Rome in July..

The power of Schengen visa dictates when a person from a third world country, like South Africa, can travel. Thankfully, one visa application for Schengen covers you for a fair number of countries so it does save on passport pages… over the summer months, timing of your application is key as waiting periods can be up to 6 weeks long.. The final date for travel for my previous schengen visa was 17th July (I have had close to 7 since arriving here in 2003), so I was desperate to use it once more before it expired.

I wanted my trip and destination to coincide with something, to make the trip more meaningful in a way, so at the end of June, I first went to Bilbao to see Frank Gehry architecture at its best.

For my last trip, I decided to go to Rome, as it coincided with the start of the July sales, a real summer (not the rainy summer London was experiencing) and the opening of the Valentino exhibition celebrating his 40 years in fashion (I had no idea this was happening).
Dave Clawson was also in town to finalise his wedding suit and so was Paolo (both MBA class mates), so I was fortunate to hang out with both of them. Rome has some of the best ice-cream I have eaten and there are some gelaterias that even add a dollop of cream to your ice-cream! We ate well whilst here, great pasta, carpaccio and the thinnest of pizzas.. If I lived in either Italy or Paris, I would need a crane to lift me up.. its amazing to see these super thin Italians walking on the cobbled streets dressed in the latest fashion, with the highest of stilettos. I am sure not getting your heels into the crevices must be a special talent, not reserved for the sneaker or sandal clad tourists, like myself.
Rome is really a beautiful city. Its small enough to walk through and that’s the best way to see it. I think I used the metro probably twice. Like Paris and London, it has some beautiful bridges that link the banks of the river. I was within walking distance to the Spanish steps, via Condotti, the Vatican and some really good places to eat.

I thought that this wedding was a tourist act like the real Roman in the picture down below but this was a real Italian couple, ever so in love, taking some wedding photos, with the Coliseum as a backdrop.
For me one of the funniest things in Rome, are the Cameroonian bag sellers.. Given that the sales were on in full gusto (Gucci had to implement crowd control and limit the number of people it allowed to enter its store), I wonder if these sellers, who displayed their wares directly outside the stores, offered the SUNSET PRICE!!!



The exhibition site for the Valentino display of dresses. The site was protected by security, just in case someone crazy decided to steal the dresses..




I was last in Rome in 2001 and I have to say that the city has become friendlier, more cosmopolitan and shop assistants more helpful.. I remember walking into one of the stores in via Condotti in 2001, only to feel that the shop assistant followed me around the shop with a spy-glass, thinking that I was there to steal.. This time round, the shop assistant was from China or Japan (in most instances) and very accommodating and friendly.. (note to self, to tell the girls back home about this recent change and to reconsider Rome as a shopping destination.. Take the train in from the airport, its super convenient and significantly cheaper.. Don’t eat near Trevi fountain.. its too touristy. Go to the Jewish quarter – the fruit markets there are just superb. )
I wonder if he is in fact Italian. So called"Romans" are at all of the touristy places. This photo was taken at the Pantheon and they usually charge you for this service..

The beautiful Trevi fountain.. lots of coins are thrown into this fountain every year, only to be fished out by some person trying to make ends meet. The Trevi fountain is where three streets meet. It took 30 years to built with work starting in 1732. The background represents both a church front and a victory arch.







I was also grateful that this time round, I had a local to provide me with some insight on where to go, what to see and most importantly, where to eat and drink. I also got to see some parts of Rome, where the Roman’s go, which makes the visit all the more different. Thanks Paolo.