Didn't think I'd be “Winter-swimming” in Italy

One of my hobbies in Finland has been winter-swimming. Yes swimming in an icy-cold-water, the sea, in the middle of winter. Sometimes in a cold as -1 Celcius sea-water. Few winters I did winter-swimming regularly, two-three times a week. But I did not think I'd be winter-swimming in Italy....

After almost one month in Italy , I'm getting used to it that hot water is not a certainty! Two weeks ago I already experienced the electricity “shortage” when the fuse got burned and I had to wash my hair in a cold water. Yesterday I had a bath in an icy-cold water. How did this happen?

I went for a run in the neighborhood, after which I wanted to do some cleaning, since it's my cleaning turn this week. After all that sweating... running and cleaning... I finally got the water in the bath running.

Don't you just love hot baths? I do!!! In Finland most houses have thrown away their bathtubs and replaced it with a shower. I personally loved the bathtub when I was a kid. Nothing as nice as a long hot bath – with bubbles of cause.

Well here in Italy I finally have a bathtub! I'm going to enjoy it I thought! But it's not that easy in Italy!!! Once I was ready to go to my hot bath... I dipped my hand into the water and help.. it was icy-cold. NO HOT WATER!!! Well I needed to wash my hair again and I needed to get of the dust and sweat so I had not choice, but to use the cold water to wash my hair first and then dip into the icy-cold water... to have my "winter-swimming" experience from Italy...

Why was there only cold water? Something to do with the fuse-boxes again I believe... a bit too complicated for me.... too many fuse-boxes... When my roommate got home, she was wondering why we don't have hot water and why is the heating not on. She cried out joking... “All I ask after a hard day is that there is hot water and heating”.... Me personally have gotten used to the cold rooms and don't so much mind if there is hot water or not. Done that, been there.... and little bit of humor on the way will help you not to take it too seriously!

A friend said that I've been tested by Rome... well since I've done winter swimming willingly in icy-cold-water, then I can do without hot water occasionally in Rome! Just for the joy of being here...

My meeting with Silvio Berluscone

Before I came to Rome, I decided I would use this special opportunity to get to know Rome in and out. I knew that if I would not make specific effort from the beginning then the time would just run out of my hands and I would have been in Rome for almost 5 months and still would not have explored the city. So I decided that each week I would use some of my Saturday or Sunday exploring the city. Going from one area to another little by little. And exploring I mean not seeing the normal sites - Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Colosseum, Spanish Steps etc - those I've seen many times already. And those sites I would have to explore with all my friends that would come for a visit. No, I want to explore those not so often visited places. That is what I will explore, during my time in Rome.

You might wonder what does this all have to do with me meeting Silvio Berluscone... but hold on a while and let me tell you how I got there in the first place...

So with this idea of exploring the city, I set out to the city last week Saturday. I wanted to see the Asian Market near Piazza Vittorio Emmanuel II. It is one metro stop from Termini Station, but I wanted to walk since the hole point was exploring. Asian Market is in Esquilinus area where you'll also find the Santa Maria Maggiore Church (according to a friend this is the most powerful of all the Vatican churches in Rome...). It has the most beautiful roofs ever. I remember seeing an image of that roof somewhere and wondering where is that building. You can imagine my surprise when I found the roof when entering the church. Didn't know it is there!

 

Santa Maria Maggiore Church Rome Italy

From the Santa Maria Maggiore it is just a short walk to the Piazza Vittorio Emmanel II and from there you'll find the Asian Market one block away on the left side of the Piazza.

I went to the Market to see if I could find some Arabic coffee there and to see what other things they sell. Normally places like that are full of cheap fruits and vegetables and so it is in Asian Market in Rome too. I bought some vegetables and ginger and such, but could not find any Arabic Coffee. Must be that Italians are so happy with their own coffee that even the foreigners buy that. Yes the place was full of mainly foreigners from Africa, Asia and Middle-East. I must have been a sight... almost the only European in the place and definite the only one from Finland!!

