Day 3

Day 3 started with a very late wake-up call. Mom & were apparently more tired that we realized becaus when we looked at the clock it was 11:30...oops!We had already missed breakfast, so we got ready in a jiff & headed to the local Brasserie. Who knew they had world famous Pizza Italian food in Paris? Could this get any better?!?

 The wait staff remembered us from the night before (apparently my shoes caught his eye) & he welcomed us with a big smile, handshake, & table with a view. I have absolutely no idea why they say the French are rude, because they have been nothing but friendly, honest & welcoming to us! Mom & I sat there dining on possibly the best pizza I've ever had & salmon carpaccio, while we felt the cool air, breeze in through the open window. It had begun to rain but nothing was going to keep us down!

 After eating & drinking ourselves into a stuper, we hopped on the Metro & braved the crowds (and rain) towards the Opera.  It was pouring by the time we got there, but the moment we stepped inside, we knew it was all worth it!!

We were instantly transported to a regal & more elegant era. The staircase is breathtaking and it takes little imagination to see how the Paris Opera is easily one of the best in the world. Just walking up those steps transports you to a visual of you, in a silk ball gown, walking those stairs while the Arias permeate the walls.

As is the Opera were not spectacular enough, Christian Lacroix's costumes were also on display, & the craftsmanship & fabric are unparalleled! The imagination it took to create those outfits is simply breathtaking!

After leaving the Opera, we headed back out in the cold rain, towards the grande Notre Dame. The cardinal was giving a mass & we weren't going to let our frizzy hair & cold bones stop us from that.  All I will say, is that the church, the mass, & the ambiance was amazing! To be seated in a church that has given mass since the 1600's is breathtaking & the Cardinal walking three steps from us, was icing on the cake.

After eating another amazing meal of lamb & duck with roasted peaches, we are back in our lovely hotel, relaxing.  We have one more day left in Paris & I will be sad to see it go! There is so much this city has to offer, & the people, the weather, & food has been nothing short of incredible!

Tomorrow is a day of shopping (sorry dad...we just can't help ourselves ;)) & then it is off to Champagne to drink & eat more!

Dear Pierre

Dear Pierre,

Although I have not run into yet, I am thoroughly enjoying the city of love!

Yesterday started with a quiet breakfast of croissant, eggs, frommage, et cafe. Then it was off to Versailles. After mom & I braved La Metro, we arrived at Versailles, along with every other tourist in the city ;)

It was very gold & very large but squeezing through the hords of people was not really our idea of Paris, so we cut the trip short & headed for a cafe.

As we sat at another small round table, we soaked in the sights, smells, & sounds of Paris. The weather has been amazing & sitting to eat a gourmet meal with phenominal wine (that costs less than a coffee, I might add) is what we're here for!!

After a short stroll to walk off some calories, we stumbled across Le Tour Eiffel and it is simply stunning in person. It shoots up through the sky & gives such a regal & strong impression. There were couples picnicking on the lawns below & many pictures being taken, but aside from the tourists I still think it was one of my favorite moments.

 We headed home for a quick change and headed back to Seine. We snagged a boat tour (which was amazing!!!) and had our first taste of Paris rain. As we walked home we looked back to see the Eiffel tower sparkling. It is even more amazing at night!

To say Paris is amazing, simply isn't doing it justice! I will move here one day, mark my words!

Ready, Set...Paris!!!

Luggage...check. International phone...check. Passport...check.  

I got to the airport in plenty of time & after waiting through a very thorough security check, it was time to board the plane. Squee!!

As I walked to my seat, I passed plenty of well dressed, French speaking men ;) Please let one of them be sitting next to me, I though. But, it was not to be so...my window seat was located next to a very empty aisle seat. 

While sitting down I realize it's hot... Really hot! After about 30 minutes of no air in the plane, this young, well dressed man/boy sits next to me.  He was tall & slender, in a pale blue, striped linen shirt and jeans. He was probably 21 or 22. He had sandy blonde hair & piercing green eyes. This is who I am spending the next 10 hours with? JACKPOT! 

The only problem was, it didnt make the heat in the plane any better, & i would dare say it made it worse. Man/boy and I sit there, quietly sweating, until we hear the captain come over the speaker telling us that the plane has been delayed due to no air & we will have to get off the plane. 

To My Mom

There are no words that can turly articulate the depths of personality and knowledge that is my mother.

She is creative, witty, intelligent (beyond words), ambitious, ever-evolving, and best of all...she is my "Ma!"

When I try to explain her to people, it feels like when you try to explain that breathtaking sunset but somehow your description lacks the true experience...

This is a woman that worked nights, so my father could quickly move up the corporate ladder, and did this solely so I could get the best education a child could have. Yet somehow, she never forgot to make my single cereal serving before she left.

She has never hesitated to put me first and she even went as far as making construction bunny footprints and tieing 1 single piece of red licorice to each limb on the tree outside, for a small Easter celebration.

This is also a woman who got up (at God know's what hour) and never complained about the toll it must have been taking on her. She made vegetable egg rolls at night, taught me about the many religions of the world, and sang Witchy Woman while sitting in traffic.

My mother is a plethora of knowledge and if you ever have a doubt in her ability, simply ask her. She will guide you about the best plants to plant and the best stain remover to get out crayons, all while discussing world issuses and debating over the current politics in the world.

I may have beat her at scrabble...once or twice ;) but I would challenge my theory and her endless amounts of useless information on anyone!

With that, today is Mother's Day.

And although she probably doesn't want me devoting my thoughts to only her on this Hallmark Holiday, I think it is rare that we sit back and truly appreciate all Mom's do.

