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While Michael has journeyed to Samoa with Dennis, Peter and Bernie, I have headed off to Italy. My first stop is Rome, via Singapore and Dubai. I had a massage and a shower at Dubai so when I arrive I am feeling quiet alright although a bit tired.
I check into the 'Babuino 181', in Via Babuino in the centre of old historic Rome, ( Centro Storico ). Babuino means Baboon and relates to a statue located in the street of a half God half man reclining over a water trough.
Michael and I stayed here last year and it has a nice modern style within an historic building. I unpack and organize myself and wander down to Piazza Popolo and Via Del Corso then back along the Via Condotti to my favorite haunts of Max Mara and Ferragamo. I manage a bit of shopping and return my goodies to the hotel and continue a 3 hour walk around the city finding my bearings again.
It is 6 pm when I return to the hotel. It has been a beautiful sunny day and I am quiet warm after my walk. I decide to have an early dinner at a cafe near the hotel. I have a nice cold beer (Nostro Azzuro), with a slice of Romana Pork and salad. By the time I finished I am feeling that strange seedy jet lagged feeling and decide to take a shower and head to bed early. I am in bed with my book at 8.30 pm. The next thing I know, I am waking up at 5 am bright eyed and bushy tailed. I am ready for a walk but wait a hour until venturing out to the 'Borghese Gardens'.
I realize when I leave the hotel that it is too early for Romans to be out and about and apart from a few delivery vans no one is around. I continue on hoping there will be early morning walkers or runners in the gardens. I take the steps at Via Marguta, instead of the Spanish Steps to ascend to the upper level of the gardens.
This is a mistake as I pass a seemingly homeless man reeking of sweat who passes me coming down the steps and stares at me. I continue on up the steps and hear someone wheezing and trying to trot up the steps after me. It is the same man so I bolt up the steps and run across the road and loose him at the entrance to the gardens.
There are more people up here walking and running, but the experience has put me on high alert and I stick to the main areas where the people are.
I return via the steps into Piazza Popolo and take a very early 6.45 am cafe lungo macchiato with a cornetto con crema, standing at the bar at 'Cafe Corvo'. It is less than 2 euro which really surprises me and it is totally delicious.
I want to recall the names of the two churches in the Piazza opposite the cafe. One is closed so I wander over to the ' Chiesa Madonna Della Miracolo'
Here, the door is open I go in and sit down for a meditation and the priest appears and mass begins so I stay on to participate.
By the time I return to the hotel it is only 8 am and I have achieved a lot already. I shower and change and call Anne Ahern, Michaels cousin who lives in Rome. We will catch up tonight for dinner. Then I head off for what turns out tone a 5 hour walk around the Centro Storico and the outskirts of Rome. I take a light lunch then return to the hotel for a well earned rest. I instantly fall asleep at about 2 pm and wake at 5 pm feeling a bit delirious.
I perk up after a shower and decide to head to the hotel terrace to take up the offer of a complimentary aperitivo. I meet a nice couple with their small child, from Singapore. After our drink I leave for a short walk to Anne's apartment just over the Tiber from the Piazza Del Popolo.
Libby Ahern is also there from WA and the three of us go out to a new sheek restaurant near Anne's home. What a great night we chat and laugh about many things and the food is great.
The girls walk me back to my hotel and we leave each other with hugs and promises to catch up in Siracusa in the middle of June.
Tomorrow I leave Rome to go to Sicily to our new apartment in Siracusa. I am very excited to see how the renovation has turned out. My two nights in Rome have been fun but I look forward to the delights of Sicily.
JB
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