Getting down to being a Roman 'local'

Allora!!  So you thought that I had given up on this blog.  Truth is that two things inhibited me.  First, every time I looked at the blog with an addition in mind, I saw our new addition’s edition, the beautiful William, and I thought “I just can’t top that”.  Second, and partly because of William, I haven’t had much time this past six weeks.  Busy, busy, busy!!

 

After the birth I made an overnight work trip to Paris.  It was a good work trip but rather rushed.  I did have an excellent dinner and lunch however.  I have to recommend Confit du Canard – I can ‘ardly speak highly enough of the duck, cooked such that its skin was like fine ‘crackling”.

Then, I eventually travelled to Yorkshire to become acquainted with my new grandson and embrace son and daughter-in-law (as well as a spouse who I hadn’t seen for a month).  William and I seemed to hit it off just fine and it was lovely to see the new family, all so very keen on one another.  Yorkshire was Yorkshire and the weather forgettable.  A highlight was attending the 60^th birthday party of the local vicar’s wife.

On return to Rome I was able to carry the bride over the threshold of the new living space as she had never slept there.  Thereafter she was busy building on the survival-only possessions that I survived so well on.  So we now have some plates etc and news that our shipment of possessions has arrived at the Italian port of Milano (well inland you geography-buffs are saying). But Genova has a dock but no parking for miles.  Anyway, if the Customs authorities are in the mood we ‘might’ have it all by next weekend.

Yesterday we bought (or at least ordered) our car.  Gave up on the mid(?)-life crisis fantasy of an Alfa and opted for a Peugeot 308, mostly because it offered more and I hired one in the UK and was very impressed.  Anyway, we won’t see the car for at least six weeks due to the way things need to be done here – but we do have its compliance plate number.

And we have had our first visitors.  They largely behaved themselves and were safely dispatched with the sorts of memories that only the Eternal City can provide.  We took the opportunity to dine out, with local friends, while they were here and enjoyed some of the ‘dolce vita’ that you have heard about.

Anyway, conscious that some of you count the words, and hoping that you will start offering some encouraging comments so I go on with this onerous chore ;-)  I will stop here.  Save but to tell you what the photos have been this time.

So…. Langcliffe, Settle, North Yorkshire – former home of my grandson;  what Romans do on a Sunday afternoon when they close off the road beside the Colosseum (and William would have enjoyed) – cart rides; what Savoyards do on a Saturday night when they present a wonderful version of the Taming of the Shrew complete with mixed accents (being mostly expatriates); what the local parish church folk of the Basilica of San Clemente do once a year on the good saint’s feast day – processing around the streets to the opposition churches accompanied by a full band (this shot from our bedroom window); ‘the office’ decked out with flags of every member nation for the world food security summit and its annual ‘share holders meeting’; an Australian visitor starting off on the wrong foot by trying to dress like a Roman but being typically a couple of thousand years behind the fashions (and causing considerable distress to my wife who was bent double just prior to this shot); and of course, a more recent photo of the star of 2009 – William.  Oh! And my mate and me!!!!

Arrivederci