10 things I want to do in Rome

1- See my family. I have missed them terribly since I moved to England

2- See my friends: work friends, play friends, food friends..everyone I have not seen since March

3- Go to Sperlonga, or Sabaudia. The lovely beaches of Italy are a must in the Summer, and if I cannot make it to Sardegna this time around, at least I can chill in Sperlonga!

4- Gelati: both Daniel Gelo - with their coconut, mandarino and watermelon flavors, but also Ciampini with fragoline and panna.
(I am salivating just thinking about it)

5-Giacomo: Al Vino Al Vino, la caponata, sitting by the courtyard sipping a glass of Bisol and eating the figs that Giacomo brings us (yes, I am spoiled!)

6-Caffe: shakerato, al vetro, con un goccio di latte. I am so excited at the idea of paying 80 cents for an amazing coffee, I cannot wait.

7- Rome: I miss walking around my city. Taking in the beauty and chaos, the dirt and magnificence of Rome. I heart my city, even when it's 40C

8- Shop: Monti, Testaccio and via del Babbuino..I shall shop and be merry!

9-La parlata Romana: believe it or not, I miss hearing some of the typical Roman expressions, the jokes that only a Roman would do and understand.

10- Water: drinking fountains everywhere and perfectly sparkling water easily available. Now, that's luxury!

Only 1 week to go!

My new life

So many things have changed! I now live the wonderful life of the country!

On March 1, Mr R and I moved into a beautiful 15th cent. home in Rye, East Sussex. We fell in love with the house immediately, almost oblivious to the troubles of living in a historic house. After the first few days we realized we needed to keep the heating going for at least 5 hours to get some temperature variation in the house. We also realized the washer/dryer needed to be changed, and all the floors were slanted.

We talked to the landlords and found solutions for most of the issues. We started using our massive fireplace (the first time we set the fire alarm off), we got a new washer/drier, and after various attempts with duck feather pillows (a whole separate story) we manage to get all the bedding necessary for us and for guests.

Rye is lovely. The Lonely Planet guide to England uses the following words to describe it: "Seemingly pickled, put on a shelf and promptly forgotten about by old Father Time, Rye is one of England's most beautiful medieval villages. You can't help but fall under its spell as you slip and wobble through the cobbled lanes, past mysterious passageways and crooked timber-beamed buildings. Romantics can lap up the townsfolk's tales of resident smugglers, ghosts, writers and artists, and even the most hardened cynic will be seduced by a slew of exquisite accommodations in its heart."



Our house is on the main square, hence it's often photographed by curious tourists who peek inside our windows saying with a surprised tone in their voice: "It's and English Listed building! But there are real people living here!!!!"

We are about 30 min on foot from the beach and 1 hour by train from London. We are blessed to have 3 amazing cafes and tea houses all serving a variety of Gluten free cakes. We have our favorite restaurant where we try to go every week. There is a great place for massages, pedis and all beauty treatments and I even found a hairdresser I like!

Life could not be better..now we just need our friends and family to come and visit!

The perfect dress

The perfect dress is impossible to find.

I keep flipping through magazines, browsing the net, talking to people, going into design stores, but so far, nothing seems to scream : pick me!
Is it so hard for everyone? I want something simple, classy, not too revealing, but flattering. I want green shoes, high heels, especially if the dress is going to be plain.
I looked at Vera Wang, J Crew, Pronovias, Armani, but still, nothing works for me.
I am now 99% convinced that I am going to have a tailor do the dress, but I still need to know what style, fabric, cut, length to go.

I wish my genius grandma was still alive. She always had the perfect suggestion when it came to dresses. She had the knowledge of the material, of how it would wrap and fall, hug and fold on a person's body.
She was strangely less conservative than my mother, and would always have great ideas for outfits. I really miss her.

On the other hand, I am truly enjoying the constant discussions with every female member of my family, trying to give a suggestion on the dress. V neck in the front, or V neck in the back, pleats in the front or flower in the back, empire waist or cinched at the waist. In a way, I think this is a big part of what weddings do. They bring people together.

Thanks to all the people, friends and relatives that are coming together for this special day!




The dress in the picture is by Pronovia

Back from Pakistan

It is difficult to adjust to what look like dull colors and smells. I had a wonderful time, I felt at home in a country that is miles and miles away from mine. The hospitality I found cannot be described, as it is something that can only be experienced.

