Two days have gone by as I find my feet in Roma and settle myself into life.
Yesterday started with me having a bee in my bonnet about dying my hair. So first thing in the morning I was up and getting that going.
OMG….Disaster!!! Bright orange!! I nearly flipped, was calmed down marginally by Rose’s sage advice and went out to brave the world for my morning cappuccino.
Nobody started to laugh spontaneously so I kept walking around the place. I went up to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore…one of the big 4 Basilica’s in Rome. Gorgeous mosaics!!
So I kept walking around the place just getting my bearings in this area.
It was a beautiful, beautiful sunny day. I swear in the sun it must be at least 17 degrees. I thought I was getting sunburnt at one point…and maybe I was!!
I went home for a bit of Pizza Bianca and cheese for lunch then went out again for some more walking. I sat in the sun and had a pear and ricotta kindle and read while I ate my gelato. This was bliss. Then I got this wild idea…I was totally obsessing about my hair so I plucked up the courage to go to a random hairdresser and ask for a cut. My hairdresser was a trans-sexual woman with a very deep voice called ‘Joanna’. It is a good cut much to my relief and it did make me feel better about my hair. On Rose’s advice I’m embracing it and adjusting to the transition from ordinary blonde/grey old lady to ex-hooker, orange haired, flamboyant old lady…I think I could like myself in this new genre!!!
Came home and did a bit of Italian with Al Jazeera in the background. My old friend AJ is back! Also a few episodes of VEEP compliments of H&A.
This morning I was up early and heading off to Chris’. I went up to catch the bus after my coffee but I was early so decided to walk…about a 40 min walk all up. When Chris was ready we went and had coffee and then loaded up her car with my luggage and off over to my area. Luggage up and down stairs but finally ensconced back in my apartment. Chris and I wandered around Monti for a while and then headed off to do a few errands all over the place. We then went and had lunch in an old convent that is now a women’s refuge. They have a restaurant and we sat outside in the sunshine under a magnificent Magnolia tree. This was really just lovely. Chris and I then parted company and I came back here.
Now…I’ve been searching for a place with good food I can take home, heat up and enjoy, like the one I relied on in Bologna. Chris had sent me a link to a little place that specialises in Ravioli and meat balls. So I went there to see if they did ’take home’. They were totally adorable and I am sold!! Not only do they do ’take home’ but have some wonderful ravioli AND he was so charming. Offered me a free glass of wine and had one with me. I bought the ravioli with a filling of rabbit…delicious, and I will enjoy it as soon as I finish this email. Got my wine at my wine shop and came home. Spent the next couple of hours unpacking all the luggage I had left with Chris. Retrieved things like my sunglasses that look as if they’ll be needed again and settled down for the night.
Goodnight all.