Roman Visit

Last week I spent a few days in Rome for my cousin's graduation ceremony. She completed a degree course in communication studies in less than three years. 

Admirable.  

We celebrated with a fat dinner, a six course affair, and she received top class presents, including a stylish trolley, a trip to Amsterdam, a posh pen by Campo di Marzio, a Calvin Klein handbag and, last but not least, an engraved Tiffany bracelet by myself {and my mum}. And she is still not happy about her life.

But this is another story.

I spent a whole day with my mum downtown Rome, and we were determined to do serious shopping. But we could find absolutely nothing. Luckily we have a second close chance as she is flying to London in five days time.

The same night {Friday} I met up with my lovely girlfriends: Ari {maid of honour}, Fede {a devoted asthanga yogini who was doing a workshop with yoga celebrity Lino Miele} and Cri {who divides her time between Rome and her Agriturismo in Sabina}. We ate fish in a taverna of San Lorenzo and played catch-up but time flew by and it was definitely not enough.

Saturday was a restful day. My cousin's house is so huge that I could sleep in undisturbed.  My other cousin left in the early morning to go skiing to the Alps with my uncle, but I didn't hear a thing. At lunch time I said goodbye to my mum who was going home that day {she lives on the opposite coast} and we {my cousin, her boyfriend and I} went for lunch in a far-west inspired restaurant where I ate an excellent fillet steak. We then browsed the shops of a brand new shopping centre - who was supposed to be an emulation  of American malls - before I boarded my plane back home. 

The next day I arrived at my yoga training late and wet. I missed the alarm clock and it was pouring down when I left home. I got straight into meditation which helped restore my nerves. The day progressed with a intense class on anatomy and physiology. I felt I learnt a great deal but still need to get my head around the mechanisms of thoracic and cellular breathing...