Alien Forces at Play!!!!

Just when you think that you have survived Christmas festivities (again!) one’s composure is sorely tested by “alien invasions” – as a couple of our photos depict this time.

First, my bride looks wistfully out her rear window to gaze upon the intimate domestic scene, when a white cloud appears on her horizon.  Is this some form of rare meteorological phenomenon or is this something more sinister?  Well, turns out to be ‘normal’ but an extension of the fore-mentioned ‘intimate domestic scene’.  Our upstairs neighbour was washing her curtains and hung them out on her back landing, and, being long curtains, they drooped onto our balcony.  Communal curtain cleaning!

Then, in a scene reminiscent of that great and moving Hollywood movie ‘Independence Day’, strange lights appear over Rome and weird life forces seem to emerge.  The ancient Roman pyramid (Pyramide) is lasered to advertise some mob who clearly need advertising, and dozens of huge spot lights make the Colosseum look light a sparkly porcupine or to be ‘under alien attack’.

And then again, on Christmas Day, a whole bunch of ‘aliens’ descended on Casa Douglasio for a lunch that ran into the eighth hour – two other Australians, four Kiwis and four Finns.  We ate some alien food (exotic hot and cold smoked salmon for example), drank alien drinks (Glögg – or mulled red wine, raisins, almonds and spices), and wore silly Christmas hats, normal for us but alien at least to the Finns.

Thank goodness that some people remain down to earth and stick with ‘natural’ things – such as the skins of dead animals.  Indeed, as the weather gets cooler, no varmint seems safe around here.   The days of animal liberationists throwing paint on fur wearing fashionistas must have long passed.  Included are a couple of examples for your viewing pleasure, including a heart-warming shot of a father taking his two young daughters for a stroll on a Sunday afternoon.  He probably even paid for the coat!!

Anyway, as you can see, we have set up a palm tree in the lounge and perform strange rituals before it whenever we can (to ward off the aliens).  Cathy seemed to enjoy the experience even if our two friends seemed to be badly affected.

And the bonus photos ....No not our future car but if you thought that the Smart car was smart then this one is smarter; the illuminations from our rooftop terrace; and a cute and slightly bizarre place called 'The Library' behind Piazza Navona - just right for an aperitivo.

This weekend – a brand new year.  Here’s to what 2010 will bring!!

Arrivederci 2009 and to you all!!

Greetings from Roma

The Great Step Forward … Climate Change … Ancient Traditions Reignited

OK – Va bene! – inspiring title this time but an interesting two weeks since the last post.

Climate change – well Copenhagen is going on as I write, but the real climate change here is that we have the central heating on permanently now with the winter now with us in strength.  Some of the days have been glorious with Brisbane Blue clear skies but that makes the evenings much colder.  Today was plain ‘bleak’ with overcast and even light rain. 

We both went on a walking Italian class – almost three hours and wonderful but cold (Cold) with a capital C.  We walked around Monti and discovered that in imperial times it was the suburb just outside the city where the scruffy people lived.  It is now kind of ‘hip’ and has some delightful streets with cool shops.  Our favourite was the chocolate shop that did a great hot chocolate today (after the walk) at 3,50 Euro a cup - $5 Oz.  Visa – priceless            !!!  No hot chocolate – priceless!!!!!!!

The great step forward – yesterday we went home-making – by bus and train to the ‘sticks’ where one of the really big shopping centres is (dwarfing any Brisbane centre) and where homemaker stores like Ikea reside.  But restricted by not having a car, we had to bring our purchases home the hard way (could not even find a taxi there).  We bought curtains for the lounge and dining rooms, a cool standard lamp, a stand for the TV, some Ikea bric-a-brac (boxes, candles, plant pots etc), and an Ikea stainless steel ‘wagony thingo’ that lets us sort out the kitchen.  But all of this took not one but two round trips to the centre …. and real stamina to carry the items that became very heavy the further we carried them.

