The New Pope

Why was this man praying in the center of the Vatican City?

He saw black smoke billowing from the roof of the Sistine Chapel at today's 12 noon decision.

This afternoon, I went to the Piazza of St. Peters to see if the New Pope would be chosen. After the black smoke appeared, everyone went on their way hoping the Cardinals would make a final vote later this evening.  The single-man pilgrimage stuck around just a little longer to change the world through prayer.

Seven hours later, I received notice that white smoke came from the pipe sticking out of the Sistine Chapel. It wasn't through an email, it wasn't from a phone call.  In typical Roman fashion when new Popes are named, the bells of all the city's Catholic churches rang across Rome.  This bell, at St. Peter's Basilica, is the first one that starts the chain reaction.

When I heard the church bells in my neighborhood just now, I knew it could mean just one thing: the New Pope was elected, and this rainy afternoon crowd quadrupled in attendance because everyone rushed over to Piazza San Pietro.

I'm wishing I was able to make it over there for the announcement tonight. It would have been crowded, rainy, and I likely would have been tired standing on my feet for hours.  But it would have been something truly amazing to squish my way into the masses. Congratulations Pope Francesco (Francis in English)!

One Unique Way to Celebrate Carnevale in Rome

Like so many professions, my attempt as a writer means it will take a lot of time before success is fully realized. To help cover the bills until that day arrives, I took on the side job of teaching private English lessons.

It was my normal Tuesday routine.  I exited the bus, crossed the street and walked toward my destination yesterday afternoon.  On the way to my student's home my path took me through Prati, the part of Rome adjacent to the Vatican City. The area was mostly residential, though like most parts of the Eternal City, commercial businesses offered their services on the ground floor while the remaining nine of each building were for personal use.  That meant people frequented the streets often.

On top of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City, preparing to climb the dome.

Well the street I was on wasn't so busy.  In fact, besides myself, there were but two others - an approaching grandmother and her grandson of five years at most.  I minded my own business. Mostly, I looked down as I walked because too many residential sidewalks in Rome were plagued by dogs and their careless owners, see my article Better to Look Down When Walking for further explanation. So as I got closer to the pair, I noticed the grandmother stopped to watch her grandson. Nothing occurred to me as being out of the ordinary, even after she chidingly said his name in that long, drawn out way... "Filipoooo."

Meanwhile, Filipo's eyes flicked up at me as I approached and he, too, just as quickly went back to minding his own business.  He strolled slowly like there wasn't a care in the world.  He looked at the wall of the building next to us.  He glanced back to his grandmother wondering if she was watching. He was just an innocent little boy.

And the second I walked directly next to him, he threw an entire fistful of confetti.

Showered by millions of pieces of glittering shapes, I realized I, a complete stranger, had just been tagged by a one-man street gang of five years old.

Happy Carnevale everybody!

Happy Chinese New Year

Buon nuovo anno cinese! Happy Chinese New Year!

Though the date is officially on Sun. Feb. 10th this year, Rome decided to celebrate the year of the snake just under a week before it truly begins. As an officially recognized sister-city to Beijing, Roman citizens happily accepted the four groups of entertainers from China last Saturday, February 2, a chilly and rain-threatening night. Luckily, it never rained, and the best part about the event was that it's one of the many Free Things To Do In Rome, if you time it right.

Among the participants were the famous Chinese Three Tenors, two of whom were actually on key and in tempo enough to actually earn my respect. The others groups were large dance ensembles which had impressive choreography, lending itself to be something of a a carnival side show with awe-inducing, crowd-pleasing acrobatics.

The evening began with a short parade down the main street all visitors of Rome remember.  You know, that long road that leads from the big white temple looking thing (Vittorio Emmanuele Monument) to the Coliseum. Four white, furry and enormous Chinese dogs led the way to the stage. Each dog had the face of a dragon-pug, the coat of a woolly mammoth, and the extending abdominal capability previously used  by Inspector Gadget.

