A Little Roma Reminiscing... Just Because

Well, it's official. I'm not a blogger. I've tried - and I started out with such high hopes and good intentions. From here on out, my posts will be random and will probably be written when something affects me on either end of the emotional spectrum. AND I find time to write about it.

BUT, I may sometimes post random thoughts or stories, just to write about them. Like this one. The other day, I saw that someone (sorry, can't remember wheo and therefor can't give credit) had posted this question: What's the Best Meal You've Ever Eaten? The question was followed with possible answers/scenarios, and then a statement saying that for many people, this is one of the most difficult questions to answer. Well, not for me. Although I've had several amazing meals that I'll never forget (Monday Night Hotdish after a long drive to Grandma's, spaghetti dinner for 30 before our marathon, Navona Notte with Mike when he visited me in Rome), this one particular meal was exquisite. It was amazing - unbelievable - and it was about so much more than the food.

It was early November in 2007, during my semester abroad in Rome, Italy. About 13 of us were on a train headed to Bracciano, just North of Rome, to our Art History professor's apartment. Our professor (named Rob) used to be a professional chef and each year invited a small group of students to his place to prepare and serve them an authentic Italian meal. After a short train ride out of Rome, we pulled into Bracciano; a small, Italian town that had all the charm and coziness you would expect. Rob was waiting for us - before we walked to his apartment, he gave us a small tour of the town and then brought us to a beautiful castle (circa 1485) that has hosted some of the world's wealthiest including Popes, Kings and most recently, Tom Cruise (uuhhhhh....). Rob, being our Art History professor, knew everything about the "most important and well-preserved" Castle in Italy and lead us through the magnificent structure.

By now, of course, our tummies are rumbling... although the castle was fabulous, we made this trip for the food. When we got to Rob's place, we got a quick tour....of the tiniest, 2-bedroom apartment I've ever seen. But holy crap was it awesome. Decorated exactly how a chef-turned art history professor's apartment would be. Copper pots and pans hanging on the wall, a massive, stucco fireplace that seamed to engulf the living room, a long and heavy wooden table (which amazingly sat all of us) and the most amazing, marble farmhouse sink that I've ever seen. Already, we knew we were in for something spectacular.

We opened the wine and Rob got cooking. He prepared for us 5 delicious courses, my favorite being the meat course: Guinea Fowl. Mmmmm.... it was perfectly cooked - crispy, golden skin, juicy meat - just delicious. The meal began with an egg and onion fritatta, followed by risotto with mushrooms, then a tagliatella pasta dish (sort of like tortellini), the Guinea Fowl, and a delicious dolce dessert (can't remember exactly what it was...but it was tasty). Although the food was delicious and mouth watering in every possible way, it was the atmosphere and the conversations that kept the night exciting and relaxing all at the same time. All in all, the meal lasted a good 4 hours. Half-way through dinner, Rob's friends joined us and before we knew it, we were living life like pure-bred Italians - smoking inside, talking loudly throughout dinner, sending Rob's 8-year-old daughter to buy us wine - it was awesome. At the end of the meal, Rob served us Grappa, an apperitif meant to sip after a long, hearty meal. (Being college-aged kids from Iowa, most of us took shots of it. Rob didn't seem to mind.) By now it was dark, and everyone's faces were growing warm and red. The next step? Head to a bar. (Duh.) We wound up at a small bar for a night cap (a Peroni) and finished off an amazing night with closer friends and a better appreciation for the Italian life.

I have no trouble closing my eyes and slipping back to Italy. Everything is still unbelievably fresh in my mind and I hope to goodness it stays that way. I still can't sleep in a silent room at night, thanks to the always-lively Piazza Navona outside of my window in Rome. I'm so grateful to have been blessed with the opportunity to study abroad. And I miss it every day. I'm sure I'll be back before I know it...