Xxl - 04.01

I'm so happy we started this xxl trip in the xxl country.  Xxl buildings:  steel dropped on bricks and dusted with colors.  XL fridges for 18 xxl eggs pack  (whereas at the Esselunga via Solari you can buy a twin set made of 2 eggys, at least no bother for expiring date), hangars of Heinz tomato sauce that can contain up to 5 standard ita packs, towers of 100% grated parmisan cheese that dominate the table, skyscraper of A2 steaksouce  served 9 out of 10 best restaurants, Just watching them make you feel xxl. I hope to not get lost in all these xs.

200 Calories - 6.01

Almost 200 Calories, 7 km, 85 minutes walk: these are the numbers between the Empire State and the Metropolitan museum. A stream of American flags under which everybody advertise, most try to sells (massages, hair cuts, clothes, touristic tours.. everything's at least 40% discounted), few buy - gold. 85 minutes along the 5th avenue where pret a porter mixed with pret a manger,  smell of sweet Asian cuisine bond with Tommy Hilfinger whereas burgers scent goes with Diesel: such a great competition. Finally the Metropolitan, that by the way is closed on Monday, but they propose you alternatives: Guggenheim is just 10 streets further. From Oct 2012 till Feb 2013 Guggenheim is all about Picasso in black and white, thanks God level 3 of the buildings is owned by Vasily Kandinsky: colours colours! lines  and points! Stars and stripes! America America!

an american day - 5.01

Wake up in "our" 100 square metres apartment, 11th floor, skyline view, 7th avenue 30th street Manhattan NYC. Just a light headache due to several bottles of french wine that our friend Michael has offered us the evening before.
2 hours driving with captain Peter : we leave NY, cross New Jersey and arrive in Pennsylvania.
We stop at the Perking, family restaurant bakery: big American flag, any kind of yummy deep fried food for the first family lunch of the day. 'My name is Wendy and I will be your waitress" and I instantly got the feeling of being in a scene of Pulp Fiction and decide to go for a xl medium cooked blt hamburger - my hangover starts to disappear sucked by the bed of french fries that come with the burger.
At 12.00 we're in the city of Easton, few beautiful houses spread in the countryside and surrounded by cork fields during summer - I'm sure at least one small globe circle animates the Easton nights.
Boys  wearing basball hats while watching a football match on television, girls chating in the kitchen near the oven, I can smell the baked roastbeef and almost crying I propose a toast for America: good bless America.
16 people for a 5 hours lunch made out of 6 starters, 2 pasta, meet, potatoes, caramel apple pie, chocolate, marzapane, panettoni, it can't be just an american day. This is a truly Italian american day (w Bush, w Berlusconi) I want to rush outside and rise an Italian flag near the american one, and also a russian one so that all the component of our famly are represented. yes yes my Italian America Russian cousin Yuri was right: he promise us the best day of our trip and since we had a real American day It has to be the best.

A family Christmas lunch...in January

Monday morning: Sitting in Michael's beautiful Manhatten apt with a view downtown. I've just finished lunch with Soo who popped by and now watching 'Reality Bites' on HBO 'movies on demand'.....by chance, because honestly, I have no idea how to navigate cable. Ale is off visiting 'The Guggenheim' while I babysit one sick little Sofia. It's the most beautiful winter day outside - sunshine, blue skies, scarf kinda weather. Ale's tag-teaming me in an hour so I can get out. Yay!

With Michael in his apartment

Sunday. 14 of us met at Perkin's for breakfast - a restaurant on the interstate on the way to Easton, Pennsylvania. My favourite menu choice was something called 'Twenty something blah blah' which included 3 eggs, 4 pancakes, 4 sausages and 9 other pieces made up of biscuits & gravy, bacon etc to get us to the big 2....0. God Bless America!



 

Lunch started around 3pm which resembled an event incredibly reminiscent of Christmas. 16 around the table. 4 hours of eating. And Sofia even scored some lovely pressies! Thank you Lisa and Brigitte. Brava to Lisa for single handedly feeding the crowd. Yury for bringing the Fosters. Mike for reminding us the US of A truly is the best at everything. All the kids for looking after Sofia and Peter for the strength to drive us back home. The dollhouse was amazing!
All in all, one of the most fun family post Chrissy dinners I've ever had.

Outside my direct family, the old saying of 'Thank God you can choose your friends' has always rung true but it must be said that being part of an Italian family truly is an incredible experience. Relatives pop up all over the place. You're welcomed. You're fed. You're loved. How you're related is irrelevant. You're family. Punto. Such a lovely feeling :).

Finally - some English!

It's 7.30am on Saturday January 5th. The house is still sleeping and I've managed to sneak downstairs to finally write down my thoughts over the last 3 days. So - let's backtrack just a little so nothing is forgotten.

Wednesday 2nd Jan: The Departure. What a whirlwind of emotion.

Panic: Finding out that important documents that had been sent to Brisbane required a new delivery address. Try finding anyone who is not away on Jan 2nd! Success with the help of dear family friends and a specific delivery deadline.

Desperation: Having used it all throughout the morning, updating all contact details, making 4 international calls and frankly being rather in love with my fab new mobile phone, it went walkabout in the last 30 mins before we left. Yes - there were tears. There was panic (again) and finally acceptance that my phone would guard the house and not join us on our adventure. Sigh. Please use Ale's mobile to contact us +39 339 751 4454.

