Ok, so this whole time zone change thing is way harder to get used to then i thought (and it's irritating!) Every night when I try to go to sleep I end up just laying in bed trying to doze, and then just a few hours before Im supposed to wake I get really sleepy and wanna crash and sleep till like 2pm like somebody I know....lol.. That's what happened Sunday! >:{ I totally planned on waking up at like 9-10, getting ready and heading out to do the 'ceasar shuffle' (roman coloseum and forum) but I fell asleep hard at like 5am and ended up staying in bed till like 230!!! This would have been semi-ok if I didn't have plans of going to Sunday meeting at the roman English congregation at 3!!!
So I stumbled outta bed and got ready as fast as humanly possible, caught the metro (subway) to the hall and ran inside... I know I know, it's so unlike da gabesta to be late... well I guess everybody has an off day time and again... Even a Don... ;P lol jk
Well better late than never I guess cuz the day turned out so great!!! The meeting was very good, and the friends at the hall were awesome! There just happened to be another pair of sisters from L.A. traveling thru Rome and they were at the hall too. So a group at the hall took us all to get more frozen creamy goodness (gelato) and then afterward they drove us up this big hill by the Vatican to these awesome lookout points over Rome. We got some great pics and then stayed for dinner at the restaurant at the top of the hill.
Dinner was very nice, this restaurant had the best pasta! (and the wine wasnt bad either ;{ ) Everyone was very pleased with their selections. I had bruschietta that was so fresh with basil and delicious tomatoes, thirst quenching peach tea and a nice plate of buchotini pasta ( a local roman favorite). We spoke about how serious Italians take eating (something the Don can definately relate to ;{ ) and how they focus on the quality and freshness of the food rather than the quantity. As opposed to us crazy Americans wanting loads and loads of crappy preserved factory produced/engineered food doused in MSG and 'special seasonings' to gorge ourselves on, and then wasting the half of it that we didn't eat. I much prefer the Italian way, I could definatley get use to this....
The restaurant had a great ambiance, much of it due to this beautiful view overlooking Rome as the sun was setting on the horizon. There was no shortage of laughter or good conversation at the table. It's always great as witnesses, how you can just meet a new group of people and almost immediately pick up as if you were old friends. And the couple with the baby (see pic) invited me to stay at their place a day longer in Rome so I could attend a going away party tomorrow....hmmmm...let's see....uhhhh how many s's exactly are there in Yessssss!!! So I'll add one day to Rome and take one from Florence, and see where the rest of the journey through Italy takes me..
Singing off, yours truly,
Don Gabriel
and always remember....
.... think outside the bun
:{
