Anniversary Post

 Sean asked me yesterday if I'd remembered to make a 20th-anniversary post here, and of course I hadn't. I just checked the "archives," and my first post was March 8, 2002. Missed that by nearly a month, but hey, I'm here!

I knew I hadn't written anything in a while (though I didn't realize I last posted in August, damn), but I was planning to write a post about "Michelle and Sara's Italian adventure." Except it didn't really wind up being the trip that we'd spent two years waiting for - she tested positive for Covid literally the night before our flight to Rome. Obviously, this was much worse for her than for me, but it still sucked. Add to that that I managed to injure my foot literally on day 1 by lacing my sneakers too tightly, and yeah, it was not the trip I'd hoped for. Nonetheless, it was great to be able to spend time with Carla, and to revisit the city I lived in for two years, plus Florence. Also I guess I can say that I got to experience what's it's like to try to get around in a non-ADA-having country while temporarily disabled? Hint: it sucks balls.

Among the highlights were a visit to Palazzo Massimo alle Terme to see my favorite sculpture, the Boxer, who has been moved onto a slightly different pedestal (but still with the ridiculously sensitive motion-sensors)

I love him so much. I started my first class once I was back at Fairfield with this sculpture, tangentially linking it to our discussion of the Benin bronzes before spring break, but honestly just to nerd out over how cool it is. 

I visited the Academy twice. The first time was with Carla. We hauled ourselves up the Gianicolo by San Pietro in Montorio (I have not missed that climb, even without being injured), and stopped by the Fontanone and looked out over the city as we waited for 3:30 in the hopes I could see Gabri on his way out and Alessandro as his shift started. Success on both counts! Gabri was literally talking to the guard in the gatehouse when we walked up. Honestly, I had been a little worried about whether he'd recognize me, especially with the mask, but he he did, and he asked me to come back when he was actually working. We went in and had a coffee with Tina, with Alessandro behind the bar, and walked around in the garden for a bit before leaving. It was mid-afternoon, so the place was empty anyway, but not being able to have coffee in the bar felt strange.

The second time was the day before I left; I went around 2pm, as lunch was ending. I'd brought some chocolates for Claudia, because Gabri had said she'd been ill, and then did my best to have an all-Italian conversation with her, while accounting for masks and the (relative) din of lunch going on in the cortile. I had also arranged with Sean to Face Time him so he could at least say hi to them, and while the connection wasn't great, Gabri still managed to tease him about his beard going white, haha (honestly, Gabri looks the same). After that, I had suppli at Da Simone, and wandered around our old neighborhood for a couple of hours to kill time before the wine shop on Fratelli Bonnet re-opened, so I could buy a bottle of the Tunnella refosco. Carla and I drank it right before we watched the 2005 Pride and Prejudice that night, and you know what? It was just as good as I remembered!

Another highlight was visiting Domenico's restaurant Marigold in Testaccio for Sunday brunch. We walked up and who do I see but fellow AAR alum Karl sitting outside! The food was delicious (very Brooklyn-y vibe, which is downright exotic for Rome), and it was a pleasure to say hello to Domenico in the kitchen. Then we went to the Protestant Cemetery, where Carla amused herself by befriending the locals:

I met a bunch of Carla's friends at her apartment, and it was a lot of fun - we also drank a lot of wine and are no longer spring chickens, so the next day was spent lazing about and watching Outlander, and then going to see Batman in Trastevere (it was a delight). 

Florence was definitely the loneliest part of the trip, but I'm glad I went. For one thing, I don't know when the next time will be that my hotel room includes a Seicento fresco on the ceiling:

The Uffizi: incredible. David: a stunner, as always. Piazza Signoria, especially at night? Fave. I spent some time planning my Renaissance course for Fall 2022. And yet while it was delightful to immerse myself in Florence's charm (despite my inability to correctly predict exactly where many streets went), spending three days there was definitely enough to remind me of how tiny and provincial it seems. Those streets are fucking tiny! I did not enjoy feeling so up close and personal, even though people were generally still wearing masks in the street. I hadn't been doing that everywhere in Rome, but I did in Florence, simply because I felt like I was in such close quarters all the time. Getting back to Rome, even with its diesel fumes and roaring bikes, felt like such a relief. Sean laughed when I told him that, because everyone jokes about how Rome is just a provincial city (for a capital), but at least there's space in the palimpsest. And yes, I couldn't keep that word out of my mind as I wandered around, haha. 

I managed to hit most of my food goals: Milka, 1936 San Carlo chips, Tunnella, da Simone suppli...I did miss out on gelato from the goat milk place, because they were closed; ditto Alfredo e Ada the one night Carla and I tried to go. We had excellent pizza at La Gatta Mangiona. In Florence, I had lunch at Casalinga, and many coffees at Rivoire. Our last dinner out in Rome was at La Matricianella, where I shied away from getting Sean's rigatoni alla pajata at the last minute in favor of carbonara. Carla, like Sean, is a huge fan of the only-in-season puntarelle, and just like Sean she managed to get some!

And then it was time to depart! Not, of course without a little last-minute drama in getting my pre-flight Covid results, as I had completely forgotten that since I have a codice fiscale I am thus in Italy's health system forever and ever. The lady at the pharmacy underneath Carla's apartment was very nice, but really could not get it into her head that I have this number even though I was not a) born here, b) live here, or c) work here (she asked me each of those more than once!)

Sean says that Rome will always feel like home, and it's true. There's a chance that ND might offer the Italy trip next spring, in which case I'd tag along as a co-chaperone, but either way, the next time I go back, it'll be with him!

My notes app contents:

• Roman pines and hooded crows
• Doria Pamphilij walk, so beautiful! (editor's note: this is where she laced her sneakers too tight and strained her tendons)
• Have not missed smell of diesel fuel, or walking right next to cars
• Have missed the church bells ringing the hours
• Taking the bus down is a nice progression from Carla's neighborhood (Bravetta) into Trastevere, and then into crowded downtown
• Pantheon: standing in line at least gives you time to admire the facade
• Lunch, Desiderio preso per la coda, with friendly yellow lab Ben
• AAR with Carla
• Marigold - Karla, Domenico and Sophia
• Protestant Cemetery! So lovely
• Meeting Carla's friends
• Hangover day and Outlander, Batman
• Florence: no Martini sign lit up at night? Bummer
• Definitely mixed up streets
• The huge overhanging cornices! The sgraffito facades
• Fiesole: a pleasure to hear some country quiet, sitting in the Roman theater
• Lunch: angolotti with sausage in a lemon cream sauce, good if scarce! Wine from Bolgheri
• ATAF: gone as of 2022! Google not caught up yet
• Mercato centrale food hall, paccheri with pesto genovese, more Bolgheri
• Bargello: Donatello's David butt (NB: I missed the once-in-a-lifetime Donatello show by days, so the gallery with David was closed)
• Returning to Rome, so much more room to breathe! Florence too crowded/tiny
• Figures: the best coffee was at the Kimbo cafe in the airport