Uptown girl

Time to get my hair done. But where? I don’t want come home with purple hair or weird highlights. Finally after some research, I make an appointment at Noi, a tiny salon uptown off the Piazza del Populo. It’s owned by two transplants from southern California—Massimo is originally from Rome and Rick is pure LA with artfully tousled grey hair and a schtick that never stops.

It’s a long walk from the grit and chaos of Trastevere to the high rent district but Steve is a good sport and comes with me. What else is he going to do? He sits and drinks at a cafe while I am made gorgeous by Rick. Afterwards, I switch into cicerone mode and make him look at the Carvaggios in a church on the piazza.

We walk back to the Piazza da Spagna along the Via Margutta, lined with pricey galleries and antique shops. The mood in this part of town is elegant, expensive and exclusive—not at all like where we live. It’s a nice change, though, for the afternoon.

Despite the cold and damp, I decide to ramble all the way back to Trastevere. I pass through the Piazza Navona, make a quick stop at the Pantheon and visit yet another church with a painting by Carvaggio. I’ve decided that Carvaggio is my favorite painter. His saints have dirty feet.