Rome! (if you want to)

I have really good memories of the last time I went to Rome, despite all the sexual harassment, but it seems a lot of people don't feel the same way as me. For example, Spuey said that while the city had a lot of cool things, he reckoned it wasn't worth the hype. Pooey said while she enjoyed it, she probably wouldn't go back. Lydia was getting tired of religious iconography and was so paranoid about getting robbed, she wouldn't ride the metro or the pickpocket express (no. 64 bus).

But I don't feel that way! I mean sure it's dirty, smelly, crowded and many other things I hate, but how can I hate a city where wearing a skirt can quite literally stop traffic?! Okay, the trade-off is all the sexual harassment but I got into a relaxed mode about it when I decided to just treat is as a kind of national sport. Like football. My enjoyment probably is fuelled by my appreciation of baroque art though, particularly Bernini - I'll give everyone that. I happily spent time hunting down some favourite pieces all over various churches and palaces.

Bernini and Caravaggio from Santa Maria della Vittoria, Santa Maria del Popolo.

Since I was unable to organise accommodation with the nuns again this time, Lydia and I were staying in a B&B run by an oldish lady named Maria, or as I preferred to call her, Nonna. Nonna wouldn't let Lydia wash dishes and she'd make us ultra-sugary breakfasts in the morning. At first I loved it, but soon I felt my pancreatic cells crying from all the sugar. It was quite a large apartment - I got the feeling that Nonna had kids who had since moved out and she liked to keep a full apartment - there were two other groups of backpackers there during the duration of our stay.

Our apartment and Nonna with the anthurium we gave her as a thank you present

Pooey also came along to Rome for a few days and we naturally got up to some mischief. But that's for another blog.