Questions? No plan.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Birthday

My birthday started with coffee with Dad

Jerry treated me to a birthday lunch. Lollygagging after the eating:

Birthday party:

Me and Phil:

Me and Cheryl

Mingling:

I got Indian food because I craved it back in Italy. If you are a faithful "Questions? No plan." reader you may remember this.

Laura chatting:

Diane, who hosted the party in her amazing apartment:

New York sunset

I went to the roof of my old building to check out the sunset. I <3 New York.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Friends & Family

Me and Dad having cappuccinos:

Diane with her new scarf I got her in Rome:

Tiane with the bag I got her in Rome:

I went to see Sara and her new baby, Marcus:

My new coat I got my last week in Rome:

The watch my parents got me for my birthday. It has a beautiful mother-of-pearl face but it's hard to see in this pic:

So here's the official pic from the website:

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

New York, my city, I have returned. I'm having a whirlwind week here of seeing friends, working, and getting stuff together before I leave for Montevideo on Saturday.
Here is a pic my friend Ron took of me at breakfast this morning at Malecon, a Dominican restaurant on 97th and Amsterdam that has the best Cafe con Leche this side of the Gulf of Mexico.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Last day for now

Sigh. So sad. My last day in Rome until April. I am sad because I love living here and have made lots of friends I'm disappointed to leave and I'm kind of in love with this guy. This past week I've been enjoying my favorite Italian food and seeing lots of people. On New Years I went out to dinner with friends then we walked over to the Colosseum to see a free concert by this popular Italian singer. Italians love fireworks and firework-related paraphernalia and I almost got the fur on my coat hood singed off. Wish that stuff wasn't illegal in NYC.

Anyway, in a few hours I'm boarding a plane and coming back to New York for 1 week, including my Jan 8 birthday party, and then leaving at the crack of dawn on Saturday the 10th for Uruguay.

ciao!

Friday, December 26, 2008

Parents Visit for Christmas, Part III

The last and final installment: Christmas Eve and Day and Dec 26.

The Bernini fountain at Piazza Barberini:

Me in front of Palazzo Barberini:

The 4 fountains of Via delle Quattro Fontane:

Inside Basilica San Pietro at the Vatican on Christmas Day:

The presepe (cresh) at the Vatican:

The Vatican:

We went out for Christmas lunch and when Dad ordered a cappuccino afterwards it came out like this:

Us having Christmas lunch -- a 5-course affair: a salumi e formaggi (meat and cheese) antipasto plate for each of us, tortellini soup, lasagne, beef al barolo with roasted potatoes, and molten chocolate cake. Needless to say, we did not eat dinner that night.

Christmas morning. Mom & Dad each wearing new presents - Mom with her new gold necklace Dad bought her on the sly the day before, and Dad with his new scarf. Who got the better deal?

Dad opening a tie:

My stocking haul contained the usual: a People magazine, candy and scratch-off lotto cards:

Our Christmas poinsettia plant, in lieu of a tree:

Our meager present batch for Christmas morning. A far cry from our usual overindulgence of stuffed stockings and about 30 presents between the 3 of us: