giam paolo

It's Saturday night and P O U R I N G rain...I decide to to trot out for a bit (in my open toed shoes-smart Nicole!!) so I have to, have to ;) stop in a cafe for a copa vino tinto. Stop at Maclusa (a cuban cafe), it's empty except for 3 men at the bar and the owner behind it. An awkward silence when I approach the bar, very awkward-and I am a little annoyed because I feel like I am being talked about---no vino tinto-I settle for an Estrella and sit down with the National Geographic provided for reading. About 5 minutes pass by and I am the only feminina in the place and still feel like I am the subject of conversation for these men. They all approach and settle to a table near me.
"Lei è italiana?" one asks... "No, Americana"...ahh, the three of them gather their chairs excitiedly and proceed to chat.
Giam Paolo speaks the best English and he is just my type...caterpillar eyebrows, dimples, and sweet. The other two see the connection and kind of move to their own conversation. Giam Paolo is 33, lives outside Milan, and is visiting Barcelona only for the weekend. "Please come with us to dinner, please, please..." No, I tell him politely...he says American girls are not used to romance, and are hard to pursuade...
I take that in and yes, I think to myself...that is so true...the Italian men love L O V E...and they are persuasive, yet in a very charming, romantic way. His friends are going back to the flat to shower and get ready for dinner...Giam Paolo stays with me, pays for my beer, and wants to go with me to McCarthy's-where I was heading to see the three amigos. We walk together, he looks at me with his eyes sweetly, and tells me I am a ray of sunshine...
At the bar, Valerio is there...my Italiano friend...I tell him 'check this guy out and make sure he is OK...' Valerio has my back and proceeds a conversation with Giam Paolo...Giam Paolo is so welcoming and gracious with the three amigos--I am observing him intently...Valerio says 'yes, he is very good'....I am again asked to dinner, and I again say no...I want to go home 'es muy cansada'...he has disappointment on his face, but he invites me to Italy to stay with him...
He pays 'la cuenta' and tips the boys 7 euro----UNHEARD OF!!! We exchange numbers and he heads off.
It was so unexpected to be romanced and admired that way...so sweet, I head home and get a text message from GP thats says 'baci bella' (kisses, beautiful)
Oh, so sweet

...he calls on Sunday at 1pm and asks to meet him for lunch, I oblige, and we had 5 hours together chatting, running in and out of the rain from one cafe to the next--he says you walk too fast--walk slowly, look up, enjoy the beauty. virtually treated like a princess...how refreshing!!!
We say goodbye at 7pm, his flight home is at 9pm...Ciao Bello, I tell him-we depart ways and who knows. What I do know is that yes, I do close myself off to real romance because I have never known it, but I am beginning to let my guard down- slowly but surely.
Beso...

map Giam Paolo had drawn to find me--he gave it to me as a gift, along with an extra button from his jacket, and a lighter--he wanted me to have things that I could remember him by ... dulce!

Even weirder- my horoscope:

barcelonamama's Daily Libra Forecast
Quickie: Life is completely about relationships -- everyone you meet shapes your experience.
Overview: Get ready to say it all and to hear it all. Passionate words -- for better or worse -- are on the agenda. And you're definitely ready for this; in fact, you've probably been waiting for this encounter for some time.