Talk2Lasege

21.01.2010 Thursday

We have to get up at 4.50 to get the taxi and train to Wroclaw. not sure if the trains willbe on time in this weather. thank God it hasn’t snowed the night before!

Surprisingly, we arrive in Wroclaw on time. and we manage to catch the tram to Agnieszka (my Cousin), Marcin (her Husband) and Laura (their daughter). we miss the tram stop, but Agnieszka manages to pick us and we joyfully meet for the first time with Marcin and Laura, and after about 25 years break (me) with Agnieszka! what a nice reunion! Agnieszka and Marcin make sure we are comfortable and taken care of, while Laura is smiling to us broadly – Lanre becomes her favourite person of the day.

We really seem to get on well together, and we hope it is just the first of many more meetings together. Not to mention the fact that we loved the dinner, and we hope to be treated that nicely again, hehe.

After five pm Marcin helps us to get to the airport.

At the airport everything goes smoothly. of course, taking off the shoes and jackets of kids takes time and makes us sweat, but … we also have fun – Lanre is searched after crossing the metal gate, and Ife who follows him stands, puts hands up and waits for a man to check him. everyone laughs!

once on the plane, Kemi falls asleep while Ife plays with his plane throughout the whole journey. We land 20 minutes before schedule and are safely driven to Asia and Francesco’s flat, where Asia and Gregorio (Asia’ Father, Grzegorz really) welcome us happily! we talk till Francesco is back from work and longer with him.

22.01.2010 Friday

It’s our first day of proper visiting of Rome. Starts a bit funny as we have to leave the train after two stops (some troubles ahead) and we start our adventure with buses in Rome. Kids don’t complain, just enjoy Asia and Gregorio. Lanre and I enjoy the views. plus nice cappuccino at the bus stop waiting for our transport.

This first day makes an incredible impression on us. We start at Fontanna di Trevi, by which we eat take-away pizza (in rectangles) and later gelato (ice cream). Delicious! Than we walk by “the Altar of the Fatherland” (great white building jokingly called by Italians “the teeth of a mother-in-law”). Later we walk along Via dei Imperiali towards Colosseum watching all the ancient places. IMPRESSIVE! Close to Colosseum Ife falls asleep and we have to go home by underground and train.

At home Asia cooks for us

23.01.2010 Saturday

Today Asia has to work in the morning, so accompanied only by Gregorio we go to Trastevere (beyond the Tiber). The area is beaytiful – known for its narrow streets and orangish buildings – beautiful! Kids complain a bit (they feel in their bones yesterdays walking), but we manage to walk a bit and … even play in a small playground (a rare thing in Rome).

We meet Asia after her work at “cat’s sanctuary” (a place where homeless cats are taken care of – a rare view of tens of cats running between old monuments!) and we head towards the “Cinese” Restaurant – Chinese for a change. We are not disappointed – the food is good and not too expensive and… Ife gives us a laugh of a day as he falls asleep holding a spoon:

Later Gregorio and Asia take kids home and Lanre and I have free afternoon. what a joy! of course, we do a proper walk around famous places that Asia chosen for us! We start at Piazza Navona, where we admire pictures and … mimes. after a while we walk towards the Pantheon (another impressive place) and later to Spanish Stairs, were my romantic Husband buys me roses. Here we climb a bit (not the stairs, however, but the hill nearby) and we are awarded with just wonderful views close to Villa Medici:

We end our walk at Piazza del Popollo. oh, what a nice evening! at home we spend time chatting and drinking nice Italian beer.

24.01.2010 Sunday

This is the Vatican day we head toward St. Peter’s Square to be there at noon at Papal blessings and we manage just in time. However, more than the Pope we enjoy the place. It is RICH and beautiful. We look around and admire the pieces of art in the S. Petro Basilica. As Asia takes care of children while we go to Copula – 522 steps to admire Rome from above. and it’s worth it! we are tired at the top and speechless – because of the views!

Asia is totally “used up” by children, yet she manages to take us for another walk (looking for an open market which turns out to be mission impossible as it is the first Sunday when new law is introduced and markets are closed!) and we stop to eat … gelato!

And don’t ask me why the Black man chooses white ice cream while the White one – black ;)

We get home around for o’clock pm, but before we sit to rest, we buy a snack for lunch – pizza bianca (white pizza, without anything, even sauce). We just love it!

Later Francesco comes from a football match (he is a proper fan of Juventus – doesn’t miss a match!) and with a bit of shopping (thank God for shops by petrol stations!) and he prepares the dinner. Yummy! I learn that the good pasta to buy is the one which is to be boilt for at least 11 minutes we are getting used to eating in the evenings and drinking beer.

25.01.2010 Monday

It’s the first day when sun does not welcome us in the morning… Ife hasn’t slept well at night, and Lanre decides to stay with kids at home (and with Gregorio and Francesco). Asia and I have the whole afternoon and evening just for us! Finally we can catch up on things – we haven’t seen each other for two years, and it’s different to talk about things and to write about things (which we do regularly).

It starts raining, but we are not discouraged and we walk, walk and walk visiting nice places and chatting. We start at Colosseum to have a look inside and then we walk by Arco do Constantino admiring Palatino on the left. Asia used to work as a guide in an open bus so she tells me lots of interesting things. We walk to Circo Massimo and… to the Mouth of Truth (it is supposed to snap off a hand of a lier. we pass the test:

What a truthful ladies we are!

We pass by Teatro Marcello and look around Campidoglio. After a short sandwich break we take a bus to Castel Sant’ Angelo and enjoy also St. Angel’s Bridge. Dan Brown’s books come to mind immediately, hehe. we also have a long walk around Campo di Fiori, as we look for a beautiful place from a postcard… we don’t manage to find it, yet… we walk along a street full of galleries and we love it! our outing ends up at pizzeria:

yes, each of managed such a plate of pizza! DELICIOUS!!!

26.01.2010 Tuesday

It’s a day of small shopping (pasta and cheese) and we pack. also, I take a photo of our hosts, which I like a lot:

don’t they look great with kids? ;)

We say goodbies and it’s time for Francesco to take us to the airport. not easy to leave, especially that when we land back in Wroclaw it is … -23 degrees! what a shock after +8! we get home at 2.30 at night. tired, but… it’s good to be home, isn’t it?