Saturday May 3rd, 2008
I know, I know, its been over a week I havent really posted anything new. I havent been maintaining a daily log of what Ive been doing. and so much has happened. I swear, everyday is different, so different that I need to start a daily log, so I can remember =)
April left to go back to real life in California. Mr. Uomo's birthday passed. I went and came back from Rome in less than a 24 hour period. I wasnt feeling well and I decided to take off to Rome anyway. Bad mistake. I was walking around the Trevi fountain and decided I needed to go back home to Florence and left half of my luggage in Rome and asked my friend Roberto to pick up half of my stuff and to meet me at the train station. Yes, that bad. I guess I feel so blah from not working out, finally getting used to the regular sleep cycle, and all the sugar. yes sugar. so good. I wake up and want to eat a chocolate croissant. Im having espresso more often and for a drip of coffee you need a whole packet of sugar and the packets here are much bigger than in the states. i walk and I stop at the caffe bar for a snack of sweets. Its bad and im gaining weight, which is not making me feel any better.
And now, I'm sitting at La Citte cafe down the street from my house and finally decided to log into my blog and I wonder, is there anyone really reading this? and I wonder if i should, no i shouldnt buy anything sweet to eat. But I have this huge, huge sweet tooth, (thanks dad). Its saturday and I plan on staying in. I know, I'm in Florence, its Saturday and the weather is beautiful outside! But I took some antibotics yesterday that knocked the wind out of me, so I'm pretty much super weak right now. I really dont have any energy to do anything, but eat i guess. and Im planning to watch an italian movie with subtitles, with my italian-english dictionary in one hand so I can finally figure out what they're saying!
I'm debating if I should buy a bicycle or not. I need to walk, I know that. but sometimes I just get so freakin lazy and wish I had a bicycle. But if I had a bicycle, I cant imagine how much bigger I'd be due to my lazy ass bicycling everywhere instead of walking.
Okay, I'm just rambling now, but wait, isnt that what a blog is for? So what I need to now is to keep a daily log of what I do everyday. so i can remember and for your enjoyment!
ciao ciao tesoro's!
carol
Saturday, May 3, 2008
9. April showers brings May flowers
Sunday April 20th.
April is a server at Mesa restaurant in Costa Mesa. I had small intimate going away dinner at Mesa the Friday before I left that Sunday April 6th. One of the managers comes over towards the end of the dinner and we get to chit chatting and come to find out that April is taking the whole month of April off to travel to Europe, including Italy! How funny, I’m at her restaurant having my ‘last meal’ because I’m moving to Italy! So I give her my email address and she emails me to let me know when she’ll be coming into Florence.
And now, she’s here and she will be staying with me, how many days? I have no clue. But I’m opening up my home to her, since she is traveling in Italy by herself and she really only knows me here, well, we don’t really know, know each other, but I’m a familiar face. She comes on a day that the rain finally stopped and I tell her that for the next 2 days, it will be raining again, so she needs to go to Piazza Michelangelo today if she wants to see what Florence is all about. But first, lets go to the bbq so she can grab some food. We walk down the street to Arash’s and I introduce her to everyone, she mingles the best she can and takes off for Piazza Michelangelo. But lord have mercy, she missed out on the homemade desserts! Massemo hands me a plate with a slice of pie like looking thing that has two layers, the bottom layer is dark, but when tasting it, it is some type of cherry marmalade with a custard top layer and bread crumbs on top. I want to go for another slice, but wait! Their bringing out more dessert! Massemo’s sister made a nutella nut bread, another party goer from Lithuania brings this unbelievable nut chocolate layer and layer of ooooey goodness and last but definitely not least, a pie pan that was filled of something that resembled the traditional tiramisu, but really wasn’t, but which I definitely go back for seconds. I feel so full and tired that all I want to do is take a nap. I’ve been here 2 weeks already, but I still feel so lethargic in the middle of the day. Good thing Arash lives a block away from me, so I make the trek to my apartment and take a nap before my first Tandem lesson with Michele.
