Roseto Comunale

The weather has finally turned around and the sun has come out to play. So last weekend we went to the Rose Garden. For about a month a year you can visit the Rose Garden and when the weather is nice, it's gorgeous out there. An amazing view over Circo Massimo, people lying on the grass enjoying what seems to be an oasis in the chaotic city, surrounded by roses.



When? Open daily from 10.00 to 19.00 including Sundays till June 13th
Where? Via di Valle Murcia (Aventino)
Entrance : free

Oh no they didn't....

Rome did not win the scudetto this year. I wanted to write some posts about it earlier, but didn't want to jinx it. (I have become frightingly Italian in certain things - just kidding). After 45 minutes we were virtually champions. The first half of Siena-Inter ended in 0-0 and Roma was winning by 2 goals.
I was listening to Carlo Zampa* on the radio and was quite moved. To thank the players, the fans started to sing songs including Roma, Roma, Roma. What a beautiful team. I hope next year will be the year of As Roma.
Being around some Laziali has tested my patience and theirs over the last few weeks. But soon we will be rooting for the same team as the World Cup starts : Italy...
Belgium is not playing the World Cup unfortunately.



* famous Roma commentator

There's a first time for everything....

For a couple of weeks my haircut had been driving me crazy. My hair was (yes, was, past tense) just too long, covering my eyes. In four words : it drove me crazy. After hearing horror expat stories of Italian haircutters who just don't know how to do a decent cut, I always went to get my hair cut whenever I was in Belgium. Even though I will soon be escaping Rome chaos for a weekend in Belgium, I decided not to wait (yes, it was driving me THAT crazy) and pick an Italian salon and just get it over with. So, I am no longer an Italian hairsalon virgin. It was quick and painless, and I'm actually really loving my new hair.
And if that wasn't enough excitement for one weekend (I have a boring life), for the first time ever, I drove to the city center. I had driven before in Rome -the GRA, the highway, to the beach - but never in the city center as in : lungotevere, san giovanni, etc... After getting that hair cut, I must have felt very adventurous or something, because I did it. Parking along lungotevere in one of those small parking spaces and while seeing car lights approaching from behind at high speed and everything.
After that I really deserved that Mojito in Trastevere...and that glass of wine.
Luckily I didn't have to drive back...

Snow in Rome!

For over 10 years I have been coming to Rome. Now living here for about a year and I have never, ever seen this.
Snow in Rome! All over Europe it has been snowing more than usual, but who would have thought the snow would even reach Rome!

The Weekend

This weekend I realised how out of shape I am. It being 30-something degrees in Rome has forced me to give up conceiling clothes and wear something more revealing. I don't necessarily have a problem with that, until I discovered the belly fat I collected around the waist last winter and the winters before that. Seeing pictures of the Italian and me in London in 2004 (that's only 5 years ago, you know!) didn't make me feel any better. Five years ago I had a flat belly! Well, ok, I never really had a flat belly, but you get the point. Being shocked that one can look very different in just 5 years has given me a brilliant idea to solve my problem : I need to work out. Yes, I know, it's shocking and of course I didn't come up with this just now, but the idea of having to get in a bikini really soon has made this realisation even more painful. If you didn't get this from my blog sooner, I should tell you I might not be the most dedicated person when it comes to exercise. I just love food, I can't help it. And more importantly it loves me.
Anyway, to celebrate my brilliantness, The Italian and I decided to have aperitivo in Trastevere. And yes, I do see the irony in that.

Il Bioparco

The past weekends have been quite full. A couple of weeks ago my family came to visit us. It was their first time in Rome which was kinda exciting, so we saw lots and lots of must-sees. Also the weekends after that were filled with museum visits, sightseeing etc. Blog posts to follow.
Last weekend however, we went to the Zoo. Being a good vegetarian and all*, I do feel for the animals. Caged and locked away, but the other side of me just loves to see the animals and walk through the park. It was a beautiful day yesterday, not too warm, so perfect for the first zoo visit of the year.





* Not that one necessarily has anything to do with the other, but you get the point.

