Goodbye humidifier, hello Skype

I'm getting really good at lugging large objects around on public buses. Yesterday I returned the dehumidifier that I bought last week in an ill-conceived attempt to cool down the bedroom. Now we have 170 euros to spend at Media World! Kind of a nice problem to have. We could use some more appliances around the house.

It rained here again today, cooling things down even more. Caitlin finished off her first orientation week at school, and I'm being courted (pun!) as the new tennis coach at AOSR. I have no coaching experience, no backhand, no tennis shoes ... but they want me! All considered it might work out well: the season only lasts through October, and there are three tournaments: Napoli, outside Venice, and the European Championships in Germany. The only conflict is my darn MBA program that starts Sept. 24 and most likely will totally get in the way of practice. But of course, we'll see. Come Monday, I might be wearing white and feeding out of a hopper!

In other Vade news, we are successfully using Skype to its full potential. My username is andywade34; Caitlin's is cvallerga. Give us a ring!

Long time, no post

Been a while. Sorry to all my adoring fans.

Good news: Things have cooled off here. It's not cool by any means, but 90 feels a whole lot better than 95. Still wish we had a condizionatore d'aria.

Finally got my school schedule. I get a longer Xmas break (Dec. 22 - Jan. 13). But I don't appear to have any spring break. My second term ends mid-April, followed by a recommended period for company internship. Which I read as "wedding planning time."

And now, a list, titled "Things That Are Widepsread Here That I Thought Wouldn't Be":

• Dogs
• Trash
• Cranes
• Water spouts

Earlier this week we discovered Villa Doria Pamphili, which is a huge, lovely public park about 10 minutes uphill from us. We had gotten lost in it the first week we were here, and hadn't gone back since. But exploring it has been great fun (just make sure you bring enough water — and a change of shirts!). Still not sure where the ultimate field is, but we'll find out on Sunday, we hope.

Day 2

This was our first day having the lunch at school. It was great!

This is what is says on a filing cabinet in my classroom. I'm not sure what to put in there...

                  

Taco Town

Carlo's cousin

We had an awesome day exploring Villa Pamphilli park. After riding our bikes around for an hour, we still hadn't seen the whole thing. The park is close to our house. It's where they play ultimate so I'm sure we'll be spending a good amount of time there.

Almost one month!

We've been here almost a month! Work starts tomorrow for me. I'm a little nervous but mainly excited for the big adventure to come. Today we're going to go to lunch with some of my co-workers and then give them a tour of the apartment. Later we're going to run & bike along the Tiber. It's going to be a great Sunday!

Photos from Moneglia & Cinque Terre

Here are some photos from our trip last week...

Hand-made ravioli! I had ravioli for every meal.

Lunch in Vernazza during our CT hike.

We hiked down to this spot. That guy jumped.

Andy is climbing back up after jumping in.

View looking back at Moneglia during our hike.

Andy on the CT hike.

Lovely vacation

What a nice vacation. Moneglia wasn't on any guide book we saw, but we were so pleased with our choice of holiday spots. The Hotel Mondial was friendly and clean, with nice views and (most importantly) air conditioning! Internet cost money, though, which is why we didn't make daily blog posts. Our meals were yummy: Caitlin ordered ravioli every night to see how it compared to the world-famous Ballerga recipe. The first restaurant, a lovely family-owned place, served up the real deal.

After hiking the Cinque Terre on Wednesday, we enjoyed a scalding hot day on the beach yesterday. In the late afternoon we tried our luck on a hiking trail. Our map wasn't helpful or in English, but we made it to an incredible swimming spot called Grotto Azzurro, where we jumped off cliffs and threw our frisbee with Italian sunbathers. What fun. Pics coming soon. Now back to Rome, where we gotta buy a portable AC.

Ah, Cinque Terre!

Haven't posted in a while. Sorry -- been without Internet access. We high-tailed it out of Rome yesterday. Had no idea where to go, but we're incredibly pleased with our choice: Moneglia, a coastal town about 20 mins north of the CT. Today we took the train to Riomaggiore and hiked all the way to Monterosso. My shirt was soaked trough by the time we hit Corneglia. So hot. So stinkin hot. But a fun time of course. Good lunch, great views, plenty of exercise. We passed this house in vernazza, the site of the huge flood in October.

