So far this day, I had successfully dodged beggars in Florence; rode the train to Rome; taxied to my new hotel and spent a fortune writing emails at the hotel.
I found a place to conceal myself from my family when they arrived from an impromptu Vatican visit. IÂ waited for a power move to make my presence known. After ten minutes of waiting for them to say something to cause a memorable moment, I stepped into the lobby where Shirley Klunk saw me.
Shirley is my brother Bernie’s lady. She was there with Bernie and my cousin, Masch (Anthony Mascherino). I saw new energy return to their bodies. We decided to check in and visit the nearby street market for a taste of Rome.Â
We strolled to the marketplace where Masch informed me to keep a watch on my wallet because these street markets are a haven for pickpockets. Okay, Masch. I buttoned my wallet pocket.
He also taught me to keep an eye out for the “umberlonis”. These are large umbrellas outside of wine bars. These are there for the sole purpose of stopping, sitting, and having a bit of wine. He told me if he winds up missing to just look for these umberlonis to find him.
It was easy to get lost in this maze of tables and tents. Shirley and I split away from Bernie and Masch and in no time, lost contact. After a short time of wandering in staged directions, Shirley and I returned to the hotel.
Masch and Bernie did return to our rallying point. Bernie however was past concerned about Shirley’s welfare. It was agreed by all to make a better effort not to break away from the pack. This mentality is important when you travel with others. It really is unfair to cause others to worry about you whether they should or not. They’re on vacation after all.
This evening’s anchor event would be dinner with a third cousin I’ve never met: Monica D’Adamo. She had done some solid background work on our behalf with our distant cousins here. Her skill arsenal includes speaking English and being internet savvy. Her work was indispensable to us during the planning time. This night, we would meet her and share a meal.
We waited for Monica in the hotel lobby area. At one point, Masch went outside to check on the weather since it has been overcast and chilly all day. He barely cleared the front door when an umbrella hawker was in his face. The guy had focused on his prey and moved in whatever direction Masch went. In exasperation, Masch just reentered the hotel with a brief weather report: cloudy and starting to rain.
Monica’s car was able to drive to the hotel since the owners of the triple parked cars had driven them home. I looked at my third cousin and looked for similarities to our family women. Closest one was niece, Jodi Bugliani. Monica was a charmer from the jump. She had that musical sound in her voice as she spoke English.
The five of us fit nicely into her mid-sized car and off we sped to her choice for the evening’s meal.
The parking jam had moved from the hotel region to the restaurant region. Monica found a spot near the restaurant that in America would not be a place to park. Note: in order to park on these streets, drivers must put euros in a nearby money box. It’s about 2 euros per hour with a 20 euros fine for failing to do so.
The restaurant was nicely appointed and had a welcoming spray of sunflowers in the lobby. At the table, the waiter and Monica spoke briefly. Almost at once, the wine flowed. Let the good times roll.
We got caught up with this distant cousin’s life. She’s a Doctor in Rome. She was pleased to tell Masch she has a “boyfriend now”. This was not surprising to hear since she’s a lovely woman.
She told us our Teramo cousins are waiting for our visit. We confirmed the travel plans with her, and she offered to update those waiting for us. Masch and I told her we planned to stay at a Teramo hotel rather than bother any of them. Her response bordered on, “Good luck with that!”.
The wave of food started with seafood goodies like steamed clams and mussels. The food seemed to never stop. It is hard for me to describe how good it is. I knew then my stay in Italy would be marked by many wonderful meals.
Following the meal, Monica offered to take us on a car tour of Rome. Sure thing; sounds like fun. Monica skirted the usual avenues, and we found ourselves taking night photos of the Colosseum and a grotto overlooking the Vatican.
All too soon the evening ended and Monica needed to get home. I asked her to teach me the Italian kissing greeting. It goes like this: two people place their hands inside each others between them; they press cheeks and do an air kiss. The right cheek goes first and then the left. The embrace is ended with a squeezing of the hands and smiling looks into each others’ eyes.
What we did with the rest of evening is lost to me. I do remember Masch and I trying to find a car to rent, and we may have done this on this night.
Before we got seperated at the street market, our foursome sat under an umberloni for a little wine. Our waiter look like he was from central casting. He brought us two small dishes of munchies. I asked Masch if he had ordered these treats. He said no. These places serves goodies in an effort to get people to stay and drink more. It was a nice little touch.
It was good to connect with my family and settle into a typical tourist mode with them. My role has changed from lone wolf to member of the pack. I could no longer do things just because I wanted to do them. I would need to adjust for the good of the pack. It’s worth it to spend this time with my family in Italy.