Finalmente, I got on the plane on Emirates and began my 20-hr journey to Roma on early sabato morning. I had just started packing on Friday night - trying on assorted winter-like combos of what I could find in my wardrobe - and managed to stuff the xmas gifts in the luggage too (which weighed just 13.9kg). At 12.45pm, the plane touched down at Roma and I ran to catch the Fiumincino espresso where I chatted with a jewish businessman from Israel while staring out at the familiar vista. The only tell-tale signs of winter were the bare trees against the clear blue sky, and everyone all wrapped up in furry coats and boots.
The cold crisp wintry air was actually refreshing and jolted me up from my jetlagged slumber. I spotted L easily at the platform, his blue eyes beaming underneath his cap and his kiss like a breath of fresh mint on my face. We found the Best B&B (Vatican) easily and it looks exactly like its advertised foto - modern n minimalistic, plus the superb colazione lived up to expectations. The next morning after sleeping for 14 hours, we seeked out la bocca della verita (mouth of truth) where I stuck my icy hand in and tried to think of a honest question but the stupido staff kept saying 'ooonly 1 foto!' and interrupted my thoughts.
We hurried back to Napoli where Raef came to pick us up in time for Mel's Sunday lunch. Ah back again at Pozzuoli. This time in winter... and it's freaking cold lor. One doesn't seem to do much in winter except eat, sleep, watch tv. No wonder I felt like a bear, gaining extra fats during this hibernation festa period. Luckily everyone seemed pleased with my gifts, specialmente Nonna with her deep plush purple chinese silk and chinese frog buttons (perfetto for her 80th birthday dress), Raef with his oilment and muscle medicated patches, and Mel with the silver bag and sequinned blue shirt.
She paid for a lovely blue knitted dress which I picked out at the open market at Bagnoli. I so loved the seasonal produce, from the bright orange clementine mandarins, whole stalks of gorgeous artichokes and leafy bunches of kale to streetside roasted chestnuts and festive sweets. I couldn't find any ideal boots there so L and I made a trip to bustling Napoli where everyone is fighting for last minute xmas bargains.
Of particular interest, Via San Gregorio Armeno is the famosa strada of nativity artisan workshops responsible for the intricate nativity scenes and terra cotta figures (Obama anyone?) to dress up the festive home decor. After a quick grab of pizza fritta (deepfried folded stuffed pizza, very fattening), we located a Chinese shop selling all kinds of winter boots and both picked out the same pair of brown sporty boots (15e). Yay, sono quasi italiana ora, keekee.
Apart from pure vanity, one reason why I got the boots was the Xmas eve wet fish market at Pozzuoli where everyone heads to buy some fresh catch and soak up the festivity despite the freezing cold. It is one of my few favourite places in Italy where tenacles, fins and shells of many kinds rub me the right way. I love my polpo (octopus) - big and small, when it's boiled, chopped up and dressed with parsley, salt, olive oil and lemon juice.
Mel, cugina Linda and zia Luisa stocked up on a shipload of pesce and seafood for the Xmas Eve, Xmas day AND Boxing day family feasts (si, 3 days in a row and we only got out by escaping to Sicily!) - where everyone come together and stuffed their faces on traditional favourites such as pasta al forno, lenticche con zampone, frittura baccala, poven-roasted fishes and copious amount of vino. They could see I was fawning over the fresh artichokes and made a bunch battered in crumbs and crispy fried, specialmente per me. So sweet. Certo, ho finito tutto.
Every Xmas eve morning, Mel also makes pizza dough from scratch and filled it with a light mixture of spinach and raisins. This pie-like treat is considered a 'light lunch' - the calm before the storm. Tip: some walking before dinner also helps.
I also liked the spaghetti con aragoste (lobsters) - although L said the sauce could be better. He's a real sticker with food but that's one of the many qualities that I love about him. We could discuss and debate about how to cook various ingredients. Sometimes he would describe careful steps of preparing a certain dish for me - peppered with lots of amore - and it's very sexy. OOOOh.
On Xmas Day, we played the traditonal festive game of Tombola (akin to Bingo), ideal for the young and old. Except they don't play very high stakes, so not very fun for Chinese people. Ha. I enjoyed more cugina Linda's yet soul-satisfying brodo di spinach, oily fatty pork and sausages. The pork meat was culled from the recently-slaughtered pigs on Massimo's farm and tasted very good. I had 3 helpings and gave the thumbs up to them.
Dolci (desserts) was another thing - fresh seasonal melone, roasted chestnuts, chocolate-coated spiced natale nougat, whole panettone, crumbly doughnut-like pasteria, and struffoli - tiny fried pieces of soft, porous egg pastry, formed into balls coated with honey and sprinkled with bright and colorful candied sugar and candied fruit peel. Warning: do not consume at one sitting or suffer from 10 thousand calories! (See the foto: what's the common link among the 4? They are all sooooo sweet! That's Alessia - Anna's 5-month old baby girl. She was conceived right after the wedding which I attended last year. Mamma mia!)
