Saturday, late

THE ETERNAL CITY.........

Well, Rome was glorious. I flew home today, then had to get to London in time to give a lecture (I made it!!) then hurried home, got to Mass, and was ready to collapse cosily over a mug of tea but....among my emails was a delightful one from my big sister in NZ, with glorious pix of a family wedding Down Under, and lots of nice chat and "how was Rome? ..." and her pix gave so much pleasure I want to reciprocate...so here goes....

A few snapshots really, as I'm still whirling from travel and images and so on....
the trip began with a 4am cycle ride through the dark suburbs to Wimbledon and a train to Gatwick....and on arrival at Ciampino I felt v. proud of myself negotiating safe arrival via buses and the Metro to the conference hotel in the Via Aurelia (only got a taxi for the very last part, from the taxi rank near thr Vatican musuems).....conference a wonderful gathering tackling family policy..... some good speakers including a Polish MEP, and a Spanish journalist (golly, the current Spanish Government sound a ghastly lot!).....in the early evening we met friends for drinks, hurrying across St Peter's Square in the gloaming, that wonderful dome illuminated.....then a splendid dinner with MUCH lively conversation, in which Jamie used his French and German and I rather tamely stuck to English (did better at lunch the next day)....on Friday morning an enjoyable potter around Rome....cobbled streets, a cappucino and breakfast at a friendly cafe while we wrote postcards...the Vatican Post Office with its own stamps and enjoyably village-Post-Office feel.... in the city,shops crammed with elegant clothes, expensive goods, a sense of prosperity and all v. enjoyable.....but vile pornographic advertisments at Termini railway station, making it embarrassing when you wanted to stare at adjacent train times...an evening visit to the Chiesa Nuova (where Palestrina is buried - did you know that? Nor did I), and pasta and seafood in a restaurant almost opposite, followed by coffee in...oh, what's that Square not far away, with fountains and space that feels like a set from an opera....a friend who was there a few weeks ago said there was a superb children's carnival parade there, with dozens of children dressed (this year's popular outfit, apparently!) as cacti, complete with spikes!!

It was all hugely enjoyable. We didn't waste much time sleeping, which is probably why I'm now feeling blurred, but, goodness, it was fun!

Oh, and I looked up as we crossed St P's square, and all the windows were dark except those where the Pope lives, where lights were bright and glowing, and one imagined him sitting with papers and, one hopes, the odd mug of tea and a favourite snack.....

I loved Rome. Even this morning's hurry to the airport was fun, and I dozed on the plane, then a sudden air of unreality scurrying to the train and hurtling from Gatwick to....Balham, where I was talking to some young engaged couples! I hope that something of the enthusiasm and joy kindled by the conference spilled over to them.

And now I'm going to sleep.