There's nothing more satisfying than that feeling of coming home. This weekend Anna and I realised how enchanted we've become with Rome, as it was with great reluctance that we headed over to Venice. On a 7am flight. Our unwillingness to miss out on Saturday night antics and drag ourselves out on a trip (which we' previously been excited about) is a real testament to how much I now love my life in Rome. Yet duty, or at least Warwick's Italian Department, called and so we headed out... at half three in the morning, to catch a night bus, a coach and a plane to Venice.
Disgruntled 8am faces
When we arrived, at 8am, running off merely two forty five minute naps, we were even less pleased with the state of affairs. However, a morning of aimless wandering in the labyrinth of Venice's streets and watery dead ends we soon calmed down and enjoyed the sunshine by the canals. At first we were amazed by how extremely peaceful the city was, and then we realised that it was in, in fact, Sunday morning and so everyone was taking it easy. Just like Lionel Richie.
After a couple of hours spent like this we thought it was, perhaps, about time to find out where we were staying and having received the address via text (of course we didn't think it was something important to note down before leaving the house!) we bought a map and headed off. Venice truly is a maze and every now and then the road stops dead at a tiny gate to the canals and you have to back track and start again. Therefore mission 'find the hotel' became something of a game... which eventually we won. The university had organised for us all to stay in an old convent and so we were greeted by the tiniest Italian nun who showed us to our room where we promptly passed out until dinner time.
By the time we awoke the rest of the Warwick group had arrived and so there was lots of excited chatter and catching up to be done, topped off the the incredible scream let out by my friend, Lauren, before she ran at me and gave me the biggest hug. We had a midnight curfew to respect and so we swiftly headed out to find dinner and drinks. Drinks here meaning a Spritz-Aperol, which seems to be enormously popular in Venice... and now with our entire group. For the rest of the trip all down time was marked by the query, 'Anyone fancy a Spritz?'
Spritz o'clock
Monday and Tuesday morning were spent with two of our faculty members from Warwick, feeding back on what we'd been up to, how our Module Reports had gone and planning for our return to Warwick. More about that in another blog, I think. It was great to hear what everyone's been up to, that we were not alone in our struggles whilst tackling Italian bureaucracies and looking forward to which modules we'll be taking next year, because in English Universities, such information is freely available and registration is as easy as pie.
The weather was as beautiful as the city itself and we spent most of our free time breaking off into ever changing small groups (mixing it up so as to guarantee the chance to catch up with everyone) to wander the higgledy-piggledy madess of Venice's tiny streets, sit out in the sunshine by the water and get lots of gelato and numerous rounds of Spritz-Aperol. It was heavenly!
Sitting on the dock of the bay
Catching up over lunch
Catching the sun by the Rialto.
Unfortunately, despite our midnight curfew we all still ended up going to bed far too late every night whilst being expected to breakfast at eight. This compounded with our nocturnal travels left Anna and I equally grumpy on our journey home and we reverted to our happy habit of blissfully ignoring eachother whilst seeking solace within our Kindles. Luckily, the delirium of our over-tired state usually hit us both at about the same time and therefore every now and then the clouds of discontent would clear to make way for insane bursts of song.
All in all it was a good trip. I really enjoyed all the time I got to spend with my Warwick friends, and I think many more advenures will come as a result of this trip (lots of invitations flying about!) and I was some spellbound by the beauty, mystery and elegance of this aquatic city. Yet I cannot deny how happy I was when we finally made it home to Rome and my bed. Venice is fabulous and in the end I enjoyed the trip just as much as I'd orignally anticipated but now it's wonderful to be back in Rome and my fun life here. Because at the end of the day, Rome is where my heart is.
"The traveller sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see."
-G.K. Chesterton.
I live in an incredibly touristy city. That's not to say it's in any way overpowered by the sightseeing masses, but merely to state the fact that Rome is beautiful and people flock here with a packed itinerary and often only two or three days to completely check off their 'To-Do' List.
This week I went wandering in the north and caught up with a couple of friends from Warwick and they gave me a glimpse into their lives and showed off what their towns had to offer. I found myself in both Milan and Pavia and, I must say, I really enjoyed the freedom of not having any notion of what one 'has to' see in either place. Obviously Milan is famous for fashion (and general fabulousness), so of course Laurelle and I did go shopping... mostly gawping after all the labelled loveliness (which a student budget just doesn't happily lend itself to) as well as going for sushi (which seems to be Milan's culinary favourite, judging by the sheer number of restaurants). The only really touristy thing we did was going up on the roof of the Duomo.
It was lovely, partly because our sole motivation was how stunning the cathedral is. We didn't even go inside or read any of the information about it. Sometimes it's just really nice to remain ignorant and appreciate beauty in somewhat awestruck silence... in the sunshine... on a roof... with an incredible view.
