The Healthy, Happy Italiana

Jane took this photo of me meditating on a cement pillar in front of St. Peter's Basilica at midnight. The other is of Jac and I on Gianicolo Hill, overlooking the Eternal City. My friends left on Friday evening after a looovely dinner with Jack and I -- we went to Osteria St. Ana -- a place I discovered when a client took me there for lunch and now I bring a lot of our partners/clients there-- because the price is right, the atmosphere is casual yet elegant -- and the food is fantastic. If you are ever in Rome I suggest you go there for dinner. Check the link, there are photo's too.

The weekend.... Went to Lago di Bracciano -- a lake about 40 minutes outside of Roma for a first-spring stroll. Seafood lunch. We took the motorino out so we could enjoy the weather more .. yes, the weather keeps getting nicer and my mood improves along with it. Not that i'm ever really in a bad mood - at least not a sustained one -- but summer, especially here, has a nice mood-boosting kick to it. They don't call it sunny italy for nuttin'. Not only that-- but i'm a lot healthier since i've been living here. The twenty pounds I lost since I arrived aside, my skin has improved -- I get sick less and -- heck -- I don't even exercise! I found this article which may help explain ... it looks to be an opinion piece and there is a lot of stuff in there that doesn't apply to all (i.e. while the city does close down for 3 hours for a lot of people in the afternoon -- not for me! me and most I know take just an hours lunch break, normal by american standards. We do however, take 2-4 coffee "breaks" throughout the day for a nice espresso to keep the juices flowin') -- but I find it to be honest in it's interpretation of why you'll have trouble finding an obese italian.


Latest in news -- my two next trips?

April 24-27 , 2008 - Venice trip with my co-workers (see Charlie's Angels post).

End of May, 2008 - Lisbon trip where the italian embassy will be hosting us! (Emma's dad is a diplomat and works in the Lisbon embassy). Jack is coming too -- and since we've been talking about wanting to see Portugal I can't think of a better way!