trentatre!
last Saturday, i turned thirty-three. which seems ludicrous to the part of my brain that still feels seventeen sometimes ... but 33 also seems so young to the part of my brain that cares for my beloved nonagenarian patients. like, i haven't even developed a significant past medical history yet. (thanks be to God!) in any case, getting older doesn't bother me in the slightest, at least not yet. my grandma always used to say that her favourite age was the age she was right then, and i'm inclined to agree with her.
having Kira here for my birthday was so much fun -- and also enabled Nick and i to actually go out on the first date we've had since we arrived! but our celebrations started the night before, when we took a little passeggiata to the Piazza Navona just to see what we could see. first we stopped at Frigidarium for gelato. this place always has a line, and now i completely understand why. their gelato is both creamy and rich. absolutely delicious. my favorite gelato in Rome, to date!
the Piazza was buzzing with people and street musicians and small dogs on leashes, as all piazzas should be. Nick stepped into a bar to buy a beer and returned with a plastic cup of rose for Kira and me, which actually tasted halfway decent. no shame in this game.
we meandered around for a minute or two and then Nick asked if i wanted to get our caricatures drawn. i thought it would be hilarious, so we scoped out the various artists sitting in the piazza with examples of their work displayed on poster board. one gentleman in a jaunty hat caught our eye, and he agreed to draw a family portrait (Kira opted out, but played a much-appreciated role as photographer!). thankfully he was able to draw each of us individually so we weren't attempting to make the girls sit still for twenty minutes. Greta, unsurprisingly, was quite into the whole affair; Cece, unsurprisingly, wasn't.
when he finished, we all had a good laugh and thanked him. his quoted price was €10 per person, but he had offered to do our family portrait for €30 total. Nick gave him the full €40, though, because he did such a good job and was so sweet with the girls. he actually portrayed some parts of our faces quite accurately (like the curve of my ear, and Greta's mischievous eyes). of course, as befits any caricature artist, he took his liberties elsewhere -- i will state for the record that my shirt was not low-cut!
birthday festivities continued in earnest the next day, when Kira made us omelettes and bacon for breakfast -- the first bacon we've had since we got here! i think i ate four pieces. Nick gave me my birthday presents, which were just perfect. i had asked him to get me something at the Open Door, the English secondhand bookshop in Trastevere, and he found two perfect volumes: An Italian in Italy, by Beppe Severgnini, and Mother Tongue: An Italian Life in Italy, by Wallis Wilde-Menozzi. i read several chapters of An Italian in Italy over breakfast, and almost choked on my eggs from laughing so hard at paragraphs such as this: "Almost everywhere on the planet, cars stop at pedestrian crossings, most of the time. Where this doesn't happen, either they don't have crossings or they don't have roads. But Italy is a special case. We have roads, which are crowded, and crossings with faded stripes, yet cars rarely stop. They accelerate past, slow down, or swerve. They cut behind, or flit in front of advancing pedestrians, who feel like matadors without a sword to stab the bulls." (page 10) bonus points go to both these books, as they've acquired that delicious old-book smell by proxy.
in the afternoon, we went on our delightful Trastevere walk, and then once Nick had returned home from playing for evening prayer, i set Kira and the girls up with some kind of frozen flatbread pizza monstrosity (! the horror!) and Nick and i headed out. in researching where i wanted to go for my birthday dinner, i was torn between a more upscale, fine Italian dining experience, and a more casual but hearty meal. i finally decided on L'Antica Birreria Peroni, which offers both Italian and German cuisine and has a reputation for large portions of good quality food. at this point, Nick and i were both ready to trade our kingdoms for a good wurst, so i figured it was worth a shot.
the restaurant is about 2.5 kilometers from our apartment, a few blocks south of the Trevi Fountain, and our walk took us directly past the Pantheon. i had one of those jarring moments as i walked with my handsome date in front of columns that dated back at least to the year 126 A.D. (if not earlier).
