Linda Stanley

Being Italianised

My delightful Italian land lady is trying to bring me into line. I
travel with minimum no fuss wardrobe that can triple for day work
wear, weekend time out wear and night time dinner wear. It is mostly
black, versatile and does not show the dirt.

My land lady does not approve. As best I can understand, Italians do
not wear black in summer. In summer Italians wear "fresco" colours.
She went out and bought a whole pile of clothes that she found at a
market where they are disposing of last years fashion for three and
five euros a piece. She brought them back and told me to try them on.
I was rather horrified at this surprise, but felt obliged to take two
of the ten pieces she had brought. They are actually very cool and
comfy and I think "more Italian". However I still seem to stand out
as the obvious foreign and get slots of stares on public transport
still.

Rome seems to be the place that very well dressed Italian business men
think they can pick up a sole female tourist for a day or an evening
and the area near the Colloseum seems to be the pick up place.
Angelo from Florence was in Rome on IT Banking business and when I
rebuffed with "I am married" informed me happily that he was married
too, but was alone for the night, had a car and would show me the
sights of Rome. No doubt he would!

No sooner had I managed to convince Angelo that he was wasting his
time, than David, a pediatrician from Rome, stepped up when Angelo
departed and having learnt I am here to learn Italian assured me that
seeing Rome alone was not the way to learn Italian and I would be
unwise not to let him walk me. Telling him I was married did not
deter his attentions either, but he was slightly easier to dispose of
than Angelo.

I had not realized that it was this easy to be picked up at my age. :)
it is good for ego none the less.

Having gone to class yesterday in the skirt and top that my land lady
had bought for me, this morning she presented me with another top.
Another "fresco" Colour. Oh dear. It is very nice and I accepted
this one before telling her that the bank had stopped my credit card.
I don't want to hurt her feelings, she is very sweet, but I don't want
to carry any amoretti clothes around with me.

Off to have lunch now, what Roman wonder can I find today ... Food that is. ;)

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Ticking the bucket list

Months of high stress indicated "time out" to unwind was needed. My
bucket list included among other things learning Italian in Rome and
learning to cook pasta in Sorrento. John suggested now was a good
time to get those two items crossed off my list.

After falling asleep on the train from London to Gatwick airport and
missing Gatwick, which meant missing my flight, I got a standby flight
to Bologna then a train to Rome. So the start of the adventure was not
exactly unwinding.

But the magnificence of Rome made up for every stressful second to get
here. Forest morning as i stepped out on to the street, the Colloseum
sat at the end of the ancient street as a Jewell sits in an emperors
crown.

I walked for seven hours, my heart filled with joy at the phenomenon
that is this marvel, Roma. The Pantheon, The Trevi Fountain are two of
hundreds of equally fascinating and awe inspiring sights that every
corner take my breath away. Rome I love you!

First night after a shower and a meal Rome pulled me back out on to
the streets again. I walked another two hours, this time the length of
the Circus Maximus where Romans raced their chariots 2,000 years ago.
The clamour and excitement of the chariot racing created electricity
in the air.

Today Italian language class started and after class a walk around the
Vatican and a look at St Peters before a glass offer wine with a dish
of ... Roman Tripe with Pecorino ... Delicioso! :)

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