto la neve

I received an invitation to a Christmas dinner tomorrow night in Firenze with the Meetup Group I joined while I was in Florence; they'll be eating at a restaurant just down the street from my apartment. Wish I could go! I'm keeping up with the news in Firenze, and today i giornali italiani (Italian newspapers) are filled with stories and images of the snow that is blanketing Italy, from the North all the way south to Calabria. Even Sicily, and the islands of Capri and Ischia have snow this week! Che bella! After nearly two months of rain, now Italy is being blanketed with the white stuff.

Since I'm unable to see the snow in real life, I've found some photos of the snow in Florence to share.

la neve: photos

Here's a video with interviews asking what people think of the snow. Most people seem to enjoy it: Che bello! (Howbeautiful!), Mi piace tanto! (I love it!), but a few say "L'odio!" (I hate it) or Non mi piace (I don't like it). And in the background, Dean Martin sings the playful tune, Let it Snow!

la neve: video

In the end, snow makes everything more festive for Christmas, and I'm hoping it snows here next week!