Wednesday, February 27, 2008

In other news...

Did I mention that I was going to Rome?

My dearly beloved hub lost the thread of himself early last winter and booked a weekend away to the Eternal City, as a present for me on the occasion of me getting older than I already was.

It's taken no mean feat of organisation to arrange the finer details, which is what I had to do in order to be able to go anywhere. There will be children stashed in other people's under-stair cupboards; there will be children stashed in other people's dog kennels; there will be children hanging out of other people's lightbulbs - but not out of me!

Yes - a child-free two and a half days, in the company of the hub. Just you watch me move across Rome!

I've always wanted to visit Rome, since I read Middlemarch and then Portrait of a Lady. The female protagonists of both novels go to Rome and visit all the sights: one with her newly married dry, dusty old fart, the other is single but ends up seduced by another American exile (entirely the wrong man for her, but there you go).

In both cases the authors used their knowledge of the 'Grand Tour,' as visiting all the important European cities used to be called, to extend the emotional backdrop - using settings intertwined with the emotional state of the heroines.

Now, I'm not as dramatic as that, but I do like a good ruin - I shall be taking pictures but will be looking for the quirky ones, like the one in my guide book: he's headless, handless and ahem-less, with a set of testicles any bull would be proud of! Hmm. Wonder who he was meant to be, then...

15 comments:

belle said...

Have a fantastic time!

Unknown said...

Why, oh why, do we not have Grand Tours anymore?
I have a cast iron idea that you are going to enjoy this a whole lot!

Seoman said...

Rome wonderful! Have a great time there....

Debi said...

Be very very careful crossing the roads. Zebra crossings are not what you think ...

Oh and it costs more to drink a coffee sitting down than standing at the bar ...

And gestures don't always translate. G once tried to tell a man some food was delicious - but his gesture said something completely different regarding the man's mother and a farm animal.

Bear all this in mind and you'll be fine. Enjoy!

apprentice said...

You'll love it. Go and eat in the Trastevere area as the restaurants are very good there, and the walk back by the river is lovely.

Pearl said...

woo, now that's a delightful change of pace.

Unknown said...

Belle - thank you, I shall try my best!

Minx- on second thoughts, I might leave the cast iron at home - you know I like to travel light!

Debi - I promise to be very careful about my hand gestures...

Seoman - I can't wait :)))

Apprentice - I am writing that one down and making hub look it up in the guide!

Pearl - I need this break so badly you wouldn't believe (and so does the hub, gawd love him ;) )

Kay Cooke said...

Have a fantastic time ... (drool, drool)

Unknown said...

Thanks CB - I will give it a lash :)

Wanderlust Scarlett said...

Yay! I hope you have a wonderful time, and I can't wait to hear all about it.

I am jade green with envy... but still so glad for you.

Have fun!

Scarlett & Viaggiatore

Unknown said...

A childfree weekend? Will you actually know what to do with yourself?! ;-) Have a fab time!

Emerging Writer said...

Hope you had a great time and came back refreshed and full of ideas. Have you read either of the books on Henry James - Author, Author - Daid Lodge or The Master - Colm Toibin? Great books about the process of writing.

Unknown said...

Scarlett - I can't believe I got the chance to go - I've milked it to the very last drop!

Aty - We got on very well considering we didn't have to listen to all those different demands that we usually do.

EW - I have both books on my TBR pile. I heard really interesting reviews of Toibin's books and am dying to get some free time to read it, particularly.

Jon M said...

Bet you won't know what to do for the first few hours, keep looking round for those 'others' and then realise they're safe!

Or maybe you've been and are back? I'm losing track!

Unknown said...

Jon - I've been and back already, still catching up to myself. And no, I didn't spend any time looking for 'others' :)))