Adventures In Rome

The countdown is complete, and permission is given to blast the Alice Cooper hit, "School's Out". That means, as Guidance Counselor, I just landed a seven week break from the hallways of hell!

I exaggerate. After twenty years in the profession, I can recount many rewarding moments with kids and families. I can also look back on some really wonderful vacations!

It usually takes a few years to stash the cash, and rack up some serious frequent flier mileage to go on a big trip. My heart yearns for quaint city destinations, that offer cobblestone pathways to adventure. When the exchange rate is right, Europe is always the first choice!

I have squandered many an English Pound throughout the flowery streets of London, hopping the underground tube, and sampling all kinds of ale! London theatre was just as superb as NYC Broadway!

Amsterdam was an odd little place, with its pot smokers, and storefront prostitutes! Bicycle riders keep the streets quiet, until you imagine the pounding boots of Nazi SS. Never forget the tragic history as you meander through the rooms of the Anne Frank House.

Gay Paris offered a multitude of shops and cafes...and locals who would only speak French, when they definitely knew English. I was a little suspicious of the bus driver who looked at me as if I was a crazy American when I asked for the Eiffel Tower! Maybe he was new on the job!

And the first night in the Swiss Alps had me dreaming of yodelers, who turned out to be alpine youth partying in the pub below!

Although I loved every European city I visited, there was something special about Rome!

Imagine the black, cobblestone streets, bustling with shops and markets...and crazy Italians driving their little smart cars and scooters! Hear the sweet sound of the sing song language...Ciao Bella...and look at those gorgeous men and women. Even the policeman, uzi in hand, had a sense of Versace style. Every piazza vibrated with lively bodies, music, romance, and life!

When visiting Rome, you're surrounded by baroque buildings chock full of fine leather bags, jackets, and shoes...or beautiful cuts of Murano glass! But you're really in luck when you reach a piazza, lined with artists showcasing their work.

During my last night in Rome, I spent most of my remaining Euros on an "original painting". The artist told me it was an original...except I can't help remembering the I Love Lucy episode when Lucy buys an original painting in Paris. She discovers later that Ricky, Fred, and Ethel buy the identical painting! I have to hope that Italian artists, surrounded by all their religious statues, and haunted by Italian guilt, are honest when it comes to their artwork!

Oil painting in hand, I strolled to the famous Trevi Fountain, and tossed some coins over my shoulder. I silently made a wish to return to the Eternal City one day soon! Heading back to my hotel, I wound through the candlelit alleys, and stumbled upon an orchestra. I bought my last luscious gelato and lingered for a while, listening to that gorgeous music of the night. It was then that I knew I was reluctant to leave this ancient city behind!

If you can't venture to Rome soon, you can enjoy making a refreshing Italian dessert, Tortoni. We offer this to you with a kiss on both cheeks, and lots of love,

From Mama Melisi and Me

Italian Tortoni

Ingredients:

1 egg white
6 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
Toasted chopped or slivered almonds
1 cupcake tin and paper cups for the tin

Preparation:

Mix the egg white and salt
Beat until stiff using your electric mix master or hand mixer
Gradually add 2 tablespoons of sugar and beat a little
Whip the heavy cream and fold in the remaining 4 tablespoons of sugar
Then fold in the egg white mixture
Add the vanilla and almond extract
Put the paper muffin cups into the cupcake tin
Spoon the mixture into the paper cups
Top with toasted almonds
Cover with aluminum foil and place in the freezer
Yield: 1 dozen

It's an easy and great dessert!