Another promising step is that our sea shipment is supposed to be delivered to us tomorrow, Monday, provided Italian customs clears it.  Given that I have an import duty exemption, unless they are looking for illicit items, or want to be ‘slow’, we should be right.

And finally … ancient traditions reignited?  Well, after the great fire, Rome instituted the fore-runner of today’s fire services with the Vigili del Fuoco – the ‘alerters’ of fires.  They still exist under that name but these days there aren’t many fires.  The odd apartment explodes due to a gas leak, but the buildings are all made of largely non-combustible materials.

So where is the current demand for the Vigili?  It seems that Romans lock themselves out of their apartments with a regularity.  The Vigili have hugely-powerful magnets that they use to turn the locks (usually a lot of them) without the key.  We didn’t lose our keys.  But ‘we’ did close the door with the key in the door – but on the inside of the door.  Ian has spare keys and came home to fix things, but of course with a key in the lock, you can’t put a key in the lock from the other side. 

As it was no deadlock at this stage, Ian thinks he can slide some plastic sheeting through the crack in the door and push the tongue of the lock back.  Good idea but a failure.  But the bride came to the rescue and called the Vigili on her mobile, who arrived in a big red truck after Ian had returned to work – four of them – 50 minutes later (she had been told that they would come in 10 or 50 minutes – not a mistaken ‘15’ – No!! either they had to come straight away or after lunch.  The stomachs (four of them) won out. 

So these chaps used the Douglas technique but with stiffer plastic, a used xray film – and with three of them jiggling the door at the same time – voila!!  A delighted bride, a few moments convincing them that she actually lived there – no charge and a photo opportunity to boot (at least of three of them).

Ah!!  Roma!!! 

Arrivederci for now.

The photos?  Centurians ordering pizza at the Colosseo Metro entrance (as you do!); Copenhagen comes to Roma; Christmas preparations overwhelm Piazza Navona with stalls and likenesses of La Befana - the Christmas witch - noice!!; JWs Romano-style - attack at the bus stop;  and the lads - vigilis one and all.

Getting down to being a Roman 'local'

Allora!!  So you thought that I had given up on this blog.  Truth is that two things inhibited me.  First, every time I looked at the blog with an addition in mind, I saw our new addition’s edition, the beautiful William, and I thought “I just can’t top that”.  Second, and partly because of William, I haven’t had much time this past six weeks.  Busy, busy, busy!!

 

After the birth I made an overnight work trip to Paris.  It was a good work trip but rather rushed.  I did have an excellent dinner and lunch however.  I have to recommend Confit du Canard – I can ‘ardly speak highly enough of the duck, cooked such that its skin was like fine ‘crackling”.

Then, I eventually travelled to Yorkshire to become acquainted with my new grandson and embrace son and daughter-in-law (as well as a spouse who I hadn’t seen for a month).  William and I seemed to hit it off just fine and it was lovely to see the new family, all so very keen on one another.  Yorkshire was Yorkshire and the weather forgettable.  A highlight was attending the 60^th birthday party of the local vicar’s wife.

On return to Rome I was able to carry the bride over the threshold of the new living space as she had never slept there.  Thereafter she was busy building on the survival-only possessions that I survived so well on.  So we now have some plates etc and news that our shipment of possessions has arrived at the Italian port of Milano (well inland you geography-buffs are saying). But Genova has a dock but no parking for miles.  Anyway, if the Customs authorities are in the mood we ‘might’ have it all by next weekend.

Yesterday we bought (or at least ordered) our car.  Gave up on the mid(?)-life crisis fantasy of an Alfa and opted for a Peugeot 308, mostly because it offered more and I hired one in the UK and was very impressed.  Anyway, we won’t see the car for at least six weeks due to the way things need to be done here – but we do have its compliance plate number.

And we have had our first visitors.  They largely behaved themselves and were safely dispatched with the sorts of memories that only the Eternal City can provide.  We took the opportunity to dine out, with local friends, while they were here and enjoyed some of the ‘dolce vita’ that you have heard about.

