I know you will be delighted to know that the two nights I spent in Rome I slept under the gaze of the Blessed Virgin Mary so no sinning those nights whether I wanted to or not.

Thank God I am fit..Absolutely loving it all but by night time after managing a suitcase and backpack onto trains, planes and anywhere else you need to take them, all the time smiling and inside thinking ” what the hell!” The red wine is very welcome.

Enjoyed Rome much more this time – not sure why. Traffic is indescribable. Cars turning here there and everywhere. Parallel parking but if your car is small enough you just back it in between cars or else park behind them. Lots of horn blowing but everyone seems relaxed . I am liking their attitude to life.Buildings amazing. Infrastructure so easy to find and use.Fresh food everywhere and lots and lots of Prosecco.

Tommaso (the b and b I am now in) sent an email this morning which I couldn’t translate. Went to breakfast only to find that there was a workshop being run at the Vatican for a group of priests and they were staying the Casa Immaculate conception where I was. At the end of breakfast I popped over to a group of six of them, explained my predicament and one quickly said he would help. In a big loud voice so the six at the table could hear (his primary school teacher would have been proud of him) he read out that Tommaso wanted to know if I wanted a small bed or a big one!! One of the group quickly said ” I would take the big one” Blushing and stumbling I quickly said it referred to the b and b I was moving to. I wish their faces had told me they believed me.

It is hard work travelling on your own. You have to make it all work but you learn so mmuch. Even my language has improved a little.

Having a wonderful time but missing you all.