As two very strong and flexible men wore the dog costume, one lifted the other high in the air doubling the size of the dog.  The happy puppies jumped for joy.  The New Year was almost here.
The beating drums followed the dogs and behind them, two dragons danced through the air, one of red, the other yellow. The members of the dance teams guided the fire-breathing beasts above their heads all the way to the stage.  And once Rome's municipal police band finished their set, the show was on.

The Chinese New Year in Rome was a magical time and well worth bundling on the layers to stay warm.  The shows were stunning.  The costumes and music were mystifying. I was transported to alternate universes only James Cameron could dream of.

Happy Chinese New Year everyone.

Venice: A Labyrinth for Romantics

Only a few cities in the world come close to matching the mystical beauty of Venice, Italy. It is an island where vehicles are prohibited on land, while boats traverse the crossword puzzle of murky green canals through the labyrinth of buildings. Buses are large boats.  Taxis are water taxis. Romantics may hire a gondola for a hand-pushed ride in those long and skinny Venetian boats, best for small parties.

 Above sea level, walking by foot is the only other choice. Here, no bicycles are found, no motorized scooters or tiny Smart cars are allowed.  Here, the island is a life away from the rest of the world.  A sort of paradise for romantics.  In the winter months, Venice is a cold and not so pleasant place.  Being located on the sea seems to chill even the warmest bones no matter how many layers of clothing. The benefit of going that time of year is the number of tourists drastically decrease.  Off season numbers are fantastic, including off season pricing for hotels and as airfare. 

 But in spring, autumn, and summer in particular, Venice may be crowded, but it has a magic to it.  The flowers are in full bloom delighting the nose and the eyes. The evening temperatures are comfortable, where nights show people wearing perfectly appropriate shorts, shirts or light dresses.  The charm of the city is discovered through evening strolls in the largest public square, Piazza di San Marco.  There, centuries ago, visitors arrived at their docks to a large palace, called the Doge Palace, and a beautiful basilica, the Basilica of San Marco.  Today, people stand in awe at the immaculately detailed and wonderfully preserved mosaic and sculpture-filled facades of the religious institution. Truly, it is a jewel not to be missed both at day time and night.

 In the very same piazza, at least one live band plays easy listening instrumental-only hits. One band prefers to showcase their accordionist. Another, more of a jazz ensemble, highlights their talent through the liquid yet playful clarinet. Every one of them has a pianist and drummer.  Behind the band is the entrance to the restaurant sponsoring the musical group.  In front of them are seventy tables for two, tempting passers-by to sit down and enjoy just a few more pieces over a refreshing Bellini  the peach and prosecco concoction originating from Venice. Falling in love with everything has never been so easy.

 At Carnevale, the annual festival right before Lent, people wear masks and have done so for hundreds of years. Because of this age-old tradition, they are sold, it seems, in every other store on the island.  From the bright and colorful to the blank, unpainted varieties, masks of every odd mold and design are uniquely Venetian.

 Murano is nearby Venice, an easy boat ride to an island of artisans.  Their handmade glass is unique and known worldwide, considered very good quality. Art-lovers are lucky.  They don’t have to go to Italy just to get the beautiful products.  They can find Murano glass nearly everywhere, as vendors understand the demand for hand-crafted excellence.

Beautiful glass, odd shaped masks, canals, labyrinths and charm. Venice is easily one of the cities that make Italy so great. Have you ever been there?  What did you like best about Venice?

Pigging Out at the Wild Boar Festival

If you've ever lived in Italy, then you know the fine people of the country love their festivals.  The words sagra or festa are found year-round, usually ending with a food product the city is celebrating.  In this month alone, I am aware of a chestnut festival, a polenta festival, and one of the largest chocolate festivals in all of Europe located in Perugia, Italy. Next month, I will hear of wine festivals as well as olive oil festivals.  Food is synonymous with Italian culture, which is why I proclaim myself a "Culture Junkie".

