Come to my birthday in Rome

It all began with a throw away comment- we should celebrate Danielle's 70th birthday in Rome- and this is how it happened.

We flew in from Madrid, flung ourselves out of the taxi in crazy Roman traffic, and right into the arms of English friends who had already arrived. We all stayed at the atmospheric Foresteria Orsa Maggiore, a converted 16th century convent., in the Trastavere area, over the Tiber.

Pasta and vino rosso for dinner.

Saturday mornng we got a text ,‘Meet us in the middle of St Peters Square,'and there are two more friends, from Cardiff. We stood in the middle of the massive piazza, with the line for the tour of the Sistine Chapel curling behind us. Nuns and priests walked past in pairs, tour groups followed little flags and umbrellas, and we stood beaming at each other, and getting our photo taken. Danielle was already overcome with her birthday treat and it was only 11am. The tall columns of antiquity stood around us, the cobblestones which have felt so many feet for so many centuries.

We decided to skip the queue and enter St Peters as if we were normal church goers. No such luck- a very abrupt guard gesticulated firmly to the queue at the south side. Even Danielle’s rusty Italian and charming smile did not change his mind. Across the square again, the queue moved us quickly enough up to a security check and Xray of luggage and we are in.
Nothing can prepare you for the immense spaciousness of St Peters. The sweeping expanses of tiled floors, the slender columns reaching to the curved nave ceilings.

We paid special attention to the tenderness of the Pieta, created out of pale marble by a 23 year old MichelAngelo.

We walked to the statue of St Peter-tradition has it that you kiss his foot before a pilgrimage or important event.
Danielle is allowed to touch the statue, burnished to a high patina by many before her, but I am not allowed to photograph the action. The guard does not explain why.

We wander back down Borgo Santo Spiritu, and past Regina Coeli Prison, where the man who shot John Paul 11 is incarcerated.

At last we have learned the value of an afternoon rest if you want to eat at anything like the local time.

For predinner drinks, Maria leads us to ‘the hippest place in Rome’ according to Time Out. We think the price of a glass of Prosecco, a dry champagne type drink, is very steep until she reveals that there is a buffet of free food included. We stand out on the cobbled square by the Tiber, sipping Prosecco, sniffing in the scent of dope, watching the full moon and doing our best to feel hip.

Finally the birthday dinner at Luna e l’Altra, more glasses of Prosecco, and red wine, antipasti of

zucchini in light batter, cheeses, salad, bread, followed by grilled meats, fish, grilled aubergines, roasted peppers, and Danielle's favourite dessert, tiramisu. We began to eat at 8.30 and finished at 11.30.

'It was a wonderful occasion, with friends from UK, in a lovely Roman restaurant. It was full of fun and celebration!' said Danielle.