then we arrived at our destination. we were asked to write our name down on a clipboard (after about ten other names) and i had no idea how long the potential wait would be. we walked up and down the block to see if there would be a suitable place to grab a drink before our table was ready, but there wasn't much in the immediate vicinity and i didn't want to lose our table. so we headed back inside and ordered a beer at the bar. i could see from a glance over at the clipboard that there were still at least five names ahead of us, but there were also names that had been added after us that were now crossed off. suddenly the host asked us how to pronounce our names, then disappeared into the restaurant, then reappeared, waving wildly to us to follow him. and there we were, at a table for two in the back room of the restaurant, surrounded by two large parties and a few smaller groups. i guess the system is not so much first-come, first-served, as it is "stand right in front of me and i'll seat you since you're saving me the trouble of tracking you down."
this dinner. oh, this dinner. it was so delicious. we started with an appetizer plate of various fried food, including the Roman classic suppli (essentially fried balls of rice and cheese). then we both ordered the same first course, pasta alla norciale, which had a creamy cheesy sauce and an abundance of thick-cut bacon. for our second course, we decided to split a roast meat platter, because one does not simply see something called a "roast meat platter" on a menu and fail to order it.
as we were waiting for our food to come out, suddenly there was a great whooping and hollering and out came one of the waiters bearing a tumescent sausage on a plate, flanked by two anatomically-correct dumplings. he waved his free arm in the air to fan the flames of applause as he paraded towards a middle-aged woman with an epic perm, whose friends were nearly falling off their chairs with laughter. i had read reviews that mentioned this "special birthday sausage", and we were delighted to witness the whole production. the waiter brought the plate right up under Mrs. Perm's chin and waggled it suggestively, to the uproarious mirth of the entire room. she ducked and bobbed and covered her eyes and then he suddenly took it away and marched right over to a different table with a different birthday girl! the room erupted in applause as the birthday girl took a bite.
then our food came and we couldn't think of anything else for a while. it was so delicious. and the waitstaff kept up a swift service around the crowded room, sometimes delivering plates bucket-brigade style to tables in the corner. suddenly, Giancarlo, the sausage bearer, swept in again with another birthday special, this time delivering it straight to Mrs. Perm, who, after much coaxing and crowd support, finally took a bite.
Nick whispered something in Giancarlo's ear as he was returning to the kitchen, and he turned on his heel, asked my name, and announced to the room "KATE!!!" then something in rapid-fire Italian, then " 'appy Beeeerthday a KATE!" and everyone cheered, and several of the people at Mrs. Perm's table waggled their eyebrows at me like "you're next!"
and sure enough, about ten minutes later, Giancarlo came waltzing back into the room with yet another sausage and brought it right to me. at this point it was clear that we were the only Americans in the room, and our Italian dining companions were beside themselves with glee. when in Rome, i thought, and leaned forward to take a bite, but Giancarlo whipped the plate away and served it up to another girl behind me! we did start to wonder if all these people actually had birthdays or if they just wanted to be in on the fun.
ten minutes passed by. we had finished our meals and were both pleasantly full. suddenly, all the lights in the dining room went out. we looked around to see what was going on, and the trusty Giancarlo appeared from the kitchen, bearing a dish of tiramisu with a lit candle in the center. he shouted something in Italian and then the whole room burst into the Happy Birthday song, with wild cheers as he set the tiramisu down on the table in front of me. he gave me a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek, then i made a wish as i blew out the candle, and Nick and i shared dessert.
the food, the atmosphere, the service -- all of it was stellar. i haven't laughed so hard in a long time. as we left the restaurant, Giancarlo ran up to us with his card and we assured him that we will be back!
as we headed back towards home, we decided that we should probably take advantage of our babysitter (sorry, Kira!) and get a drink at La Botticella, the Steelers bar near Piazza Navona. so we sipped our drinks while watching the people go by -- most notably, a family on a Segway tour through the narrow cobbled streets. the fourteen-year-old daughter looked like she was about to die.
then we arrived home, where Kira had set out a bottle of limoncello and written a very sweet note, and where Greta was, inexplicably, still awake (at midnight). it was a marvelous birthday, and one i'll never forget!