After exploring the Asian Market and Santa Maria Maggiore I thougth I'll walk towards the Quirinalis area and towards the Piazza Venezia (which is front of the monument for Vittorio Emmanuel, remember the big white building with horse-riders and pillars.. one of my favorites in Rome).

Vittorio Emmanuel Monument, Rome, Italy

After some late lunch near Piazza Venezia, I headed towards the small alley next to Palazzo Colonna. I remembr hearing the name Colonna before in one of the historical dramas I have seen, but did not really understand it is a name of a family, Family Colonna. Seems that Colonna was one of the Popes and ofcause you only could become a Pope if you had enough money behind you, in otherwords you needed to be rich. (Pope Martinus V Colonna was in power 1417-1431). This Pope started building the palace, but it was finished in 18th century. Nowadays it is open for public, but only on Saturdays.

After Palazzo Colonna you end up to the Gregorian University (where the Catholic priests study). On the other side of the University there is the Presidents palace (hmmm.... the Catholic univercity next to the Presidents palace, that really shows how the Church and the Power have been hand in hand). Well that's a place I haven't seen yet, I thought. Now I have a good opportunity since I am close. Little did I know where I'll end up that day!!!

So up I climbed to the Piazza del Quirinale, that is front of the Presidents palace which is called Palazzo del Quirinale. This palace was build for the Pope as his residence. Seems that in the 1500-centrury Vatican was unhealty for you, since there were Malaria. So Pope decided to build a summer palace for himself to the otherside of the river (hey common this is some 1km from the Vatican.. what a difference). After arriving to the Piazza front of the palace I noticed something was going on. Already on the way to the Piazza I saw a TV-group in their van entered the Palace from the alley behind the main-entrance. When up on the Piazza I saw newsreporters, TV-photografers with cameras and TV-video-cameras. I saw policemen and a small crowd. What is going on here I thought.

So after a little looking around I approached an Italian lady in her 50's. I thought she would maybe speak some English. And so she did, she works for the Italian Embassy in one of the African countries. "Please do you know what is going on here?" I asked. "Yes" she said, "people are waiting for Silvio Berlucone. He is supposed to be resigning today and he should come and give his resignation to the President today. That is what people are waiting for." Vau, I thought, I might actually see Silvio Berluscone today. How funny and how sudden. Well if he is coming here today, I'll wait awhile. Maybe I'll see him aswell.

Little did I know that a while would turn into many hours. I met some students from Martinique and spoke with them for some two hours on the Piazza. More and more people started to join the crowd. It was getting colder and colder. I still did not want to give up this opportunity to see a climbs of Silvio. WHAT WAS I THINKING!!!!

By the time I understood that this was maybe NOT the place to be that evening, it was too late to leave. The police had come more and more and the SWAT (or Italian equivalent) guards came in as well. Soon I was pressed in the crowd and could no more leave. Time just went on and on and NO SILVIO at sight. Luckily I had bought a new cardigan from Benetton that day from the sales. But even that did not keep me warm. The crowd got more and tense and people started to sing Hallelujah by Händel "Messiah", boy do they have a wrong song did I think. The resignation of Berluscone has nothing to do with Hallelujah (which means Praise Jah/Jehovah, for sure he has nothing to do with this I thought).

While I am waiting there in the cold and huge crowd, people are yelling all sorts of sentances to mock Berluscone. Most which I don't understand - luckily - but one that I definitely understood - Maffioso....Maffioso... Maffioso....hmm.. By then I would have wanted to leave, even without seeing Silvio. What was I thinking!!!! But by then it was not possible to leave. Front of me were the Police guards blocking the way and behind me so big crowd of Italians that I could not get through. So there I was waiting for Silvio. 

I do give it to the Italians thou, they  were very Positive and still having fun in all that situation. Smiling and joking with each others. Even the policemen were nice and talking with people. How can they be so happy in all this situation they are in... Well my compliments!

