Last night we went to a Three Tenors Concert at the Chiesa Valdese (church). It is very near our house, so we had dinner and walked over.  The place was shut up tighter than a drum.  I quickly got on WiFi as we had another venue name on the ticket…put that in and got an address and hopped a cab.  He took us to the Opera House…nothing going on there…I showed him the address I had pulled up…and it was an address in Sardenia!  At theOpera House, Andy got out of the cab and asked there…meanwhile, a man got in our cab and refused to get out.  It is pouring down rain, and he wants our cab, but we aren’t through with it!  Finally, the cab driver figures out where we are going, gets the man out of the cab and off we go to the OTHER Chiesa Valdese!  The Three Tenors were good, and we had a great time.  We even sang along…so I can tell people I sang with the Three Tenors in Rome.  Tonight, we are going to La Traviata, and I think we know where to go. 

Today, being Mexican food day, I have just had lunch with the young man I met a few weeks ago who will be moving to Dallas and a priest from the Episcopal church here where they work.  Great conversation and great food.  Off to Quilt Group shortly.  Bye!

Too tired last night to write, so have a bit of catch-up to do.  Sunday evening my Dallas friends, Jo and Bill treated us to a delightful evening at a very old restaurant on the Appian Way.  At the restaurant, three of us has Risotto with curry and shrimp.  I’ll be trying to duplicate this soon.  Delicious.  Andy had chicken flambé.  It was brought table side and the 1/2 chicken was on a bed of branches and a huge amount of liquor was pour over it and lighted.  As it burned, the waiter stabbed the meat and poured more brandy over it.  A nice spectacle!  Appia  Antica  – the old road was started and finished in 312 BC.  It had one of the first uses of lime cement.  Cement was invented by the Romans.  The Catacombs are along the Via Appia and we will visit them soon.  Yesterday, On Monday, Jo and Bill and I went to the Spanish Steps to shop, eat and sightsee.  The Step are covered with pots of pink and white azaleas and the scene is breathtaking from top to bottom.  We got Bill a new pair of shoes, then went to the very old Cafe Greco for drinks and food.  It opened in 1760 and is the second oldest coffee bar in Italy.  Only Florians in St. Mark’s Square in Venice is older by 40 years.  Everyone famous who visited Rome has been to Caffe Greco.  And now, so have I.  Artists, composers, writers…even Buffalo Bill have been.  You sit along the walls that are covered with beautiful old paintings and sculptures and are served on small round marble topped tables.  The waiters wear tails.  Water and drinks are served in cut crystal glasses.  Coffees are served in gold rimmed cups which are also for sale as souvenirs of your visit.  A visit to Caffe Greco should be taken at least once…and repeated as often as possible…as a truly Roman experience.  It is on Via Condoti.  Found out that mean ‘Road of the Comduit’.  Water from the Aquaducts to the fountain in front of the Spanish Steps…the one vandalized by the soccer fans a few months ago…to Trevi Fountain flow thru the tubes – or conduits.  When Jo and I went shopping, we met a little black pug named Oscar.  He did not like me!  As it turned out, he didn’t like my umbrella and when I hid it out of sight, Oscar and I became good friends.  While we were enjoying the Spanish Steps area, Andy was at home waiting for her friend, Suzanne to arrive from a cruise.  She is staying with us for two weeks.  She and I had plans for an evening of Opera, and Andy went with Jo and Bill for Indian food.  Pouring down rain…so we took a taxi just across the river to a small church where we heard a tenor, a soprano and a pianist perform arias.  They were wonderful.  I especially enjoyed La Donna Immobile and Nessun Dorma.  At the end, we gave them a Standing O, and then we all sang Funiculi, Funicula together.  A fun evening…with a little culture thrown in for good measure. We were lucky for Suzanne hailed a cab….a New York girl….and we got home.  Tonight, we go to hear Three Tenors, and tomorrow night, more Opera.  I’ll be so cultured, you might start calling me Pearl.  Jo and Bill leave for their ship and cruise today, so I will see them off.  It has been wonderful to have these two great friends visit – even if the visit was too short.  That’s it for now….more later.  