having Kira here for my birthday was so much fun -- and also enabled Nick and i to actually go out on the first date we've had since we arrived! but our celebrations started the night before, when we took a little passeggiata to the Piazza Navona just to see what we could see. first we stopped at Frigidarium for gelato. this place always has a line, and now i completely understand why. their gelato is both creamy and rich. absolutely delicious. my favorite gelato in Rome, to date!
 |
| happiest photo-bomber ever |
the Piazza was buzzing with people and street musicians and small dogs on leashes, as all piazzas should be. Nick stepped into a bar to buy a beer and returned with a plastic cup of rose for Kira and me, which actually tasted halfway decent. no shame in this game.
we meandered around for a minute or two and then Nick asked if i wanted to get our caricatures drawn. i thought it would be hilarious, so we scoped out the various artists sitting in the piazza with examples of their work displayed on poster board. one gentleman in a jaunty hat caught our eye, and he agreed to draw a family portrait (Kira opted out, but played a much-appreciated role as photographer!). thankfully he was able to draw each of us individually so we weren't attempting to make the girls sit still for twenty minutes. Greta, unsurprisingly, was quite into the whole affair; Cece, unsurprisingly, wasn't.
when he finished, we all had a good laugh and thanked him. his quoted price was €10 per person, but he had offered to do our family portrait for €30 total. Nick gave him the full €40, though, because he did such a good job and was so sweet with the girls. he actually portrayed some parts of our faces quite accurately (like the curve of my ear, and Greta's mischievous eyes). of course, as befits any caricature artist, he took his liberties elsewhere -- i will state for the record that my shirt was not low-cut!
birthday festivities continued in earnest the next day, when Kira made us omelettes and bacon for breakfast -- the first bacon we've had since we got here! i think i ate four pieces. Nick gave me my birthday presents, which were just perfect. i had asked him to get me something at the Open Door, the English secondhand bookshop in Trastevere, and he found two perfect volumes: An Italian in Italy, by Beppe Severgnini, and Mother Tongue: An Italian Life in Italy, by Wallis Wilde-Menozzi. i read several chapters of An Italian in Italy over breakfast, and almost choked on my eggs from laughing so hard at paragraphs such as this: "Almost everywhere on the planet, cars stop at pedestrian crossings, most of the time. Where this doesn't happen, either they don't have crossings or they don't have roads. But Italy is a special case. We have roads, which are crowded, and crossings with faded stripes, yet cars rarely stop. They accelerate past, slow down, or swerve. They cut behind, or flit in front of advancing pedestrians, who feel like matadors without a sword to stab the bulls." (page 10) bonus points go to both these books, as they've acquired that delicious old-book smell by proxy.
in the afternoon, we went on our delightful Trastevere walk, and then once Nick had returned home from playing for evening prayer, i set Kira and the girls up with some kind of frozen flatbread pizza monstrosity (! the horror!) and Nick and i headed out. in researching where i wanted to go for my birthday dinner, i was torn between a more upscale, fine Italian dining experience, and a more casual but hearty meal. i finally decided on L'Antica Birreria Peroni, which offers both Italian and German cuisine and has a reputation for large portions of good quality food. at this point, Nick and i were both ready to trade our kingdoms for a good wurst, so i figured it was worth a shot.
the restaurant is about 2.5 kilometers from our apartment, a few blocks south of the Trevi Fountain, and our walk took us directly past the Pantheon. i had one of those jarring moments as i walked with my handsome date in front of columns that dated back at least to the year 126 A.D. (if not earlier).
