« October 2005 | Main | December 2005 »

Mopeds rock Rome

Princess Anne (Roman Holiday) isn’t the only gal on a Vespa.

While America believes in the notion, "bigger is better," it would be hard to come by an SUV in Rome. Sure, they exist, but the chances of being sideswiped by passing cars on the ancient streets are too many to risk. Instead, Italians go for the more compact Mercedes SmartCar, Nissan Micra, or any variety of motorino.

This is by far the easiest -- and most dangerous -- way to get around the city. Not only does it allow more road space, it is the fastest way of cutting ahead at any stoplight or traffic jam. Parking is never a problem. The major downfalls (literally) are the slippery-when-wet cobblestones and lack of respect from car drivers. Death rates for scooter accidents can reach up to 40 deaths per weekend within the city limits.

Tourists who want the "real Roman experience" are able to rent a motorino for the day, but I would advise against it. Going home from vacation with all four limbs is preferable to the thrill of flying past the Coliseum, wind blowing your hair and praying that the brakes passed their last inspection.

Posted by Kelsea at 6:54 PM | Comments (3)

Giving thanks for pizza

Oh no. I just realized that I don't get to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

Sure, for us Mainers it's not that big of a deal, but I remember growing up and catching glimpses of my favorite cartoon characters floating between skyscrapers on the TV while my parents bustled around the kitchen. The smell of gravy would fill the house and all day I would fantasize about sitting down in the fancy dining room with my relatives, confronted by a table overflowing with food.

I recounted this memory to my Italian boyfriend over lunch yesterday. He didn't seem impressed. He told me that if I needed a large dose of family and food, any given Sunday at his mother's house should satisfy me. But the Italians don't have a holiday that requires a large stuffed turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. Apple cider doesn't exist in Rome. It simply wasn't the tons of food and bickering family part that I missed, it was the tradition. The comfort food. The tastes and smells that brought me back the memories of my childhood.

On this Thanksgiving day after my math lecture, I headed towards the pizzeria for lunch.

I was a little bummed that I had to work in the evening and miss the university's buffet (i.e. unlimited wine) when it hit me: pizza. In my early teens I had twice vacationed with my family to Rome during November and we had eaten pizza in place of turkey. Since those years, my brother and I had both graduated from high school and the family was never together again for Thanksgiving. By eating pizza, I was honoring the latest Brennan-Wessels family tradition. The cheese and tomato would bring me back to those sweet memories of traveling with my family -- our favorite pastime before turkeys and mashed potatoes.

So while all of the U.S.A. is carving turkey, 58,000,000 Italians and I are eating pizza.

Posted by Kelsea at 12:07 PM | Comments (1)

Days begin and end with coffee and a cornetto

In my first post, I was quite clear on the importance of coffee in Italian culture -- but I failed to note the beloved snack that perfectly compliments the first coffee of the day: the cornetto.

Although this pastry can be found throughout Italy, the Romans seem to have a particular fixation on the treat. Filled with chocolate, cream, apple or just plain, it's a Roman tradition to kick off the morning with "un cappuccino e un cornetto." Most bars (coffee shops) offer the the two for the special price of 1 euro ($1.17) for the morning crowd.

Due to the cornetto's popularity, Rome became the home of the first and the most "cornetto notte" -- a type of pastry shop that only sells the confection in the midnight hours, usually aimed at a younger crowd looking to satisfy a case of the munchies.

Posted by Kelsea at 12:53 PM | Comments (0)

Italian shoes: A season of flat-heeled boots

"Kelsea, send us photos of Italian shoes!!!"
Posted by: Andrea at November 14, 2005 10:50 AM

They say that Italians have a great sense of fashion -- from head to shoe. After receiving this comment I decided to take my camera to the streets to see if this held true.

I found that the younger demographic is extremely stylish...

...while the older folks go for a more simple, classic look.

And of course, in my adventures I happened upon some pretty interesting kickers.

Most shop for footwear along the main shopping streets. The stores display the majority of their selection in the window to give you a good idea of the styles they offer.

There still are, however, old-fashioned shoemakers in business. Go to one of these spots to get your foot measured and they'll fix you up with a custom-made, high-quality pair.

For a crazier but uncommon look, a shoemaker on Vicolo del Cinque in Trastevere makes a shoe that literally looks back at you!

How do the women walk on the cobblestones in spiky heels? This still remains a mystery. Although no-heeled boots are coming into fashion this season, the number of heels walking around without getting stuck between the stone is mind-boggling.

