8/9/08 – 6.30pm

Another really good day.  Had a lie-in and left the BSR around 10am.  Wandered into the city centre alone and indulged in some

About to enter the Pantheon, with the sun blazing through the oculus

shopping – got a gorgeous leather rucksack and some pressies for the folks back home.  Tossed the obligatory coin into the Trevi fountain and then headed over to the Pantheon to meet a few of the others.

The glorious Trevi Fountain

We went to a restaurant recommended in the guidebook and had a lovely long lunch (2 ½ hours!) outside of pizza and then dolci (I had pannacotta).  The restaurant owner seemed not to mind us just whiling away our time there chatting so that was nice.  We were harassed a couple of times by dodgy musicians including a strange old man with a keyboard which he basically had in demo mode and wasn’t even playing!

Wandering the artists' stalls in Piazza Navonna

After lunch we wandered down to the Piazza Navona where we did some more shopping, including buying dresses at a very pushy shop.  Then we were really tired so we headed home.

10.25pm

Spent another pleasant evening chatting over the dinner table, laughing at people winding up one of the other girls about fancying Julius Caesar, and once again laughing about the Animal Hospital ring tone.  Am so glad my tutor told me about this course – I’m having such an amazing time, it’s been so worthwhile.  Been here less than a week yet I feel like I’ve been here for ages; the BSR feels like home and our daily routine feels ‘normal’.  Kinda don’t really want to go back to the cold, miserable UK!  I guess all good things must come to an end though.