Like this:

Well…

Chrisitan, Lauren & Orlando have arrived in Rome, Italy, to spend 6-12 months living Italian, learning Italian, eating Italian, working Italian.

Briefly, Christian has won a few research grants (National Heart Foundation, Queensland International Fellowship etc) to perform part of his PhD research at the Instituto Cardiologo, University del Sacro Cuore, Roma Italia, working with Prof Fillipo Crea and his team.

So, we are here on a tight shoestring budget, living in our old friend Andreas’ apartment (he is living in Paris), and have taken these first few weeks to take a holiday, relax, unwind from the frenetic pace of moving countries, and get generally set up here.

The first week consisted of, basically, dropping all our stuff in the apartment and heading off  out of Rome to escape the 39degree heat.

Caffe Shakerato - ice cold to escape the heat

First we went to CastelGandolfo, to visit Beatrice and her parents. Castelgandolfo is a small town on a natrual volcanic lake about 30mins trainride from Rome centre. This is where the Pope retires for the Summer, and he has a huge palazzo on the top of the mountain. We spend lazy days swimming in the fresh-water lake and reaquanting ourselves with our broken Italian.

Orlando, driving Bea's vintage Fiat 500

A joke for the weekend was that we might run into the Pope and say G’day. On sunday morning we went into the village to buy some things, and there was a crowd of people outside the entrance to the papal palace.  The doors of the palace opened and everyone streamed inside. Curiosity got the better of me, whilst the others had a gelato, and I went in to find the Pope himself, on the balcony, giving a Domenical Address and blessing the crowd. I have therefore been Blessed by the Pope!!

Il Papa, Castelgandolfo

The we were off to Ischia for a week of sun, swimming, seafood and sleep. Andreas’ family have a lovely house up on the hill above the town of Forio, not too far from the beach but far enough from the madding August crowds. Patricia and Ugo joined us, two old italian friends of Andreas who are university academics (Ugo is the full Professor of Philosophy of Law at University of Turin, so you can imagine our dinnertime conversations!)

cena in Fontana, Mt Epomeo, Ischia

We would wake up, breakfast in the garden under the vines, walk down to the beach and spend the morning before it got too hot. Poor Orlando was constantly being gawked at by the locals, culminated in a large Neapolitan mother accosting Lauren, saying “how could you be so cruel, so horrible to your baby… dressing him in that suit, in wet clothes all day and with a hat in the water Madonna Gesu aiuto!”. Apparently they had never seen a sun-suit, and this bright blue martian was treated with great suspicion by adults and children alike!  and he still got sunburnt, poor thing…

Lauren e il Marziano Azzuro

la piscnina di Franco

Afternoons were spent at the poolside, Andreas’ family has some involvement with a condominium complex run by the lovely Franco, where there is a 25m pool and sunbeds, shade, and water. we whiled away the afternoons dozing, playing “Grass” (a vintage 1970s cardgame where the players are marijuana dealers, peddling their wares and getting “stone-highs”!), before going shopping for the evenings meal and heading back up to the house to cook. Wonderful dinners include “linghuine con vongole” (thanks andreas), “bbq frutti di mare” (chrisitan), “fritto misto” (restaurant), “coniglio alla cacciatore” (wonderful mountaintop restaruant after climbing Mt Epomeo)…  needless to say we are all putting on weight.

BBQ frutti di mare

Now we are back in Rome, getting organized to start work next week. Luckily Andreas has the rest of the week off, and is kindly helping us with the ridiculous beaurocracy that is Italy. We dont need visas (luckily), as both of us are European citizens (lauren italian, christian hungarian), but still need Codice Fiscale and other such things to allow us even to purchase a local SIM card etc.

Roman aquaduct - fresh, free spring water!

Speaking of which, our new Italian numbers are:

(+39) 348 9688360 (c)     (+39) 348 9688350 (L)

skype: talktolaurenandchristian

we are online most mornings, after Orlando wakes up and comes into bed for his morning bottle. He then plays around the room for a while, and we can skype any time from about 7-9am Rome time (3-5pm AEST), or by arrangement.

Orlando is doing well, loving the excitement of the Big City and all its sights and sounds, although his two new obesssions are rubbish trucks and vespas!  if he even hears the beep-beep of a “camion rifiuti’ in the street, he tips his head back and shouts at the top of his voice  ”Wuubooosh!”  He is also obsessed with motorini (scooters), as we have 2 vintage vespas downstairs (which dont work), and he loves to shout “moto moto!” everytime he sees one, which is a lot in Rome!

orlando and his favourite vespa (NO this photos was not set up!

So… that’s about it for the first week and a half.

Our next challenges are getting started at work, and actually learning to speak proper Italian (when Andreas isnt around we’ll be lost without him!)….

Planning to do a regular Blog each week, plus would love to be in touch with you via Skype or Email any time. Lots of love

Christian & Lauren & Orlando

(ps click on Photo Gallery below…)

Il Papa, Castelgandolfo

cena in Fontana, Mt Epomeo, Ischia

la piscnina di Franco

Roman aquaduct – fresh, free spring water!

Orlando, driving Bea’s vintage Fiat 500

Lauren e il Marziano Azzuro

Caffe Sciakkerato – ice cold to escape the heat

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