I wake up and wash my face and meet Michele outside of my apartment, no makeup, super casual. You should have seen the look on his face when I came out, but to me, we’re going to go talk for an hour and learn, not do anything else right? I guess he had a different agenda. He takes out a map and tells me that in our neighborhood, they’re having art shows, at different locations and the last stop is at the garden which is only 10 mins from our house and that we should stop by. Hmm, I brought a notepad and pen because I want to freakin practice Italian. Anyways, then he tells me that he needs to stop by the bank and pull out some money. I got your espresso for you, but he tells me he needs to pull out money anyway. So apparently the atm by our house is out of order so the other one is across the river. Okay, lets just go and get your money and please, can we start our lesson? We’re walking across the river and Michele runs into a girl that he met the night before. She’s from Sweden and then she tags along with us. And we’re walking back towards my neighborhood, Santa Spirito, and then Michele calls his buddy that I guess had a thing for Ms. Sweden and we go walk around the organic market waiting for Ricardo. At this point, I keep looking at my watch, because #1, I have to meet April to open the door for her, and #2 I have to go back to get ready for dinner with April and Mr. Uomo. I tell Michele that I have to go and he asks me to come back to go to the art show at the garden. Yeah, not so much buddy. Didn’t I mention I have a boyfriend? But over here, having a boyfriend, ring on your finger whatever, doesn’t matter. Fair game I guess. So what I thought was going to be my first tandem lesson was really a cover for a date? I say my goodbye to Michele and walk back home to meet April and we get ready to have dinner.
Mr. Uomo and I were trying to see if one of his friends could come out and have dinner with us, so we can introduce April to a hot Italian man. The guy that we had in mind was busy, so okay, its just the 3 of us. But Mr. Uomo has oodles and oodles of cousins that live and walk and dilly dally around town, so while at the restaurant, some stop by here and there. We call Peter to come by but April is not feeling him or any of them, except Ricky. He is one of the cousins cousin from Lebanon that is studying jewelry in Florence and working at the restaurant. He actually calls Mr. Uomo is father. And people buy it. But you see, Ricky is very, very shy and would never ever make the first move. But on this night, he builds up courage to come out with us after the dinner. We all walk to Slowly together, Mr. Uomo and I, April and Ricky, and Ciro and another blonde and Asian couple. Yes, they were pimpin that night. Anyways, we go to Slowly and in the middle of the night, I hear to my surprise that Ricky will be accompanying Ms. April to Rome! Really? That’s cool. And then I think how neat it is to just say, ‘I’m taking off for a couple days and I’ll be back.’ I wouldn’t have been able to do that back in the states. Well, yeah, maybe I did, but my boss’s never knew, or did, but as long as my numbers were there, who cares right? Anyways, we go to Slowly, have a couple of more glasses of wine and you guys, by this point, ive been drinking wine everyday. Lunch, dinner, whatever. Wine is flowing here, and April says who can blame you? My liver is blaming me. So I hang out with Mr. Uomo to give the kids their time together and we just hang out in front, watching the random drunks walk past. OH! I met the most gorgeous GORGEOUS gay man in Florence, his name is Luke. And he was so handsome. So very handsome.
I’m getting tired, so we go in, get everyone and then leave. April’s first night in Florence and then she proceeds to ask me ‘is this really your life?’ I say, ’welcome to my world’ and before I head out to Mr. Uomo’s she says, ’I love your life.’ Honey, you haven’t seen nothing yet.
April is a server at Mesa restaurant in Costa Mesa. I had small intimate going away dinner at Mesa the Friday before I left that Sunday April 6th. One of the managers comes over towards the end of the dinner and we get to chit chatting and come to find out that April is taking the whole month of April off to travel to Europe, including Italy! How funny, I’m at her restaurant having my ‘last meal’ because I’m moving to Italy! So I give her my email address and she emails me to let me know when she’ll be coming into Florence.
