Coma in Roma, or Non Pablo Italiano

Well, we did it, folks. We walked the tar out of the old cradle, made like Audrey and Peck, and imagined what our beVespaed life would look like living on any of the tiny streets painted in gloriously cheerful colors. We hung around in buildings as old as dirt. We ate our weight in house-cured meats, homemade pasta, and pizza. We routinely drank some of the best coffee of our lives. (This was honestly a highlight of the trip. As we've observed, the French mysteriously and with shocking consistency fail to comprehend the elements and value of a truly good cup of coffee.) We felt the faint disappointment of being constantly shilled to in English, as if they knew we were coming before we did. And we found where the Romans eat, where diners between shouts and laughs watched the only couple in the place not speaking Italian. We found our way back to the hotel and slept like the dead. We even got a little sunburned.

It's been two weeks back. We miss Rome every day and can't wait to get out and see the next set of wonders.

Rome January 2012

New Year's Eve & My Birthday

On New Year's Eve we had some friends over to make mexican food. Everyone was feeling a little burnt out on baguette and cheese... who knew it was possible, right? In keeping with the theme of the evening, Michelle and CJ fashioned a homemade giraffe pinata for my birthday! Around 11:00pm we headed down to the river with bottles of champagne to watch the Eifel Tower light up at midnight. We stood on one of the bridges, overlooking the Sein and toasted 2012! The streets were packed with people cheering and singing. It was quite a way to ring in the new year and my 28th birthday!

Birthday & New Years Eve