Tuesday, April 03, 2001

I'm in LONDON.. it's taken me 3.5 days and three hundred miles to find an internet cafe (note: no coffee) that was open. Yah! The weather is beautiful. Sunny and warm. Well okay, there is a slight chill in the air today but it's welcome. Nights are too-warm. I wasn't expecting this. Blossoms and daffodils and blue skies. The buildings are lovely and the churches are magnificent and I haven't even left the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea yet! hold on.. be back soon.

Wednesday, April 04, 2001

right.. so.. I went to find the underground and found a bus instead. I am now in Oxford Street updating my blog from easyEverything 'the world's largest internet café' or somesuch. ~JJ~ made me go from where i was *previous entry* to here as a test of my public transportness.

My trip to the UK was longggg but pretty good. I slept mostly. I took a blackcab from the airport (yes Seamus has already told me off for spending too much money) but hell.. i couldn't FIND the Underground. I still can't sometimes. I got into my Hotel at 7am and surprise, my room wasn't ready so I went for a walk. I walked until nearly 2pm and my feet nearly fell off. I did really well, just using my nose for direction. (forgot i had a map til much later). Managed to find Harrods and Christies and Sloane Street/Road/Whatever and museums and the like. Got my bearings then went home to bed. Slept til 4am the next morning. It was loverly. I spent the entire day on my bed watching television. I didn't mean to but I loved it. Eastenders - never watch it at home.. want to see it every day here. Coronation Street - same deal. Changing Rooms is on tonight *hi-fives myself*

Okay, like you are going to pretend you didn't know I was a nerd.

London is fabulous. It smells of flowers (no, truly) and the people speak English. (a fact that keeps surprising me) My hotel is nice, my room looks out over Barkston Gardens which is, in fact, a garden. Blossoms and daffodils. It's loverly. I am about twenty paces from the Earls Court station and if and when i need to use the tube, that's there it is.

There is a wine shop right next to the entrance (or along a bit) and it has Gisbourne Chardonney in the window.. and Church Road.. far too expensive to drink it here. (btw? kyle? UPDATE YOUR PAGE!!) So. I am in Oxford Street and according to JJ, if I go out, right, left, right into Regent Street, and along... i will find a huge toy store so that's what I'm going to do.

Wish you were all here with me. But, different rooms of course.. i like to hold the remote.

Thursday, April 05, 2001

it's wednesday and i'm on a keyboard with a dodgey shift key so stay with me thru the lower letters of the alphabet. The weather has turned chilly which is a good thing, cos i get to wear my coat. I got lots of lovely emails so you all keep it up cos you make me laugh and i like that. I've been fairly normal whilst I've been here, except, i did fall up my hotel's stairs twice yesterday one after the other. But, you get that on the big jobs.

After trapsing all over London to find a little netcafe yesterday, i discover one just 'round the corner from my hotel.. well that's typical. i think i've compromised my fitness level dammit. But it, like the other, has no coffee. To be fair it is less a Cafe and more a Lounge. internet lounge *ooo* not like MY lounge. anyway.

Things are old fashioned here. Doh, i hear you say. Doh michelle its ENGLAND.. words like SHOPPE and TRADITION and erm.. OLD.. abound.. but.. i mean.. normal stuff is old fashioned - tv presenters are fugly and.. design is dated and.. floral arrangements are SO last week. NOT to put anything down or anyone or anything, just.. i was expecting that WE downunder'd be 'behind' especially new zealand, lord only know's no one's every accused US of being cutting edge. but . anyway. we're doing OK. (even in the onscreen graphics arena)

Tomorrow [because why do today, that which can be put off til tomorrow] i do Art.

Thursday, April 05, 2001

Today is Art Gallery day. Tate Britain and Tate Modern; I have some pilfering to do. I'm having a really nice holiday, because, that's what this is - a holiday. Yes, that was an excuse for not rushing around.