Anyway, conscious that some of you count the words, and hoping that you will start offering some encouraging comments so I go on with this onerous chore ;-)  I will stop here.  Save but to tell you what the photos have been this time.

So…. Langcliffe, Settle, North Yorkshire – former home of my grandson;  what Romans do on a Sunday afternoon when they close off the road beside the Colosseum (and William would have enjoyed) – cart rides; what Savoyards do on a Saturday night when they present a wonderful version of the Taming of the Shrew complete with mixed accents (being mostly expatriates); what the local parish church folk of the Basilica of San Clemente do once a year on the good saint’s feast day – processing around the streets to the opposition churches accompanied by a full band (this shot from our bedroom window); ‘the office’ decked out with flags of every member nation for the world food security summit and its annual ‘share holders meeting’; an Australian visitor starting off on the wrong foot by trying to dress like a Roman but being typically a couple of thousand years behind the fashions (and causing considerable distress to my wife who was bent double just prior to this shot); and of course, a more recent photo of the star of 2009 – William.  Oh! And my mate and me!!!!

Arrivederci

Special Edition Post for Sunday, 18 October 2009

This “special edition” celebrates the joyous fact that a new Douglas is breathing the Lancashire air this morning.

We welcome William Lachlan DOUGLAS to the family. By all reports, after a very lengthy gestation, he was born without incident in the early hours of today at Lancaster, weighing around eight pounds. Mother and child are well.

The last Douglas to be born in Lancashire was my great, grandfather - James Douglas - born at Bury, 30 March 1852 - a long time between drinks!!!

Who knows what the future has in store for William - be it a long life or short, complex or simple, he will go through many of the highs and lows of life that we have all shared and that, at the end of the day, make life worth living.

But one thing is certain, he is already much-loved by his parents, uncles, relatives, supporters and by his new grandparents, including Cathy and me.

Bravo, William – I can’t wait to meet you in person.

Love

Grandad

This is livin’

Well at least we now have some of the usual accompaniments to living.

Finally, we moved into a proper apartment, or at least Ian did – last Saturday. Not such an ordeal though as the move was only about 150 metres. A series of strolls along Via Capo D’Africa, trailing suitcases on wheels – four round trips did it.

We had purchased some furniture – two lounges, a dining table, a cute coffee table that converts to a dining table, and a credenza/sideboard that contains a dining table that rolls out of it and unfolds. We are clearly planning to “dine”.

The furniture was ordered to be delivered after 4:00pm on the day of the move and arrived spot on time (actually a little early). The chaps struggled it all up four flights of stairs - we are on the (….. ground, first, second) second storey (or piano) – without a complaint. Even if the streets had to be blocked off for a while with the two vans required!!!

Similarly on Friday morning, four cartons of (chiefly) clothes arrived exactly on time at 7:00am, having been air freighted to us. The rest, is spending some time “before the mast” – eight days into a 45 day voyage to Italy. That shipment contains our cutlery and crockery so we will have to make do for a couple of months maybe.

It wasn’t easy, or pretty, but Ian was persistent and within a week (actually it took a week) he has also purchased, in Italian, a digital TV set, bench-top oven and a toaster. And also, a modem-router, enabling this posting to be conducted with comfort, on the dining room table while watching TV over the red, leather lounge, next to a Vegemite sandwich. So what more could life deliver?

Perhaps the answer is my darling bride, who is awaiting a delivery in England with some increasingly anxious young-uns.

Soon Ian will travel to Paris (for one night and business), to England to rendezvous with Cathy, and maybe to Washington for a few days.

The summer has been a long one here – delightful weather just now when it should be colder.

And Italy in general – well there have been demonstrations here for a range of things, everyone is back from holidays it seems, the grass is getting greener and the leaves on some trees just seem to be browning off. They painted the zebra crossings outside my bedroom window sometime on Thursday night – what a waste – everyone ignores them anyway and they could only paint those parts that no-one was parking on anyway.

