Turning Heads, Piazza Bologna

Regulars at Bar Gelsi

Right across the street from my house, in Via dei Gelsi, it's hard not to descend from our hot apartment to the shade of this little cafè, where Ilaria (middle) or Simone (behind the camera) whip up an espresso, we grab a pastry, and pass the time with our stories.

Gina at the Market

Under the Bridge

Isola del Giglio

Sentiero Naturale - Hiking on the Island

I hate snakes. They scare the shit out of me.

Rome was too hot this weekend, and so I went to Isola del Giglio, an island off the south west of Tuscany. From Rome, it's 2hrs by train, a short bus, and an hour ferry, with some waiting in the middle. All told I was on the beach there by 3pm on Saturday. As the sun waned, however, I wanted to go hiking inland.
The island is set out as follows: The port is on the eastern coast with a neaby beach; there is a castle, Castello Giglio, commanding a peak dead centre, and there is the town of Campese, with its own beach on the west coast A mountain range runs north.south for more than 10kms, the full stretch of the island. It was too late to march 4kms steeply uphill from the east to the castle, so I took a bus that far, and decided to descend the 4 kms to the west during sunset.


Having arrived without any accommodation, I easily settled for the night on the beach at Campese. It was certainly much fresher than a night spent in Rome. Waking with the sun the next morning, I set off on my trek uphill, back towards the castle. About 2kms across, and 300 metres higher, I encountered my foe. The path was mainly rocks, and I'd seen so many lizards along the way, that I tried to quell my cumbersome footsteps so as to avoid scaring them. From the right darts a shiny black snake, and it's coming in my direction. As far as I'm concerned, every snake is highly venomous until proven otherwise. I jumped backwards, downhill, my backpack propelling me faster. It darted even closer, then between my legs. I almost died. I don't know how I avoided touching it, but it slithered off the path to the left. Gone. Well, it was gone, but I couldn't move for a few moments. Should I sprint past the spot to avoid it? Or will it want to attack me if I do? Should I go slowly and carefully, I will that give it a better chance to come back and eat me whole? All these thoughts rushed through my mind as a butterfly settled on my shoulder. That sensation was enough to start me running, and I avoided having to make a voluntary choice!

Sunset and Sunrise, Giglio

Da Solo alla Isola del Giglio

The sun sets on Saturday

Che Dici?

Beers at Campo di Fiori

Pompi

Pompi in San Giovanni has some of the best tiramisu going around...

Cucina alla Casa

Spanish Steps

Roman Scenes

Campo di Fiori



Pantheon

V in Rome

V visited Rome this weekend; we walked around so much of Rome, met Valentina for aperitivo, and spent the night with some beers in Trastevere. And we found time to lounge in the sun on the Spanish Steps with Siobhan (a friend of V and Claire from Australia who inexplicably had found it difficult to locate these steps in the past 3 days!)

Isolation at the Pantheon

Late Night Bruschetta

Across the Tiber

... Trastevere, Rome.