Yesterday was a fun break! I got to ride in my sister in law’s cute, brand new Ypsilon out to the Terme di Cretone. For us Americans, it’s basically a bunch of swimming pools filled with sulfuric water. Sulfur water is said to be beneficial to your health and good for your skin tone, hair and hair color. The odor is pretty unpopular though, unless you like the way rotten eggs smell. But the smell wasn’t bad here. Every now and then you would get a little whiff, but for the most part it smelled like trees. It is located in Palombara Sabina, about 45 minutes outside of Rome by train. The cost to get in is 9 euro and if you want to rent a beach chair it’s another 4.5o.

Not only are there pools, they have many other facilities available including beach volley ball, tennis, dance, night swimming, a disco and restaurants. I even got a picture of a guy hand kneading pizza dough.

While I was laying on my beach chair reading Memoirs of a Geisha, all the sudden the village people began to blast from the speakers and a guy with a microphone was gathering people around for water aerobics. I had a funny expression on my face and Fabiana insisted this was a normal occurrence. So I guess you can work out there too, but I am more of a doggy paddle/sunbathing kinda of girl.

Speaking of sunbathing I used SPF 50 and still got HORRIBLY sunburned. What the hell! Has the ozone layer quit it’s job? What’s worse is I was wearing big Nicole Ritchie sunglasses and now I look like a sick raccoon! ALOE is on my to do list today-lots and lots of aloe.

Terme Di Cretone

Via Dell’Acqua Solfurea

Palombara Sabina (RM)

Check out the Website for more info!

Tags: Lose the Guidebook, Postcards from Rome

I am currently in the process of building this new site, and transferring everything over from the old one. Thanks for joining me in my new home!

Tags: Technical

I did this a few months ago and am just now getting around to write about it. Having nothing to do one weekend I begged Daniele to take me to the Zoo! I have a special place in my heart for zoos, and as a child it was one of my favourite pastimes. I especially love the lions and giraffes. In whole, I wasn’t that impressed with the bioparco. I thought the areas seemed too small for the animals and it was kind of like every other mid sized zoo. But with that, I also lived near Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle so my standards may be unfairly high. I did love the giraffes though. There was a cute baby one running all around. The lions were amazing and as you can see in the pictures you could get right up to the glass and look in his eyes! It must have been near feeding time because the female was pacing back and forth licking her chops near the back gate. There was also a pair of regular kitties sleeping in shrubs near the elephants pen, trying to “blend” in with the rest of the animals.
The area around the zoo, Villa Borghese is especially amazing and deserves another post.

All in all, a pretty good place to kill some time.

Tags: Lose the Guidebook, Postcards from Rome

Not too long ago I struck a deal with my sister, Angie, who still lives back home in Spokane. The terms of the deal stated: she would keep me in fresh supply of Suave Peach Deodorant, Reese’s PB Cups and Kraft Mac and Cheese, and I in return would send her cool things from Italy. So after wandering around Rome one late night, Daniele suggested a really good place to get one last espresso shot before we headed home. It was love at first (and due to the size) last sip! The GranCaffé is so flavorful and comes with a “special blend” which seems to be a hint of creamy/sugar stuff. They also roast their own coffee beans so I picked some up and sent it off to Ang. A few weeks later she called me saying she had drank ALL the coffee and was practically licking the bag for more, and could I PLEASE PLEASE send some ASAP! If you are ever in Rome I highly suggest this wonderful place. If you are not coming here anytime soon you can go to their website because they ship internationally. Buon Caffé!

Sant’ Eustachio
P.zza Sant’Eustachio n. 82
Roma - Italia

Tags: Italian Food, Lose the Guidebook

I’m not sure what this Apatosaurus has to with a mall, or even shopping, but it is taking over the parking garage. Also seen inside was a T-Rex.

Roma EST Centro Commerciale
Via Collatina
Roma Lunghezza

Tags: My Neighborhood

Well Yahoo Photos decided to close down and forced me to move my nearly 1000 photos. In the process I saw these pics of me my first time in Rome on vacation. It really seems like YEARS ago that I first stepped off the plan in Fiumicino and began what would be my ‘destiny’. The first thing I remember about Rome was thinking how dirty everything was, but that was on the ride from the airport to Termini station. Once I got out and about, I fell in love like everyone does.

When I see the old me in the photos, I am amazed. I think, look how far you’ve come. You aren’t that confused girl trying to find your place anymore. You are finally home.

Tags: Jessica, Postcards from Rome

Anyone with a TV and a quick look at the news would know that President Bush was in Europe last week, and more specific to this blog, in Rome. He didn’t exactly receive a rock star welcome here (as he did in Albania). In fact, 150,000 gathered to protest against Bush and my native countries involvement with Iraq. 10,000 Italian police officers patrolled the streets. The result was that many areas were closed, helicopters circled above, parts the metro shut down, and the US embassy warned Americans to stay away. I know from first hand experience that Italians are not anti-American, but they dislike Bush’s policies (as do many Americans) and I wasn’t going to sit at home while yummy gelato was out there to be eaten. Daniele and I went on the scooter to Campo Dei Fiori (for the gelato)and to check out the protests. Being the protective husband, he wouldn’t allow me to get TOO close. “Your accent really is THAT obvious.” He said me, while drawing an imaginary line with his finger that I couldn’t go past.

This was in Piazza della Reppublica and Piazza del Popolo, you can see the big group of policemen trying to keep the crowd from getting out of hand:

Right after we left Campo dei Fiori the protesters arrived and riots broke out, complete with tear gas. The next elections can’t come soon enough.

Tags: American Stuff, Italian Politics

In my American-Italian relationship, the Italian always does the cooking. I am a mess in the kitchen, BUT I am really good at eating. Last night Daniele made pesto and fried spinach thingies that were REALLY good. The weather at 8.30pm is just perfect to eat out in…

Tags: Italian Food

It is that time of summer for our areas Party of the Neighborhood! This is put on every year by the neighborhood and church, and this years feste is the 40th anniversary. It goes on for a week and takes place on the church grounds. There is a carnival with rides, a BBQ (which is just Italian food on picnic tables covered with red and white checks), live music and a dance floor, game booths, cotton candy, fireworks and even the marching band complete with baton twirlers that plays up and down the streets in the evening. I love carnivals, always have. So I was really excited when they started putting up all the Christmas-y lights and Daniele explained to me what all the hustle and bustle was about! There was even a stand selling cute glass jewelery and I picked up a necklace and bracelets for only 3 euro. Here are some of the pictures:

Tags: Italian Food, Lose the Guidebook, My Neighborhood, Postcards from Rome

Peroni is the biggest beer company of Italy and their bottling plant is near my area. The night before last we got invited to a HUGE party there to promote a new limited edition line of beer called Cape Town, London and New York, each beer representing the city. It was nifty because Daniele knows the guy who does ALL the promotion work and party planning for hip hop in Rome. He is like the king of all hip hop events, and he called us to say we must come, so he put us on the list. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but it was absolutely AMAZING!!! The best part was it was 100% FREE!

Each party area had a different feel to it, and was themed to the city it’s represented. Cape Town was outside and the DJ played techno/tribal music. The huge screens flashed pictures of wild animals and African sunsets. In the London room, they played house music and had people dress up as English guards. It was the fanciest room of the 3. In the New York room they played hip hop, had skateboarders doing tricks in a caged off area and had a stage with break dancers.

Here are some pics:

Tags: Italian Food, Lose the Guidebook, Postcards from Rome