It's been a month since my last post. I haven't neglected posting because I have nothing to say or share, but because life's been a little hectic around here. Indigo had a long illness (cough turning to croup turning to pneumonia and an ear infection) that led us to our second ER visit and having to keep her out of school for a couple weeks. And I was sick, and Josh was sick, and then Indigo was sick again, and Josh hurt his back. But now I think - I hope - that's all past us. So onward we go!
And while we were busy being sick, it gradually grew colder and more wintery here in Rome. Yes, Rome does get cold. Not the bone-numbing cold of New England, mind you - but the morning mile-walk to Indigo's school has gotten increasingly colder and is now, some days, done in below-freezing temperatures. It gets a little warmer throughout the day, but some days that just means that it gets up to 45 (although tomorrow it's supposed to be in the high fifties).
Personally, I welcome the cold. It's comforting. A bit of normalcy in a life that is so different from anything that I've known before. December
should be cold. Christmas occurs in the
winter. That's what I've known, and that's what I want.
 |
| Possibly bigger than my head? |
So far, this Christmas season has been merry and a little perplexing. Of course, since the Italians don't celebrate our Thanksgiving, there is no kick-off to the Christmas season in November. In some ways, that's really pretty lovely - there's much less commercialism here, and a lot less holiday pressure (and burn-out, I suspect). The first herald of Christmas does begin to arrive in stores in November, but with little-to-no pomp and circumstance. That is Italian
panettone, a kind of seasonal sweet bread that I've dubbed "the muffin as big as my head". Seriously. Look at it. Most
panettone seem to have fruit and assorted craziness in them, but the one in the picture above was just chocolate chip bread. Delicious.
 |
| Our little tree |
Some store fronts, especially ones that either specialize in food or are technically a corporation/chain, do decorate beginning in late November. But the vast majority do not. Some begin in early December, but the real start of the Christmas season here in Italy is on December 8th, which is the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception. All around the city, Christmas trees and Christmas lights were lit for the first time on that night. Christmas trees are really not available for sale until a few days leading up to the 8th. I tried looking for a tree the week before, and none could be found. When flower vendors did start getting some in stock, I was surprised to see that they had very few for sale, and all of them were potted. That is, you're not buying a cut tree; you're buying a live one. Maybe that's why so few are out being sold? Do people buy a tree and then tend it all year long, year after year, keeping it out on their veranda or in a courtyard to wait for the next Christmas? I've no idea. But I suppose that's what we'll do. We'll leave it on our terrace for the apartment's next occupants.
 |
| Lights just before dusk on the 8th |
I'm not convinced that the majority of the city's occupants have Christmas trees, anyway (this is an ancient city, and apartments are tiny. Where would they fit them??) But I think most Italian households proudly display
presepe - that is, the nativity scene. It is a Catholic city, after all. I'm told that the Vatican has a gorgeous life-sized one that they don't unveil until Christmas Eve. But
presepe are all over the city - and as I understand it, in nearly every home. You can even get ones made out of chocolate, like the one in the window of the Sicilian bakery I pass on my walk to my Italian class. But isn't it sort of heretical to want to eat the baby Jesus? I don't feel all that comfortable with the idea.
 |
| Heretical...but delicious |
I plan to do a follow-up post to this one in a few days full of pictures of all the gorgeous shop windows, all decked out in their Christmas finery. Stay tuned!
But of course, one more quick thing - the most fun part of this Christmas season, so far, is Indigo's wonder and excitement at the lights, and the idea of "Father Christmas" bringing her a present on Christmas day. She refers to Santa as Father Christmas because that's what UK-created
Peppa Pig does - and god, it's super cute and charming to have your not-quite-2-year-old use that quaint old-world name. And all the glitter and dazzle of Christmas decorations are magical when seen through the eyes of a child, and I've found that I'm enjoying this lead-up to the holiday immensely, more than I ever thought that I would. It's lovely.
The next two photos are from a specialty chocolate shop in Trastevere. They are most famous for their chocolate Easter eggs (photos on the walls inside the shop showcase their various impressive creations, including one egg that was so large that a child was photographed sitting inside), which I'll definitely go back to see in the Spring. This place has decent cannoli, but not my favorite - although I do like that they make them to-order; you're not buying one that's been sitting around for god-knows-how-long. Note the chocolate creations on the top shelf.
Same shop, but I wanted to point out the "hot chocolate". Do you see it? Yeah, it's that stuff in cups that looks like pudding or mousse. The Italian version of hot chocolate is actually melted chocolate, served with homemade cream (if you like), and topped off with biscotti, a cherry, and a meringue. It's a dessert, not a drink. I did not know this when I ordered one, thinking it would be a semi-chocolately drink as a chaser for my cannoli, and man...I got about halfway through them. And then I spent the rest of the afternoon bouncing off the walls, on a sugar high.
I went on an expedition to take photos of toy store windows, but unfortunately went close to noon, so most of the pictures did not come out very well. You can see my reflection in the one on the left. This is a toy store on the famous Piazza Navona. The one to the right is actually a perfume store, but the display was so charming, that I had to take a picture.
