Rome: Girls day/Boys day out

Part 1 Rome:   Girls' Day

Lori debating on a
fashion change.

On Christmas Day Beth and Lori walked around Rome expecting that little would be open but hoped to purchase a cappuccino, fresh oranges – the kind that still have leaves clinging to them, and perhaps a slice of pizza - cut to size according to your request and weighed to determine the cost. Dave and Rob, on the contrary, expected that cafés and restaurants would be open and prayed that retail places would be closed as they were all too familiar with the slow pace of moving that results when the ladies browse.

To their collective surprise, in addition to a large quantity of tacky tourist stores and a few cafes, some clothing stores were open.  Although in theory they did not want to support Christmas Day shopping, Lori and Beth were drawn into some of the stores much to the dismay of Dave and Rob.  As the girls browsed, the boys often walked ahead to find a bench or doorway step on which to sit and pass the time at times commiserating about the girls’ shopping expenses.   

At one point when the girls exited a store with Lori carrying a large bag they saw the dismayed look on Dave's face.  As they approached, he queried...  "How many items did you buy?... One?...  TWO?... THREE?"  looking more and more distressed the higher he counted.  At that point, Rob turned to Dave and, raising a hand, taunted "You're the winner, Dave.  High five!"

Girls paint the town.

After extending Dave's discomfort for a short time, Beth pointed at the new boots she was wearing disappointed that Rob didn’t notice them on her.  When it dawned on Dave that Beth was the one made the big purchase - Lori only purchased a scarf – his demeanor noticeably brightened proving the old adage to be true -  He who laughs last, laughs best.

Although they met with some success, the shopping on Christmas only served to whet their appetite and they quickly made plans for a girls' shopping day out.

On the agreed upon day, Lori and Beth set off on their own with map in hand.  In preparation for their excursion, they researched good places to shop.  That is, they searched for “Italian clothing at reasonable prices in Rome” as, even on sale, Valentino and Gucci were out of their price range.

Tiber View

They were discouraged with the first street that they sought out as, although picturesque, it was lined only with hotels and restaurants, with not a shop to be seen. The next street on their list proved more fruitful as Lori found the perfect white shirt to match a sweater she had packed.

Although they hadn't been shopping long, they agreed to stop for lunch, as it was nearly 1:00 pm.  They selected a small bistro that was nearby and specialized in local cuisine. The terracotta coloured walls of the restaurant was typical of the rustic exteriors that cram Rome’s many narrow side streets. The small space of the restaurant was filled with wrought iron tables covered with red checkered tablecloths, and walls dressed with typical Roman wall décor of painting and ceramics. And, apart from themselves and the host who seemed anxious that they place their order quickly, the place stood empty.

"Prego. Prego. Prego." he encouraged them.    

Euro cat walk 2012

To appease him they quickly ordered a carafe of red wine and bottles of water which bought them some time to peruse the menu.  They decided to share their meal to allow them to try more dishes.  They ordered a primo platti of vegetable antipasto and cooked chicory, which was served very quickly, and they ate with gusto.  The secondi platti, salmon risotto, followed at a more leisurely pace and they savoured this dish along with a second carafe of wine.  As they finished their meal, the reason for their host's haste became apparent as people poured into the restaurant and soon filled it to capacity.  They agreed that they made a good choice for lunch - both with their timing and location.

After lunch they made their way along Via del Tritone, which proved more fruitful for shopping.  They had a great time at Blossom, a shoe store that specialized in Italian and Spanish shoes.  Who can resist a logo that states "Made with Love in Spain"?  They paraded around the store trying on what felt like dozens of shoes until they each found the perfect combination of comfort and style.  

Castel Sant' Angelo

At the next clothing store, Sisley, they headed for the fitting rooms with arms weighed down by potential purchases.  Beth was in awe of Lori's bravado as she walked out of the dressing room to model a short skirt, bare legs, and socks. They both laughed as she turned to the clerks, pointed at her own legs and said, "Blanco. Piu blanco!"