Today we went on a tour of Hadrian’s Villa and Villa D’Este.  We met in a tour office near Termini.  When we were all there, our guide asked all of our names and where we were from.  There were two ladies who were from Norway and Sweden.  Our guide said her name was Inger Rasmussen since her family had Swedish roots.  She was very Scandanavian looking with light blond hair.  We rode a big bus – there were only 14 of us.  Today was a national holiday…Italy’s Independence Day, when the Allies defeated the Nazis during WWII.  WE drove to Hadrian’s Villa.  I intend to study up on old Hadrian when I get home.  He was a very complex man.  As emperor, he was considered a god.  He loved to travel to all parts of the Empire. Rather than expanding it he wanted to study all aspects and use his aquired knowledge to improve the Empire.  The Villa is about 20 miles outside of Rome and it was like a getaway from the bustle of Rome.  A huge place- almost like a city – and it must have been beautiful.  Reflecting pools, marble walls, mosaics, frescoes, bath houses, fishing ponds, theaters, a sports field, temples, statues, banquet halls and beautiful landscaping.  

After seeing this villa, we went to Tivoli to have lunch.  I had a 4 cheese pizza with anchovies.  The BEST pizza I’ve ever had.  Could taste the Gorgonzola in every bite and there must have been 10-12 anchovies on the pizza with that thin, crispy crust!  I usually can’t taste the Gorgonzola at all, and they put on one anchovie cut into 4 pieces.  

After lunch we went to the Villa D’Este.  It belonged to a Cardinal who wanted to be Pope, but he ended up being the mayor of Tivoli.  The Villa and the gardens are absolutely stunning.  Built on the side of the mountain or at least terraced to look that way.  Many stairs leading to different levels that are planted with magnificent flowers and trees and fountains everywhere.  The fountains are all fed by gravity.  The wisteria was in bloom, the tulips were just fading and the daffodils were all finished. Iris were blooming and the camellias were starting to open.  Walls covered in climbing roses and tiny Lily of the valley were blooming as well as violets.  Statues were everywhere, including a long walkway that had about 100 animal faces spouting water.  Above that were fountains that shot straight up interspersed with fan shaped sprays.  The place is amazing.  There is even an organ built into a fountain and it plays at exactly 2:30 every day.  It was a beautiful place where you could wander for hours and not see it all.  Today was hazy, but Inger said on a clear day one could see the dome of St. Peter’s from there…and of course…our apartment!   At one point on the tour I asked Inger where she learned her PERFECT, unaccented English.  She said, “I’m from Detroit”.  So much for me thinking she was from Norway or Sweden,or some such.  Also found out today that Termini, the huge train station is called Termini because of the thermal baths across the street…not because it is a terminal.  I think these are the thermal baths of Diocletian.

When we got home, our friends, Jo and Bill Jagoda had arrived from Dallas and are staying at the hotel across the street.  They live around the corner from me in Dallas, and I used to walk their three precious dachshunds.  Andy and I stayed in Jo’s apartment in UlaanBaatar, Mongolia when we were there last year.  We went to dinner next door to the hotel and then i went  to the room to see how nice it was.  Said good night and made plans to see them at 9 tomorrow morning for coffee and a day of sightseeing.  I’m off to sleep.  

Last night, my friend, Liz and her friend Jennifer came for dinner.  I ‘met’ Liz thru an article in the Sunday Dallas Morning News a couple of years ago.  She got a full page story in the Travel section.  An SMU graduate with a degree in Italian moved to Rome for a few years.  Came back to Dallas, bought a home in Preston Hollow and got a Law degree from SMU.  After a few years, sold her home and moved back to Rome.  She has a blog, Rome If You Want To.  I looked it up, saw her email address on the blog and wrote to her.  She wrote back, we met a few months later when I came to Rome and we have kept in touch ever since.  A lovely, smart, talented and funny lady.  

