As is our somewhat newly acquired tradition, my mum and I went on holiday together again this year. Holidays with your mother might sound like an unappealing proposition but (and I know we all think this) my mum is like no other and therefore rather good fun to be around.
We saw all the sights. We ate our body weight in ice cream and pizza and pasta. We consumed unhealthy amounts of red wine.
We got in for half price at the Vatican and saw a beautiful Caravaggio / Bacon exhibition at the Villa Borghese.
Rome is a beautiful city during the day time. We left the wind and rain and cold at home and spent five days in the sunshine. People in the rest of Europe always look so much healthier than their British counterparts and after visiting Italy in October it’s easy to see why. I mean, plants don’t thrive in the kind of weather we experience for most of the year here so why should humans?
Anyway, less of all that.
One of the big things that struck me about Rome is that it really isn’t a modern city. That sounds like the most obvious thing to say, and of course it is. What I mean is that walking round the streets I felt like I was still in the 1950s. The signs and shops fitted in with the surroundings. There wasn’t a giant supermarket on Villa Internazionale and I can well imagine that, had it been in Britain, Tesco would have managed to work its way in there somewhere.
Can I just say: Dear Rome, I very much enjoyed walking round your ruins, standing for hours staring at your beautiful ceilings and making myself fat on your wonderful food x
I’d love to go to Rome someday. My husband was a classical studies major, and he’s been before. It would be a lot of fun to go with him and have him teach me about all of the ruins. I’m glad you had a great time!