I had a nice day yesterday mooching 'round the shops. There is a really nice bookshop not far from where I'm staying, called Waterstones and bought a book, The Island of Lost Maps ( A Story of Cartographic Crime ) by Miles Harvey. It's a lovely book with a smooth satin cover - a nice size and a nice read. Sitting in a cafe, eating, reading, drinking coffee - see? this is a nice holiday.

[is it just me, or don't those links work?]

Friday, April 06, 2001

I think I have a good instinct when it comes to people. Online/offline instinct anyway.

My mind has been quietly thinking away today. When I went to the Tate Britain I saw an exhibition by Tacita Dean. She was exploring sound, and how to give it a solidity - shape - form. As I sat in the various rooms, film projector flickering, images and sound filling the space, my mind wandered over maps and people and journeys and paths. And I wish I'd written down what I was thinking then because it's like a faded dream right about now, after a gin and tonic, sitting in the Café 'round the corner.

Sometimes, the very last thing you ever do in an internet relationship is meet the person.

I phoned Amy this evening. You probably don't know her. She is someone I met online a very long time ago and along with Denise and a couple of other women, we've kept in touch via email - though slower lately because of .. life and stuff .. so tomorrow I will meet her and we will have lunch and that will be super nice.

I've been thinking about this thing too, this.. diary thing and how I guard what I say because I know who might be watching - employers, co-workers, family - and you know what? I'm tired of guarding what I reveal and I'm not going to do it anymore. It may not mean anything'll get any more interesting 'round here but at least it'll stop wearing out the 'delete' key on my keyboard. You won't get everything so don't go getting too excited, some things are meant to be private - for painful reasons mostly, I suppose.

The British Museum's Grand Circle is so open and so white. Words engraved in stone and light from the dome. People dressed in black, as most people seem to be in London. I viewed the Eygptian artifacts and moved through the Roman Empire. It wasn't until I found the clocks I really became interested in what I was looking at. The mechanisms, the engraving, decoration, craftsmanship. Maps and clocks. I want to know more about both. While fumbling my way back to my train I found a map shop and was so tempted to go in, but I knew the maps would be expensive and I don't always trust myself when the covert monster takes hold. I just peered through the window. Again, too, the fine detailed work I had seen at the Victoria and Albert Museum in bone and ivory and wood. The things people made to give thanks and praise to God is truly amazing. This is what people did before there was television.

see? my mind is all over the show. I am tired of visiting attractions.. I want some human interaction. Tomorrow will be a start, meeting Amy and then of course the great JJ and Elvi adventure to the Ballet and the Pubs. I have gone from being a Tubephobic to a Tubewhore.. any tube going anywhere at any time and I'm on it.. so I have no worries about being out and about in the turns-out-to-be-not-so-big-city of London.

Saturday, April 07, 2001

Meeting someone when you don't know what she looks like.. it's.. is that her? no.. no turtle neck (hints and clues) is that her? no.. no turtle neck.. is that her? actually, that might be her, wait - no turtle neck. Wait.. she's waiting.. I'll wait too. Look casual. Look sideways. Is that her, you know that might be her but she's not wearing that black turtle neck she said she'd be wearing. Ask, go on ask. "are you amy?" YAH.. Amy without a turtleneck. We walked, had lunch and talked and talked and laughed and she's just lovely and funny and smart and beautiful. We haven't emailed in ages, like AGES. Certainly not the regular (ish) mails we had for years. It was like we were friends in the same city for ages. Comfortable and enjoyable.

Afterwards after we hugged silly and she took a picture of us *my teeth are everywhere* we went our separate ways. She to Clapham and me to the Half Price Theatre Ticket booth. Tonight I go to the Reduced Shakespeare something something. Okay okay i do know what I am going to and I do know how to get there and back I just don't have all the particular particulars right now. I also bought a ticket to Buddy on Sunday night. That with the Ballet on Saturday afternoon completes my Culture Vulture weekend.

