So, our friends Z. & N. left town for vacation and they let us dog/house sit their wonderful apartment down in the Monte neighborhood. It was great to get out of our castle on the hill and down into the city. It really felt much more like we lived in a city. On the hill, it's easy to never leave the grounds, and, thus, have very little interaction with the city at large. In a similar way to how easy it is to never leave Brooklyn. Anyway, we got to dog-sit, watch TV and DVDs, and have a relaxing, "normal" life. It was both novel and delightful.
Eventually, we cam back up the hill in time for Christmas preparations. Speaking of Christmas, did I mention that I was an elf in the Christmas play? Well, I was. Every year, the Fellows put on a little Christmas play for the staff and I was drafted (thanks Lisa). Did I mention it was a musical? Have you ever heard me sing?
Surviving that, we spent Christmas Eve church-hopping. First we went to the Pantheon to what we thought was going to be a big choir. But it was only a lonely cantor. And, between him being miked and the crazy marble hemisphere acoustics of the place it was re-verb city. So we bailed and went to Santa Maria in Trestevere which was quite nice. We got there just in time for my favorite part of the ceremony where everyone turns to their neighbor and wishes them Merry Christmas and Peace be with you. Then we went home and went to sleep.
The next day, Christmas, we helped make a giant brunch for everyone around for the holidays. We've been lucky enough to have James Beard award-winning Scott Peacock as guest chef the last couple of day, which has been a treat in and of itself. But it was extra great to spend a little time in the kitchen with him and all the other Academy Fellows who helped out. After brunch, we went upstairs, read, and then watched Fratello, Dove Sei? (Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?)
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