Livin' it up Roman style: Day 2

*warning: this posted ended up super long. so long that I didnt proof read at all. excuse any spelling/grammer mistakes.*

The second day involved even more walking than the first day. Seriously, at least 50 miles. Ok so maybe not 50, but a fair few of miles were walked. We started the day with our hostel breakfast which consisted of coffee, juice and a few croissants. We wanted an early start because we were off to the Vatican and the Vatican Museum. The last time I went to the Vatican, I waited in a queue something like 3 hours to get inside. Granted, this is February and before was June- peak travel time- but better be on the safe side than waste precious hours standing in a queue. We walked straight in. Off season is awesome.

Rhys has never been to Rome and the Vatican and Sistine Chapel were top on his list of things to do. He was not disappointed. How can you be when you are seeing things like this

And even in the midst of amazing sculpture, paintings and architecture, there is always time for humour.

Even when you are surrounded, wall to wall, with incredible paintings by Raphel (and the like)

and of course, no trip to the Vatican would be complete without the standard self picture.

After 4 hours in the Vatican we ventured over to St. Peter's square to have a look around inside the basilica and the tombs of the popes. breathtaking (the basilica, not the tombs)

Here Rhys is kneeling on the original slab of porphyry which the emperors used to kneel upon for their coronation. It dates back to the old basilica (around 319 AD) and it is thought that Constantine accepted his role as emperor on this very stone. As a side note I should say that is no way was this stone marked in the basilica. It pays to have a thorough and informative guide book. (Blue Guide all the way!!)

On our way our of the basilica we saw this cardinal. I am not sure if he is someone special or not, but how crazy that a) this building is still a functioning religious epi-center some thousand plus years after its first use and b) that he just walks around, in all his cardinal-y gear, like it is something normal and mundane. Notice the two buys in colourful gear in the background? they are the official guards of the Vatican and basilica. Swiss Guards. and their uniform has not been updated since the 1600's. hmmmm, never would have guessed ;)

After St. Peter's we decided to take a walk, enjoy the sunshine and just see where we ended up. We ended up in an ancient stadium, once able to hold 30,000 spectators. The center ring is surrounded by churches, market stalls, restaurants and housing. Exactly as it was when it was built in 86 AD. The Piazza Navona as it is called, was updated in the Middle Ages and used for festivals, jousting competitions and a market place. From the late 17 to early 19th centuries, the piazza was flooded every August as a party for the Roman people. Nice, huh. Aside from being a major tourist attraction, the Piazza Novona is home to the famous Christmas fair every November.

Remember the post before we left for Rome? I just picked a picture of a cafe off the Internet. But look! We ended up at the same cafe! yeah, it was pretty awesome.


After a nice pizza for lunch, our next stop was Fontana di Trevi. A fairly recent structure, the fountain was started in the 15th century but updated and most of what we can see today was built in the 18th century. Interestingly though, the water used to supply the fountain are those of the Acqua Vergine Antica which is an ancient aqueduct built almost entirely underground. The aqueduct, supplied from a spring 20k east of the city, was built by Agrippa to supply the bath in the Pantheon in 19 BC. Now that is old. The same aqueduct channels and spring are still used to supply the fountain with water even today.

As tradition goes, if you through a coin in over your shoulder it will ensure good luck and guarantee your return. Naturally we did as such. The coins are collected every Monday from the fountain and donated to Caritas- a church organisation which helps the poor of the city. Money well spent.

After the fountain we wandered around, eventually coming to Trinita dei Monti. The structure consists of a church, , twin bell towers, a convent and a double set of stairs numbering over 100. Begun by Louis XII in 1943, it was restored at the expense of Louis XVIII after damage caused by Napoleon and his occupation. The convent is still a functioning convent and there are plenty of nuns milling about. (can I say that about nuns?) Rhys and I decided to walk to the top of the stairs to get a view of the city from the top. However, before we could take in the view, we were distracted by a man who was clearly a member of the Italian mafia.

Seriously, you can not tell me that he doesn't look like something straight out of the Godfather. I was almost too afraid to take a picture, but it was simply too awesome to pass up.

As the sun was beginning to set, we found ourselves at the Piazza del Popolo. It was built in the 15th century as an entrance to Rome from the north. While that date is 'modern' compared to some of the ancient ruins left around the city, there is an obelisk (not pictured) which dates from the 12th century BC. 12 century BC. that is crazy old.

As an interesting side note, Queen Christina (often noted: Kristina) of Sweden made her entry into Rome through this very area in 1655, dressed as an amazon. For the sake of space (and most people's interest) I will not go into all the details here, but if you are the least bit interested in history, I would recommend reading about Queen Christian. She is the only not emperor, not religious person to be buried in St. Peter's. Look at that, another interesting fact. I am just full of them ;)

We finished the night off with a great dinner of gnocchi and wine at a very picturesque Italian cafe. We went to bet tired and sore from the massive amount of walking, but pleased to have another successful day under our belts.