Finalmente, I got on the plane on Emirates and began my 20-hr journey to Roma on early sabato morning. I had just started packing on Friday night - trying on assorted winter-like combos of what I could find in my wardrobe - and managed to stuff the xmas gifts in the luggage too (which weighed just 13.9kg). At 12.45pm, the plane touched down at Roma and I ran to catch the Fiumincino espresso where I chatted with a jewish businessman from Israel while staring out at the familiar vista. The only tell-tale signs of winter were the bare trees against the clear blue sky, and everyone all wrapped up in furry coats and boots.
The cold crisp wintry air was actually refreshing and jolted me up from my jetlagged slumber. I spotted L easily at the platform, his blue eyes beaming underneath his cap and his kiss like a breath of fresh mint on my face. We found the Best B&B (Vatican) easily and it looks exactly like its advertised foto - modern n minimalistic, plus the superb colazione lived up to expectations. The next morning after sleeping for 14 hours, we seeked out la bocca della verita (mouth of truth) where I stuck my icy hand in and tried to think of a honest question but the stupido staff kept saying 'ooonly 1 foto!' and interrupted my thoughts. 
We hurried back to Napoli where Raef came to pick us up in time for Mel's Sunday lunch. Ah back again at Pozzuoli. This time in winter... and it's freaking cold lor. One doesn't seem to do much in winter except eat, sleep, watch tv. No wonder I felt like a bear, gaining extra fats during this hibernation festa period. Luckily everyone seemed pleased with my gifts, specialmente Nonna with her deep plush purple chinese silk and chinese frog buttons (perfetto for her 80th birthday dress), Raef with his oilment and muscle medicated patches, and Mel with the silver bag and sequinned blue shirt. 
She paid for a lovely blue knitted dress which I picked out at the open market at Bagnoli. I so loved the seasonal produce, from the bright orange clementine mandarins, whole stalks of gorgeous artichokes and leafy bunches of kale to streetside roasted chestnuts and festive sweets. I couldn't find any ideal boots there so L and I made a trip to bustling Napoli where everyone is fighting for last minute xmas bargains. 
Of particular interest, Via San Gregorio Armeno is the famosa strada of nativity artisan workshops responsible for the intricate nativity scenes and terra cotta figures (Obama anyone?) to dress up the festive home decor. After a quick grab of pizza fritta (deepfried folded stuffed pizza, very fattening), we located a Chinese shop selling all kinds of winter boots and both picked out the same pair of brown sporty boots (15e). Yay, sono quasi italiana ora, keekee.
Apart from pure vanity, one reason why I got the boots was the Xmas eve wet fish market at Pozzuoli where everyone heads to buy some fresh catch and soak up the festivity despite the freezing cold. It is one of my few favourite places in Italy where tenacles, fins and shells of many kinds rub me the right way. I love my polpo (octopus) - big and small, when it's boiled, chopped up and dressed with parsley, salt, olive oil and lemon juice. 
Mel, cugina Linda and zia Luisa stocked up on a shipload of pesce and seafood for the Xmas Eve, Xmas day AND Boxing day family feasts (si, 3 days in a row and we only got out by escaping to Sicily!) - where everyone come together and stuffed their faces on traditional favourites such as pasta al forno, lenticche con zampone, frittura baccala, poven-roasted fishes and copious amount of vino. They could see I was fawning over the fresh artichokes and made a bunch battered in crumbs and crispy fried, specialmente per me. So sweet. Certo, ho finito tutto. 
Every Xmas eve morning, Mel also makes pizza dough from scratch and filled it with a light mixture of spinach and raisins. This pie-like treat is considered a 'light lunch' - the calm before the storm. Tip: some walking before dinner also helps. 
I also liked the spaghetti con aragoste (lobsters) - although L said the sauce could be better. He's a real sticker with food but that's one of the many qualities that I love about him. We could discuss and debate about how to cook various ingredients. Sometimes he would describe careful steps of preparing a certain dish for me - peppered with lots of amore - and it's very sexy. OOOOh.
On Xmas Day, we played the traditonal festive game of Tombola (akin to Bingo), ideal for the young and old. Except they don't play very high stakes, so not very fun for Chinese people. Ha. I enjoyed more cugina Linda's yet soul-satisfying brodo di spinach, oily fatty pork and sausages. The pork meat was culled from the recently-slaughtered pigs on Massimo's farm and tasted very good. I had 3 helpings and gave the thumbs up to them. 
Dolci (desserts) was another thing - fresh seasonal melone, roasted chestnuts, chocolate-coated spiced natale nougat, whole panettone, crumbly doughnut-like pasteria, and struffoli - tiny fried pieces of soft, porous egg pastry, formed into balls coated with honey and sprinkled with bright and colorful candied sugar and candied fruit peel. Warning: do not consume at one sitting or suffer from 10 thousand calories! (See the foto: what's the common link among the 4? They are all sooooo sweet! That's Alessia - Anna's 5-month old baby girl. She was conceived right after the wedding which I attended last year. Mamma mia!)
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