And our little neighbourhood ticks on as it has for decades. As a nice example of this, when I found I needed a TV antenna cable this morning, two trips of about twenty metres across the road from home got me the necessary from the local (I’ve got it all in this tiny space) hardware store.

Ah!!! This is livin’!!!

Settling Down

We have been here in Rome for some 16 days now, and thought we would let you know how we are settling in.

For starters, the jet lag has ended. Now when we set an alarm we awake just before it goes off – just like the old days.

And we have had a rest – such that the exhaustion of departure has declined, tennis elbows are healing,

bruises disappearing.

We are now recalling which bus goes where and can move around the city at ease again.

Italian words that we had not heard for so many months arise again and we recall them, even surprising ourselves with some modest phrases that just seem to slip out but satisfy waiters.

We have met most of the people we knew when here last time.

But the new experiences have also started. We are discovering delightful little streets that we must have missed before. We are meeting new people and having the privilege of showing them the ropes. We have been facing new challenges. We are finding new things that amuse us or impress us. Take for instance the Sunday morning choir at the Basilica of San Clemente, a rather famous church in Colosseo. Twelve male and female choristers and a conductor – singing in at least four parts, Latin and all a capella – magnificato!!!.

The weather is about to turn. Still hot in the middle of the day, the mornings and evenings are idyllic – and this week rain.

This time for your viewing pleasure, variously, Caterina puts out the garbage in the shadows of the colosseum (well, if it had not been raining), which bank (che banca) is copying which other bank, a graffiti artist expresses “why?”, a centurion trudges home from work (as they have done here for millennia), and a friend’s son is baptised and we are privileged to witness it.

ROME - the Return!!

The Douglas Report risks becoming more of a sequel to the Rocky movie than Homer ever imagined, but after an 11 month sojourn home in Brisbane, this ‘Ulysses’ has again taken flight. Telemachus (#2 & #3), or should that be ‘Telemachi’, remain in Ithaca (actually other nearby suburbs) while Telemachus #1 sits in England awaiting the birth of ‘Telemicollo’ or ‘Telemicolla’ next month.

Anyway, one can only take a metaphor so far. We’re back in Rome!!! Been here for 9 days now – and arriving at Fiumicino was like ‘coming home’.

This time we are here for a two-year contract, so life will be different and we will put more effort into ‘settling’ down.

Departure from Brizvegas was an ordeal. About a month of flat out, hard physical labour to prepare Chezstardust for departure and we did not get it all done. We had to step over major renovations as we left.

Even leaving was a shock. The airline was to send a car for us at 5:00pm – plenty of time to get across the peak hour traffic to the airport for our 8:30pm flight. But at 1:30pm while at Indooroopilly Shoppingtown doing last minute business at the bank, we received a call to say that our flight had been cancelled, we would be delayed for two days but that we could fly QANTAS to Sydney to connect to our planned flight from Dubai to Rome – BUT we had to be picked up at 3:00pm. Fine if we were fully packed but we weren’t.

We made it – QANTAS had no booking for Cathy – we made Sydney and then flew on the new Emirates Airbus A380 to Dubai – very plush. It even has a funky bar down the back.

In Rome, we stayed for six nights in the delightful little Villa San Pio Hotel in Aventino but Cathy found an even better ‘residenzia’ in Colosseo, so we moved on Thursday morning. As you can see from the photo, we are about 100 metres from the Colosseum. A stone’s throw away is tourist central, but our little street is very residential and very quiet. The place is as neat as a pin and air-conditioned – very important right now because it is ‘hot’.

Cathy spends her time apartment hunting – some possibilities are popping up, and Ian works. We are seeing all our old colleagues and friends and it is just great. On Wednesday night we had a big staff dinner on a roof top in Testaccio. The ‘coffee culture’ is still operating.

So this blog is now active again, although we will be only as regular as would people who are in one place for two years. Enjoy – buon pomeriggio!! [And…. Buon pomodoro for those who like tomatoes!!!]