(no subject)
Just in the door from six days in Rome, which mainly involved too many food and too much priests. Plus, hanging out with my dad and being Dutiful Daughter.
Top tip! Avoid kissing a cardinal's ring using the following method. Cardinal greets you, subtly holds out his hand. Place slab of cans in his hand, which he accepts cordially. Laugh awkwardly when it is pointed out that the Pope likes beer. Bite tongue frequently throughout lunch. Politely excuse self to the ladies' room with foot in mouth. Apparently, kissing the ring buys you fifty days or five hundred days indulgence. It worked, anyway, and I did not have to place my mouth anywhere near a ring of any description.
My dad was staying in the Palazzo Doria Pamphilij the night I got there. I stayed in a hotel adjacent to 'un sexy club' called Cicacica Boom. Classy joint. But anyway, he moved over to the hotel eventually, though it was a bit sad having to return the keys to the palazzo. His priesty meetings have resulted in Hot Vatican Gossip, about which more anon.
Did very little of what could be called sightseeing because it always seems too much like work to me. I always go to the Museum of Rome in Trastevere because it's not a big daunting place full of stuff that just makes me feel like I'm back doing my art history degree. I also went here http://www.museocriminologico.it/storia_3_uk.htm, where they have scary torture things and a brain in a jar of some juice.
Am officially declaring myself the Imperial Bargain Queen. Dug around the market at Via Sannio, came up with gold. Vintage 1950s beaded silk dress (with broken zipper) for 13 euro. More expensive but fabulous vintage cashmere. Several skirts for a fiver. Also found discount couture in one place (it took some digging around, and a lot of it was hideous, but it was cheap and I found a nice blouse for shockingly little money), and bought very pretty shoes at a teeny family shoemaker called Calzature Borini, which is on Via dei Pettinari. Eventually found a proper shoemaker who makes things which cannot be called shoes, but rather objects which have passionate sex with your feet. If ever I have money, I will have them make some hot sex on my feet. They also do ready-to-wear, which are all handmade, and not actually that expensive (custom ones are 400 squids, which is about a gazillion times more than I can afford). http://www.calzoleriapetrocchi.it/vari.htm. And wandered the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, momentarily distracted with pretty pictures for long enough to ignore the troubling affectation of the vestigal 'j'.
Ate so much I think I might explode.
Got to see my friend Lisa, whom I hadn't seen in a few years, and who is currently a fellow at the American Academy in Rome (a purpose-built complex (here: http://www.aarome.org/), loosely modelled on a palazzo, on top of the Janiculum, and we spent the last three days eating, wandering, gossiping, and suchlike, and it was great. Went to a gallery opening there last night, though didn't stay long. Munched things and sipped things and then went and stuffed our faces near Campo di Fiori.
There is much more, I'm sure, but that's the gist.
And still, there is eating of things I brought back with me.
Top tip! Avoid kissing a cardinal's ring using the following method. Cardinal greets you, subtly holds out his hand. Place slab of cans in his hand, which he accepts cordially. Laugh awkwardly when it is pointed out that the Pope likes beer. Bite tongue frequently throughout lunch. Politely excuse self to the ladies' room with foot in mouth. Apparently, kissing the ring buys you fifty days or five hundred days indulgence. It worked, anyway, and I did not have to place my mouth anywhere near a ring of any description.
My dad was staying in the Palazzo Doria Pamphilij the night I got there. I stayed in a hotel adjacent to 'un sexy club' called Cicacica Boom. Classy joint. But anyway, he moved over to the hotel eventually, though it was a bit sad having to return the keys to the palazzo. His priesty meetings have resulted in Hot Vatican Gossip, about which more anon.
Did very little of what could be called sightseeing because it always seems too much like work to me. I always go to the Museum of Rome in Trastevere because it's not a big daunting place full of stuff that just makes me feel like I'm back doing my art history degree. I also went here http://www.museocriminologico.it/storia_3_uk.htm, where they have scary torture things and a brain in a jar of some juice.
Am officially declaring myself the Imperial Bargain Queen. Dug around the market at Via Sannio, came up with gold. Vintage 1950s beaded silk dress (with broken zipper) for 13 euro. More expensive but fabulous vintage cashmere. Several skirts for a fiver. Also found discount couture in one place (it took some digging around, and a lot of it was hideous, but it was cheap and I found a nice blouse for shockingly little money), and bought very pretty shoes at a teeny family shoemaker called Calzature Borini, which is on Via dei Pettinari. Eventually found a proper shoemaker who makes things which cannot be called shoes, but rather objects which have passionate sex with your feet. If ever I have money, I will have them make some hot sex on my feet. They also do ready-to-wear, which are all handmade, and not actually that expensive (custom ones are 400 squids, which is about a gazillion times more than I can afford). http://www.calzoleriapetrocchi.it/vari.htm. And wandered the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, momentarily distracted with pretty pictures for long enough to ignore the troubling affectation of the vestigal 'j'.
Ate so much I think I might explode.
Got to see my friend Lisa, whom I hadn't seen in a few years, and who is currently a fellow at the American Academy in Rome (a purpose-built complex (here: http://www.aarome.org/), loosely modelled on a palazzo, on top of the Janiculum, and we spent the last three days eating, wandering, gossiping, and suchlike, and it was great. Went to a gallery opening there last night, though didn't stay long. Munched things and sipped things and then went and stuffed our faces near Campo di Fiori.
There is much more, I'm sure, but that's the gist.
And still, there is eating of things I brought back with me.