And now, she’s here and she will be staying with me, how many days? I have no clue. But I’m opening up my home to her, since she is traveling in Italy by herself and she really only knows me here, well, we don’t really know, know each other, but I’m a familiar face. She comes on a day that the rain finally stopped and I tell her that for the next 2 days, it will be raining again, so she needs to go to Piazza Michelangelo today if she wants to see what Florence is all about. But first, lets go to the bbq so she can grab some food. We walk down the street to Arash’s and I introduce her to everyone, she mingles the best she can and takes off for Piazza Michelangelo. But lord have mercy, she missed out on the homemade desserts! Massemo hands me a plate with a slice of pie like looking thing that has two layers, the bottom layer is dark, but when tasting it, it is some type of cherry marmalade with a custard top layer and bread crumbs on top. I want to go for another slice, but wait! Their bringing out more dessert! Massemo’s sister made a nutella nut bread, another party goer from Lithuania brings this unbelievable nut chocolate layer and layer of ooooey goodness and last but definitely not least, a pie pan that was filled of something that resembled the traditional tiramisu, but really wasn’t, but which I definitely go back for seconds. I feel so full and tired that all I want to do is take a nap. I’ve been here 2 weeks already, but I still feel so lethargic in the middle of the day. Good thing Arash lives a block away from me, so I make the trek to my apartment and take a nap before my first Tandem lesson with Michele.
I wake up and wash my face and meet Michele outside of my apartment, no makeup, super casual. You should have seen the look on his face when I came out, but to me, we’re going to go talk for an hour and learn, not do anything else right? I guess he had a different agenda. He takes out a map and tells me that in our neighborhood, they’re having art shows, at different locations and the last stop is at the garden which is only 10 mins from our house and that we should stop by. Hmm, I brought a notepad and pen because I want to freakin practice Italian. Anyways, then he tells me that he needs to stop by the bank and pull out some money. I got your espresso for you, but he tells me he needs to pull out money anyway. So apparently the atm by our house is out of order so the other one is across the river. Okay, lets just go and get your money and please, can we start our lesson? We’re walking across the river and Michele runs into a girl that he met the night before. She’s from Sweden and then she tags along with us. And we’re walking back towards my neighborhood, Santa Spirito, and then Michele calls his buddy that I guess had a thing for Ms. Sweden and we go walk around the organic market waiting for Ricardo. At this point, I keep looking at my watch, because #1, I have to meet April to open the door for her, and #2 I have to go back to get ready for dinner with April and Mr. Uomo. I tell Michele that I have to go and he asks me to come back to go to the art show at the garden. Yeah, not so much buddy. Didn’t I mention I have a boyfriend? But over here, having a boyfriend, ring on your finger whatever, doesn’t matter. Fair game I guess. So what I thought was going to be my first tandem lesson was really a cover for a date? I say my goodbye to Michele and walk back home to meet April and we get ready to have dinner.
Mr. Uomo and I were trying to see if one of his friends could come out and have dinner with us, so we can introduce April to a hot Italian man. The guy that we had in mind was busy, so okay, its just the 3 of us. But Mr. Uomo has oodles and oodles of cousins that live and walk and dilly dally around town, so while at the restaurant, some stop by here and there. We call Peter to come by but April is not feeling him or any of them, except Ricky. He is one of the cousins cousin from Lebanon that is studying jewelry in Florence and working at the restaurant. He actually calls Mr. Uomo is father. And people buy it. But you see, Ricky is very, very shy and would never ever make the first move. But on this night, he builds up courage to come out with us after the dinner. We all walk to Slowly together, Mr. Uomo and I, April and Ricky, and Ciro and another blonde and Asian couple. Yes, they were pimpin that night. Anyways, we go to Slowly and in the middle of the night, I hear to my surprise that Ricky will be accompanying Ms. April to Rome! Really? That’s cool. And then I think how neat it is to just say, ‘I’m taking off for a couple days and I’ll be back.’ I wouldn’t have been able to do that back in the states. Well, yeah, maybe I did, but my boss’s never knew, or did, but as long as my numbers were there, who cares right? Anyways, we go to Slowly, have a couple of more glasses of wine and you guys, by this point, ive been drinking wine everyday. Lunch, dinner, whatever. Wine is flowing here, and April says who can blame you? My liver is blaming me. So I hang out with Mr. Uomo to give the kids their time together and we just hang out in front, watching the random drunks walk past. OH! I met the most gorgeous GORGEOUS gay man in Florence, his name is Luke. And he was so handsome. So very handsome.
