the riches of italy

Our apologies for not keeping you abreast of our Italian travels. We did not have good Internet access during our stay, so now we will try to recreate some of the highlights of the trip. The latest and greatest adventure was the 30 hours Ben and I spent in Rome before today's flight back to the Faroes. It felt scandalous to be a city where you cannot swing a stick without hitting some priceless treasure of Western culture for such a short time. But the timing combined with a looming cold on my part kept our touring schedule modest. The only thing we made a point to see was Michaelangelo's Pietà at Saint Peter's Basilica. Perfect. The other highlights were finding a pub that carried Strongbow Cider on tap, and the curious cat colony behind our hotel. As Ben and I explored the neighborhood near the central train station we found a public park containing the ruins of an ancient Roman building. Carelessly sunning themselves on 2,000-year-old columns were 20+ cats of all shape and color. We watched in delight as a wobbly local woman slipped canned cat food through the fence to them, calling the cats by name. Also of note was the wonderful Easter holiday we enjoyed with Heidi, Regin and Noah, Ben's sister, brother-in-law and nephew. Regin preached that morning at the small Brethren church they are helping to found in Campobasso, and then we were joined by another missionary family for lunch. We sat down at 2 p.m., and what proceeded was a decidedly decadent meal. Fresh fettuccine noddles with a simple cream sauce, grilled steaks with cream whiskey sauce and broiled Rosemary potatoes were the stars of the show. We did not roll away from the table until after 6 p.m. I have not yet processed all of the experiences that we had in Italy, but fortunately we have made a big effort to bring Italy home with us. Barring a customs crackdown, the Italians goods we are set to enjoy for a few weeks includes: -Enough dried organic spices to raise suspicion that I have intent to traffic. This includes: Oregano, Porcini mushrooms (3), Bay leaves (2), Rosemary (2), Thyme, dried whole peppers, pepper flakes, dried garlic and chives. -Overpriced Tuscan praline truffles that I bought impulsively at the Rome airport duty-free shop. -Limoncello, the Italian digestif of choice. -A wheel of aged sheep's cheese. -A kilo of cheese infused with truffle (the vegetable kind). -A wheel of new buffalo cheese. -Cream of Tarter. This is not Italian, but it is impossible to find in the Faroes. -A small box of Espresso Pocket Coffee chocolates. -Two varieties of dried salami. -A bottle of olive oil made by one of the women in Heidi and Regin's church. -Balsamic vinegar. There are a few more treats tucked away in various pockets, but I am beginning to feel a little sheepish about the length of the list. Needless to say, I have been extremely impressed by Italian food culture. The only thing on our trip that I enjoyed more was the hospitality and conversations Ben and I got to have with our hosts. Fortunately for me, Heidi is an accomplished Italian chef, so the conversations and the food were never far from each other. -a