Chandran on his birthday at San Eustachio
Trinita dei Monti
Laura on the TerraceChristmas was quiet. My uncle Mario, who was supposed to join us for lunch with his wife Maria, was unfortunately not able to move. This happens to him frequently. He is 80, has always led a sedentary life, and lives for good food. The next day we went to the St Peter’s, and discovered an great restaurant called La Fornace.
Christmas morningOn the 27th we took the train to Perugia. That evening we met up with one of Chandran’s colleagues from the New School, Rita, who is from Perugia. The mountain-top town was bitter cold, and the next day it snowed. It was wonderful. The twins stopped at every car to make snowballs. Perugia is a beautiful town with good food and a fantastic museum of early Renaissance art, featuring hometown hero Perugino. We returned to Rome on the 29th.
The cathedral in Perugia
Walking in the snow
On the 30 we returned to the Vatican and the paid a visit to Mario and Maria and then, Cristina’s mother Stella, who lives in the building next-door. Mario told us that my father was so bad when he was a boy that my grandmother consulted a doctor, and he told her that kids that bad usually turn out to be criminals. My father he admitted to being a menace, but said my uncle had made up the doctor. Christina’s mother had just returned from Palermo. Cristina and Piero have bought a house, after renting there for 12 years, and were moving in. We prepared for our early flight by going to bed at 11 on the 31st, and lay awake listening to just how seriously Italians take New Year’s Eve. The trip home went OK, and yet we are more sure than ever that we will never fly Alitalia again.
Nick, Chiara, Mario, Maria & Laura
The apartments were Stella lives and where I lived as a child.
Stella & Chiara
7 comments:
What a wonderful post, Sara! I laughed out loud, and just also enjoyed the whole story. Glad you're all back, safe and sound. We are off to the Carribean tomorrow, back on the 10th. Eliza comes on Monday, having opted to spend her 21st (tomorrow) birthday with her friends.
It was a good post, Sara. Good to learn about your trip and see your photos.
What was so horrid about Alitalia?
The planes were old and dirty and both when we arrived and left Rome we were put on a bus to get to the plane. We assumed it was to save money as the jetway probably has a fee of some kind. The crew was also pretty grumpy.
My take on the Alitalia thing is that they've just had a more-than-near-death experience, they actually went under for a bit there. To pull them back from the beyond, the holding co. that got them slashed salaries and benefits, sold all their new planes and replaced them with reconditioned 70's era 767s, and trimmed everywhere else they could (the jetway thing, some bizarre situation with the people who clean the planes which results in standing around for a long time in the jetway/bus, and of course the bad weather). With the savage morale of the crew, the jets of great antiquity, and of course the weather, the overall effect was of sitting in a bus terminal eating day-old McDonalds while watching Baywatch: nothing to complain about until you realize you're doing it voluntarily, and paying for it.
Chandran
Thanks for the pics Sara. Sometimes they are like a thousand words. Is that how the saying goes? Christina's mother is beautiful, she looks strong and pleasant.
sara,
its alli, i was just thinking of you and found this sight through google. can't believe the twins are already 5!
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