Livin' it up Roman style: Day 1

Rome was awesome. Yes, awesome. It was an incredible trip, both for historical sights and emotional well being. Rhys and I lived it up. Ate loads of food, drank our fair share of wine, walked miles in search of the best sights, of course hitting the majors- Vatican, Colosseum, Roman Forum, St. Peter's Basilica- and even found the time to make out. a lot. because you can do that when you don't have a little toddler constantly craving your attention.

Mostly for my benefit (and that of my parents back home), I am going to divide the holiday into 4 posts, one for each day. I still journal like there is no tomorrow, but on the blog I can add pictures. And I want this record for the times I am feeling low in America- I can read back through and remember the awesomeness that is Rome.

After a 4am start, Rhys and I wasted no time in falling straight asleep on the plane. Usually I dread long flights, but I could have handled a few more hours of sleeping this time. However a mere two and half hours of sleep later, we landed in Rome. Sunny and 15 (60's) a nice change from the crap, rainy 5 (30) we left in Wales. As Rhys and I like to consider ourselves 'seasoned travellers' we bypassed the easy jet offer of €8 tickets to the center terminal and decided to do it the local way. We managed to get around and find the local bus, a measly €1.20 to the center. funny thing? the same people on our flight who bought the easy jet tickets were on our bus. look how excited we are at saving the money....pays to shop around.



45 minutes later we had managed to find the right train and make it to our tube stop for the hostel. Finding our hostel proved to be not as easy. We had directions and street names, yet it took nearly an hour of walking up and down, asking people, and going around in circles to find the right building. No thanks to the shop owner who said "ah, so so, i donta know but kind of where-a to go. this way, no the other way. ah, so so. maybe I dont know whicha way to go" nice man, but not so helpful.

I thought I had booked a hostel. In reality, I had booked a B & B. And by B & B I mean a mans flat with 3 extra bedrooms that he rented out. And he smoked. a lot. The positive side? He was very friendly, we had our own room/bathroom and the flat was close to the tube stop. the down side? He smoked. a lot. As the weather was so nice, we could open a window and the room mostly aired out by the end of the day. ah, crazy smoking Italians....

As soon as we shed our bags, Rhys and I were out the door to explore. Our first stop was St. Peter's Square.





After the square we decided to head over to Castel Sant' Angelo and pay for our first visit to ancient Rome. Well worth the €16 it cost for the two of us to get in, the castle was unbelievable.



Castel Sant' Angelo was originally begun by Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. Work started in 128 AD and the structure was finished one year after Hadrian's death in 139 AD. Over the years the building was used as burial grounds, a palace, a prison, and even official papal property. Marble and stone was taken from this building for use in St. Peter's basilica. It was pillaged in the middle ages and elaborately decorated by several popes. In the late 1800's it was occupied by French troops and finally made into a museum in 1930. What we see today is what remains- a really old, historically amazing building.

In fact it is so old that there are signs everywhere like the one below. Age of Hadrian. People that is OLD. Even if you do not enjoy history as much as I do, you can appreciate the importance of this.



Below is a picture of the original burial chamber of Hadrian.



Here I am in one of the top walk ways, you know, just standing in a spot where Hadrian could have stood- 2000 years ago! crazy. Or let me put it this way- this walkway where I am standing is over 1500 years older than America as a country.



The castle provided incredible views of the city. The pictures do not do the view justice, but it was the best we could do with a point and shoot camera. Believe me when I say it was breathtakingly beautiful.





After an extensive tour of the castle and quite a few hours of wandering around the city, it was time for dinner. There was no discussion of where to go, it was already decided. The Hard Rock Cafe.

Hard Rock Cafe is our 'thing'. It started 6 years ago in Barcelona. We couldn't decide on a place to eat and somehow ended up at the Hard Rock. We spent the entire night talking about music. Since then we have tried to hit a Hard Rock Cafe in every major city we have been to. And we still spend the majority of the evening discussing music. It is just as awesome 6 years later as it was that very first night. Barcelona, New York, London, Dallas, Paris and now Rome. Here we are enjoying our traditional Hard Rock Cafe meal.





After dinner we decided to walk back to our flat instead of using the tube. That and the tube was closed from 9pm on due to work. But hey, why not make the most of a gorgeous evening? We walked and walked and walked. And then walked some more. After a few turns down some side streets and a couple funny street names, we were lost. In front of a giant, ancient obelisk, but lost none the less. I, or course, decided to document the map moment with yet another self picture. (yes, rhys did get sick of the pictures. his facial expressions start to show it...)