Tragedy in Abruzzo

Last night around 3.30 I woke up shaking. I woke The Italianup saying : "We are moving, we are moving!". He replied : "Don't worry, it's just an earthquake." What? It's JUST an earthquake? I'm Belgian, we don't have earthquakes! (ok, not entirely true, there was a small one a long time ago and I slept through it)

Luckily for us, it seems Rome is fine, but my thoughts go out to those near the epicenter of the quake in Abruzzo. As I keep reading the newspapers they constantly report more and more people who died. 92 already and numerous people homeless.

La Montecarlo

Last weekend we had dinner at La Montecarlo. A friend of The Italian recommended it, so we decided to check it out. It's one of those typical places where there are too many people ( also waiting outside), very fast service, not enough space but good food. And -also important- it's cheap.
There were a couple of mistakes made, but they were quickly corrected. The pizza was good - according to the Italian and the Tonnarelli cacio e pepe were very tasty! Also the fritto misto was excellent. If you want to have a quick and good bite to eat without spending too much, this is the place for you. If you want a quiet romantic dinner, you might want to check out another restaurant.

Romantic economical crisis option : you could have dinner at La Montecarlo and then take a walk on Piazza Navona, which is nearby.

A Beautiful Day

Yesterday Rome was covered in sun. It was about time, the last weeks it has rained more in Rome than it rains in Belgium I think. And it did start to get me. Having no job is harder than I thought.
I quit a job I was good at to find myself now with lots of free time and no pride. Cleaning and washing doesn't really make me feel like I actually contribute to anything at all. As I'm struggling to find my way, the rain didn't make things easier.
So to cheer me up the Italian took me to the center yesterday to have one of the best gelato I have ever had at Giolitti. We took a walk to Piazza di Spagna, the place where almost 10 years ago I met the Italian for the first time. He was having an icecream.

The one with the moving...

Finally we have a date set for my big move to Rome. My boss knows, my parents know, my friends know.. pretty much everyone knows now that The Belgian will still be celebrating Christmas in Belgium, but will be celebrating La Befana* in Rome. I have worked out some issues with my boss and we came to this agreement. She and all my collegues are really excited for me ( I think!) and my friends are already planning trips to Rome expecting to be able to crash on my not-yet-existing Roman couch.

I do get a bit emotional sometimes but I was surprised by how easy it is to let go of material things like my car/furniture which I won't be taking probably. And yes it is hard to not see your friends and family, but Belgium and Italy is not THAT far away so I expect to be going back for a quick visit quite often.

I wonder how other people went through this process and if it was easy/difficult to let go...

* La Befana : 6th of January!

Birthday

Almost a week ago it was my birthday... it was quite a treat. The Italian cooked lunch for me and did the dishes! I was explicitly told not to lift a finger, which was easy.
In the early evening we went to the 'Giardino degli Aranci' to find some shadow and enjoy the beautiful view of Rome you get from up there.
We took a little walk around Piazza del Popolo and we met someone famous!
It went like this.

Me : oh my god, do you know who that is?
Italian : who, what, where?
Me : That's Ellen Degeneres and Portia De Rossi.
Italian : Who? ah yeah that comedian you like. Go to them and ask for a picture no?
Me : Noo, I'm too shy and I'd look like some crazy person.
Italian: Come on , it will be fun
Me - After thinking long about it : ok

So we went up to them and took a picture and she was really sweet actually.
Afterwards I told the Italian, you know that Portia will be in Nip/Tuck right?
And so he cursed and regretted the fact that he didn't take a picture with the hot girl who will be in the series he likes.

After that we had dinner at 'Il Margutta'. A vegetarian restaurant, the best vegetarian restaurant I ever ate at. I never really bothered looking for vegetarian restaurants in Rome cause :
1. You can find a lot of vegetarian things to eat at pretty much any restaurant in Italy
2. The Italian used to be an avid meat eater

But because The Italian has changed his ways (not under my pressure!) and has become an aspiring vegetarian, we went to 'Il Margutta'. I read about it on the Red Scrapbook blog and it seemed nice. It's a bit expensive though, but because it was a special occasion, we went for it anyway. It was absolutely wonderful. Service, food, drinks, everything was perfect.

So I had a really great birthday... well apart from the fact of getting older ofcourse...