For dinner, I fixed zucchini slices, sautéed in olive oil, minced garlic a little white wine and sprinkled with Parmesan when done.  Our salad was 1/2 an avocado with dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chopped red onion, chopped garlic and a slug of Dijon mustard, salt and pepper…all whipped together.  Cooked chicken breast filets in a skillet with oil and made a Gorgonzola sauce.  1/2 stick of butter melted with chopped garlic and Gorgonzola.  A teaspoon of flour stirred in and added cream to thin as it got thick.  Used a rather creamy Gorgonzola, and next time will try crumbly Gorgonzola which is what recipe called for.  We really liked the sauce, but I think I would have preferred a stronger flavor.  That is just my preference.  I will definitely cook it again.  Is there a stronger cheese than Gorgonzola?  maybe Stilton?  In England, I love to get the slightly sweet oat biscuit and add Stilton and cherry jam.  Can make a meal of that…but I digress…

The palace where the quilt convention was held also had a big exhibit last year for the 70th anniversary of the Massacre of Fosse Ardeatine.  I have seen some of the Stumbling Stones around the city with Fosse Ardeatine as the place of death for some of the Jews…but I never knew where or what that was.  In 1944, the Italian Resistance fighters killed some Germans.  In retaliation, the Germans rounded up 10 men for every German killed.  Many were taken from prisons and jails and then they got Jews and innocent bystanders.  They were taken to a cave at Fosse Ardeatine, forced to kneel and shot in the base of the skull – one bullet per person.  Then the cave was blown up to hide the bodies.  The Germans, usually very exacting, had chosen 5 too many for the retaliation executions, but killed them so no one would know where the bodies were.  After the Allies liberated Italy, the bodies were found and received a proper burial.  

On Sunday I had a wonderful time at the Quilt convention.  Some of my quilt group met at the big train station and took the train to Zagarolo.  We were picked up and driven about a mile to the main part of the town and the old palace where we had our quilt day.  This is a big once a year event.  We were set up in three rooms.  In the main room were four quilt store tables with fabric, magazines and tools for sale.  Two tables for people to work, a big table filled with breakfast rolls and juice, tea and coffee and cappuccino.  Two of the pastries were over two feet long!  Then a long table on a stage with all the lottery prizes set up.  We bought tickets..3 for 5 euros.  In the other two rooms were long tables set up for each of the three projects they were teaching.  A runner, a purse and a zipper bag for quilting tools, I guess.  Ironing boards are set up at each end of both rooms.  I sat in the front room with ladies who were working on their own hand sewing projects.  Everyone came by to see the squash quilt project and I was named, Mrs. Squash!  Signora Zucche.  The quilt store owner, Barbara, had her husband were there and her pug, Frank!  
We had lunch on the grounds in the courtyard and it was really good.  A pasta, followed by grilled sausage, Caprese salad, cooked chicory and French fries.  We went back in after lunch and the breakfast food was cleared away, and replaced with cakes and torts…beautiful spread!  At lunch, I met three American women who have lived in Italy for years.  One from Houston!  They know of more quilt groups for me to check out.  We exchanged emails.  Then it was time for the raffle drawings.  I won a cute little pin cushion filled with dried lavender.  The lady drawing the numbers won 2 prizes!  She deserved them, she worked her buns off helping put this day together.   And the husband of our leader won a prize.  She deserved it too!  Then we had Show & Tell.  Some beautiful creations.  I just love my quilting friends here!  
When it was over, Paula and her husband drove me home after stopping at their house to pick up oldest daughter to take her to Baby Jesus Hospital.  She is a sculptor and had hit her arm – hard – with a hammer.  Don’t think it was broken, but probably smashed veins and big bruises soon.  It was very swollen and red and hurt.  I’ll report when I hear.  Just had leftovers and going in to read in bed.  Monday was cleaning day.  Supposed to rain…then be pretty Tuesday on.  I did get a report on Paola’s daughter…the arm isn’t broken, just badly bruised.

Today I went to the Quilt Store and helped Barbara with the things she is bringing to the Quilt Convention tomorrow.  I stayed about two hours and we spoke Italian.  I find getting with people who don’t speak much English is really helping me.   Had lunch and a killer massage.  Can’t wait to go for another.  Next time it will be a foot massage.  From what I could understand, it’s almost a pedicure without the polish.  I’ll just have to get one and see.  

Ok now, get out your recipe cards:  Tonight’s  dinner is what my Chef friend, Alex made for me a year ago.  He has moved to a fine restaurant near Brussels, so no more of his excellent meals.  

