Rome

"Rome was a poem pressed into service as a city." - Anatole Broyard

I wanted to wait to write this until I had spoken to a few people on the phone but with the time difference, that has proven tricky so I just can't wait any more.

Rome was amazing. If Paris is the city of love, then Rome is the city of passion! Everything about it just seems robustly alive. This energy coupled with the surrounding antiquity takes the breath away. We had a marvelous time. It was extremely hot so we would get up early and see the sites and then go back to our flat for chilled wine and olives and cold cold showers. Then we would venture out after dark for Gelato. If you ever go to Italy and don't have Gelato I will find and slap you. Divine.

We got up at 5am on our last morning. It was just dawn and we made our way blearily to the Trevi Fountain. On previous visits we found the fountain crawling with tourists and we wanted it to ourselves. When we got there we were alone (except for one policeman.) Mark took a few pictures and then we sat on one of the benches for a moment and then he got down on one knee and proposed!

So we are officially engaged! People have been asking us for details already but we don't know anything except that we are enjoying being engaged for now and we'll deal with the details later!!

Sigh!