On my own

Spring is here. The sun is out; it’s 65 degrees and Nicoletta came today dressed all in pink—a low cut pink sweater in a leopard print (Where does she find these clothes?) a pink knit skirt, a pink rose pinned to her jacket, a pink pocketbook and, for the first time, no hat on her blonde curls.

After my lesson, I head up town to the Palazzo Doria Pamphili for another dose of culture. The palazzo is built around an inner courtyard planted with lemon and orange trees. The gallery upstairs, all gold and mirrors, reminds me of the Barnes—painting after painting, hung in no apparent order, cover the walls. The recorded guided tour is narrated by a current member of the family in a very proper British accent. He fondly recalls rollerskating in the ballroom!

I’m kicked out at 5 pm but not before spending some serious one on one time with the gallery’s prize possessions, a Velasquez portrait of Pope Innocent X, and an early Carvaggio.

Afterwards I head past the Forum towards the Colosseum to Monti, a neighborhood new to me which, according to my guidebook, is an up and coming area. It’s a quiet and sweet district with few tourists walking along its narrow, hilly streets. Up and coming seems to mean that there are many small boutiques and galleries here. I diligently stop into every one of them.

As the sun is setting I start to walk back to Trastevere but not before climbing up to il Campidoglio to enjoy once again the view over the city. Liz asked me the other day if I was tired of all this yet. Certamento non!!