Yesterday, in a lovely hillside city 45 minutes outside of Rome called Castelnuovo di Porto, was the Sagra del Cinghiale. The Festival of Wild Boar.  

I was expecting vendor stalls upon vendor stalls badgering people to purchase their quality pork products over their nearby competitors.  Tube meat would be tossed overhead to eager customers in the back of lines. Wild boar prosciutto, salami, sausages, ragu, spreads, everything about the pig's cousin would be celebrated.  I even hoped there would be the lone oddball out there with a wild boar lollipop or gelato flavor, always the losing dessert on televised cooking competitions.  

But when I arrived at the small medieval city, all that was there in the main piazza, the town square, were several picnic tables and a long line leading to the pickup window of a temporary outdoor kitchen. It was a comforting mix of prison and grade school lunch service. I was given my tray along with a leaky bottle of draught white wine, sfuso. Then I asked for the three course Wild Boar meal.

Pappardelle in Wild Boar Ragu

Wild Boar cooked in a savory and spicy chocolate sauce

French Fries

The french fries were delicious.

And honestly the pasta dish was quite good.  But the boar in chocolate sauce would have been ok if they de-boned it better, in addition to serving it MUCH warmer.  Throughout many bites, I found myself pulling shards of bone from my mouth, not the most pleasant experience.  But for 12 Euro total, I got what I paid for. 

That's right, a man on stilts who made balloon animals.

By the way, for any doubters out there, boar in chocolate sauce is amazing.  The best version I have eaten is at a restaurant in Rome called:  

L'Asino D'Oro

Via del Boschetto, 73  00184 Rome, Italy

If you are unsure of eating wild boar, let one of my other articles change your mind:

http://www.made-in-italy.com/italian-food/news/pigs-porchetta-and-cinghiale-the-italian-wild-boar

When Italy is in the Championship Soccer Match

The other day, Italy competed against Spain in the Euro Cup 2012 soccer tournament.  They made it all the way to the final championship match after fierce bracket-play and success in the quarter and semifinals.

Not having television here, I stayed at home enough times during these earlier games.  The evenings are beautiful in Rome and once the blazing sun gets out of the way, the 75 degree (F) weather makes for a perfect chance to sit on the patio and write an article or two. During the normal soccer season, AS Roma fans (or maybe Lazio fans - if they dared) were heard a few floors above from my apartment.  Whether the team scored or missed a goal, the cheers and jeers were noticed.  Even through a couple floors of concrete, a yell can be clearly identified.

But when the national Italian team games were played, the most fantastic aural spectacle occurred.  When Italy scored in the exciting Semifinal match against Germany, first I heard my neighbor above scream in excitement. But then my head twitched a millisecond later to my left.  Apparently the building next door had a few fans watching as well.  As we all know, sound is slower than light. Well just a tiny bit later, the surround sound eruption from the rest of Rome's watching community made its way to my patio where little old me sat taking in the VASGO-worthy ambiance of Italians and their love of calcio.

Hearing the repeated cheers throughout the game, first of all, really made me wish I had gone to a pub or had television at home since I always enjoy watching a good game.  But after finding out that Italy beat Germany 2-1, it meant there was a Championship game to be held a few nights later.  Sounds good, I thought to myself.  I should definitely go to a pub for the game.


And then I found out what happens when Italy is in the championship soccer match.

Everyone goes to the ancient arena.  The place where horses pulled chariots round and round, people piled in on the steep steps for a spectacle of their own.  Circus Maximus, Circo Massimo in Italian, was transformed into a multi-speaker, multi-big screen soccer watching festival. The site is honestly HUGE if you've never been to Rome to see it in person. And when there is not the hundred thousand people (reportedly) walking down the hillsides piling into the lower tiers to get a good look at one of the 4 or 5 screens, the vast and empty, ancient site inspires thoughts of the culture-shaping events that changed history here. 


