Frank and Robyn become Carravagisti and Lazarenes

An early start and it out to meet our docent for the Carravagio Tour, but not before a simple yet nutritious breakfast.

Our docent is Dr Lauren from England and what she does not know about the big C is not worth knowing. She manages to transfer all her knowledge to us using a type of metaphysical cut and paste technique, so much so that whereas at the beginning of the tour we were dedicated mannerists, by the end we were devout realists! Anyway, these are the paintings we saw and discussed at length- as far as art is concerned we now divide history into before C and after C.

Our brain being so stuffed full of knowledge we decide to do the same for our stomachs-so it is off to the trattoria for victuals followed by a visit to our favourite gelato shop where we are completely stonkered after our 3rd serving of blissful joy.

New Fiat 500 vs Old Fiat 500

In the evening it is by taxi to the Olimpic Stadio to see our beloved Lazio take on the might of Sampadoria, the scum of the north. The taxi ride turns out to be one of many near death experiences tonight. After passing through 4 security checks and being searched 3 times we find our seats among the die-hard Lazarenes. The proceedings start with a real eagle flying into the stadium and alighting on a perch and then the fun begins. I was surprised that all spectators spectate while standing on the seats for the whole game; there is continuous raucous singing, with huge banners, flares and explosions from time to time-a real tribal event. We seemed to be the only 2 people in the stadium not to be chain smoking. Fortunately, Lazio won 3-0 so that none of the players needed to be crucified along the Appian Way, a charming tradition dating back to the days of Nero.

Following the match we somehow manage to find a taxi who is also from the no holds barred school of driving including driving on the tram lines to bypass the traffic.

Roamin' around Rome

Today we have nothing booked so we decide to make our own tour.
We head out to the Pantheon where we are completely alone apart from the other 10000 tourists.

Time for quiet contemplation

Elephant for Ella

JC by Mike

Then on to various art galleries and then to one of my favourite parts of the day, lunch-pizza Roman style. We then enjoyed the peaceful solitude of Piazza Navona, along with 25000 tourists including glimpses of Bernini's fountain of the 4 rivers-the Yarra, the Murray, the Todd and the Murrumbidgee.

We head back to the billet to recover from all this solitude and then it is out to dinner at a local trattoria.

Hell's Angels........Vatican Chapter

Today we have our Vespa tour of Rome. We are picked up on 2 choppers by Allesandro(the animal) and Giorgio(the gross) and we are whisked away to various views and churches of Rome dodging all impedimenta of traffic. Holding around the waist of a rather unattractive Italian proves problematic:holding too tight and he may think I am looking for a good time; too gently and it may mean "Arriverderci Franki" under the wheels of a tourist bus.

Charlton Heston by Mike

St Teresa by Big Man Bernini

Drinking water Roman style

Piazza di Poppoli

Morning tea with Fellini

11s's

Boromoni's perfect model

Buffalo mozzarella

Trippa

Chillin' out

Allesandro and Giorgio

Allesandro and some nympette and our choppers

Too much to drink at lunch

Keats

Turtle Fountain

Anyway after a fine morning of sight seeing we stop at a trattoria for lunch and after 2 bottles of red and grappa and other exotic liqueurs we have forged new Italo/Australo bonds.
At the end of our tour we invite A & G to our apartment for a sess. on the single malt.
We are then booked in for an evening at Cecchio de 1887 for a meal of strange animal parts.

Pathology specimens posing as food

I love this town

Food Lovers Guide To Rome

We wander 

across the Tiber to meet up with our food lover's tour and walk the streets a of Trastevere, a cornucopia of delectable delights: cheeses, salamis, porchetta, suppli,

gelato(pear and gorgonzola wins the day), pasta, pizza,

pastries and cookies-and that was just morning tea!
We sally forth in the afternoon for a search for a new jumper for F and after covering about 17km we find a shop 100m from our billet.
In the evening, feeling absolutely ravenous we go to Oliver Glowig Restaurant featured in "The Trip to Italy". Somewhat disappointed by the overall experience plus the pathetic attempt to fill us up with all manner of extras, including donuts, not as good as those at the MCG

Goodbye London, Bona Sera Rome

It is with a heavy heart we say farewell to Claire, who has been a wonderful travelling companion over the last 10 days-we will really miss her and her zany sense of fun and humour.
We are picked up by Tuttu and are taken out to Gatwick to catch our budget flight to Rome-all goes uneventfully and despite a luggage delay we are picked up by our driver, who seems surly initially, turns out to be very funny. He is a big time supporter of AS Roma and is horrified that we are seeing Lazzio play.
We check in to our billet

and then find a local osteria where we are introduced to the joys of Italian cuisine, including vast bowls of pasta and Trippa alla Romana(don't ask).

New Year's Eve or The Great Cycle Of Life

Early start and join Claire for a trip to the fleshpots of Edmonton where we have a  tour of her place of employment, meet work colleagues and are introduced to the joys of 1 pound shopping.

One of her work colleagues asked if this was a poster of her father!

Lunch with Charlie and then he goads us into hiring Boris bikes for a tour of the more obscure sights of London, including the Geffrye Museum.

Then off for ale in Hackney.
We have NYE dinner at Clare and Peter's house, where the blogger manages to fall asleep at the table.
It is then on to the Hampton Arms for a carousing welcome to 2015.

Robyn, Charlie, Clare and Ruth

The joys of London transport

Ornamental canal Wapping

Spent the morning standing at various tube stations being harangued about track works, cancellations and signal failures and then on to Harrods, a giant device designed to suck cash out of your wallet.
Then to Oxford street to buy a new lootcase.
In the evening out to Covent Garden for a great performance of Un Ballo En Maschera(a ball wearing mascara?). Turns out to be a very expensive place to sleep(intermittently).