When I was sitting talking with Amy I realised how little I've used my voice since I got here. Apart to order things I haven't used it much for conversation. Typing this is like talking on the inside and sometimes I forget to let the sound out of my body and it's not until I am sat next to someone who is looking at me expecting sound to come out of my voice box do I realise most people aren't telepathic.

Okay.. time to go have a wee nap before I go out. Just call me Granny Mish.

Saturday, April 07, 2001

You know what I like about London? Cloak rooms.. you can leave your coat in a cloak room at a lot of places and they look after it for you til you need it back. And smoking, that you can smoke here, if you want to, in restaurants and not just pubs. And the weather. I reallly like the weather. Although sometimes I can't tell an AM from a PM because the light isn't very strong, the temperature and the sky and the colours are really nice. And I like the Tube, especially putting the ticket in to enter the underground the again to exit. The food's not to crash hot, but it does the trick. The tap water's awful.. but then I suppose I come from one of the few countries in the world who still have a quality of water from the tap that's drinkable [or is that potable].

What else...

Oh, everything's convienient, well - for me anyway - Amy said Earls Court [where I am staying] is miles away from anywhere but really it doesn't feel like that. Maybe, being the Lady of Liesure that I am I don't have the time restrictions with travel etc.

Last night's Reduced Shakespeare thing was.. okay. Parts made me laugh out loud.. mostly it was corny and *gasp* american. It was good. Not great but good. Mostly Americans in the audience it seemed and the MOST annoying girl sitting behind me complaining to her mother about their seats. She was just one sour brat in her late teens. Some people are so ungrateful.

I brought my sketch book and paints and a few pencils but as yet haven't dragged them out to do anything. I see paintings everywhere though. The Buildings and trees and sky make for potential watercoloured paintings everywhere. I find myself wishing I could draw instead of just drawing. Maybe I'm waiting for Italy.. or maybe I'll arrive back in Auckland with a still unused sketchbook.

          

Monday, April 09, 2001

It's raining. A nice light misty rain. I walk in the puddles in my boots and the drizzle in my coat [nooo the drizzle isn't in my coat.. i wear my coat in the drizzle] and I like it. I've had the loveliest weekend: really it started on Thursday with meeting Amy and has continued until now, in the rain, it's still a good weekend.

I met John and Frances on Saturday, lovely tall people: beautiful faces and wonderful laughs. We hooked up and tubed into Covent Garden for lunch before the Ballet. The Ballet was just wonderful, especially the second Act because it's what I call 'proper ballet' all white flowing gowns and pointy toes and just lovely, we loved it. Afterwards to a pub and beer and that was good too, drinking always is. Tubing it back to Earls Court for an Indian in the smallest of restaurants.. like a boat.. narrow and close quartered, with narrow well used stairs to the toilets. the food was really delicious. We decided to hit the Net Cafe and chat in the Articulate - talk about laugh. Well, we found it funny, sitting at three computers all in a row talking in the same chat room.. i am not sure the other chatters in the Art found it quite so hilarious. Back to Barkston Gardens (where i'm staying) for a dodgey irish coffee before I piked completely and went to bed.

JJ and elvi and I had lunch together today after dragging ourselves out of bed by midday - they went off to do interesting stuff and I needed a nap after my lunch. Hopeless mish. They are really nice people - witty and charming and helpful and interesting. They gave me a weekend to remember. I am so glad they made the effort to come down from Oxford - another highlight of my trip and a very good memory.

After my nap I tubed [notice how I've got all londony] into Covent Garden to see Buddy the stage show. You really can't fail if you use Buddy Holly's music. I had a good sing and a clap along and my seat was third row centre so I was very happy. The show was at 4pm and the tube traffic was light. Coming back to Earls Court for pizza and red wine. I found a kiwi family and had a chat with them - they were jet lagged and very pleased to be in the UK - sounded like they were on a extended world tour having just come from LA. I am Ms. Helpful and pointed them towards the internet lounge.

I'm slow on the email so anyone who thinks they should be getting one and isn't, you're gonna have to make do with this site.. my brain is full of words but my fingers are unwilling.