I personally had an experience with this last May. After a semi-formal cocktail party, I was walking with some friends through the backstreets to a restaurant for dinner. I had bought slip-on, spiked-heel black shoes to match by black and red dress for the occasion. While crossing the street, I literally walked out of my shoes, as the heel had gotten stuck between the cobblestones. It took me a few seconds to realize what had happened, and when I turned around to locate the shoe a bus was charging around the corner.

Desperate to save my shoe, I ran into the street with one stockinged foot, flailing my arms for the bus to stop and spare my footwear from becoming roadkill. I threw myself on the ground in a nearly self-sacrificing act, and yanked hard to release the heel. After three great tugs it broke free, sending me backwards onto the street. Sitting in front of the stopped bus in a short dress and one bare foot, I held the shoe up in victory. The bus driver honked.

Technorati : Italy, boots, shoes

Posted by Kelsea at 6:56 PM | Comments (2)

The Mystery Road

About a half of an hour drive southeast of Rome there lies a mysterious road where the locals come to experience the strange uphill pull that seemingly defies gravity.

Last Saturday I strolled through the hillside park of Rocca di Papa, a city set at a high elevation with wonderful views (webcam) of the distant Mediterranean. After watching the sun sink into the glassy water and the blazing colors of orange and pink fade, my boyfriend and I took the car to Via dei Laghi, the mysterious road located between Nemi and Aricia.

The car first descended on the road, and as we began to ascend, my boyfriend let his foot off the gas. Normally, this would slow us down on an uphill slant -- but, lo and behold, we actually gained speed! It was kind of freaky, but after about thirty seconds the car reacted to the gravity and began to slow down.

It's a cool thing to try out a couple of times, but I later read on a Web site that it's actually an optical illusion -- the section of the road in the center of the ascension is actually flat, but since the sections before and after it are slanted, it also appears slanted.

The real mystery is how few accidents occur on that road: A busy stretch with half the drivers spontaneously letting off the gas mixed with Italian maneuvering techniques makes it pretty dangerous.

Posted by Kelsea at 3:00 PM | Comments (1)

Catching up on readers' comments: American shoes, Audrey Hepburn, KFC

"I read about that shoe issue in a forum a while ago. That's how europeans detect american tourists: they wear sneakers when not going to the gym, and they wear white socks." Posted by: scott (dugie) at October 19, 2005 08:35 AM

Last spring, I marched into work and the first thing my Sweedish co-worker said to me was, "Oh, you're SO American!" while looking at my feet. I glanced down at my sneakers, wondering what was wrong with wearing comfortable Nike shoes during an 8-hour restaurant shift.

"What's wrong with my shoes?" I asked innocently.

"Nothing, it just makes me laugh how easily you can tell an American by their shoes."

I didn't quite understand --- at least, not until a party of 12 Americans came for dinner. My co-worker nudged me and I looked down. Yup, we're the only breed of humans that seem to appreciate comfort, even at the risk of fashion.

"Kelsea, I'd love to know if Rome is still "Rome" -- as in my image of it from the movie Roman Holiday -- or it has been watered down and Americanized, like your cup of cafe americano. Can you tell us more about what you see/experience that speaks of both Rome as ancient Rome and Rome as a city facing change? Ciao for now!" Posted by: Andrea at October 21, 2005 06:33 PM

One of the reasons I moved here was because of how much I love the clash of the old and the new. You can see the same moped that Audrey Hepburn rode on parked next to a Mercedes SmartCar outside the Colosseum. The best Ma and Pop restaurants (literally "open-kitchens") are right around the corner from McDonald's. Italy has a very rich culture, and although the country may change in some aspects, the Italians will never risk their way of life for modernism.

"Those eggplants in that picture look great." Posted by: JKW at November 4, 2005 11:28 AM

Yeah, Italy doesn't pump up their produce with growth hormones like the U.S. does. Therefore, the shapes and sizes of the veggies might be a little funky but they taste GREAT!

"Must be almost warming to see a KFC...almost." Posted by: Ben Row at November 7, 2005 09:24 PM

Not almost -- definitely. As far as fast food, Rome offers only McDonald's and one Burger King. All other American chains have yet to make it here (and hopefully won't, but I get cravings once in a while...)

Posted by Kelsea at 11:53 AM | Comments (1)

Politeness won't get you pizza

The first week back to real life after a vacation is hard. Coming back to Rome, however, is always a bit of a culture shock.

I was standing in line at my favorite pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice) near my university. Because the food is so wonderful at this particular pizzeria, waiting for a slice of heaven is always expected --but the end result of that melted buffalo mozzarella cheese, fresh tomato sauce and done-to-perfection crust makes it all worthwhile.

