October | 2019 | Galimatias

Yet again I find myself at the pointy end of a trip without enough time to visit Rome. I only have two nights but that only translates to a day and a bit all up. But you know what? I’m not going to rush around at breakneck speed trying to get it all done. I’m going to give myself over to Rome and see what it gives me in return.

It’s tempting to have a nana nap after I arrive, but I know how that ends up so I force myself off the bed and out into the streets and I just go. I walk down streets that take my fancy and stop at things that interest me. I find myself outside some basilica (Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano incidentally) and wonder whether it’s worth going in. Well a) it’s free and b) it is the Pope’s official seat so naturally it’s totally OTT. And oh my mother f-ing god. I continue to be amazed at the grandeur of these monuments to god (or power?). I head over the road to a smaller church, Scala Sancta, and walk in. Turns out these are (allegedly) the stairs Jesus walked up to see Pilate. On the left the marble stairs have been exposed and penitents/tourists make their way up on their knees. I consider how painful that would be and that I’m agnostic in any case and decide to take the stairs to the right where you can walk up instead. As I head to the exit I walk past the crawling supplicants. One man has just reached the top and has his hands raised in exultation as I cross. I’m sure I wasn’t what he was expecting but timing is everything. I have to note that there are a lot of really quite attractive priests wandering around these places (Fleabag Season 2: You’re welcome 😉 ).

The next day I went into the heart of Rome and walked for about six hours straight. I found (debateably) the best porchetta, gelato and around every corner there was another architectural wonder (the Parthenon really hits you straight between the eyeballs). I thought yesterday’s basilica was raising the bar pretty high until I saw the Basilica dei Santi Ambrogio e Carlo al Corso and realised they just took it to a whole new level. I haven’t seen the Vatican as I’m a bit crowd averse, but I don’t think I should lest I be struck dumb with all its glory. At this point my phone battery dies and I have no idea where I am, but I have complete faith in my unerring ability to find the shopping district (I do) and was pretty sure the metro was close by (it was). While I did pay for a couple of exhibitions (Museum of Modern Art & Palazzo della Cancelleria), I was mostly doing Rome on the cheap. Good to know it can be done!

So that’s it for Rome and my trip. I’m waiting at the airport for my long haul flight back to Australia and thinking the next trip is probably going to be a bit closer to home, but boy did we fit a lot of stuff in 🙂

Eat: Antica Porchetteria Granieri 1916 | Vittorio Spezie e Cucina

When travelling there is invariably the urge to try and fit in as much as is humanely possibly. This might stem from that old chestnut: the Fear Of Missing Out, or maybe there is genuinely so much to do. But sometimes you need to take a little bit of time and relax into a place. And what better place to do this in Grasse – the fragrance capital of the world.

Pretty in pink

Now admittedly it wasn’t my first choice. I’ll confess I’d never even heard of it, but I was heartily sick of booking accommodation so delegated it to Chris. I mean if he wanted his car back he just needed to pick a suitable rendezvous. And boy did good! Grasse is the prettiest smelling town I’ve ever passed through. Full of artisan perfumers, plus the boulangeries and patisseries de rigueur for small towns, it should be a must on any francophile’s itinerary.

The place we are staying in is the nicest of anywhere thus far this trip. Sprawled over three floors (4 if you count the secret room at the top), just being in it makes me instantly relaxed. We overlook the central square/oblong where tourists gravitate to for lunch and dinner. It’s constant noise but this is a small town, not a party town so it’s all silent by 10 pm.

What should you smell?

After picking Chris up from the aiport I drag him to the International Perfume Museum. Now that’s a change – me dragging C to a museum lol. On first glance, a museum about perfume doesn’t seem a very manly thing to do. But it was really well curated and informative. Did you know there is a swallowable perfume now? We saw Marie Antoinette’s travel kit and a living garden of perfumes. I must confess my favourite bits were the “Eye Nose You” boxes where you peered through a hole and saw a photo while sniffing a scent at the same time. Only one pic was a man’s groin and it definitely didn’t smell like it so that was a little disturbing. I mean, it’s been a while but I think I can remember what it smells like if memory serves.

There are of course other things to do in Grasse – I could have visited the perfume factories, made my own perfume, or even headed outside Grasse for a bit of a nature walk, but to be perfectly honest, it’s a nice town to do nothing in.

Stay: Air BnB
Visit: International Perfume Museum
Do: Top things to do in Grasse