My entire weekend with Laurelle was really peaceful and and chilled as we just gave ourselves loads of time to talk and catch up and not make any real effort. That being said, we did have two big nights out, go on funfair rides, play in a children's park and ride bicycles all over the city. It's actually really funny how much fun we had when we weren't even trying!
I arrived on Thursday, which happened to be Festa della Donna, a day of appreciating women and making them feel special. Ironically, we ended up at a Playboy bunny themed party in a club called La Banque, which luckily was not as cringey as it sounded! Friday consisted of the Duomo, shopping and dinner down by the Navigli canal and Saturday was the action packed bicycling, fun fair riding, sushi and swings adventure. It was brilliant.
On Sunday I jumped on the train and headed over to Pavia, which is a smaller city about which I knew absolutely nothing. It was charming, however, and I'm glad I've learnt the joys of an Erasmus tour as I don't think I'd ever have thought to explore that little corner of the world otherwise. Agata and I again spent a lot of time just wandering around. We did get the train out to a pretty monastery but, this is being Italy, it was closed for absolutely no reason! She took me to a cool live music club and again, it was just lovely to catch up with a friend and take in the sights that I didn't even know there were to be seen. For example, her university is much prettier than mine and get a load of this view...
Well, I'm back in Rome now which means back to work and back to play The weather's not turned, as it would have in England after a week of sunshine, and so Anna and I have started taking our Kindles to the park and happily ignoring each other. Which is lovely. I'm reading Elizabeth Gaskell's 'Wives and Daughters', it's not a bad shout. You've got to love it when a nineteenth century author's favourite word is 'banter'!
Now, just to make the title of this post almost make sense, here's a little 80s flashback.
"The sun has got his hat on, Hip hip hip hooray, The sun has has got his hat on, and he's coming out to play!"
Sunshine makes everything seem better. Fact. Here in Rome winter seems to be well and truly passed and ever so gradually Spring is....erm, springing. For over a week now at least a few hours of the day have been 'just sit outside and enjoy the sunshine' beautiful and a few days ago I even got a whiff of some freshly cut grass. It was bliss!
My aunt and I chilling in the sunshine.
Since my last post my life has been a total blur. I've been busy working, both as a volunteer and also in my new job teaching English as a second language, as well as enjoying a trip from two of my aunts. Not to mention what I consider to be a pretty impressive marathon of fun, with not a single night in for over a week. Well done me.
The whirlwind that became my social calendar couldn't have been a bigger blessing as it pulled me straight out of the misery that is ever February. It never ceases to amaze me that the shortest month of the year can drag on for so long and make the world and everyone in it so miserable! However, I catapulted into March and the completely exhilarating madness that I knew it was sure to bring. Yippee!
As I mentioned earlier, two of my aunts, my two gorgeous godmothers, came to Rome this weekend and spoilt me rotten. It was a lovely visit. It was just a really chilled few days in which we wandered around the city and enjoyed the sunshine, the views and each others' company. My Mum kept emailing me how jealous she was of us! I really miss my family sometimes as we've always been so close, so it was really wonderful to get to share a piece of my life here with two people who mean so much to me.
What with this Thursday being 'Festa della donna', or more simply put 'Women's Day', I'm going to take this opportunity (or any opportunity really) to gush about my amazing family, on this occasion my Mum's side. My Mum is one of four sisters and after my grandfather died young, leaving my grandmother a widow at 41, the family became entirely female. For me this meant growing up surrounded by amazing women as role models who've also always supported me as confidantes, advisers and, most importantly, friends. At one point over the weekend one of my aunts had something of a revelation when, during a relaxed evening in the hotel bar with a bottle of wine, she turned to her sister and said 'I can't believe it. Clare looks like an adult' before continuing to have a mini muse on how little and blonde I used to be and how I now have a life, in a foreign country. She's right though, it's a bit mental. Life. I could ramble on for ages, but I'll leave this train of thought at end with the all important conclusion that I love my aunts. Apparently it was really obvious that we were having a lovely time. Even a taxi driver commented on how happy we looked just to nattering away together!
With my godmothers, by the Trevi fountain.
So far March is hectic, and it doesn't show any sign of slowing down. Thank goodness! This week I'm heading off to find some fellow Warwick Erasmus students in both Milan and Pavia and so I'll be writing up my adventures soon.
p.s. I finished Tess of the D'Ubervilles- it wasn't nearly as depressing as I thought it would be. I actually rather liked enjoyed it.
p.p.s. I've stumbled upon an artist called Wakey!Wakey! and am loving him. Here's one of my favourites from the album 'Almost Everything I Wish I'd Said Last Time I Saw You...'
