Day 497: Superhero, Nunwagon

Nuns doing driving. Never gets old. If you're me.

I saw the most triangular person EVER today. A real-life cartoon superhero. I've never seen anything like it. He was massive. Tall. His waist was normal man-sized (though ripped to shit, of course), but then it kind of just kept on widening. I swear he was more than twice the breadth in the shoulders as he was in the waist. His muscles were like massive sides of beef in size, perfectly shaped, if a little unfeasible. 

Search term: upside down armpits.
Honestly!

He was wearing a tight t-shirt but unless he tacks on a sheet, I can't imagine there are many other options for him. He looked like he'd been drawn in by a huge Marvel artist, right there in front of me. I nearly shouted 'Get that man a cape!' I nearly went and commented. Not sure if I'm glad that I didn't or not. Grateful doesn't cover it. That was BRILLIANT.

Delays did happen, thanks to the fog. I got quite a lot done. I feel a bit over-excited. Got to Rome. I took the advice my facebook lovelies had given me and walked. I took the advice that Marco off of Easyjet had given me too, and went to Trastevere. Lovely. I found a cafe and had an actual Italian cappuccino, which was heavenly: delicate and strong at the same time (something I aspire to being myself...). I skyped my French AS student, and by the time I looked up, the place had turned into a very cool bar. I had a jumpy wee behind a door not big enough to cover the doorway, hovering over a seatless bowl. Better than waiting. 

Tilly's black, but this is the best dog armpit shot.

On the way to Trastavere (how could I almost have forgotten?), I was smiled at and even got a little wave, from a pair of wimpled nuns in a nunwagon. Actual, straightforward nuns. Not comedy nuns, or annoying 'sexy nuns'. Just nuns. Busy being nuns. And driving. I love seeing people in religious dress driving cars. It really makes me laugh. Not sure why. I remember seeing a Swami in a Twingo, swinging round a corner, beaming and talking into his mobile phone. Such a mismatch with what I expect. If those nuns had whipped out iPads and started on the selfies, I'd have been done for.

Oh, and the rain! It rained for about a quarter of the journey into Rome from the airport. I was at the very back of a coach, surrounded by guffawing French retired people. They were quite funny. They were having a nice time, which was good. It rained big and fat and heavy, taking leaves off trees as it did, leaking into the coach. I was looking forward to a thorough soaking. Impractical, definitely, but I've never been able to resist fat, warm rain like that. It had stopped by the time I got out. That didn't stop me being offered a string of macs and umbrellas. I wonder if it's sunnies when it's warm and hair grips when it's windy. Nice chat and a trip to a hotel I didn't want with Ricardo, whose job it is to gather people a the tourist info counter at the station and try and get them to take a room in his hotel. The lovely chat started after I'd already said no. 

Margaret Pikes, this one's for you.

I walked again. I saw lots of lovely dogs. I smiled at a lot of people and a lot of people smiled at me. I got 'lost' a few times, though I wasn't really going anyway. I saw the Colosseum and the Pantheon, some incredible buildings and some beautiful ruins. I found a hostel. I ate a pizza near the Trevi fountain. I'm about to go and fill my face with gelato. 

I have received some gorgeous messages from some really valued and beloved people today. I even had love and best wishes sent from the armpits of a sweet, soft Staffie-dog girl called Tilly. That's good, isn't it?