After a successful afternoon of shopping they set off down the street with bags in hand. Before heading back to meet up with the boys they stopped at an outdoor cafe and, ignoring the accepted convention, sat side by each so they could both look out at the street and the crowds of pedestrians.  They savoured the warmth of the setting sun, sipped wine, and expressed their gratitude for the day.

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 Part 2: Guys Day Out

View from Frascati

On the evening of Wednesday the 26^th Lori turned to Rob on the bus while en route to the apartment and announced, “Beth and I are making an executive decision. We are going shopping tomorrow and not on a day trip as originally planned. The stores will be open.”

Rob, who had been looking forward to the planned outing and getting away from the big city as well as being a bit stubborn, responded with, “Well I’m going out of town to Orvieto in the morning anyways. You guys can do your shopping. I’m not changing my plans.”

“Rob you can’t go.  We want to go there, too. Let’s do that on Sunday.” Beth countered.

Regional train ride

On the morning of Thursday the 27^Th Rob for the first time in over two month, had a boys’ day out. After an alteration of his thinking, partially as a result of directives given by one executive, and partially as a result of an equally acceptable alternative provided, Rob and Dave boarded a train for the ride to the town of Frascati. The quaint little town is around two euros and 22 minutes from Rome by a regional train.

Frascati is a pleasant Italian white wine that is a blend of three different grapes and takes its name from the town where it is produced. Dry, sweet, or sparkling, Frascati is one of the regional white wines of the Lazio area of Italy.  Dave hoped that he’d have an opportunity to try a wine or two from a producer while in Rome so for him, and Rob as well, the town of Frascati was a perfect location to spend their day.

The locally recommended
dipping of one pastry into
frascati wine

After making their way from the station up the hill into downtown Frascati, Dave and Rob were able to look into the horizon to see urban sprawl of Rome before finding the tourist office for a map and directions to the wine hot spots. Their first few attempts to visit wine places were unsuccessful as many closed for the mid-day shut down.  However, they met success with Osteria La Vecchia.

Osteria is a small restaurant that specializes in serving its own wines complemented by a simple menu that features foods of the region. Osteria La Vecchia was a family-run business that at ten minutes after the noon bell was a desolate place. Rob and Dave sat down at one the six blocked wood harvest tables.

The woman that sat waiting for business didn’t speak English but, as she was fluent in French, David was quite happy to communicate using his French Canadian tongue. Together they conversed about the foods they offered and the wine they produced. Fortunately, Rob was able to follow the French conversation adequately – much better than had it been Italian. 

Osteria soup

Their lunch featured local pecorino cheeses served with honey, olives, salami and prosciutto, grilled vegetables, and a regional favourite, Porchetta, a boneless whole spit roasted pig. To wash it all down they drank a litre of the family’s dry white Frascati wine which was poured from a large five litre, plastic juice jug into a wine carafe.  As they tried the different delicacies, the Osteria patrons grew in number until no room was left in the restaurant and the owner spent the rest of the afternoon hopping from table to table. Dave and Rob noticed that the locals ordered and ate the same meal as they did which added a feeling of authenticity to their day.

Frascati streets

After lunch and another litre of frascati, they ventured through the town’s narrow streets and climbed up one street to the highest point of town, and then turned back onto another street that carried them down to the other end. Rob entered an alcove to take photos of a large courtyard and discovered a gathering of elderly gentlemen around a bocce pitch. Together Dave and Rob watched and joined in the cheering and banter of the locals in what proved to be a very highly skilled game.

Porchette. Yum.

Late into the afternoon Rob, as is his routine, stopped at a vendor for a stomach top up of a local specialty, which in this case was another Porchette sandwich.  Dave, still full from lunch and wine, declined. Afterwards the two fellows journeyed to a wine producer that had just opened its doors for the evening and purchased a now familiar five litre juice jug of Frascati for a mere 10€.

The time on the train ride home felt shorter and the jug one fifth lighter as together they sipped the spoils of the day and savoured their experience spent in an Italian small town.