I have now been here, as I write this morning, 25 days, almost a month, and it does not feel that way. Time really has slowed down for me. Yes, it is 6 hours ahead of the east coast of America, so I don’t have to rush and write this late Sunday night, or very early Monday morning to get to my admin for posting, before I go off the Christmas Tree Shop or other places on a Monday, morning, but I can enjoy it, my tea, my yogurt, and muesli or whatever we have here. I do most of the shopping, as I am the one around and she is out guiding. We share the cooking, because she does want to cook for me, but I also cook and enjoy it be it a simple baked chicken or pulled pork, or whatever I decide to buy at the supermarket or the outdoor markets and there are plenty of fresh fruits and veggies. It gets me out most days, and I get to meet the locals and feel the pace that is Rome and for me, there are two paces here, the local neighborhoods, and all are different, but a slower pace and the hectic feel of the tourist areas. I love the neighborhoods and feel the vibes, checking out the foods, some different, some the same for me. When we went to the Hard Rock for her birthday, we had the nachos which is a staple, and we had the guacamole with it and sour cream. First of all, it is good, but she also had no clue what it was. It really does not exist here in Rome, the sour cream, that is, and the guacamole was alright, but it got me thinking and since I can get these amazing avocados, lemons, limes and of course, the pomodoro (tomatoes). Other additions, as well, but I could not find in the supermarket, or the outdoor markets, cilantro and when I asked Rosa, she said, we don’t use. Guacamole, in my opinion, needs that fresh cilantro, so I looked up online, as we all do, where can I find some and, be it dry or fresh and it turns out that there is a market about 4 metro stops from me, which touts itself as the place to find those to find items, especially for the American who wants something from “home”, wherever that may be. Rosa, said, yes, it is more of a mixed ethnic market, so I decided to go this week and lo and behold, I found it and was able to make my guacamole and my salsa, with fresh cilantro. Of course, I wanted to meld overnight, but we tackled a fair amount of the guacamole that night.
The other thing that I did this week was investigate an Anglo – American bookstore near the Spanish Steps. I brought some books to read while here, so I may not need another one, but it is nice to have this option. In any case, it is a cute little bookstore and knowing where it is, is good, just in case. Otherwise, I still have a Diane Capri, Hunt for Reacher series book to finish and after that, we will see. As I mentioned earlier, life has slowed down for me. It is nice, and most days, between her groups or individual guiding, she comes home for lunch, and we also wake up most mornings for breakfast together. We also usually have a bite to eat in the evening. Maybe not a full-blown dinner, but something and that idea of enjoying a meal or meals together with someone, in my other world, is the exception, not the rule and here in Italy, it is the rule. Since I am the one at home, working, and she is the one out, working, I hear the sounds and smell the smells of the cooking going on around me here in the apartment in which I reside. It is a nice feeling, that not so rushed and hurried feeling that we in America seem to have. Italians, I asked Rosa, are they happy or not? She said, they understand their place and to a point, they are melancholy. Perhaps looking for a better life, but happy with who they are. Or maybe I will interject, proud of who they are. All, I know is how lucky to have one amazing and beautiful Italian lady in my life. Lastly, when she came home last night, and yes, she was also home for lunch yesterday, she was very tired. Totally understandable, as she had been on her feet all day and I, on my butt at my computer, working on valued client’s travels. Originally, we were going to take a drive, but we opted to go for a gelato, a much better option in my opinion. We first took the metro in a different direction than I had before. For the record, and those who do not know, Rome has 3 metro lines, A, B, C and I live right near A. So, we went about 6 stops to a gelato place, she said I must try, and it was called Ping Pong. Don’t know the reason, but it was good. Of course, I had my pistachio, but also this very deep, dark chocolate, and tiramisu. Also, it is a must to have whipped cream on this cone. It was good and we enjoyed a walk back to the apartment. The metro stops at 9 pm, since they are doing track work, and she said I had to see these neighborhoods for what they did not have. Residential mostly, but on this 45 minute or so walk back, and it was a very pleasant evening, we saw, or should I say, I saw a very cool, somewhat intact aqueduct and I was very impressed. It was very nice to take those 3 miles (5 km) walk back, holding hands and talking. As I have said, life has truly slowed down for me, and I really like it. Let’s see what the end of July brings. Until next week and the continual sharing of pictures of my experiences here from this American in Rome and beyond, as always, I am interested in your thoughts, comments, questions and adding to the discourse is always appreciated be in on the site itself or on Facebook, Twitter or wherever you read this. Thank you for your support of my crazy little world and of my small business. It is truly appreciated!!! Share the knowledge
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