One thing I was threading was that one of the TV-video-cameras would catch a climbs of me... I was not a demonstrator, but just wanting to "See Silvio". Imagine if my friends would see my picture on the front page of the newspaper or in the evening news amongst the demonstrators. I was not demonstrating but that is how it would look like right! What was I thinking!!!

Every now and then a car came to the entrance of the Presidents palace and the crowd got more and more loud. And more and more policemen came to the piazza to make sure Silvio's visit would go smoothly. Did Silvio come, well that was a big question mark for me. I did not see so clearly who those people were who came, but by 10pm the police moved a bit and I could escape from my "prison" of human-shield. Quickly I walked to the Berberini metro station and took a bus from there towards Piazza Fiumi. From there I could get home with one bus. Survived I thought - never again! No more meetings with Silvio Berluscone! He can have his meetings without me in the future!

I've never been craving for excitement and even in this case it was not excitement I was looking for... I just wanted to see Silvio!!! I have traveled in Egypt - even this year after the February troubles they had this year (2011). I did not feel afraid in there. I did not feel afraid in this case either, but the difference between Egypt and Italy is that in Egypt I would have never stayed and watched what will happen, in Italy I don't feel scared in such situations. I did not feel scared that evening either, but I do admit that was a miss judgment call and that I WILL NEVER ever want to see Silvio again!

Wellcome to Rome, Italy

Through some strange co-incidences I ended up living in Rome for 5 months. I wanted to write this blog about how it is like to live in Rome as a foreigner. Each country is different and each country has it's pros and cons. I don't want this to be a winy report of my negative experiences, but an honest report of things that I pay attention to and notice.

Being a Finn, a country of Nokia phones, high-technology and some pretty good race-drivers and yes some pretty good hockey-players, Italy is quite a different world to what I've accustomed to. I've traveled a lot in many different parts of the world, but I've always loved especially everything about Italy!

Ever since I was a child, I was in love with the Italian language. No I never studied it, had so many other languages to study first for different reasons I needed this and that language. But still I was happy to hear some Italian music, and infatuated with Italian historical drama-series. Just had to see each one of them!!! Elisa di Rivombrosa, Falcon and what ever it was... Obrofari and so on. I just love to listen to the language and pick up new words. My infatuation has brought me to to Rome Italy this winter and I'm going to take everything out of this experience.

After just one week of living in Rome I have come to notice many things that are different to what I've accustomed to. I want to write to you about these points that I've noticed here. I also want to give some tips for all non-Romans who want to visit Rome, Italy.

I arrived to Rome a bit over a week ago, with 3 luggages and big handbag, total some 65 kilos. How it is possible for me to bring so much “stuff” on a plane? Thank God for good friends and one friend in particular, Eveliina. She works for an airline company and was kind enough to bring me to Italy, me and my luggage. As an airline worker she can bring more luggage as we regular tourist-class travelers.

So what did I bring to this land of fashion, bags and shoes??? Well, lots of clothing (some 23 kilos in luggage) and shoes, but not so many bags (except the luggage's themselves of cause). Why did I bring clothing to Italy? Well being a warm country that it is, I knew that the houses are not as warm as they are in Finland during the wintertime. One thing you never have to suffer in Finland are cold houses in the winter (well excluding some private small-houses saving in electricity). But in Italy, as in many other southern countries winter means cold houses. Why is this? It only became clear to me now, after moving here. Italy has no nuclear-power plants and therefore the electricity is very, very expensive in Italy. I never thought of nuclear-power plants in Finland before, but boy do I miss them now! Funny how I have come to appreciate nuclear power when facing the effects of lack of it. I wonder if Finns against Nuclear-power would be really willing to face the consequences that would come if there would not be nuclear power in Finland. What would that mean? I'm sure we would see the same effect that people face in Italy, houses are kept cooler since electricity is sooooo expensive. When in Finland all houses are warm all-year-round, that is not the case in Italy. And that is why I brought along lot's of clothing.