Cut 3 zucchini into rondels.  Clean and peel about a dozen large shrimp and cut into thirds.  In a skillet, put olive oil, chopped garlic clove and some dried hot pepper flakes…just a little.  You can always add more.  Cook all of this together while you boil water for the fussily pasta.  When the water boils, add the curly pasta and cook according to directions.  Add about a cup of white wine to the shrimp/zucchini mix, cover and steam a couple of minutes.  Then add about 1/3 can tomato sauce and a cup of heavy cream or Half & Half.  Stir well.  Drain pasta and pour sauce mixture over the pasta.  We added salt and pepper to taste and Parmesan cheese.  Buon Appetito!  Hope you enjoy this recipe.  

I’m off to the big Quilt Convention tomorrow.  Leaving early for the train, so going to bed now.  Buona Notte.

Yesterday would be of little interest to anyone except quilters…went to Mexican place and to Quilt Group.  We learned to make Half Square Triangles.  Aren’t you glad you asked?

Today, we got up early and took the A Metro all the way to the end and got a ticket for Arricia…the town famous for porchetta…the whole smoked pig with wild fennel, Rosemary, salt and pepper.  Saw some lovely countryside on our hour trip there.  It is just a few miles from Castel Gondolfo where the Pope goes for the hot July and August months.  And it isn’t far from Anzio where we will go someday.  We started getting worried when we kept making stops and none were Arrecia.  Turns out we missed it.  So we got off the bus and got on a local bus that took us about 1/2 a mile to Arrecia.  We toured a lovely box-like church with a big dome.  All around the circumference are floral swags held up by big Angels.  A small but very pretty church.  Then we went across the street to the Chigi Palace…peers of the Medicis and Borghese families.  Bernini designed the palace, the square and several buildings across from the palace.  We did a self guided tour of an art exhibit.  Most of the art was of Cardinals and relatives of the Chigis.  One painting was by Van Dyke…but the most stunning was one by Reubens.  It was a profile of a man with curly hair and a beard…absolutely beautiful.  It really stood out as a masterpiece by a master artist.   We went to a restaurant for a Porchetta sandwich.  It was very good, but during the meal, I realized it wasn’t what I had been reading about. It wasn’t on a roll…wonderful crusty bread, but not a roll.  And it didn’t have the extras I had read about, like sundried tomatoes, mushrooms and artichoke hearts with oil.  Later, we walked down to what once was a church, but is now the town theater. On the way, we passed hole in the wall porchetta places…where we should have eaten!  So we have to go back and do the more authentic porchetta dives!  At least they have more character.  One had a huge porchetta that I would have loved, except I was already full.   Behind the theater is a walled piazza with a stunning view.  Far in the distance, it was hazy and one could sit in the piazza and almost think it was the sea in the distance.  On the way there, we met Daisy…a white, 8 month old bulldog.  She was just thrilled to meet us and wanted to kiss us to death…and we let her!  Such exuberance for life!  A happy dog!  We walked back to the bus stop next to what must be the Chigi Palace Gardens.  Hopped the local bus for the spot where we were to catch the bus back to Rome.  Luckily, I read and understood  a notice taped to the bus stop pole that the bus wasn’t running from that spot today thru Saturday due to some construction…so we walked a few blocks and caught the one that was running.  Got home and I fixed salmon steaks sauted in white wine and smeared with Dijon mustard.  Very good.  It was a beautiful sunny and warm day.  Wonderful weather for a day trip.  Off to bed to read.  Buona Notte!

Today was Market Day.  Bought some soil mixture and some plants…a Rosemary, a basil and a mint.  We have two dead vines growing out of planters on our balcony and they need new life in them.  Got lots of food as we had nothing left to eat at home.  Got it home and put away and took off for a new restaurant that advertises Caesar Salad.  We were very excited, because our Caesar Salad guy, Vince is out of business.  Think there were too many issues with his boss.  Too bad because his salads were wonderful.  This one today was horrible.  I knew something was not right when the waiter put the oilive oil and balsamic vinegar on the table.  That’s because there wasn’t one drop of Caesar salad dressing on the entire salad.  Romaine, Parmesan cheese shaves and croutons.  The waiter never bothered asking if we liked it…I was going to tell him to tell the chef to Google  Caesar Salad and compare.  We won’t be back…at least not for their so called Caesar Salad! 