After about seven minutes, I "caught eyes" with the owner to place my order. Catching eyes is the trick; in Italy there are rarely “lines” as the customers prefer to “crowd” the service counters. As I opened my mouth to request a small cut of potato pizza (trust me, it’s to die for) a little old lady about half my height knocked her fist on the counter and demanded she get her slice. I was raised with good manners, and allowing little old ladies such privileges like taking my seat on the bus, holding doors, and even going ahead in line never bothered me.

The woman ordered and as I prepared myself the second time to request my lunch, another one butted in and insisted on getting hers. This pattern continued for literally 20 minutes. By the time I was finally able to have my voice heard over theirs, the potato pizza was sold out, the cheese pizza wasn’t fresh, and even the white pizza had been reduced to fun-sized. I was late to class, munching on cold mushroom and cheese and cursing rude customers under my breath.

Italy has a very rich and sometimes beautiful culture -- but one based on anything but patience and politeness. A friend recently sent me this link where stereotypical Italian culture is portrayed by the famous Italian cartoonist Bruno Bozzetto. I’d recommend giving it a click as it is both funny and not far from the truth.

Posted by Kelsea at 1:45 PM | Comments (2)

Istanbul: The sacred sites

Photos by Gianluca Bellizzi
Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia)

My boyfriend Gianluca and I arrived in Istanbul on a Sunday evening. Despite the bone-chilling November weather and late hour, we were too excited to stay in our hotel so decided to explore our temporary neighborhood, the Bazaar District. Walking down the cobblestoned side-streets, my boyfriend was distracted by the multiple kebab stands, cheap electronics prices, and copious number of barber shops. I, on the other hand, was a bit distracted by everyone staring at me. I quickly realized that I was the only female in sight.

Inside the Blue Mosque

Istanbul is a city where traditional and modern culture merge, making it a perfect place for sightseeing and nightlife. It becomes quickly obvious, however, that the city's districts have their individual characteristics. While in Sultanahmet and Beyoglu miniskirts and Puma sneakers are the norm, the far eastern and far western areas almost require that women wear scarves around their heads. In all neighborhoods it's hard not to notice that religion is ever-present as the muslims make their five trips a day to the mosques -- the men washing their feet and faces beforehand and all leaving their shoes at the door.

Basilica Cistern

Anyone visiting the city for the first time should see the popular attractions first listed in the guidebooks. The Blue Mosque is breathtaking, as well as the nearby Aya Sofya which was first a Christian church, then converted to a mosque. The Basilica Cistern is mystifying -- an underground structure of columns (two of which are supported by blocks carved as Medusa's head!) all in about two feet of water inhabited by carp. If you can make your way to the Western District, the mosaics of the Kariye Muzesi (there's one below) are wonderful -- but be sure to bring your own guide to enhance the experience. The museum offers no explanation of the scenes depicted on the walls and ceilings.

(Continued in the next post, Istanbul: The mundane markets)

Posted by Kelsea at 4:55 PM | Comments (0)

Istanbul: The mundane markets

(Continued from previous post)

Photos by Gianluca Bellizzi
Meat market

...After the main attractions closed for the day, I spent the evenings wandering off the beaten track in hopes of happening upon any sort of local market -- and found all sorts! Vendors selling sacks of nuts and spices were most common, followed by those selling meats and animal parts -- even the heads and stomach lining of lamb. Closer to the water, fresh fish (so fresh they were still flopping) are sold by the kilo, marketed by the fishermen themselves calling out their daily selection.

Spice market

Fish market.

Shopaholics should take advantage of the Turkish lira before the euro takes hold. The best street to spend is Istiklal Caddesi off of Taksim Square. Prices are good. The 3-star hotel for seven nights added up to $290. You can eat a full meal for less than $10. Taxi rates are a steal.

Chicken market

Posted by Kelsea at 4:52 PM | Comments (2)

Photos from Istanbul

Internet-cafe computer -- this keyboard is weird...

Everything's beautiful here!!!!!

The Blue Mosque. My favorite thing about Istanbul is that 5 times a day the mosques call the muslims to pray, and their singing voices can be heard over intercoms throughout the entire city. Eerie if you don,t know what,s going on, but cool.

Men washing their feet outside a mosque. Before entering, you have to remove your shoes and make sure your feet are clean. The muslims touch their heads to the ground in prayer and do not want to do so on a dirty rug...

A mosaic of Jesus healing the leprous man in the Kariye Muzesi, a church built by Constantine and later used as a mosque, now a museum. Has some of the most impressive mosaics and frescoes that could hold their heads high in a Roman church!

Posted by Kelsea at 4:14 PM | Comments (2)