A random journey to Calcata

Ciao!

This past weekend, I took what can only be described as a random day trip to a random town. Freddy and I ventured out into the expanses of greater-Rome and wound up in...Saxa Raba or some other random town, where we were stranded for several hours...well, we were heading for Calcata and while only 30 km north of Rome, took some creative usage of public transport to get to, which yes, included being stranded for almost two hours in the middle of...nowhere.

But, lucky for us, we managed to turn the adventure around and finally ended up in Calcata, a small town which was abandoned in the early 20th century because of fear that the cliffs on which it stood were...unstable. The little town remained uninhabited until the 1960s when hippies and other free spirited Europeans decided that the beauty it had to offer was worth the risk. Calcata seems to have remained untouched by time, still filled with incense and randomly free spirited Italians. We wandered around this tiny town, talking to the many artists that fill the grottini which covered the cliff. We even somehow managed to be invited into the house of a "famous" artist, who had in fact designed many artistic pieces in the town.  He told us about GPS art (not sure I really understand this concept, even with the translation) and the challenges of building megaliths--ah, teamwork.

On the way home, all we could say was "that was...interesting...and well, quite beautiful". Ah, adventures.

Bringing a bit of...(what is a word that is the opposite of levity?)

So, I know, I usually put up pictures of amazing places and beautiful things--and not to fret, they will be back.

But, I wanted to share something else--something that is also very much a part of my experience in Rome. My work has led me to encounter many places that I would not have otherwise known very much about and learning more about these places has significantly broadened my horizons...but sometimes it is hard to get the full picture of what is going on around the world--in the lost corners of Africa or deep in Central America.  I recently discovered a website, vice.com/us (apparently a former "druggy Canadian magazine"). Whatever it used to be...now it is a great source of some really interesting documentaries about some of the places that I have indirectly encountered, including Liberia.

I knew essentially nothing about Liberia or its history, except that it was a troubled West African country formed under a constitution written in Maryland, USA.  But this video really gave me a complete picture of what is going on there and yes, it opened my eyes--wide.  I wanted to share this with all of you because watching it has really effected me (my jaw was hitting my iPad--even using an iPad to watch the show is a bit of an irony, eh?) and its definitely made me think. I recommend checking it out.

Link to the Video- Vice Guide to Liberia

London, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Stateside and Back.

Ciao a tutti!

This past December I got an astounding 4 weeks off from work (mandatory repatriation contract break), which lucky for me landed right at the holidays!!  Before heading back to California, I decided to do a bit a Christmas time sightseeing and so heading to London for a few days.  It was my first time there, and i absolutely loved it.  I had some insider tips, so I was able to hit the highlights in a few days.  I was so impressed by London and the incredibly nice and polite people (objectively or compared to Rome...not sure) -- I was even given an IOU for a bus ticket that I didn't have change to pay, but in London, no worries get on board nonetheless. So nice!  I drank some lovely afternoon tea at the posh Woosley and wandered the streets that reminded be quite a bit of Boston (Newbury Street!!).  Which may have been slightly influenced by the number of streets with the same names as streets in Boston -- Berkeley, Arlington.... It was great fun, and I can not wait to return!

I then headed on for the weekend in Stockholm.  And as everyone knows already, I am quite fond of Sweden, but Stockholm really made me love it.  It was, of course, freezing and dark. Dark all the time. But such an amazingly beautiful city which has this feel-right-at-home feeling to it.  We went to Christmas markets, learned some Swedish history, ate Reindeer (sorry Santa) and danced the night away at the only club I have ever been to where I was the shortest person in the place...  I also, much to the amusement of the Swedes I was with, went to Sodermalm to check out some Millennium Series sights and Salandar's apt!!!

We then went back to Gothenburg where we went to another Christmas market and ate home made meatballs.  Ah Sweden...

It was 3.00pm!!!!!!!!!

Old Stockholm

Liseburg in Gotheburg

I then came back to Rome for 12 hours, packed up and headed off to San Diego via San Francisco.  It was my first time back in the US since I moved to Rome in January.  First stop- burritos in the Mission.

While my life in Rome could not be different than my life in San Francisco, or better yet, life growing up in San Diego, I fell right back into the comforts of home, from playing card games with my family, hanging out with our pack of dogs,  driving everywhere and yes, eating amazing Sombrero’s burritos.

As I sat crammed in my window seat on the 14 hour flight back to California from Rome, I had thought about what I had missed while abroad, what I could not wait to see and do. The first obvious thing—my family, but I also thought about Target and CVS (I know, I know…), Mexican food, being on the same time zone as friends and of course, the convenience of being able to speaking English everywhere.

Over the three weeks I was in the US, I did soak up all the things I had missed, although, admittedly I think over the past year I had glorified the convenience of Target a bit- slight let down but great nonetheless.  I realized that California will always feel like home – which is actually very comforting. I miss it already!!

Seaport Village- San Diego

Bros

And now, I am back in Rome.  This past week has been a whirlwind--I flew in on Sunday and was back at work on Monday!  Such an amazing Christmas and New Year!  It was so nice to be able to just hang out with my family and soak up the sunny so cal weather (it was actually kind of hot...). When is my next four week vacation??!! ;-)

Cin Cin, Salute, Proost, Skal, Cheers to 2011!

Happy New Year and Felice Anno Nuovo!

It is hard to believe that we are ringing in 2012, especially since 2011 seemed to fly by!  2011 was -- without a doubt -- the most amazing year of my life (so far). I moved to Rome and starting living Italian style and working for an amazing UN agency which does work around the world that I am incredibly proud to be part of.  This year has been incredibly full --I fell in love with Italy and had the joy of introducing it to my family. Among many other amazing things, I met incredible new friends, slept under the stars of the Sahara with old friends, learned (some) Italian while debunking the mysticism of the "romantic Italian man" (which I still love nonetheless), dove off the side of a boat into the Tyrrhenian Sea, discovered a love of Sweden and all things Swedish, realized I actually do like the So-Cal accent, embraced my friend's words "you should be travelin' man" and saw as many places as I possibly could, and remembered how great it is to spend every weekend of the summer at the beach.

I am so grateful to everyone and for everything that made 2011 incredible -- thank you!  I am so excited for whatever amazing things 2012 holds!

Baci da San Diego e ci vediamo a presto!

A San Diego beach shot.