Tuesday, April 10, 2001

I decided to do my laundry before leaving for Holland tomorrow. Packing up a small bag with my washing, I toddled off to the Launderette. After a brief look about the place I located the soap dispenser and rummaged for the appropriate change, inserted, and failed to retrieve any soap powder. I yanked the drawer and pushed the buttons (off to a flying start) asked the guy next to me he gave it a go too.. nope.. nothing. Asked the Girl who worked there, tiny little blonde thing and the drawer worked instantly for her. typical. Okay so to the machines Batman. The stickers that had the information as to which money and how much money to put into the slots were ripped and tattered and i looked at most of the machines but I couldn't piece together the information so asked the wee blonde girl again who told me it was two pound 50 pence and showed me where to put the coins - to have everything ready - the powder in the dispenser and the clothes in the machine and the door closed because it started as soon as you put the money in.. so .. always good at following sequential instructions, I closed the door, added the powder, inserted the coins and.. nothing. [this is a really long story] I checked and rechecked and had thoughts about time delays etc but in the end had to ask the [by now] long suffering attendent what was wrong. I had chosen a 'sticky machine' gives her 'all sorts of trouble' apparently. The coins hadn't dropped so she fiddled about for a while and whirrrrr away it went washing my not-so-delicates for nearly 25 minutes. Struggling with the door and finally taking my wet twisted but clean clothes from the washer, I progressed to the drying area of the establishment. I'd already sussed I needed 20 p for this so I inserted the 20p, loaded the drier with my wet laundry, closed the door, pressed 'start' and away we go. For five minutes. Then I inserted another 20p. For another 5 minutes. By the time I was doing this the third time, I was so expert I didn't linger long enough on the start button and a helpful man did the duty of restarting my machine while i was busy reading. Eventually I also discovered you could put in several coins at once therefore buying as much time as required to dry your clothes. So I lived and I learned. My clothes, eventually (such a drama) dry, I removed them from the drier and then to a chair where I was folding, when my black sock was handed to me by the person wishing to use my machine next. Arg.. left it in the drier. At least it was only a sock. I folded and stuffed my clean dry clothes into my bags and thanked the blonde woman and smiled at the helpful man as I walked thru the door (which i pulled pulled pulled when it had PUSH written on it) and free at last from my laundry I began to walk briskly back to my Hotel. "Excuse me Ma'am" I turned to see the Helpful man again and he was pointing, and there between us, on the sidewalk, was a pair of my knickers. A great big pair of my knickers, not crumpled but flat out ON the pavement. He picked them up, still warm from the drier and handed them thumb and finger to me. "I'm having a great day" I told him, he just laughed and laughed and shook his head as I scurried away.

Monday, April 16, 2001

I'm in Holland. Staying with two of my most favourite people in the world. I brought the good weather with me from England - arriving in Amsterdam and sitting outside in the sunshine for a bite to eat and a look-at-the-people-I've-known-for-years. I still can't believe I'm here and have met A and R face to face. They, like others I have met online, represent themselves perfectly. They are as warm and loving and funny as I've always known them to be. I loved them both online and now I love them even more in person. I want to tell them things like that but everytime I go to use my voice to say the things I get all teary. I think they know. I hope they know.

So by train to Groningan...I like trains. Watching out the window, seeing windmills and buildings, canals and farmland - no cows though. We talked and played UNO and before we knew it were at our destination. This town has such beautiful buildings. Art Nouveau stylings everywhere. Just as postcards depict, narrow streets and canals with canal houseboats and rows of bicycles.

Freya had sent my birthday [i assume] gift to S so I could have it while i travel. She had had business cards printed for me - soft rainbow background, with my website address and email address and a description of what I do.. including "private investigation (not really)" .. such a great present that made me laugh and touched my heart. I love that girl.

