Sooooooo anyways I am a bit wrecked today. I haven't updated anything for a abit so lets go back to Friday. Friday was the last conference day, as excellent, pretty much all the papers were excellent and none of the them were broing (a couple of people ran over bloody academics). And we ahd a funny paper on all these rude drawings with penises in them haha. Then we had drinks and I chatted to lots of people and downed alot of prosecco. Then it was dinner and very nice too. Then we all went bowling (well me and the artists not the conference people!). Gah it was sooo funny, I was drunk and couldn't bowl for crap. Us bowling Aww happy times mr strong man My bowling coach, he sat behind us and I thought he was strange and was getting annoyed but then I staretd chatting away in broken Italian and then he introduced me to his coach who was a champion, sweet old man who gave me tips and said I should drink less then we left and things got slightly silly I am surprised that Ian didn't ditch me, Juan and Will we were so silly. on some random vespa lying on a porsche my belly is sticking out hmm good times

The paper

OK update time!! THe last few days have been bloody amazing, I am so hyped and happy, weeeee.

But first things first.

Wednesday was opening night of the conference, Had a great lecture by Edward Corp on the Stuart court in Rome in the 18th century. Then dinner, met great people, dircetor of christies, director of the scottish portrait gallery, both lovely. Also one of the head honchos of the English National Trust.

Thrusday was paper day, eek, was sooo nervous, but still enjoyed the mroning sessions, it was such a good conference, I honestlyenjoyed all the papers, a few people went a bit over, but it was all interesting and that NEVER happens!

After lunch had my paper and my talk went so well, eeee, I am really excited. I got more questions than anyone else (during the whole conference!) and afterwards I had about three directors of important institutions congratulating me and saying they were convinced by my research. Plus all my artist friends came to hear me and said they loved it and it was all clear and interesting. Ahhh such a relief, but also so great to have such good feedback.

I am like this

Even the durector of the Hertziana who is an absokute expert in my architect and one of the most important people in Rome was so charming and really interested and we have had lots of chats about my work. eeek all these professors and directors have kept talking to me about how new and exciting my work is and how I have a coined a new terminology and driection in garden research. Argh I could not have imagined every doing this well.

Ahhhhhh.

More soon.

I just got these delievered

How sweet, from a secret Valentine, ohhhhh.


I'm not even romantic but I am touched, I wonder who they are from. hmmmm

the important things....

Ohh the cricket is sooo exciting, none out after 28 overs. WHEN am I going to get work done?! Haha Here is my conference outfit with my round toe green heels and a green flower necklace and for the outings on Saturday I think for the opening tomorrow night I will go for my full green flower skirt that Carla thinks is very 50s moviestar and a fitted black 3/4 sleeve top with my new striped stay-ups. Then I need something for Friday, might do the thursday pants with a black top and my scanlan wrap cardi with its oodles of ties and my tunisian silver necklace, I would love black heels for this outfit, hmmm. Then saturday is outings so will go for my purple jacket and green mohair scarf and wither pants or a skirt dpending on the weather, with boots and my little red beanie, weeeeee.

I was just sick when I tried to brush my teeth and I have a splinter in my foot

I am just back from the Archivio Vicariato looking at Census records for 1715-1718 trying to find my artist, he wasn't there which is annoying but it was still useful. The archive was soooooooo cold I was nearly frozen by 1pm so I went and got lunch, delicious pizza, and then came back into the centre and realised I needed to go shopping, ha, so I went to Zara and bough a jacket, some pants and a cardi. Ahhh so many beautiful shirts that I want, but I think shoes are next on my list. Must get some boots, I want some knee high ones, maybe black or red if I can find them.

bedtime

Just getting ready for bed, I am very sleepy, I feel as though I have just been on the go since Wednesday, which is true I suppose. Such crazy times, lots of fun though, I am thoroughly enjoying my time here. Though now I am starting to calmly freak out about the conference, grr, was meant to finish my paper this arvo to email to David but it just isn't finished, it is soso close though. I was going to work after dinner but I couldn't, I feel a bit down and lonely actually, I could do with a big hug.

Yesterday was loverly.


























Went to the pyramid of cestius

























Sooooo big, ha!















Woo arty group photo

























THere it is again, still big.

























Then wandered to the prodestant cemetery and found shelley.


























And darling Keats, I have so many photos of this grave, hmmm.

Wednesday already?!?

How on earth did that happen? Ah well I guess it means my work is going well which is good.

Lets go backwards

Today
I am trying to get up and ready to start the day. LAst night we watched 'WIthnail and I' and I liked it much better this time, last time I saw it at the moonlight cinema and I was cold and being bitten, ha. Such a good film, Will said he would only watch 10 minutes but clearly he had to stay. He is going back to England today to hand in his thesis, I will miss him he is my breakfast companion, the only other person who turn up late at breakfast without having showered with messy hair. Though he did threaten to make me watch the last Ashes series so maybe not

It's funny how quickly you make friends here, because you see people all the time and have this shared experience, plus are often both doing PhDs and working on Rome.