Love: As the engines roared for take off, holding hands with Ale and smiling at each other. No words could describe that moment of relief, satisfaction and excitment.

Realisation: After all these months of planning, we were finally on holiday.....for 6 months!

Wonder: Staring out the window of the plane as we plateaued out, Sofia stared out at the Alps blanketed in the colours of sunset and captured the moment with a 'Wooooowwww'. You can never bore of that view.

Determination: Having discovered that the headsets not only plugged into the arm of the chair (very cool) but there was also sound, Sofia decided to watch the whole of Madagascar 3 in moving pictures only. She was captivated. We were thrilled.

Wednesday 2nd Jan: The Arrival.

Creativity: The Americans have a brilliant competitive spirit when it comes to neighbourhood Christmas lights. The streets of Astoria at night are awash with colour, gardens filled with Santas, snowmen and reindeers and eves dripping with flickering lights. Check out Ale's earlier photos!

Heaven: Sinking into our 'cloud bed' at 2am. I honestly have never slept in such a comfortable and super high bed before! I felt like the 'Princess and the Pea'. Without the pea.

These first few days in NYC have been really lovely.

                                                                         
Hearty breakys every morning thanks to Laura's skill in the kitchen!

 

Suvlaki on the streets of Astoria - yum, yum.

 
Watching Ale's face driving through Manhatten for the first time, taking in the incredible views when you simply 'look up'.

 

                                                                       
Walking through Madison Square Park at nighfall. Me holding a sleeping Sofia while Ale took some beautiful photos.
 
Going to the local supermarket. How I've missed Anglo-Saxon variety of products!

Having a Turkish dinner and a bottle of Sancerre with Soo (my oldest and dearest girlfriend) reminiscing, laughing and re-connecting. Nothing beats your girlfirends!
 
So here we find ourselves again. It's 8.15am and people are waking up. Today, we move from family in Astoria to friends in Manhatten. An easy day of sightseeing with our friend Michael, followed by dinner at home with friends. Lovely!

Illumination

Primo assaggio di NY.  Siamo based in Astoria, quartiere Greco_Italiano (w lo spread) .  Lo spirito latino che illumina le streets  pulsa nei cavi di pupazzi di neve elettrici e nativita' eletrizzanti.   Si accende la competizione tra la 45esima e la 47esima. I vicini avranno anche vinto nell'outdoor ma noi abbiamo svettato nell'indoor con un xmass village in quadrischermo che ogni remagio di buon senso sarebbe fiero di abitare. Tra l’ altro a questa gara non si sottrae nenache l’Empire state building e allora  prendo la mia Lumix Panasonic e lascio scorrere il selettore sulla posizione “illuminations”. 

       

 

Partenza con giallo

Local time at origin 18.12

Distance to destination 472 km
Siamo al giorno 0 e siamo somewhere above Auxerre.

partenza con alcune soddisfazioni e in piccolo giallo.

Le soddisfazioni: l'operazione di scioglimento controllato dei ghiacci del Samsung modello XL che ha conservato per gli ultimi due anni gli avanzi dei nostri pranzi e stata portata a termine senza incidenti. Ne sono emerse una moltitudine di vasetti di mamellata abbandonati come scorie radioattive negli angoli piu remoti dell'artico coreano. E in effetti all' apertura dei barattoli qualche problema di radioattivitá, almeno di color, lo presentavano.
Ground speed 700 km, distance to destination 255 km.
Seconda importante soddisfazione della giornata, anche lei legata in qualche modo allo scioglimento del ghiacciaio: l' enorme salmone scozzese dal deciso sapore affumicato che ha troneggiato sulla tavola natalizia e poi, in forma di secondo e terzo impero, ha accompagnato ogni successivo aperitivo e antipasto e' finalmente terminato. Almeno cosi' credo visto che è stato abilmente ceduto per un' ultima comparsata all cena di capodanno.
Captain Speaking: we're approaching heathrow. We will land in 20 min.
E adesso il giallo della partenza: da alcune ore non si hanno più notizie di un Sony Experia di colore blue elettrico acquistato con tanto amore dal sottoscritto presso il Mediaworld di Grugliasco pochi giorni prima di Natale. l' ultima persona ad averlo visto é la sua proprietria che giura: "un momento fa era qui con me non può essere andato lontano". Non lo so ma adesso siamo noi lontani da lui. Chiunque ne avesse notizia prego mettersi immediatamente in contatto con questo indirizzo, l' inizio dell' avventura sarà ancora più entusiasmane in compagnia di in elettrizzante brand new Sony experia.

Landing landing! T5 T5!

E al T5, mentre arrampichiamo tra scale mobili in cima svettano due blacks e un cappello ebraico, commento di Charlie:"I see we're getting closer to our flight to New York".

Distance to destination: 5543 km. Time to destination: 6.56 h.

E adesso serata di cinema sull'oceano! miss Sofia permettendo, a dire il vero sembra mostrare un sincero interesse per la proposta skyflyers film. Speriamo, ma almeno se to già qualche bambino urlare, me no male non saremo I soli.