But we managed to find our way (thanks to Rhys' awesome map reading skills) and shortly found ourselves in front of the Pantheon.



The building, originally built in 27 BC to commemorate victory over Antony and Celopatra, was damaged and rebuilt several times over the years. It is assumed (with quite a bit of certainty) that the building we see today was actually built/modified by Hadrian in 118 AD. It was closed under the first Christian emperor, pillaged by the Goths, eventually restored by a pope and today open to the public as arguably one of the most famous of the Roman ruins. I say 'ruin' but in actuality it is wonderfully preserved and quite a bold symbol of the capability and enormity of Roman skill and architecture. (i have a feeling that I will type that exact sentence several more times over the coming days)The Pantheon is an incredible structure to see.

As we wandered around the streets, we gradually made our way back to the Castel Sant' Angelo and the Ponte Sant' Angelo. It was beautiful lit up for the night, reflecting off the water. It was a sight worth seeing in the day, but well worth the visit at night.



Our last stop of the day, which ended up being our last stop every single day, was St. Peter's Square at night. It was deserted, again off season Rome, and beautiful. Most nights we were the only two people in the square. Well, us and the two Polizia that rode around on a golf cart. It was so peaceful. Our first night we spent a good while just walking around the square, holding hands and enjoying each other. Eventually we headed back to our place. It had been a long day, but an amazing one. First day was a success.

Rome!

Wednesday morning at 4am Rhys and I are off to Rome. No baby, just the two of us. Oh, excitement abounds. For the next 5 days I will be seeing things like this....

and this....

and probably eating at cool, little places like this.

Ah, it will be awesome. I am so excited for just the two of us to get away. This trip was actually Rhys' Christmas present, it just worked out for us to go now.

Did I mention I was excited? Oh, I cant wait! So until next Monday, this is it for me. Enjoy the rest of your weeks and weekends. I will be loving mine!

it wasn't intentional...

Well, not really intentional. As I was typing out the post regarding out recent decision in the transition to America, I was caught up in my thoughts and it did not occur to me that I hadn't actually mentioned where we were moving. Once I hit publish and read through it later, I realised I left left the state out. But I decided not to go back and type it in. No particular reason except that it was a tough decision, one that we are still processing.

We have dear friends in both places. And I know that either Arkansas or Boston would provide us with great opportunities. And it was excruciatingly difficult to make the decision. As I said before, no place will have everything we want.

But I will tell you, my blogging friends, where it is that we are moving.

Arkansas.

We have said from the beginning that it doesn't have to be forever. We reserve the right to say that middle America is not for us and move to Boston. Heck, we reserve to right to say America is not for us and move back to Europe. Just as we felt it time to move on from London, we want to stay open and honest to our needs as a family and a couple and realise that someday it may be time to move on again.

But for now, it is Arkansas.

Go Wales!

Tonight is the first game of the 6 nations. Wales v England. One of my goals on the 'Europe list' was to get Rhys tickets to the game. and I manged to get a ticket, but sadly I could only get one. So Rhys is going to the game but little e and I are supporting from the house instead of the stadium. Regardless, we are still proudly sporting our jerseys.

This morning little e would squeak with delight and raise her little arms in the air and chant 'Wales, Wales, Wales' (to be fair, it sounded more like alhes, alhes, alhes but i knew what she was saying) I decided it was too great of a photo opportunity to pass up so out came the camera. As soon as she saw it, no smile. no chant. no arms waving in the air. just this face.

The face that says "mom, you take WAY too many pictures. no more. I am done. No smiles from me today!"

I kept trying to get a good shot, but as soon as she saw the camera, anything became more interesting than me.

"look a giant measuring cup. this is way more fun than smiling for my mom"

"ooooh, I can pretend to drink and cover my entire face at the same time. this way mom can't get a good shot at all. "

"look mom, my entire arm fits in the pint glass. fun right?"

and then she decided she had to stick her tongue out in every picture.

so we settled on this on. still no smile or 'go wales' hands in the air, but she is still adorable.

Peace

Iit is something I have not truly felt for quite a while. But I have peace now. And it is a glorious feeling.

A few nights ago rhys and i sat down to have a conversation. THE conversation regarding which state we should move to. For a while it was Arkansas without a doubt. But the 'without a doubt' bit was roughly in place around 9 months ago. Now there is lots of doubt. We had opportunities in Boston, Arkansas, Houston, Tulsa, Denver and so. It seemed that the closer it came to moving date (27 April) the more options appeared and the harder the decision became.

As I am a list person, we sat down and made some lists to aide in the decision making process. First we made a list of why we wanted to move to Boston. Then we made a list of why we wanted to move to Arkansas. If I am being honest, the Arkansas list was quite a bit shorter. Then we made lists of why we did not want to move to both the places. After about 45 minutes it seemed like we were going around in circles. so we made one last list.

what do we want the most from life in the next few years?