Anyways, MArk has been ringing me heaps which is loverly, he has an interview for a new job on Friday so you all must cross your fingers for him. IT would be so good if he got it as his current job is just exhausting the poor muffin.

Yesterday
American Academy, took me f-o-r-e-v-e-r to get there. Bloody 95 bus never came, so i walked down to Piazza del Popolo and caught a little electric bus to PIazza Venezia and then another up the hill. Was then forced, forced I say, to buy carciofi fritti (deep fried battered artichoke hearts) to regains my strength. Got lots of good work done, I just adore the American Academy library. HAd lunch with David and LIsa and another lady called Flavia (one of my favourite Iatlian names) Then had a long discussion about my paper with David, which I was a bit worried about but turned out to be really good (the discussion not the paper haha) well actually the paper is ok just needs some work and now I a know where I am going it should be easier. So after that I wlaked back to the school, takes about an hour and a quarter but it is a gorgeous walk, it goes American Academy - Acqua Paolo and gorgeous view of Rome right ot the moutnains beyond, down an old staircase - past the Bosco Parrasio (18th century theatre garden) - through Trastevere - across the Tiber - up via Giulia - past San Giovanni dei Fiorentini - up via dei coronari (where all teh antisue shops are) - through little back streets to Piazza Navona - through to via della Scrofa - up thh corso to Piazza del Popolo then home.

Monday
Worked in the library all day, then watched "before sunrise", hand't seen it since it came out over 10 years ago it was really good watching it again, I was never one of the addicted ones, but then seeing it again after I have travelled, and have had that experience of meeting a person who you just click with and wander around an amazing city and just chat all day made me it more. Then me and Alex decided to watch the next one, which was less satisfying, but still good, made me think alot about how you dream of re-capturing moments or meeting some person again and then what would happen if you actually did.

Anyway, then me and will had a good chat about it nextmorning over breakfast, between adding dessert spoons of sugar to our coffee and dropping our food, I think we are the two most un-morning people who actually make it to breakfast. haha bless

Sunday

I went out with Ellie today to see the Palazzo della Consulta on the Quirnal hill, it is one of the seats of government (the Constitutional court) but it is open to visitors on weekends in feb. It was apparently built with lottery money, even though gambling was forbidden in Rome on pain of excommunication, but the papacy recinded it just to raise funds to build themselves a new palace. Gotta love em.

It was very nice,a bit 19th century in some bits but I forgive them. The guided tour was in ITalian too and I pretty much followed everything so that made me happy.

Then we left and saw a military band getting off a bus in the piazza and they seemed to be going into the quirinal palace to welcome the president back as we saw them raise the flag as a helicopter was landing.

Then we got ice cream from San Crispino, so so delicious, I had whisky and nuts and dried fig


Pictures...


Palazzo della Consulta


The obelisk ( there are obelisks everywhere in Rome marking all the major points in teh papal procession route) and one of the discoboli, roman statues of horse tamers.


The door to the palazzo della consulta


Carabinieri outside the President's palace


The soldiers with the band going down the steps.


The musicians, note the amr on shoulder, such typical Italian men.


The staircase street, going toward the quirinal palace


Sunglasses I absolutely have to have!


A dress I have to have.


A bust of some dude with addded boogers

I will miss my lay-deees breakfast tomorrow. Hope you have fun, I will have a coffee for each of you.

So tired had a lovely dinner with friends over on the JAniculum, they made my absolute favourite salad, tomatoes with big slices of buffalo mozarella and basil leaves very fun, but am absolutely crashing now.

Argh I am only just up and dressed and it is midday I was meant to finish my bloody paper today. Note to self, do not try to drink beer as fast as englishmen, it ends in tears. Well not tears but me being enormously late to bed, forgetting mark was going to ring me, so ringing him and finding he was all anxious, meh he can get over it and now feeling a little tender. It was very fun though, but must try and be good for the weekend. Also pears and green tea are happy food.

I went bowling with some friends tonight, tres tres fun. Beers, bad scores, and strangely charades, blame it on the english.

I had a good day, am pretty knackered now but it is 10:30 so that is good. I worked in the library this morning, yay for me. I love love love the BSR library, I will take a photo, even the smell of it makes me want to work. Then I decided to go out for a walk as I needed some cash and some sunshine. It was sooooo warm I was walking around in just my jeans a t-shirt and a thin cardi. I seriously love this place so much.

So I went to the bank, then went and bought some bourjois eyeshadow then went to Zara and bought the bestest ever shirt, white in this beaitiful cotton weave with thin black stripes, then with even thinner silver stripes either side, it is a large but it fits ok, everything in their sales was bloody large, grrr. I also bought the most beautifulest waistcoat in deep charcoal. They also have some bloody gorgeous shoes, arghhh.

THen I went to Calzedonia (translate that as sockworld!) and bought girgeous stay up black opaques with thin white stripes for about $6.

Wandered home through the piazza del popolo, met up with my supervisor who had stolen my articles off my desk ahd a lovely dinner, went up the director's flat for awhisky, but mostly to visit their gorgeous cat, so beautiful and she was getting all faux vicious and hiding under rugs.