Urban mountain biking

Rode my new bike to the ESE today for help on my Permesso di Soggiorno. Tough streets out there. Hard to ride on the sidewalks, even harder to ride on the street. Navigating cobblestones and sidewalk curbs, it felt a lot like urban mountain biking.

I hear Firenze and Siena are even hotter and nastier than Rome. So maybe we'll head to the sea after all. Any suggestions?

Cool Bike # 2

Andy is the proud owner of a new bike.

We went to the market over at Porta Portese today. The stalls kept going for so long, that we didn't even make it to them all. People were selling anything from bikes to old remote controls. We'll have to go back next week and get a few things to decorate our apartment with. Andy found a really cool bike at the market. It's a vintage Bianchi Stelvio road bike. The guy that sold it to us said that it was "very special." 

Good thing they have ramps to help.

European Carry-All & A Cool Bike

This is my new bike! Cost me 70 euros and is worth every penny!

Andy's new European Carry-All

Farewell, Scuola Leo Da Vinci

We finished our language classes yesterday. It was a great experience, both for learning the language and for making friends. We celebrated our last day with drinks, dinner and a stroll through old town with some schoolmates. At dinner, there were at least 7 languages spoken: Italian, Spanish, German, French, English, Russian, Turkish. Fun fun fun. I might take another week of classes once Caitlin starts work. For now, though, we're planning a travel week. Maybe a trip to Tuscany to visit Firenze, Pisa and Siena? Or maybe out to Apulia, the heel of the boot. We'll see. Anything to get out of Rome, where the heat and humidity are really starting to drain us.

Here's a random photo from the West Coast Trail.

Laundry Problems

We have a problem with the laundry. There is a washing machine in our apartment but we don't have a dryer (they are rare here). That means we have to hang up everything to dry. There is a drying rack attached to the outside of the building just below our kitchen window. I've put things out there several times already. They dry quickly but the only problem is that there is also a copious amount of bird feathers and poop on the clothes as well. The clothes go straight back into the washing machine. Any suggestions? Maybe we could make a "scare-pigeon"?

Orange Couch

We ended up going to Santa Marinella yesterday for the holiday. It's a small beach town about an hour away on the train. It was perfect. Later we came home and went to the pizzeria across the street. It's literally within 10' of our front door. Today and tomorrow are our last days of Italian classes. We've learned a lot in the past few weeks but we still have a ways to go.

We're really proud of this orange slip cover (with flowers all over it) that we purchased a few days ago. Underneath is a brand new white couch. We knew that a white couch would not last long at the Vade residence...

Friends!

We're heading out tonight to meet some friends from our language classes. The folks in la mia clase seem like fun, smart people. Most of them are only here a few weeks, but a few of them — David, an Australian, and Nora, from Holland — are here for at least 2 years.

Tomorrow the country celebrates Ferragosto! Pretty much everything will shut down, including our school. So we're gonna head out of town again, maybe to the beach, maybe back to the lake. Maybe we'll blindly pick a train and see where it takes us.

Ate at an Irish pub today. A tad pricey but they apparently televise random MLB games. Maybe I can watch the playoffs there?

This evening, we found the street market where we can buy bikes! We arrived too late today, but we are optimistic. It'll be nice to ride — there's a wonderful pathway down along the river. It's 30 feet below all the streets, and no cars can drive on it. We've run on it a few times, but we can't wait to take a joy ride long the Tevere on bikes.

Buonasera.

Appartamento Pictures-Part #2-Views

Here are the views out of our apartment. We live on the very top floor. The top two are the views out of the front windows and the bottom one is the view out of the kitchen and bathroom windows.

The restaurant that you can see in the first photo is called Dar Poeta. It's a very popular pizza place   that's in all of the guidebooks. We've eaten there and it's great!

Rain

It poured yesterday. The storm started in the afternoon while we were in class with thunder and lightning. Afterwards, we ran through the rain with some of the people from our classes and hung out at a cafe until it stopped. 

Today we're going to apply for Andy's stay permit. We have to go through all these steps and find several different things in different places around the city. It's kind of like a scavenger hunt. We're headed out now equipped with our mini Italian dictionary and a map. Wish us luck.

