Two days to report today and quite a busy couple of days. On Friday I had a fairly leisurely start and then walked up to the National Gallery at Palazzo Barberini. I wandered around there for a couple of hours enjoying the beautiful Palazzo with its divinely painted rooms as much as the amazing art held within. Amazing art is just overwhelming in this part of the world and the settings that holds the art it also mind blowing. Just such a privilege to wallow in it all for such an extended period. I then wandered off. I was going over to Chris’ for tea and taking some ravioli from my ravioli shop. I’m greeted as an old friend and while I wait for my takeaway ravioli he pours me a glass of wine from different parts of Italy and demands to know which I like best. I just love the gorgeous Paolo…definitely a place to take Rosa!!!
I then went and had a capuccino and heard all this massive megaphone noise so went to investigate and found myself in the middle of a huge demonstration. Bugger, last time I went over to Chris’ with lots to carry the busses stopped due to demonstrations and this was 10 times bigger. I was due to head over to Chris with food, wine, washing and overnight gear and again no fucking busses. I rang her and she said that they were heading over her side of town. On my side of town was the left wing protesters and coming from the opposite direction were the right wing protesters and the police were worried about what would happen when they met. Ho Hum, I had to get there somehow so off I headed walking behind the march as it were!! There were helicopters overhead, riot police blocking the roads and the army out in force. On I walked through it all, no-one stopped me so I figured couldn’t be too bad. I think I’m an adrenaline junky. They had all gathered in Piazza Venezia so through the masses I went shopping bags in hand…plod,plod,plod!!!
Anyway not to over dramatise a good story I got to Chris’ with food and me intact, even unhindered I would say. But its a 3km walk which is fine without the shopping but with it is quite tiring. Chris and I had a nice night with good food, nice wine and a movie. We watched Citizen 4 which is something to raise your paranoia a few degrees. As for my complicated password…no more complaints from me Ham Bam, though I haven’t changed anything else yet!! This morning we attempted to get an early start for Ostia Antica but fail to some degree by the time we got out of the house, went to the market to get supplies for a picnic lunch, have a cappuccino etc. We had to be at the Necropolis by 11am for our ‘appointment’. Just made it in time!! That was great it really was interesting with some lovely floor mosaics and frescoes decorating the burial sites of the ancient Romans. We then headed off to Ostia Antica but not before we’d travelled all over the countryside along the Trevere river looking for a suitable picnic spot. We didn’t find one mainly because all the nice spots along the river were private property.
So we resolved to picnic within Ostia which we did. we took our bottle of wine and our roast pork panini and sat on a grassed area above the ruins in the sunshine, it was lovely. It’s great going somewhere like Ostia with Chris. She really is incredibly knowledgeable and knows exactly where to go for the most interesting things to see.
Anyway it was a really lovely day and I got the bus home when we got back. Must say I was glad to get the old shoes off!!
I’m really liking Rome, I think (well, maybe have always known) that I’m a city person, I love the hustle and bustle and being out amongst it and I’m enjoying my area ‘Monti’.
Not sure what next week will hold but maybe a low activity day tomorrow…we’ll see.