Got home and planted the three plants and knew I needed more…so, went to a shop up the street and got two Daisy plants.  They are with the basil in one pot.  I’ll get another flower next week at the market for the other pot. They look so nice now on our balcony.  Our neighbors have beautiful plants…and now we do too!  

I told you last week or so about meeting the two Americans at the MEXICAN restaurant.  The younger man is moving to Dallas in August.  His girlfriend works at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church and I told Will I would introduce him to my friends, Linda and John McFarland.  They are very active at St. Michaels and would be wonderful friends to have.  He writes back today to tell me he already knows the McFarlands!  His girlfriend knows them and introduced them last year…in Hong Kong.  This is really a small world.  I’ve always told people in Dallas if we talk for awhile we will find we have a mutual friend.  I expect that in Dallas…but Rome?  

Went to dinner with the German ladies again tonight.  They are going to be very busy the next couple of days, so we have planned to meet for coffee Friday morning at their hotel…a 15th century palace.  We want to get the history of that place.  Will report later.  Off to bed now.  Long day.  It was actually hot today…even tho so many Italians at still in heavy sweaters, coats and neck scarves.  Can’t rush into this summer thing….

What a fun day.  After cleaning house and washing clothes and sheets and such, I headed off to Baby Jesus Hospital for Children.  That’s really it’s name…Ospidale Bambini Gesu…the biggest Children’s Hospital in Europe.  And a very old hospital with lots of new modern wings.  My Quilt Group was presenting a Quilt to the Children’s Play Area.  Quilters from all over Italy participated in the making of this Quilt.  Actually it is more of a game than a quilt.  The big quilt has 90 small blocks. Each block depicts an animal or a bird. Each block is about 6 inches square.  Then there were 90 identical blocks made…one for each animal or bird.  Then they made 15 small quilts with 15 blocks of the animals and birds…each different.  The children each get a small quilt and little felt squashes, pumpkins or apples.  It is like a Bingo  game.  The ‘Caller’ digs in a bag and brings out one of the small, individual birds or animals.  If that is on your little quilt you cover with one of the felt pieces.  Whoever covers their little 15 block quilt first wins!  We had three little children come in over the course of two hours and even with at least 10 adults playing…each of those children won a prize by covering their quilts first!  Surely there was no cheating on the part of the ‘Caller’!  It was fun for me as I was learning names of animals and birds in Italian and then teaching them what they are called in English…when I could remember what they are called…like a marmot or a narwhal.  Then I got the narwhal confused with a unicorn….and I wasn’t sure if the hedgehog was really a little porcupine.  And let me tell you…they just can’t say Squirrel!  I think there is a funny You Tube of Germans trying to say Squirrel and Italians have the same trouble.  I can’t even spell it the way they can’t pronounce it!  Anyway, it was a very fun and rewarding day…heartwarming for us to bring joy to the children and fun for the children to play and win.  

I got back to the restaurant next door to our apartment in time to meet Andy and a German lady she met a couple of days ago.  They had planned to meet after the lady, Karen was finished with her tour today.  She had told Andy that she was lonely on the tour and had no friends…it had just started.  Tonight she came with three other ladies from her tour.  Another single lady and a mother and daughter.  All Germans and all lovely people.  We had a wonderful dinner and lots of conversation…especially to understand the restrictions of people in East and West Berlin before the Wall came down.  How people in the East could apply to move to the West but had to wait years to be approved.  The older lady had a sister in East Berlin who could only apply after she retired.  We are all going to try to get together again Wednesday evening and maybe Thursday.  So now Karen isn’t lonely…she has three new German friends and two American friends.  And the hostess/waitress downstairs speaks perfect Italian, English, French, Spainish..and since she is German she speaks that as well.  I have trouble with English most days.  And speaking of languages…I really make an effort to make myself be understood in Italian…but as soon as they realize I’m American, they want to speak English!  So, they speak English and I speak Italian.    It’s late…so bedtime.    Must go to the market tomorrow…our cupboards are bare.  I’m planning a shrimp dish and a couple of chicken dishes for the rest of the week.  Going to try to perfect the Chicken and Gorgonzola sauce to have with company next week.  Stay tuned…