What kind of clothing? Woolen socks, woolen long-johns, woolen cardigans, woolen cloves and so on. You would never think I'm going to Italy!!! In Finland I would only use such when I go out to do sports in the winter-time – well yes, difference if of cause that I use the car in Finland so I don't need very warm clothing since I'm mostly indoors, warm!

What else did I bring in my 65 kilos of luggage? I brought a new Luhta blanket and billow and a fleece-blanket. What??? Why not just buy those from Ikea in Rome? I did a bit of a research before I came – yes I'm a freak for checking things out beforehand – and noticed that beddings are expensive in Italy, more expensive than in Finland. How is that possible? To my knowledge salaries in Finland are much higher than they are in Italy. Still Ikea sells the same blankets and pillows with more higher price in Italy than they do in Finland. Since I could not bring things back to Finland if I did not first bring them in the same luggage to Italy, I decided to buy my bedding from Finland and bring it to Italy. When in Italy Ikea beddings were around 40-80 € and pillows on top of that, I found a perfect Luhta blanket and pillow for 26 € total from on outlet in Helsinki. Not only are they light, but at the same time warm. And the best of all, they fit into my luggage.

I do wonder how people in Italy can afford to buy things here. Fashion, shoes, bags are all expensive just like in Finland, but considering the salaries I don't understand how people manage. Well yes, the poorer people are not wearing high-fashion. The further you go from the center the more you see non-fashionable people. People wearing regular sports-trousers – I know this is what Finns were known for still in the 80's. Yes women here do use make-up, and you can see each woman – well almost each – having make-up, even if they wear sports-trousers...

Well I have learned to shop in outlets and this is what I wanted to do here in Italy also. I am not a big shopper... I've never been. I buy things when I really need. Well sure, I can visiting certain outlets in Helsinki regularly during the sales-season. But only in the sales-seasons! Then I buy so much of new things with fractions of the normal-price, that I don't normally need to visit “normal” shops. Only in some special occasions, or when I cannot get something specific from the outlets.

One thing I needed, that I did not bring with me from Finland were winter shoes. Not that I didn't have them in Finland, but just because I could not fit them in my luggage. So since I came to the land of shoes and bags, I decided I can buy at least one of each (hmmm... let's see if it is only one of each...). During the first week I checked several shops and found out that all nice looking shoes cost from 100 € upwards. No way am I paying that much for shoes!!! Yes I am very economical. I want quality, beautiful but still cheap. Impossible you might think, but no, I do get that normally, I'm just careful where I shop and especially WHEN I shop! Since I had a mission of finding myself winter-shoes, I asked some friends where do they shop for shoes. I got a good hint that next to Termini Train-station there are cheap outlets. Crossing the street from the Termini I found a queue of cheap shops, but only one as an outlet-type of a shop, "Lucky". When others sell poor-quality shoes (non authentic materials), this one had real-leather shoes for -50% and more cheaper than the original price. There I found myself a pair of black-leather shoes from suede leather for 55€ (normal price 129€). In my view 55€ is still much, but definitely better than 129€. I still wonder how do people in this land of low-salaries buy themselves a pair of shoes? Of maybe they use the non-authentic ones. So how is it possible some shops can sell with such prices? Being an outlet they sell the left-overs of the original stock for different retailers. So they do not have all the shoes in all the sizes. There would have been many nice models, but being a Finn I have my shoe-size 40-41, very non-typical Italian size... so not many shoes with so big size available here.

So next goal is to find a bag! I already found one nice from ….. but sorry if I feel that 69€ is too much for a bag. Yes it was beautiful, knitted gray and black bag with a bow on front. But still I'm not ready to pay for 69€!!!! Let's see what other options I'll find! I only have a small handbag so I'll must find one soon.