It turned cold yesterday and to my delight it snowed. We went to the supermarket to stock up on food for the Easter break walking through the falling snow. It made the daffodils and other spring flowers heavy with ice on one side. S threw a ice/snow ball at me and if the flipping stuff wasn't so cold I would have thrown one back but my hands stayed deep in my warm pockets. The walk to the store doesn't take long, and coming back to our cosy room is always nice. Socks and warm jumpers, sitting around talking or being quiet, online and off, reading and sleeping. It's so nice here, I want to come back already.

S helped me book my flight to Venice and I leave from Amsterdam on Wednesday 18 April. I fly into Venice with no prearranged accommodation and I hope I'm lucky enough to be able to find a room. I totally forgot about the Easter break, and I'm thinking there may very well be a lot of visitors still in Venice. Ah well, if i can't find anything I'll find a train and go somewhere else. Rachelle's gift of the LonelyPlanet "travelling Eastern Europe" book has proved invaluable - it tells me all the things I need to know from finding a postoffice to which watertaxi to get. Well done Ra.

Friday, April 20, 2001

Holland was wonderful. Apart from looking at it.. the city i stayed in had a lot of Art Nouveau architecture and tiles and stuff.. staying with S and R was just loverly. Their room is really small but it didn't feel small at all. they had an airbed, which, we found out on the first night.. had tiny holes in it and kept deflating so a couple of times we all just slept together in the same bed.. S slept in the middle, reckons sleeping between me and R pretty comfortable. We sandwiched him. Mind you, I woke up one night when he said 'ow' after i bonked his noggin.. he did't remember it though.

it was really hard to leave them too.. i cried and cried all the way to Italy. they are so lovely and funny and kind. I didn't take nearly enough pictures of them.. only one that i recall... but they took photos and I hope they send me copies.

Venice is SO expensive .. i had lunch today .. i had a coffee (caffelatte) and a ham\cheese\lettuce (that's one slice of ham, one slice of cheese and one small leaf of lettuce) on a stale hamburger bun (no butter) and it cost $40!! *dies* I am in Venice until saturday and I think I might go to a small town called Ferrara instead of Florance.. firstly because Florance is MORE expensive than Venice and secondly I can smooch around Ferrara and take the train to Bologna for a day trip too and it shouldn't cost anywhere near the price of the room I'm paying for here.

After I arrived last night and after I dragged my bag up and over five bridges to my Hotel, and after I showered, I went out for dinner. I was really surprised that everything closes at 10pm. I was really lucky to find one restaurant that didn't mind heating some gnocci up for me and so I got to eat before turning in .. after all that grizzling-luggage lugging-organising I had quite an appetite going on. I might go back there this evening.. or sit outside if the weather holds. It didn't last night, a huge thunderstorm let loose and by the time I got back to the Hotel my hair was soaking wet (yes I know, S's last words were "you'll need an umbrella in Venice" as he gave me his and i left it in my room.. never fear though, i have it with me tonight!)

The room I have here is sooo small. I have a double bed and the room is only just bigger than the bed. there is only enough room to walk around the bed and open the door to get in and out of the room.. there is a really small bathroom attached.. about the size of a closet. this room is costing (a 1000 lira is about the same as a dollar) 200,000 lira per night base rate.. and I'm fairly certain there is a single person charge and a further fee that will push the price up to around 280,000 lira. in comparison.. It is in a quiet yet central area though. I am only about five minutes walk from the San Marco Piazza.. the only Piazza in Venice. (that's where i had my expensive lunch) Ferarra is supposed to have accommodation around 120,000 lira per night.. or at least if you want to pay nearly 300,000 lira you'll get something really quite nice.

But this place, Venice, is stunning. The images, the photographs, the tv shows.. have not done it justice. Looking at postcards, then looking at the real thing.. the postcards just don't capture how beautiful this city truly is. Today I walked and walked and walked. Over bridges and down lanes and avenues. Every corner reveals another photographic opportunity. Even the washing hanging out between the buildings in the narrow lanes. I have taken several rolls of film today alone. I came out tonight, leaving my camera in the Room, and I looked out across the water and the buildings looked different again in the late afternoon sun and I wished I had my camera .. ah well.. you can only have so many images of the same thing, huh.

this internet cafe is 15,000 lira per hour so i won't be staying much longer. The Basilica bells are chimming 6pm. Writing postcards as-we-speak!

