I

We left a drizzly and grey London August afternoon behind us, but arrived in a balmy, dark and surprisingly quiet evening in Rome. The scheduled BA flight was pleasant, so too our prosecco and nibbles and on time when leaving Heathrow. We got off the last Leonardo Express from Fiumicino Airport to an almost deserted Termini Station. There was a lone Carabinieri car parked on the concourse outside with a couple of armed military police sat casually smoking inside it and a few rough sleepers (certainly dodgy looking geezers anyway) milling about. Having apparently missed the last Metro to where we needed to go for our hotel in the Monte Sacro area. Having no real idea when and if any bus was running the way we needed to go- we ended up ironically grabbing a Maccy D’s from the closing store down on the lower concourse and sat and ate on the cool granite benches. Eventually deciding that a cab was obviously the only way we were going to get there. We were tired, but excited.

Back outside we found a white Mercedes taxi waiting and bundled in. Twenty minutes of crazy Formula 1 like driving; so scary and dangerous making us laugh so hard, it was almost like being on a runaway fairground ride. It is one hundred percent true that most Italians drive like lunatics and certainly give the impression of wanting to meet their God (yikes, any minute now!), a lot earlier than the rest of us would ideally like. €40 euros later when we got out of the’ racing car’, we were relieved. The Hotel looked beautiful in the brochure and it was. Luxurious but understated in white and marble. However it really was on the outskirts of the city and up a residential back street we were sure, in the dark, not a nice place to be. What a weird site for such a majestic and brightly lit beacon of comfort.

We checked-in easily without a hint of any funny look or chiding thoughts and found our way to our room, through the winding corridors and up in that tiny lift which barely fitted us and our ruck sack in. The room was clean and pleasant, with a huge white bed but slightly odd in shape as it appeared to be partially in the angled eaves of this massive neo-classical Italian villa. We unpacked, showered and fell into bed. Snuggled, caressed, massaged, kissed and licked for what felt like a beautiful eternity and despite the oppressive night time heat, we made slow and easy love before eventually falling asleep in a new and beautiful city.

I’ve always admired how easily you can fall asleep just about anywhere.  A marauding hockey team could stream, crashing through the room and you’d not even stir a little. The calm didn’t last long though. Somewhere, rumbling softly behind our headboard, in the wall, the air conditioning duct must have run. It wasn’t loud as such but just at that annoying humming pitch to get right on my tits. Once it had woken me up I couldn’t no matter what I did, ‘unhear’ it! Oh shit. I tossed and turned and grimaced and swore like a Pompey sailors girlfriend. I ended up uncurling myself from you and turning us head to toe and burying my ears under the pillow just to muffle the insanely irritating sound. You of course, didn’t even budge, just carried on with that soft steady breathing. Now and again you muttering something I‘ve never ever understood, no matter how many times I’ve heard you talking in your sleep. Anyway I thought to myself-‘That’ll teach me to buy us a ‘last minute, cheap?’ European City Break on a whim!’

The next morning after a quick late breakfast we bought our metro cards, tourist map and some chewing gum at a kiosk at the bottom of the road, then headed into Rome city centre. Your smiles and restrained excitement palpable and contagious. Always the ‘cool’ one you. What a glorious day – do you remember the heat? It was cliché- not a cloud in the crystal clear blue sky and close to 36 degrees. It was hot and the sun, wow the sun was fierce. The trip into town in the dark and cool metro tunnels was a welcome relief.

I’ve been to Rome many, many times in the past on my own. In my opinion it’s one of the most interesting and beautiful cities in the world. It always excites me and holds me in awe. You always tease me about being an ‘Italian’ and maybe in some deep way I am. The cities architecture, history, art and sheer colossal size of it all inspires and moves me greatly. It’s one of the few places on earth that I’ve been that does that to me every time I come back to it. I wanted so desperately to share all this, this great city of magic… just with you.

 

II

Our first sight, as we climbed up from the under belly of this ancient city……………