Got in from Pisa to Roma Termini Station around 5:30pm and had a quick snack and restroom break and then took the Metro "B" line to Eur which is a part of Rome and where my dear, dear friend Rossella has her business Caffe' Tomeucci which is amazing. I never realized how large it was. They serve homemade pastries made in their kitchen downstairs as well as sandwiches and their own gelato. They of course serve coffee and alcoholic drinks as well. Rossella and her boyfriend Arturo greeted me and after she got all the business stuff done they took me back to her parents Rome apartment (her parents main home is in Bolsena, in the country.) It is so great to see her and Arturo and of course her sister Luisa who is just as amazing as her sister. She works for the Italian equivalent of the FDA for drug/pharmaceutical regulations.
I met the wonderful Muscolo family at The Manhattan Club timeshare where they own three weeks. Their father, Domenico was one of the most loving, energetic, enthusiastic and kind people I've ever met and three years ago I stayed with them for a night up at their Bolsena home. Domenico made you feel at home no matter where you were with them and he lived an incredible life. He was a highly respected business man and a race car driver and a devoted family man and sadly he passed this April. He is missed so very much and I am truly blessed to have met him and had him as a dear, dear, dear friend. He and his family have a place in my heart and will always be cherished friends for not only the kindness they've always showed me but because they bring joy every where they go and have each made the world a better place with their incredible positive energy and good deeds.
I've included one of my favorite pictures of Domenico and Leda, his beautiful wife. May he rest in peace.
Monday night Rossella cooked steak and made a salad for us all and we ate on the veranda in the top part of the apartment. I slept so well in the upstairs suite of the Rome apartment where I woke up to these incredible views of the city. This apartment is spectacular and in a great area of Rome with easy access to all the main attractions. They rent the apartment out to tourists because they don't use it much and it's so comfortable.
Tuesday, I met Rossella at the Caffe' in the morning and she took me to her old office where she worked for 10 years before taking over the Caffe' after her husband passed away. The office is also in Eur and is a pharmaceutical company and it's lovely. It's in a residential area and the company took over a beautiful home. We had to delivery lunch for a meeting they were having and asked Rossella to cater. It was so nice to meet her former colleagues and although they were all speaking in Italian it felt just like my old office with all the girls chatting away and laughing. There is something universal about the support staff being a real family of friends.Rossella had to go back to work so she dropped me off at the Metro station and I was in Rome center in just a few minutes and off to St. Peter's and the Vatican by public bus #64. I've been to the Vatican many times but it's always such a thrill and St. Peter's really is so spectacular and there is just so many architectural details to look at and admire and Michelangelo's Pieta is always breathtaking, no matter how many times you see it.
Then I went back to the Caffe' to meet up with Rossella, Luisa and Arturo so we could head back to the apartment to have dinner together. Rossella first took me to some language schools near the Caffe' (she is so encouraging and supportive and talked me up in Italian to each school.) I left my business cards and we'll see what happens. I really don't want to stay in Rome it's just so loud and crazy and too much like living in New York but it's great to make contacts.
So after another lovely dinner at the apartment we Rossella and Arturo left and Luisa, who has moved into the apartment because it's closer to work and also because it's spectacular headed off to her room and I went directly to bed upstairs where it's so quiet and perfect for another good nights rest.