But immersed with the people, blending with the masses helped me gain a deeper understanding, a truer historical perspective. Everyone walked by with a beverage in hand, usually a lager beer. Cameras flashed, people chanted. The entire mass stood to sing their national anthem, so different from what I'm used to.  The person behind couldn't hold a pitch for the life of him. Smells drifted through the air in invisible torrents, those of a unique mixture only a massive group could conjure and yet mask all at the same time. Sweat, musky body odor, burnt tobacco, sometimes cannabis. I couldn't help but wonder -  was this experience at Circus Maximus all that different from the chariot races of the ancient days?  

Without a doubt, even though Italy lost 4-0 against Spain, going to this match was a highlight I'm proud I attended.  To walk through Circo Massimo when it's empty is one thing.  To go when it's full is entirely another.  To feel truly Italian is being with the masses. Don't miss the opportunity if it's ever presented.

The Rome Marathon

For the past 18 years Rome has held a marathon for the running-inclined anxious to stay healthy, run for a cause or for the ultra-competitive, win money. Even for those with disabilities, there are various purses one can win depending on your choice transportation.

Having visitors in town on a recent Sunday, I feared most public transportation would be shut down due to the winding and somewhat erratic course through 42.195 kilometers (26.219 miles) of Roman streets.

Source

During the 7-hour time limit, my fear was true.  Travelling by bus wasn't possible.  Traveling by Metro (subway) was.  But watch out for those crowds!  I hadn't seen the Metro this crowded since New Years Eve at 11pm... which happens to be when the buses are shut down for the night.

It seems holidays and festivals aren't ideal days to travel but being forced to walk made us see what was going on in the streets. Pure fun.  Tents and stages were set up, people were all over the streets closed to automobiles, street vendors without licenses had nowhere to hawk their wares because of the abundance of law enforcement.  It was a tourist's dream!

The city transformed itself into an ancient/modern concoction.  It felt strange seeing the huge inflatable kilometer marker clearly sponsored with Lipton advertising dollars right next to the ancient 2000 year old Pyramid of Cestius.

This year, a Kenyan man finished first in 2:08:04 and the first woman, also a Kenyan, finished at 2:31:11.   If they had surpassed earlier times, 2:07:30 and 2:23:30 respectively, each would have been awarded 40,000 EURO.  Instead, each pot was reduced by 30%. First through tenth place won portions of the total purse.

The first runner to cross the finish line,  KANDA LUKA LOKOBE  from Kenya. 

Happy Valentines Day!

Photo Source: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=987

Buon Giorno di San Valentino! Happy Valentines Day!

As I waited outside at the bus stop one particularly dark and cold Valentines Day Eve, a typical small car passed by as I looked down the street for my normal mode of transportation.  It was possibly a Fiat.  Maybe not.  It caught my attention because either a passenger of that car did something, or fate itself got a hold of me.  I noticed a colorful piece of paper trailing the wake of the vehicle's air stream and the first thing I thought was, "Did someone throw their trash at me?"

Luckily, it didn't seem as such because a closer look at the paper showed it was an advertisement for T-Bone Station, my neighborhood's newest American-style grill. What I found interesting was that they were offering a special Valentine's Day menu for 49 Euro per person.  It included an appetizer of hot wings, a salad, a steak and I believe I saw wine and dessert.  

Besides making me hungry, it got me thinking of what I am used to seeing on Valentine's Day in the U.S. and wondered if it was the same here in Italy.  So the big question is this: Is Valentine's Day in Rome similar to the U.S.?

The short answer: Yes!  But of course there will always be differences.

For example, many of the grocery stores are selling Baci - a foil-wrapped chocolate candy kind of like ferrero rocher.  Candy is always a commonplace.  But a main difference is there are no heart-shaped boxes of chocolates.  There are no chalky hearts made of sugar with words printed on them. And I haven't seen boxes of cards with the latest cartoon characters on them expressing their sweetest regards of friendship mixed with words of thwarting world domination.  Ben-10, eat your heart out.  Your candy heart, that is.