I’m getting tired, so we go in, get everyone and then leave. April’s first night in Florence and then she proceeds to ask me ‘is this really your life?’ I say, ’welcome to my world’ and before I head out to Mr. Uomo’s she says, ’I love your life.’ Honey, you haven’t seen nothing yet.
8. La Vie en Rose
Saturday evening April 19th.
I’m having dinner tonight with Mr. Uomo, Susie and I’m guessing some other friends. I get ready for dinner and Mr. Uomo picks me up. Off we go to il ristorante La Vie en Rose near Piazza Santa Croce. I’ve eaten there before with just Mr. Uomo, but the first time around I was sick due to the weather and did not really pay attention to the food or the place. But I do know this. That this restaurant is a members only club. If you do not have a membership, you cannot eat there. I guess there’s a handful of these restaurants in Florence, maybe in Italy? We go and im surprised and happy to see Johnny, Alexio and Manuela there with Susie! They already started to order some appetizers, since Mr. Uomo and I were a little late, due to a stop at his restaurant to say hi to some people.
I am starving, I feel like I can eat anything and everything on the menu. I start to eat the foccacia bread and then comes out dried tomatoes in an olive oil sauce. Heaven. Then there’s a chatter about burrata. Everyone is saying oooh, aaah, yeah, lets get some. Susie explains to me that burrata is basically like the heart of the mozzarella. I think to myself, if they’re saying ooooh and aaaah, I’ll probably just die right there when I take my first bite. My mouth begins to water. I take a sip of wine. The burrata comes out and to me, it resembles a bigger version of a Vietnamese bun. But Mr. Uomo prepares to open it. And then he slices open the bag and the water is so milky, the burrata is so soft and he cuts a chunk and puts it on my plate, then rolls up some proscutto and proceeds to place that on my plate (yes, I know, total gentleman). I take my time cutting a slice of burrata and proscuitto. I place it in my mouth, close my eyes, and my heart stops, for that moment in time. Then I open my eyes and just smile. Amazing. I could buy this and eat it all day long, well, I would be extremely overweight, but its so worth it.
During this dinner, there are about 4-5 cigarette breaks so imagine how long this dinner or any dinner in Italy turns out to be. We leave the restaurant after about 3-4 hours to go to a bar. A gay bar. We walk towards Piazza Santa Croce and there’s tons of people outside. Plus its Saturday evening. I learn that it’s the meeting spot for a lot of people. I never come this way when I go out so I’m in awe. We walk to Piccolo bar and immediately Susie is at the bar asking what everyone wants. She comes up to me and asks me what I want and I tell her cognac. She asks me if I’m sure. I say yes. Because back in the states, I only drink Heineken and Hennessey. Maybe I’ll toss in a Vodka tonic double lime once in awhile to switch things up, but mainly, I drink like a guy. So here in Italy, Im switching from beer to wine but still, my after dinner drink of choice is cognac. She comes back with a huge, I mean huge shifter and its filled like halfway. She tells me that she had to tell the bartender to stop pouring because he would have kept on pouring! Salute! So we all start drinking and mingling. A very lovely lesbian came up to our table and wanted to talk to me. So I’m sitting on one side, Mr. Uomo and the lesbian is sitting on Mr. Uomo’s left. I found it very flattering and rude that she was so interested in me, that when Mr. Uomo would say something, she would actually ‘sssh’ him so either she could talk or to listen to what I was saying. But after awhile, and after almost drinking all of my cognac, I was getting sleepy or drunk and didn’t know how long I would last sitting there, and by the looks of it, Alexio was already ahead of me, sitting with his head down, sleeping and falling off the stool once in a while. So off we go, on his scooter back to his place, tomorrow I have to meet up with April. She’s coming in from Amsterdam and will be in town around noon. And look, its already 4 in the morning.
