A Slice of Rome

My Owner wanted some bourbon. Now she should have remembered from her last trip to Italy that she wasn't going to find it. In case you don't know the difference between bourbon and whiskey, bourbon is distinctly American. So when traveling abroad you are not as likely to find Jack as Johnny (Walker Red). She and her friends and daughter were giddy with their shopping deals and returned to the hotel to plop the bags in
someone's room and look for a place to have dinner. They got directions from the desk clerk and headed out. They happened upon a tiny pizzaria and stepped inside.  This didn't appear to be the establishment that the hotel employee had indicated but it was both empty and inviting. At the end of a day dodging, pushing, and being elbowed in pressing crowds, while maintaining a death grip in their purses (having been warned repeatedly by everyone about pickpockets)empty looked extremely appealing. The bustling, crowded city of Rome, crammed subway cars, and the fact that Italians have almost no concept of personal space, can wear on American nerves after a while.

My owner's main appreciation when she returned home was for the amount of SPACE everywhere.

The friendly woman behind the counter spoke no English. My Owner used her very limited Italian to order drinks for them (this included lots of pointing). Next they contemplated the food on display in the case and a man came out from the kitchen and through a series of hand gestures and laughter they understood that he wanted to go in the back and make a fresh pizza for them. Once they understood, they were very happy women and sat down to enjoy their drinks and recount their adventures of the day in Rome.



How many times had they ended up back at Trevi Fountain?

Those twin churches were beautiful!

 How wonderful to find the topper for the wedding cake in Rome!

Weren't the girls in that one shop helpful and fun?

Did you see the way the women in the shop near the Spanish Steps glared at us?

We paid how much for cappucino at Babington's???

They laughed continuously and smiled a lot. Knowing them, I'm sure they were quite loud but the owner and his wife seemed entertained. At last he appeared from the kitchen with a lovely pizza in hand and held it up for display. MO snapped a blurry pic. They sat down and ate. Delicioso! When they finished the owner brought out tasty little pastries of some sort. They ooohed and aaahed. Universal signs of approval. The owner beamed.

When they finished the pastries he went to the ice cream case. He gave them samples, emphasizing that it wasn't gelatto but wanted them to understand it was ice and fruit, not unlike a sorbet.

"No gelatto!" He said emphatically.

His wife rolled her eyes as wives will as if to say "There he goes again." It made MO smile. She loves the sameness of some things among people no matter how far you travel.

A local patron came in and the someone suggested to MO that she asked him if he spoke English. She did. He grimaced and replied " Un poco." MO explained to him that she and her friends were having such a good time and enjoying the pizza very much and could he please relay that to the the couple. More laughing, nodding, and gesturing.

The owner beamed some more.

Finally, it was time to pay the bill and return to the hotel. More gesturing and smiles. MO took some pictures. They all collected business cards.  They tried to get some pictures outside but that wasn't easy after dark. They returned to the hotel full, a little giggly, and very very happy.

If you are in Rome and want to feel at home here's a link to where you can find The Gold Dream Bar Gelateria:
http://www.paginebianche.it/execute.cgi?btt=1&ts=101&qs=gelateria+gold+dream+bar&dv=roma&of=70464&from=s

Buon Appetito!