Appartamento Pictures--Part #1--Ceilings

 Due to popular demand, I have decided to post some photos of our apartment.

We have some pretty old looking ceilings in our apartment. They might be my favorite part. Of course the pink bathroom is a close second...

Shopping, anyone?

This is probably the best/worst name I've ever seen for a clothing store. I'm afraid to go in...

Back from the lake

Made it back from Lago Bracciano just now. It was a lovely weekend: cheap, air-conditioned room, lovely views, yummy meals and hours on the beach. Getting there Friday night was a tad tricky: we missed a train and a bus on the way over there, plus we didn't know our hotel's address or location. But we persevered, and found it. Totally worth it.

Rome feels about 8 degrees cooler than when we left. Thank heavens. We're off to find bikes. Ciao.

Beach-Prossecco-Beach-Gelato-A Casa

Here are a few photos from the town and beach today. Anguillara is a really cute, relaxed town. We're really glad we came.

Test

Trying out the Blogger app on the iPad.

Gettin the hell outta Dodge

We're heading to Lago Bracciano this weekend. It's an hour northwest of Rome by train. As long as we can swim, we'll be happy. We're staying at La Villa. Here's what the website has to say:

The hotel ‘La Villa’, situated in a strategic position, offers its guests a breath-taking view of Lake Bracciano to be enjoyed in absolute peace and the possibility to reach the center of the village and main services in a few minutes. Its typical bedrooms, some of which are equipped with a fireplace and panoramic balcony, remind one of the pleasures of ordinary life, and rhythms we are no longer familiar with, while the lake’s backwash and the sea-gulls’ glide mark time.

Sounds perfect! And we'll be back for the Sunday market, where we can buy cheap bikes. Or so we hear. But first, last day of class for the week. Ciao!

Nutella Gelato

Today I woke up late and had to run to the bus stop to get to the immigration office in time for my appointment. On the way down the stairs I spilled caffe latte all over my nice silk skirt because I was trying to eat breakfast at the same time (not a good idea). The first bus I was supposed to take didn't show up at all and the second one came a little early. I guess it evens out. I have completed step one of a 4-step process to be officially working in the country. I now have a "codigo fiscale" or "tax code" so we can officially sign our apartment lease and purchase a cell phone.

I had a little bit of time to tour the school's campus today before running to the meeting. The elementary, middle and high schools are all in the same area. There are big trees covering the school grounds. All the office staff I met were really nice and helpful. I think it will be a great place to work. I also may have signed Andy up to coach tennis...

Friends, Fire, Moon

Met up with Katie Snape and her posse tonight for some vino in la piazza followed by a tour of the Vades' appartamenti in Trastevere. We capped the evening on a rooftop, watching the moon rise over an apparent wildfire.

My language class is going great. Today I conversed with a nun (suora) from the Philippines and a 15-year-old from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Oh what strange days, and stranger nights.

Snowies Flakes

We've discovered a new favorite: "Snowies Flakes." They're the Italian equivalent of "Frosted Flakes." Andy LOVES them.

We had another good day of Italian classes today. Later, after Andy cooks up another delicious Italian meal, we're going to meet a few friends from class for some vino on the steps of the fontanna.

Tomorrow we're going to try and buy some bikes! There is a bike path that goes along the Tiber for miles...

Vade Family Pets

We have two new pets. One, which is probably a pigeon, lives in the exhaust pipe for the hot water heater in our bathroom. Maybe there's even a nest?! It's pretty strange to be brushing your teeth and hear a bird jumping around in the pipe above your head.

We also have a gecko that crawls through the window at night to visit. He lives in the tangle of bushes and other plants that have taken over our neighbor's roof.

Felice Compleanno, Mike Trout

Believe it or not, I'm waking up relatively early these days. Part of that is the jet lag, I suppose, but I'm also starting to appreciate the lovely, quiet morning hours. It's pretty much the only time of day that's not brutally hot. Also, I get to see what Mike Trout did last night (A 7 p.m. East Coast start time is 1 a.m. here, so I can't watch much live ball). In case you aren't aware, this is what Mike Trout does. He's simply the most electrifying player in baseball, and the best. Today, he turns 21. So, here's a toast to the centerpiece of my fantasy team. Caitlin and I had a great run, another nice dinner (leftovers ... but delicious leftovers!), and now we're off to drink due birre on la piazza. Buonasera!