To You Mom: You are my sunset. It is not possible to explain to others the bond or the love that we share. Please know, that in all the years I made you contemplate why you had such an unruly child...or why you did SO MUCH (and you did!)...or made you wonder how this was all going to turn out ;) Not one thing you have done, or continue to do, has gone unnoticed.

On top of that, my son thinks there is no one in the world like his Nonna. You (and he has told me this) always seem to find a playground, don't complain when he is covered in mud from head-to-toe, and baths... are supposed to be an hour long event!

There is no one like you and it continues to be a pleasure to call you Mom.

Je T'aime Momma!

Swift Fingers...

As the smell of meatballs lingered in the air, the bathtub draining played as the background noise to the evening, and as Mr. Man quietly snored on the monitor, I allowed the sheer exhaustion of the day to fill my body.

I slowly climbed in bed and took the first sip of my excruciatingly small glass of wine only to notice...the remote was no where to be found.

Once again I got up, searching through pillows and piles of laundry, only to give up the search and realize Mr. Man is getting to be too big and too sneaky!

I should have known something was amis when I found an old boyfriends sunglasses shoved in a drawer with Mr. Man's pajamas.

As the ball of wits and energy that is my son, quickly approaches 3 years old, I have to sit back and wonder...where has the time gone?

Wrinkles are starting to appear (they're faint...but Lord help me because I can see them!), I am approaching that age that is referred to as the "dirty thirty", and my son is getting bigger by the second.

I never thought my life would be like this, but almost 3 decades in this world, has honestly made me marvel at all God has given me!

Happy Birthday...

Today you would've been 86.

Each year, as you know, I write some things down that remind me of what a special part of my life you were....so here goes.

Apparently, the first time I laid eyes on you - at the brilliant age of 6 months old - I knew we would be close friends!

When I was in NY or when you came to visit me here, there was nothing else that mattered but getting one of your hugs...a hug that felt like it reached into the inner depths of my soul and had my heart smiling from the inside.

I remember your scent, a mixture of Ararmis and soap, and how your white undershirt and jeans seem to keep you young at heart, no matter how many years went by.

I remember your hair, that funny grey comb-over that never seemed to blow in the right direction when a wind gust blew and how you unconsciously fixed it by brushing your hand across your forehead.

I remember thinking that you kept that round figure, no matter what the doctor said about your heart, because you knew your belly was my favorite pillow and you knew it was impossible for me to sleep without resting my head on it.

There were long walks in the garden with you explaining every herb and bush.

There were ice cream parlor visit's where sharing a banana split was only so Nanny didn't yell at me for eating too much ice cream.

There was that phrase "Hey...ba-by!" that I looked forward to hearing from the other end of the phone, no matter how many birthday's passed.

There were always early mornings with onion bagels and fried eggs followed by long walks on the boardwalk with Uncle Leo.

And there was that laugh...that funny laugh, that was part cough - part giggle - that put all my worries at ease and reminded me I was in the room with MY Poppy and everything would be alright.

-------------------------------------------------

Poppy,

There are so many things I miss about you and being back in your house last week, I realized you may be gone in the flesh but my memories and your scent are still constantly with me.

Each year I choose to celebrate your birthday, rather than your death, and there is no better way to say Happy Birthday - at least from my perspective - than to share with you all you have left me to pass on to my son.

You were a kind man who did so much for his country, community and church and who is fondly remember by all who mention your name.

Just so you know:

Onion bagels don't taste the same (even in NY)!
Fried eggs don't come out right (even in your favorite pan)!
And no one, but Brady, has ever been loved the way I love you!

I miss you everyday and I hope you and Uncle Leo are walking the boardwalk in heaven as we speak!

Family!!

Yesterday, my father's cousin and oldest friend drove me into the city. As we took the drive, I got to hear stories of what a crazy kid my father was - "Mr. Personality" as they called him, and what a crazy family we have in common.

There were stories of my father and his "group" traveling to Florida to visit his grandfather, my great-grandfather, and how my great-grandfather would insist on driving, blindly I might add, only to run into an orange and blinking median. He apparently didn't seem too concerned with the accident and upon driving away insisted "that wasn't there the last time I drove this route!"

There were stories of golfing adventures, where blind Great-Grandfather D, couldn't see the ball in front of him, but if you lined him up correctly, could hit the ball a perfectly straight 120 yards, and could walk off the course having only shot his age...86.

These are stories I rarely here from my father, so to get the opportunity to hear what he was like as a kid and what kind of crazy things they got into, was an amazing experience!

Then, last night I got the amazing opportunity to spend a "girl's night" with my cousin, Cathy, and her best friend, Becky.

Honestly, there is nothing like being up here in NY, where everyone knows everyone, and everyone knows your business ;) Case in point, Cathy and I walked into a restaurant and the waiter just so happened to be a former student of her husband. Unreal!

It's funny, I rarely get the opportunity to talk about my life and family and have the person across the table automatically know who I'm talking about. It is a sense of comfort I rarely get to feel and I often wonder what it would've been like growing up here. I would assume, if you live here and have spent your entire life here, you sometimes take for granted knowing everyone or being related to everyone. Having drinks with your cousin or your best childhood friend would be a common occurrence, instead of a once-in-a-lifetime gathering.

Overall, the day and night was enjoyed with plenty of laughs, plenty of wine (and Peroni) and I woke up today feeling full of smiles.

There is nothing like family and nothing like NY! It surely holds a very dear and special place in my heart, and the Pizza, the bagels, and cannoli's are just an added bonus to spending time with awesome family members!

This Thanksgiving I feel truly blessed to have spent time with family I rarely see and to get the opportunity to gain memories I would've never had before!!

With Love,
Your Very Full and Happy Italian Blogger ;)