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Days in Rome and a trip to Orvieto

Busy days with Tull in Roma along with a preoccupation on my part with finding a place to stay in Rome when I return from Venice. The latter has driven my slightly mad.

On Thursday Tull took up the challenge to conquer Rome alone and set out for the Colosseum and the Forum. I stayed home to try and sort out my packing for the onward voyage i.e. what was I going to leave behind with Chris and repacking with what I was going to take.

I also was faced with the reality that I had nowhere to return to in Rome given that the apartment Chris thought would be ready wasn’t going to be ready. It was this chore that sent me into a bit of a panic because everywhere I looked either didn’t have a clear 6 week period and/or was hugely expensive. I spent hours doing this and more hours doing all the train bookings for our forward journey online which was another of those frustrating tasks.

So Tull was home before I knew it. We went out for a late lunch to a lovely restaurant which was chockablock full but 2 women agreed to move up for us, only to find they were Australian so we had a nice lunch chatting to them. We then went for a bit of a stroll and came home for a bread and cheese and wine lunch.

Next morning was an alarm clock morning with a train trip to Orvieto on the agenda. Although I’ve been to Orvieto a million times before it never ceases to grab me…Signorelli remains my man!!! We wondered around there for ages, up to the Duomo, in and out little streets. We had booked lunch in a nice restaurant in a ‘grotto’ and enjoyed that. A bit more wander, wander then back on to the funicular to the train station and back to Roma. When we got back, Tull who is getting very adventurous set off down to Campo dei Fiori for some Pizza Bianca. I was still frantically trying to sort out the accommodation issue so she also went out for the supply of wine and bread for tea….excellent.

Today is Saturday so Chris has been taking us out and about. To a market for her food supplies and then around looking at the locations I am looking at for accommodation…Campo dei Fiori, Trastevere and Monti. We then had lunch in a great and very cheap restaurant, followed by a delicious gelato. Now its back to trying to solve the problem of the accommodation.

Tomorrow we are off to Naples, that will be an adventure for me because I haven’t been there for a zillion years.
Love for now

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Being active in Roma

Busy, busy days in Roma being a tourist extraordinaire!!

Yesterday we had coffee with Chris in the morning, got our instructions and set off with our maps!

Off we went on a little electric bus up to Villa Borghese, in these most gorgeous gardens. Our mission was to get to the Villa in which is housed an impressive art collection.

And it was amazing but the best thing for me was the Villa itself with every room covered in frescoes. It is a most divine mansion..huge. So a few hours later we emerged having viewed a gobsmacking art collection in a sublime setting.

We then walked from there to the Spanish Steps, then through the street of Rome to the Trevi Fountain which unfortunately was being renovated so no water and a walkway past the fountain itself. Chris and Tull thought this was a rare opportunity to see it up close and naked. I thought it looked depressing. From there we went to the Pantheon…my favourite amazing building!! On the way there my adventure was having having a very angry man (clearly with mental health issues) growl at me and then spit forcefully at me…very fortunately he just missed…YUK!!! We then went to the Chiesi di San Luigi dei Francesi which is the church that houses the 3 Carravaggios….does your head in really!!!!

Exhausted we came home for feet up and glass of wine time. Chris then rang to say she would pick us up after work and take us to her restaurant in Trastevere. That was lovely…very basic, very traditional Roman food…so good.

Today we set off early as we had booked tickets for the Vatican Museum/ Sistine Chapel. No rain, lovely morning and nice walk to the Vatican. Then there isn’t a lot you can say about the Vatican museum complex. Way, way before you get to the Sistine Chapel you have been blown away by room after room of frescoes, maps, sculptures etc etc. The Raphaelle rooms, the Borgia apartments etc etc…you lose track but it is all so amazing. Then there is the Sistine itself and no matter how often you see it you don’t lose your awe. It has been recently refreshed and it is truly unreal. Also a good time to be there because you can get an unjostled look in. We were both just breathtaking (is that a word). We still had St Peter’s to go to but our luck had run out a bit. We came out and it was pouring. We got to San Pietro and the queue was long so we had to stand in the rain for ages. I was totally unprepared for the rain so Tull (who had a rain jacket) stood out in it while I stood under the portico…i.e. stood until a couple of lovely derros shared their seats with me. Finally I bought a flimsy umbrella and stood in the rain too.

San Pietro always impresses and so it did again but I’ve been there quite a few times so Tull got more out of it than me. After that we were exhausted and wanted to just head home however we wanted some Pizza Bianca so set off to buy that only to find the shop closed…that added a kilo or so to our big day. Then home with goodies we had bought for lunch.

I’m off now to have a vino with Chris but Tull has a cold and has wisely decided to go to bed rather than venture out again. Tomorrow I’m setting her loose to go to the Colosseum by herself (I’ll save that for when Rose is here)…it will be nice to have a lazier morning!! Got to get myself sorted for packing once again.

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Back in Rome and meeting Tull

Apart from swearing off Easyjet for life (or at least until there is the next excruciatingly cheap flight), the flight from Prague to Rome was uneventful. This time I got the train into the city…it is so much easier than the bus. Lugged the big case up to Chris and it felt as if I was home again. A bottle of wine and some pasta and catching up, on events since Christmas and then into bed.

Next morning we walked around while Chris advised me on where to buy what in the area, where to eat etc so I sounded knowledgeable for when Tull arrived. We then moved me over to the apartment Tull and I would be staying in. Its in a great position and a very comfortable apartment. Then after another wander I went and got the mother fucker case and lugged it up the stairs to the new apartment. I need to sort things outs I can leave it behind. There is the dilemma that the small case is too small and the big case too big for the next month so I think I will have to worry another option from Chris!!

Then it was ‘find Tull’. I was bit worried about this as I had no idea where she was going to land…just somewhere near here!! So eventually I took myself down to the bar in the street and just sat and waited. Sure enough eventually a little bus flashed by and out popped Tull….phew!! It was nice to see her, of course. I was feeling awful for her, she must be exhausted poor thing. Had to keep her awake etc etc. I was admiring how fresh she was. Yes she said, she had had a great sleep on the plane. No worries at all. God how does one do it???? That was before I discovered she’d flown Business Class for God’s sake!! That was it, no more sympathy from this girl!!

We went for our mandatory little passagiatta around the area. Came back to the apartment for an Aperol Spritz ( or 2…or was that 3) and some lovely Italian nibbles. Then we went out for dinner. Had a really nice dinner ( it is good to be back in the land of the pasta), a very nice bottle of wine and then home to bed.

Today is another day with more walking, exploring and discovering.