Discopub Leonardo Da Vinci

Today we practiced riding the metro bus out to my school. It took about an hour from the front door. It was another hot ride but we compensated for it by hanging out in an air conditioned cafe afterwords.

We also had our language classes today. We've already gone through 3 tenses (imperfect, past perfect & future) in my class and it was only day 2! Andy & I both have some competi (homework) to do tonight.

Here's a photo of the Tiber in the as the sun is setting. You can see part of the Vatican sticking up on the left. The river is about 3 minutes from our apartment.

Now we're going for a run! I guess we've started to get used to the hot weather. 99 and humid today...

I know Skip-Bo

I think Caitlin let me win just now. Good way to practice numbers in Italian. Time for a 20-minute soak in a tub of cold water. La mia favorita!

Did I mention why I came to Rome?

GELATO

Roma e un carchofo.

We started our Italian classes today! Andy is the star student in his beginner course. I'm in a class that is a little too hard for me but I'm catching on quickly. We have a long ways to go but we're excited about it. Our classrooms, of course, are really hot. There are students from Belgium, Colombia, Brazil, Switzerland, Norway and many other places. Both of us are the only Americans in our classes. We'll try and do our best to represent 'Merica.

Today we did some more shopping for things around the casa. We got a clothes drying rack, an iron, some hangers and other random items. We couldn't handle going all the way out to IKEA this time so we went to a local shop run by a not-so-friendly older Italian man. Last on the list is a shower curtain and rod. It feels good to be settled in our own apartment.

Andy is currently cooking up some gnochetti pasta al ragu con spinacchi. He's really getting into cooking Italian food. I love it!

Ciao for now!

Living the Successful Living

That was written on a guy's T-shirt we saw yesterday. Vade friends and family, get ready for the best gifts you've ever gotten: awkwardly translated shirts!

Speaking of awkward translations: We're about to head out for due fredo bire (that may or may not mean "two cold beers"). Meeting Caitlin's teaching partner at Piazza Navona and then grabbing dinner.

I'm amazed at our neighborhood's chameleon act: during the day, it's a mild-mannered pizza and gelato strip, but at night it comes alive! Discos! Bars! Vino! More pizza and gelato!

Nostro appartamento

This is our neighbor's roof.

Getting creative about storage.

Things I have learned to appreciate

1. Cold showers

2. Oscillating fans

3. North-facing windows

4. Polyester underwear

5. Deodorant

We're moving in, slowly but surely. Feels like an easy, relaxing Sunday after a hectic, sweat-soaked Saturday. We pretty much ruined Mom's red roller suitcase yesterday. Turns out cobblestones and tiny wheels don't get along very well.

Trying to stay cool!

Carlo in 50 years...

"Ee-kay-uh" OR "How I Almost Died of Heat on a Bus"

The good news is, we survived the trip to Ikea. The bad news was, it was about 140 degrees F on the bus out there. Seriously, we were both wondering what would happen if we passed out. Never had I been so excited to get off a bus, or drink in the sweet air conditioning of a mall.

So we got some nice items to spruce up the apartment. More photos coming soon. And as it turns out, our couch is a hide-a-bed! Hidden treasures everywhere!

Night strolls

Walking around Rome after 9 p.m. is our new favorite pasttime. Gelato, vino, perhaps a pizza? We crossed the river for only the second time since arriving. Somehow we found our way to the Trevi Fountain among the hundreds of other sculpted sights. We thought it was funny how certain sights get all the attention, while the ones that aren't in the guidebooks are just as awe-inspiring.

Did we mention we love our new apartment? We haven't moved in yet (need to buy sheets, towels first). But we stopped by tonight right at midnight. Hundreds of people walking around the hood, but our place is conveniently located on a tiny alleyway that's not too loud. A pizzeria, a bar, a cafe and a gelateria are literally a stone's throw away.

Tomorrow: Ikea? And our first (mis)adventures on Italian mass transit.

Jessica's roof is great!

Jessica has a great view of the citta from her roof.