Monday, April 23, 2001

I'm in Rome. Getting here took all day yesterday and had me really hating Italy (blame the country not my stupidity of course).

Checking out of Venice was painless. After paying my room bill and exchanging some money, I took the water taxi to the bus station to buy a ticket to Rome. I had decided to just go directly to Rome, I am so sick of my suit case I just want to base myself somewhere, like I did in London. So to the train station Batman. The trip on the watertaxi was expensive (what isn't) but lovely. It was about 9am and not a lot (relatively) of tourists were up and about yet. We motored half way up the Grand Canal before taking a side canal. Seeing Venice by boat is an absolute must (as if anyone really has to be told that) but I nearly didn't do it.

I wandered around the train station for a few moments getting the sense of what to do and where to go etc, then bought my ticket to Rome. The Rome direct train was full so I needed to take one train to Bologna then change to another one to Rome. Sounds so simple when I write it down like that - but do you think I could make head or tail of my ticket? I didn't know which train was mine, or which platform it was at, or when it went, and the guy who sold it to me was SO grumpy and SO unhelpful. I kept staring at the ticket hoping that suddenly, somehow, all my answers would become clear but that didn't happen. Not being able to find anyone official looking to help me I badgered an American woman who worked in the money exchange booth, but she couldn't tell a thing from my tickets either. Time to ask at the Tourist Information centre.

The queue seemed orderly enough until the Japanese element reared it's oriental head. As a general overview of cultures, Americans tend to wear bright colours (women in gold lamè sneakers) and are loud. Japanese/Chinese tend to move in bunches and push in front of EVERYONE EVERYWHERE. And that's what they kept doing in my queue so I had to get grumpy and pushed them to the back of the queue. When I finally made it to the counter, I was to find Tourist Information doesn't cover train information (never mind they are in a train station) and was directed across the hall to Train Information. There, the queue was more orderly, using a dispensed ticket numbering system. I tore my ticket from the machine - 71 - looked up at the monitor to see 'now serving 41'. grrr. After over an hour my number was finally up and I got to tell the man I didn't know what I was doing. His kind face and small smile made me think he'd answered these questions so many times before. So he told me all I had to do and where I had to go and I felt so much better. My train, though, wasn't for another 2.5 hours because I'd missed the earlier one, naturally.

I decided to eat something so made my way to the cafetaria. That was a mess up, I don't even want to type it out it's so dumb and boring and stupid, but you pay when you enter then you give coupons to different stalls for your food and coffee.. only.. they don't TELL you this and its not set up so you'd instinctively know. I was really beginning to get sick of not knowing what to do. A nice American (programmer) talked to me for a while, he noticed I was from NZ from my suitcase. That was a nice diversion. Then I sat in the sun on the steps of the station until it was time to leave.

I caught the correct train and made it to Bologna without much incident. Do you think I could figure out which platform my connecting train was leaving from in Bologna? Exactly. I asked for help from a guard and he told me to sit there (pointed) and wait for the train which would be in an hour (which didn't sound right) but I didn't know what else to do so did as I was told (by the time we left the station there was quite a bunch of us sitting on that seat waiting for that train) This time staring at my ticket did prove enlightening and I figured out which platform my train was leaving from right at the same time it left. I am getting better. The next train arrived as the guard had promised and I scrambled aboard hauling my heavy suitcase behind me.