then we arrived at our destination. we were asked to write our name down on a clipboard (after about ten other names) and i had no idea how long the potential wait would be. we walked up and down the block to see if there would be a suitable place to grab a drink before our table was ready, but there wasn't much in the immediate vicinity and i didn't want to lose our table. so we headed back inside and ordered a beer at the bar. i could see from a glance over at the clipboard that there were still at least five names ahead of us, but there were also names that had been added after us that were now crossed off. suddenly the host asked us how to pronounce our names, then disappeared into the restaurant, then reappeared, waving wildly to us to follow him. and there we were, at a table for two in the back room of the restaurant, surrounded by two large parties and a few smaller groups. i guess the system is not so much first-come, first-served, as it is "stand right in front of me and i'll seat you since you're saving me the trouble of tracking you down."
this dinner. oh, this dinner. it was so delicious. we started with an appetizer plate of various fried food, including the Roman classic suppli (essentially fried balls of rice and cheese). then we both ordered the same first course, pasta alla norciale, which had a creamy cheesy sauce and an abundance of thick-cut bacon. for our second course, we decided to split a roast meat platter, because one does not simply see something called a "roast meat platter" on a menu and fail to order it.
 |
| "Beer Gives Strength and Health" : we'll drink to that |
as we were waiting for our food to come out, suddenly there was a great whooping and hollering and out came one of the waiters bearing a tumescent sausage on a plate, flanked by two anatomically-correct dumplings. he waved his free arm in the air to fan the flames of applause as he paraded towards a middle-aged woman with an epic perm, whose friends were nearly falling off their chairs with laughter. i had read reviews that mentioned this "special birthday sausage", and we were delighted to witness the whole production. the waiter brought the plate right up under Mrs. Perm's chin and waggled it suggestively, to the uproarious mirth of the entire room. she ducked and bobbed and covered her eyes and then he suddenly took it away and marched right over to a different table with a different birthday girl! the room erupted in applause as the birthday girl took a bite.
then our food came and we couldn't think of anything else for a while. it was so delicious. and the waitstaff kept up a swift service around the crowded room, sometimes delivering plates bucket-brigade style to tables in the corner. suddenly, Giancarlo, the sausage bearer, swept in again with another birthday special, this time delivering it straight to Mrs. Perm, who, after much coaxing and crowd support, finally took a bite.
 |
| suppli and various other fried delights |
 |
| pasta alla norciale |
 |
| roast meat platter. this photo doesn't do it justice. |
Nick whispered something in Giancarlo's ear as he was returning to the kitchen, and he turned on his heel, asked my name, and announced to the room "KATE!!!" then something in rapid-fire Italian, then " 'appy Beeeerthday a KATE!" and everyone cheered, and several of the people at Mrs. Perm's table waggled their eyebrows at me like "you're next!"
and sure enough, about ten minutes later, Giancarlo came waltzing back into the room with yet another sausage and brought it right to me. at this point it was clear that we were the only Americans in the room, and our Italian dining companions were beside themselves with glee. when in Rome, i thought, and leaned forward to take a bite, but Giancarlo whipped the plate away and served it up to another girl behind me! we did start to wonder if all these people actually had birthdays or if they just wanted to be in on the fun.
ten minutes passed by. we had finished our meals and were both pleasantly full. suddenly, all the lights in the dining room went out. we looked around to see what was going on, and the trusty Giancarlo appeared from the kitchen, bearing a dish of tiramisu with a lit candle in the center. he shouted something in Italian and then the whole room burst into the Happy Birthday song, with wild cheers as he set the tiramisu down on the table in front of me. he gave me a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek, then i made a wish as i blew out the candle, and Nick and i shared dessert.
the food, the atmosphere, the service -- all of it was stellar. i haven't laughed so hard in a long time. as we left the restaurant, Giancarlo ran up to us with his card and we assured him that we will be back!
as we headed back towards home, we decided that we should probably take advantage of our babysitter (sorry, Kira!) and get a drink at La Botticella, the Steelers bar near Piazza Navona. so we sipped our drinks while watching the people go by -- most notably, a family on a Segway tour through the narrow cobbled streets. the fourteen-year-old daughter looked like she was about to die.
then we arrived home, where Kira had set out a bottle of limoncello and written a very sweet note, and where Greta was, inexplicably, still awake (at midnight). it was a marvelous birthday, and one i'll never forget!
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