An attempt at a self-portrait...

Fresh ravs from the tortellini lady down the street. She got mad at us for not having change.

We got an apartment!!!

This the view out of the front windows of our new apartment!!

A few of the windows in the living room....

Not thin and crispy, not thick and softy

Did we mention it is hot here? Not Bend's hot-but-we-can-float-the-river heat; not Chicago's hot-but-we-don't-mind-because-it's-so-damn-cold-in-the-winter heat; not Phoenix's or Las Vegas' hot-but-there's-plenty-of-AC heat. No, this heat is unescapable. Soul-crushing. The only thing to do is drink or sleep your way out of it.

But it's cool, because we may have found our new dream apartment! I won't go into too much detail, since it's not officially ours yet. But know that it is in a great location, with nice views and plenty of space and light. We're hoping to meet with the owner this morning to work out the contract.

Here's what happened yesterday: We decided to get an early start to avoid the 2 p.m. doldrums. So we set out at 9 a.m. for the European School of Economics. We took the scenic route, skirting around the Roman Forum, the Circo Massimo and the Colosseum. Stopped for a caffe latte (for Caitlin), an espresso machiatto (for Andy) and some much-appreciated air conditioning. We found my school and walked inside, where I was immediately recognized by the admissions officer. She gave us a tour of the campus, which shares its building with some sort of film/camera company, so there are random old-timey photo machines around. Which is kinda cool. The classrooms are small but light; the main auditorium for commencement or guest speakers is in an old chapel. My class schedule isn't ready or available yet, but we were assured that I'd be done with classes in mid-July. The terms run September-to-December, January-to-April and April-to-July. Nice place, and only a 45-minute walk from Trastevere.

So we slogged back to our neighborhood, careful to avoid any direct sunlight. Got a little lost and took a couple slight detours. Grabbed some calzones and fresh fruit for lunch.

During our siesta, we decided to inquire on some apartments. We emailed a handful with Caitlin composing messages in Italian. One of the first responses was from Francesco, who thankfully spoke fluent English when we called him. Unfortunately, he's already on holiday, but his brother, Tommaso, could show us the apartment. Our first viewing! Exciting! We met Tommaso on the street, but the apartment was pretty run-down. Had a balcony, but the views weren't great. Plus it was right above an English pub, which generally don't mix well with schoolteachers' schedules. So we politely thanked Tommaso for his time and started to depart. That's when Tommaso asked us if we'd like to view another of his rentals. Why sure! we said. Not like we had any other plans. On the walk over, we learned that Tomasso is a geologist at the Univerista di Roma. His brother, Francesco, is an astrophysicist. And, naturally, the second apartment he showed us blew us away. Top floor of a nice, open building with wonderful space and light. No balcony or air-conditioning, but the windows and height more than make up for both. Again, don't want to jinx it, but we're negotiating and keeping our fingers crossed.

After bidding farewell to Tommaso, we had a drink at the bar around the corner, read our books in the park for an hour, then walked back to the pizzeria across from our would-be apartment. Best meal we've had yet. (The pizzas there are described as follows: "not thin and crispy, not thick and softy." Just right.) Watched some break dancers in the piazza di Santa Maria, then headed home to Jessica's apartment, which was just starting to cool down.

We're still adjusting to the time zone, I guess. I skipped a siesta yesterday, so I zonked out after dinner and woke up at 6 a.m. I'm not used to being the early riser ... But now we're just waiting for a response from Tommaso. And I think I just heard our phone ring ...

Egyptian Pyramid?

I am intrigued by the Egyptian things that the Romans stole...although I'm not sure this pyramid is stolen or really from Egypt. Either way, we're going to ask if it's for rent.

A few photos...

Our new favorite spot in the park...

Now I know why my bags were so heavy...

African Heat

It is hot here. Really hot. And humid. The Romans call this "African Heat." I can see why. We went for a long walk today around the neighborhood. There are a couple of really cool parks nearby. At around 1 o'clock we were too hot to continue walking. To beat the heat, we joined all of the other Romans and took a siesta in the afternoon. Now that it has cooled down, we're going to visit the tortellini lady down the street. Fresh tortellini and vino bianco are the on the menu for tonight. Buon appetito!