I’m having dinner tonight with Mr. Uomo, Susie and I’m guessing some other friends. I get ready for dinner and Mr. Uomo picks me up. Off we go to il ristorante La Vie en Rose near Piazza Santa Croce. I’ve eaten there before with just Mr. Uomo, but the first time around I was sick due to the weather and did not really pay attention to the food or the place. But I do know this. That this restaurant is a members only club. If you do not have a membership, you cannot eat there. I guess there’s a handful of these restaurants in Florence, maybe in Italy? We go and im surprised and happy to see Johnny, Alexio and Manuela there with Susie! They already started to order some appetizers, since Mr. Uomo and I were a little late, due to a stop at his restaurant to say hi to some people.
I am starving, I feel like I can eat anything and everything on the menu. I start to eat the foccacia bread and then comes out dried tomatoes in an olive oil sauce. Heaven. Then there’s a chatter about burrata. Everyone is saying oooh, aaah, yeah, lets get some. Susie explains to me that burrata is basically like the heart of the mozzarella. I think to myself, if they’re saying ooooh and aaaah, I’ll probably just die right there when I take my first bite. My mouth begins to water. I take a sip of wine. The burrata comes out and to me, it resembles a bigger version of a Vietnamese bun. But Mr. Uomo prepares to open it. And then he slices open the bag and the water is so milky, the burrata is so soft and he cuts a chunk and puts it on my plate, then rolls up some proscutto and proceeds to place that on my plate (yes, I know, total gentleman). I take my time cutting a slice of burrata and proscuitto. I place it in my mouth, close my eyes, and my heart stops, for that moment in time. Then I open my eyes and just smile. Amazing. I could buy this and eat it all day long, well, I would be extremely overweight, but its so worth it.
During this dinner, there are about 4-5 cigarette breaks so imagine how long this dinner or any dinner in Italy turns out to be. We leave the restaurant after about 3-4 hours to go to a bar. A gay bar. We walk towards Piazza Santa Croce and there’s tons of people outside. Plus its Saturday evening. I learn that it’s the meeting spot for a lot of people. I never come this way when I go out so I’m in awe. We walk to Piccolo bar and immediately Susie is at the bar asking what everyone wants. She comes up to me and asks me what I want and I tell her cognac. She asks me if I’m sure. I say yes. Because back in the states, I only drink Heineken and Hennessey. Maybe I’ll toss in a Vodka tonic double lime once in awhile to switch things up, but mainly, I drink like a guy. So here in Italy, Im switching from beer to wine but still, my after dinner drink of choice is cognac. She comes back with a huge, I mean huge shifter and its filled like halfway. She tells me that she had to tell the bartender to stop pouring because he would have kept on pouring! Salute! So we all start drinking and mingling. A very lovely lesbian came up to our table and wanted to talk to me. So I’m sitting on one side, Mr. Uomo and the lesbian is sitting on Mr. Uomo’s left. I found it very flattering and rude that she was so interested in me, that when Mr. Uomo would say something, she would actually ‘sssh’ him so either she could talk or to listen to what I was saying. But after awhile, and after almost drinking all of my cognac, I was getting sleepy or drunk and didn’t know how long I would last sitting there, and by the looks of it, Alexio was already ahead of me, sitting with his head down, sleeping and falling off the stool once in a while. So off we go, on his scooter back to his place, tomorrow I have to meet up with April. She’s coming in from Amsterdam and will be in town around noon. And look, its already 4 in the morning.
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