But even though Italy isn't making this day as commercialized as the United States enjoys, a great many restaurants of Rome seem to be on-board with the idea of bumping up prices and offering extra-romantic packages for tonight's dinner.  Like including Buffalo Wings on the special menu... extra HOT buffalo wings.  

And this is where I wish I could insert an animated emoticon of a smiley-face blushing.  I think that innuendo just made VASGO a PG-13 blog.

I've seen advertisements in passing at tons of restaurants that range from authentic Italian to Chinese to Japanese and more.  It's a night to show the person or people you love that you care about them and it's possible that restaurateurs are ready to exploit that.  I'm not big into the crazy expensive nights where the food is mediocre.

I choose to express myself differently. I think making a delicious Porcini Mushroom Risotto ought to show my lady how much I love her! We will enjoy the finest salt-cured meats Italy can produce (prosciutto di san danielle) and the finest mozzarella bufala.  And she will know that love is truly in the air, and in her stomach.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Before there was Versaille

As I alluded to on a previous post about Paris, it was important to my expert and I that our trip was full of sight-seeing and Christmas Markets.

The Palace of Versaille was naturally a top contender for a half day's trip due to its history and grandeur.  It's almost always on a tourist's list of things to see when they go to Paris.  And it WAS on our list, until we found out about the Castle of VAUX LE VICOMTE.

Vaux le Vicomte is about an hour's train ride south east of Paris followed by a 15 minute taxi ride to the grounds from the train station.  It is known as the inspiration for Versaille.  This is because the architect who designed and transformed what was once a royal hunting lodge into the infamous Palace of Versaille did so at Vaux le Vicomte prior.Well, he and two other architects designed both places.  But Louis le Vaux somehow managed to get his name tagged to this earlier estate, so we'll just focus on him. :)

We chose to visit here over Versaille for one particular reason: Vaux-le-Vicomte fete Noel.  Vaux le Vicomte celebrates Christmas.

And celebrate they did!  A multitude of rooms were dressed up for the holiday, each with their own brand and flavor of Christmas spirit.  The elegantly patterned shrubbery were laced with ornamental lights on the back grounds.  Children and adults alike enjoyed a carousel ride in the front grounds.  Nearby, people purchased hot spiced wine, vin chaud, perfect on a cold winter night.

For 4 Euro per child, you could rent a period costume for your kids.  These two were insanely cute as they received a free gift out of the treasure chest. 

Mushroom Santa Land was probably my favorite room.

Someone cleverly integrated Mushroom Santa Land with Owl bushes.

We felt like we were outdoors in a deep French forest in this room.

This is Nicolas Fouquet, the finance minister at the time who had the Vaux le Vicomte built.  Unfortunately, the castle was more grand than the king's home at the time, and making a king look bad is not recommended. In 1661, the 22-year-old King Louis XIV attended the grandest of parties at Vaux le Vicomte and the party's magnificence was rivaled by only one or two celebrations in all of France's history.   Three weeks later, Nicolas Fouquet was arrested.  Influenced by other power-hungry advisers, the young king claimed he would not have been able to build such a castle and throw such a party without embezzling from the crown.   Fouquet was imprisoned for the rest of his life.  He died in a prison called Pignerol in 1680, 19 years later. Tragic.

Nice dining room!  

Once it became dark outside, the trees were lit  to make the castle even more beautiful.

The landscape in the back yard was gorgeous while accented with lights.

Versaille would have been a great experience but Vaux le Vicomte was way more memorable to us with the addition of the Christmas spirit.  The only thing we regret is not getting more time to explore the outside gardens considering the estate is quite vast.

We appreciated Vaux le Vicomte because it is not as popular on the "Paris Must-See List".  Would we go back  now that we've been there once?  Probably not.  But seeing what it's like, especially at Christmas time, made it completely worth it!  For those who know they will never get to go in person, here's a video I took in one of our favorite rooms. I apologize for my camera's poor quality!