The variety of colors, food, fabrics, music, decoration filled my eyes every day.. Here is a selection of pictures (very limited) from my two weeks in Isloo and Karachi.
Getting ready to go


two men and two women


The beautiful decorations


Delicious food


Helping hands

Italian style now and then: vespa, flowers and glasses

My parents got married 39 years ago. They were far from being the most stylish people in Italy, but today they would be on the front page of Vogue ....why?

1- My mom's wedding dress was a white chiffon dress with cut out flowers. The dress was designed and made by my wonderfully skilled nonna. D&G's S/S collection for 09 was full of white dresses with lots of cut out flowers.




- Contact lenses were a luxury at the time, so my mom decided to walk to the altar sporting her black rimmed specs. She looked cute, but I am sure she didn't imagine that the same style would have become super popular again 40 years later..and yet, look at Madonna wearing specially made Ray Ban wayfarer during her tour

- my dad was just out of college when they got married, so no car for the couple. Instead they left the church riding a vespa . Today vespas are almost status symbols.They are hip, hard to find and very much talked about..in fact, I just found a blog called : who rides a vespa. Also in 2003 the NYT published an article all about this lovely scooter listing among the celebrity vespa owners: Steven Spielberg, Robert De Niro, Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, Kevin Spacey, and Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick.
Today? The wedding dress is in a box, waiting for me to get married (who knows if I will fit into it, my mom was the size of Twiggy) . The glasses have been put away, in favor of contact lenses and the vespa replaced by a BMW. Neverless, my parents are still the same and in love just like that day, 39 year ago.

I will try to find a picture from their wedding..

Perfect meal in Rome

There is nothing like coming back home, especially when home is sunny and beautiful like Rome.
This time the welcome back has been even more pleasant than usual.

My dad invited A., Mr. R and I out for dinner at I Sardi Due. Mr R and I had been blabbering about this restaurant for quite a while, so papa' Nicola decided to take us there now that mamma Anna is out of town (and he hasn't had a decent meal for a while).

We agreed on an early dinner due to my jet lagged status, so the restaurant was empty when we got there. Our favorite waiter, Jimmy was there and he took care of our party. Mr. R, A and papa Nicola ordered linguine al cartoccio. I went for a gluten free dish: fish in spicy tomato sauce.

Everything was so delicious and flavorful! We cleaned our plates and continued with a portion of semifreddo al torroncino: a small bite of heaven... mr. R already decided he wants to go back for his birthday week, he wants to try a different dish every day!

post christmas detox

I had one of the best Christmas of my life. I was with my parents, brother, niece, cousins, uncles and aunties, cousins' babies, friends and Mr. R. In total, between the two families there were around 40 of us.
I had some of the best food, and some of the best conversations. I managed to sit and listen to family tales, to stories about my family and where we come from, and taste the flavor of those roots.
There was a lot of talking and and lot of eating, and now I need to detox. I am enjoying the silence of my apartment and I am craving bland food (at least for a couple of days).
More pics from the feast here

My dad making history in the 60s

A family friend called us the other day about a documentary that was on TV. The documentary was about the students protests going on in Italy and France during the year 1968.
While watching the show one of my relatives recognized my dad! Luckily we managed to download part of the tv show. Here is a short clip. Can you recognize papa'?

Minnesota and eating fruit

When I am in Paris, I try to eat as much fruit and veg as possible. Maybe it is the gray of the city or the fact that everyone seems to have a cold, but I feel the need to have my daily intake of Vitamin C. Luckily the Rue D'Aligre Market is just a few blocks from here, so I can refill the fruit bowl daily with French delicacies as well as North African ones. The market is famous for being a perfect mixture of French tradition with strong influences from Maghreb.
Yesterday I bought lots of grapefruits, and as I started eating my first half I had a Marcel Proust moment. I realized that the first time I had grapefruit like that (cut in half, with some sugar sprinkled on the juice and the pulp scooped up with a spoon) when I was in Minnesota. My American Mom introduced me to this lovely dessert 15 years ago. Crazy! This reminded me of all sorts of thing, including all the other discoveries I made during that one year in America ( I could have green hair, see snow in May, learn another language perfectly, feel at home in another country, etc )
These days we hear so much about the U.S. and it makes me realize how determinant the time between '93 and '94 was for me . It changed my life for ever (and made me love grapefruit!)