This train was very nice. Soft seats, air conditioned, compartments. A couple of Asian men were unhappy there wasn't enough seats in the compartment I was in, but the Italian man opposite me shrugged and basically told me to ignore them. They wandered away and the train started to move. I sat for a while, looking at the scenery changing and thinking and thanking goodness I didn't have to move again. Looking around the compartment I wondered why I had never noticed seat numbers on the earlier train. I then noticed the notice on the door said 'no smoking' but it also said '1'. I knew I wasn't in Compartment One, so that number could only mean i was in First Class. I was so on the wrong carriage, and I knew I would be found out when the conductor checked my ticket and I knew I would be in trouble. Both came to pass. He made me drag my bag down the corridor to the end of the carriage, and stand there the rest of the trip. I felt like such a plonker. When we arrived at Florance I had to find a seat in Second Class - four carriages later and right as the train was shutting it's doors I finally found a seat and left my bag in the corridor and didn't care how many people complained.

Apart from a panic attack thinking my train was going in the wrong direction (it left on the same track it arrived on and through my direction off) I figured out where the sun was and once I sorted out we were travelling South, I settled back to wonder how badly I was gonna cock up Roma Termini when I finally arrived.

Bustling out of the train, following the herd, I found myself in a white transit room called Tourist Information. I needed to speak with someone because I still as yet had no accommodation booked. A man with a badge asked if I needed help and I said no, I would ask at the counter but he insisted he was there to help me. All the tourist books warn of touters and to avoid them, and thinking this man was one I tried to look more 'queuelike' but he pressed on. His English was good but he didn't understand no. He wanted to know how much I could spend on a Hotel room, he made a cellphone call he said 'follow me' and suddenly were were walking briskly out of the Termini. I kept following him, I am a kidnapper's dream. Up the street we hurtled. My suitcase bumping and running over feet bumping over cobbles and up and down gutters all the time he is talking and smiling and looking back and making sure I was still there until suddenly we stopped outside a glass door with about a dozen tiny door buttons. He pressed the top one. Luna House. Up in the elevator to meet a woman. Mrs Luna and this is her Bed and Breakfast and at 160,000 lira a night this clean and safe establishment has become my home away from home. I shoke the man's hand and he was gone. She is helpful with places to eat and places to visit. My room is spaceous and meticulously clean. I have three keys to get in and out so feel very very safe.

I took Mrs Luna's advice and went to Mama's Restaurant to eat and it was slow but oh so good and oh so reasonable. The family that runs the restuarant squabbled and rushed just like a 'real' Italian family.

Sitting next to a half a dozen young american girls who were making their way to Nice that night, they had stayed at Luna's too and had found it to be a good base for Rome.

There is a laundrette and several internet cafès right next door (this one is the better of them). Today I walked from my room for several hours and was amazed at what I saw and all by accident because I sure in heck didn't know where I was going. Like Venice, nearly every corner of Rome has a new sight. But here, everything is on such a huge scale. I can't even tell you what I've seen, partly because it's overwhelming and partly because I don't know the names of what I saw. I shall find out and report back. I am taking loads of photographs too and will scan them in when I get home.

Monday, April 23, 2001

I can't work out why I don't use the Breakfast part of my Bed and Breakfast *listening to my tummy rumbling* I need to do laundry, but after the whole London Underpants incident, I really can't get motivated to drag my dirty linen through the streets of Roma (okay so the laundry's just around the corner by the mediocre pizza place)

The weather is still holding and is sunny but chilly in the shadows. I'm not entirely sure what to do, I think I'll go see if I can stay at my Hotel longer than I had planned. I tried to get on a few two and three day tours out of the city but they're booked up til the end of the month and i got sick of looking. If I stay based in Roma I might be able to get on the one day trips. [Italians like to sound their car horns at any moments notice]

Last night I was joined at my table by an American Flight Attendant. It was nice to have company during dinner. We chatted and had a few laughs and enjoyed each others company. He told me he and his friend were rushed by a group of dishevled women in a quiet alleyway they had accidently turned into. All the guide books and warnings at the Station tell of such encounters and I was beginning to think they were just being overprotective. I would hate to think how I would handle that kind of situation bearing in mind I just followed that stranger out of the train station on Saturday! We might hook up again tonight for dinner.

