Rome

Blissful to be here in Rome. Our apartment is on the Via Banchi Vecchi, between the Tiber and the Campo dei Fiori. It's a comfortable, first floor place with a typically Roman kitchen (small and cluttered), a light-filled bedroom, tiny bathrooms and a lavishly furnished lounge room. There's some nice cafes and wine bars close by.

Lizzy and Sarah arrived last night and we had a late dinner in the Piazza Navona before finishing off with gelati at the Pantheon.
Today we've been to the Borghese Galley, and Spanish Steps and Trevi. It's rained all day and we're all a little damp, but will catch up later for dinner at the Pancrazio, a restaurant that houses remains of Pompey's theatre in its basement.

Jima and I are off to meet Sari, the owner of my apartment in Trastevere next year, for a quick hello. We had at look at my language school yesterday and it looks like a great place to study the language. Next year's study plan in Italy is seeming like it's really going to happen!

 

London again

We leave London tomorrow morning for Rome. It's been a great week here, most of the things on our 'to do' list have been checked off!

The National Portrait Gallery today - a great couple of hours, though again, missed the earlier works up to the 1700's. Simply not enough time in one visit.  Great additional works of the London olympians and the BP National Portrait Prize but I loved the Bloomsbury era and the pre-Raphaelite painters.
A long walk for us too today, though Kensington, Hyde and St James parks. Another wish this trip - to see the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Park (a gift by J M Barrie in 1912 and one that 'magically' appeared overnight).  The parks were alive with dogs, people strolling, runners, kids on scooters.
Earlier this week we saw Tim Minchin's Matilda at the Cambridge Theatre, which was an absolutely delightful production with lots of Roald Dahl original humour in the story. Great reception from adults and kids. We had an early dinner at the NZ restaurant Kopapi with some good Sauv Blanc from the region.

Explored the Borough market (below are the huge pans of paella ready for lunch), walked along the Thames to the Golden Hinde at Southwark, and on to the Globe Theatre.

All in all a fantastic week!