Miyoshi and MOTOS. — WILL WOOF FOR WINE

Rome: October 17, 2014

It’s the FINNE SETTIMANA! Finally. This week was definitely a long one, with both GREAT and not so great. The beginning of the week was a little rocky and Mondays are never easy, especially when it appears your roommate volunteered herself as the human ashtray for every smoker in Roma and your first lesson of the week nearly brings you to tears when the kids decide your Kindle doubles as a frisbee. But Wednesday, or Hump Day, made me fall back in love with Roma all over again.

Like a lot of people, I have a bucket-list. Like a lot of my girl friends (roughly born in the late 80’s) this list includes riding on the back of a Vespa with a dreamy Italian who speaks perfect English and who just might be an Italian pop-star or Italian royalty or both. For those of you who have NO idea what tween fantasy I’m talking about, please refer to Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003) synopsis (or just the YouTube the trailer) in addition to the infamous Mary Kate & Ashley film, When In Rome. I have imagined replacing Mal for Mary Kate many times while watching the video on VHS in my youth. Mary Kate’s love interest was Paolo, while Ashley dated the American named Ryan. So obviously I like to imagine myself as the MK of that whole plot line. Lizzie McGuire’s Italian love interest was actually ALSO named Paolo in the movie, thus I was surprised it wasn't the ONLY name out there in Italy even if those films led you to believe so.

According to Lizzie McGuire’s IMBD- she had JUST graduated from Middle School and took a trip to Rome with her class. And what was supposed to be a normal trip, became a teenager’s dream come true. LIKEWISE, Mallory Robinson decided to leave NYC and move to Rome on a whim. What was supposed to be a normal trip/move/life change, becomes a mid/late 20 year old’s dream come true…

Last night came pretty damn close when Ellie and I had the chance to ride on the back of motociclettas (!!!!!) post a delicious meal at an ALL you can eat and drink Roman sushi restaurant, Miyoshi Sushi. Sushi you say? YES! This place will let you order literally everything on the menu if you so choose as long as you hand over 20 euros. What Ellie and I really should have done was ‘take away’ or basically grocery shop off of Miyoshi’s menu…(like we may or may not have done with an occasional complimentary bread baskets). We are getting by just fine on an English teacher's salary, but but it definitely makes you appreciate the complimentary things in life.

Both Lizzie McGuire AND the Olson twins failed to mention Rome is also home to some great sushi restaurants and ridiculous sushi dinner specials.

Our dear friend, Dario, who we were connected with when we moved to Rome, invited us to a sushi dinner with his Deloitte coworkers, who all kindly offered us rides home afterwards on their motos. I don’t think I played it cool AT ALL and obviously still want my own personalized helmet to tote around for my next moto ride. It was the BEST Hump Day ever as we not only evaded public transportation, but also got personal tours of the city, weaving in and out the hidden streets, past Papa Francesco's home, over the cobblestones or “sampietrini,” as the Roman’s refer to it. I’ve decided having a moto REALLY is the only way to get around Rome and probably any other city in Italy- so the Italian stereotype is totally warranted and helmet hair totally worth it.

Initially this ‘moto’ fantasy I had prior to moving to Rome fit every romantic, Italian stereotype (and don’t get me wrong- that stereotype still exists), but after living here for about a month, it was magical in many other ways. For those of you who have never visited Rome or have visited Rome BUT have never taken any public transportation (buses, trams, the subway- taxis don’t count), take it from me, it is the WORST. It may not be necessarily as dirty as the L train in NYC, but to get anywhere, Ellie and I literally have to allot a good 2 hours, just in case the bus driver decides to take a cigarette (or pack) break, someone decides to go on strike, or worse- it's LUNCH time and you are body to body with a million high school kids in 90 degree heat, taking public transit back home for pranzo. At this hour it makes it often impossible to physically fit on the bus.

I suppose the next thing to knock of my bucket list will be to drive a moto myself! But then I’d actually have to pay attention to the road and where is the fun in that when we are literally surrounded by SO much eye candy. And I am talking about ROME- get y’all’s head out of the Italian gutter.

I attempted to take photos while riding full speed ahead on the moto, until I realized my ‘life-proof’ iPhone case probably would not withstand nor insured for the treacherous cobblestone or sampietrini below.