Not a lot of news here really as I've not done much today [okay I've not done a thing] Oh that big place yesterday? that was the Piazza de Venezia. All over the - monument for want of a better word - were guards and policemen with whistles and their main job was to make sure no one sat down. Everytime anyone sat or leaned against some part of the structure they peeped their whistles over and over til you got up. With all those stairs you need a sit-down too but beware the whistleblowers.

There are so many tourists everywhere. Wandering 'round in clumps or in pairs all clutching guide books and video cameras. okay.. my stomach is really rumbling now so I'm gonna go forrage.

Wednesday, April 25, 2001

I had such a horrible day yesterday.. worse than the train trip from Venice. My VISA card refused to work and I had to pay for my accommodation and I didn't have any cash left.. total panic. the banks here are NEVER open.. well okay..about three hours per day and yesterday it was some kind of bank holiday.. i flapped around feeling sick knowing my landlady was expecting her money in the afternoon and me not having any and knowing i couldnt get a room anywhere else cos of the big Concert (pavrotti i think) there isn't a spare bed in rome for over a week.. i phoned Greg almost in tears. I had had him put another few thousand dollars into my VISA on Monday , and he had.. but it didn't go thru until 5am THIS MORNING.. bloody banks. The kindness of people - thanks to JJ and Sander and Raq for offering money and help and advice, you guys always know what to say and really helped calm me down.

I'm all okay now.. i had a cappucino and a lie down and went to my landlady and explained and she basically said she trusted me absolutely, and if worst came to worse i could send money from nz once i was home and I could keep my room until i left. phew. we had a drink or two too. we've just kind of .. clicked.. you know? she keeps telling me how much she likes me .. she's swell too.

Today the weather is glorious. I have Lira in my pocket and touring on my mind. Going to book as many tours for out of Rome as I can before I fly out on Tuesday night. Better see some stuff so when you all ask me "how was Pompeii" i'll know the answer.

Thursday, April 26, 2001

I found the Pantheon. Funny how big things are often difficult to find. It was tucked away down little streets in such a small piazza, in the end I just stumbled onto it. I sat and had cappucino and icecream. Spoke to a lovely woman and her husband, who claimed to be the last true Romans in Rome. Witnessed a loud altercation between two men over a small asian street seller who was being held fast by one of the men and looked absolutely terrified - the crowd in the Piazza came to a grinding halt to watch the goings-on. Today seems to be a holiday, the shops are all shut. So I walked and walked and people watched.

I also visited the Basilica Minerva and admired the wonderful stained glass and beautiful blue ceilings. I have come to understand why icon's are often called 'illuminations' because they glow - no photograph can capture that luminance. I saw a couple of really beautiful ones in the Minerva.

Oh I just found out today was Liberation Day - no wonder everything was shut!

Friday, April 27, 2001

I am weary today. Seems outside my Room is Fight Night everynight - well it's been three nights in a row so far. The first couple of nights was interesting, lastnight it was just loud and went on well into the night. The police came and blew their whistles and the antagonists calmed down for a little while only to start up again around midnight and carry on. They didn't sound Italian - some kind of Northern African or Ararabicy accent.

The night before last I invited an Englishman who was sitting in the Internet Cafe, to join me for dinner. He is travelling alone and I thought, if he didn't mind, we could keep each other company. It was a nice evening and we chatted away quite easily. Yesterday, we spent the entire day together visiting the Colloseum and the ruins of the city and Circus Maximus. He showed me how to use the Metro to save my shoe leather. We stopped often for coffee and then after changing, had dinner together last night too. It's nice to have friendly company, and it's easy and relaxed 'cos he appears to be fairly normal.

This morning I am finally doing my laundry as soon as I've finished here. I only have a few days left in Rome, but I'm spending all day tomorrow in a Coach so I think I should try and start out as clean as possible otherwise I'm gonna be rank by the end of the day. Where am I going? Naples/Pompeii/Sorrento. It's a full day and I guess there will be quite a lot of walking involved. It should be interesting.

Shopping is what I will do today - trying to find things to bring back as gifts, this afternoon will be dedicated to that.

Okay.. off to the laundry. ciao.