The top of list? a kitchen where you can not simultaneously touch all the walls. This point was followed closely by a kitchen where you can fit two people in at the same time. And point number three was a bathroom where you could not sit on the toilet, brush your teeth in the sink and wash your feet in the tub all at the same time. I feel those are fairly reasonable requests. beyond those the list went something like this: own a house with 3 bedrooms, have a back and/or front garden, be close to at least one set of parents, have a great church/christian community, a decent rugby team, a big city, culture, good schools (my preference is private with fancy uniforms ) easy access to the UK and did i mention a home? with space. a spacious home. *(note: to us anything over 600 sq feet is spacious. massive in fact as we have never lived in a space bigger than 400 sq)

As I said to a friend earlier in the week, no place will have everything that we want. No matter how much i want to create the perfect place it simply will never exist for Rhys and I. Let me unpack that statement. Both Rhys and I grew up with our grandparents on our door step. We interacted with our extended family often as both sets of grandparents, cousin, aunts, uncles etc... all lived in our home towns. We had our own rooms, mothers that stayed home with us and were involved in our lives as well as opportunities to travel as a family. We want those same things for our kids. But it will never happen. ALL of our cousins, aunts, grandparents will never live in the same town. I am american- so is my family. Rhys is british- so is his family. One set of family will always live in another country. The UK is expensive. a big city is costly. To live in one it usually means both parents have to work. And work full time. Thinking about it, I dont know anyone over here that stays home full time after their maternity leave is up. It is not fiscally possible. But moving to a place that allows the chance for me to stay home means we lost the big city (i.e. London) lifestyle. see? No place will ever have everything that we want. I can not smash together America and Europe, the mid west and a coastal city, busy metropolis with farming community. I want it all, and that does not exist. Accepting this has made the decision easier.

So with lists made and realistic expectations in place, we explored our options with fresh perspective. What place will provide us with the community that we want, the opportunity to own our own home- complete with kitchen and bathroom big enough for two- and create the family life that we so desperately want? We have reached a decision.

And I have great peace about said decision. It is nice to finally have a direction. Sad to leave europe. Really sad. But great to know we are one step closer to some dreams becoming a reality.

something new: january

One of my 'life list' goals for 2011 was to do something new everyday. at first i thought i was being a little ambitious. but one month into 2011, i think that it is actually quite an achievable goal.

now that i am a wife, mother and the official organiser for our family, i live by my planner. dont misunderstand, i am not any more structured today than i was 10 years ago. typing that i am not sure if that is a good or bad thing?... regardless, i write the daily menu, daily tasks, weekly tasks and any special notes in my planner. even if i only write down one thing to accomplish for the day, if it is in the book, it gets recognized and done.

all of that to say that i look often in my planner. at the end of the day when i am going over what is on the agenda for tomorrow, i simply recap the day and record the one new thing i tried. knowing i am going to write it down at the end of the day makes me do one new thing. see? achievable goal.

we had a busy january. i think january's tend to be busy regardless. coming back from holidays and sorting yourself back into the regular routine. I managed to do quite a few exciting, new things this month. and I also managed to do some stupid, new things. for example, creating a new family tradition? good. drinking a jaggerbomb through a straw? not so good. but regardless below is the complete list of all my 'something news' for the month.

-11 January became 'Oriental Food Day' for team williams. Coincidentally this also achieve another 'life list' goal: make a new tradition for every month. We randomly assigned the 11th to be oriental food day. my something new consisted of making fried sweet chili chicken from scratch as well as making sprout, bamboo and spring onion thin chicken from scratch. they were both fantastic. (and yes, from scratch needs to be emphasised because i am not much of a cook)
-e helped me unload the dishwasher- even the glass
-ELIM women's church group meeting
-Welsh school
-fancy dress party: e went as a Spanish Flamenco dancer
-made oven chips
-Sunday dinner with katherine and john (church friends)
-Brecon town with new friend Beth
-new brown vest for e
-e ate bangers and mash for the first time
-ran for the first time in 8 weeks
-marked 'British' on a form instead of American.
-night walk with rhys and e
-went to the pub with both the kids for afternoon pop drinks
-went on a walk in the rain with e
-had katherine over at night
-drank a jaggerbomb through a straw
-saw Jimmy Carr live
-took part one of the British Driving test
-had my hair cut and ended up with full fringe (bangs)
-went to Royal Lemington Spa
-discovered ebay Fashion Outlet
- Llangorse playgroup with e
-all day Merthyr outing
-went to school with Nia in the morning for no reason
-coffee Saturday morning with rhys whilst e napped (unheard in our house!)
-pizza for lunch for e