A Little Fun Fluff!! :)

ITALIANS DO IT BETTER

London  Times Online
by Xanadu
Special correspondent about town
November 09, 2004

All social occasions in London are off limits at the moment, as disillusionment at Blair and Bush taint all fun. It was definitely time to flee the country - where better than Rome?

Bush winning the US election ruined my week. With my re-awakened wave of anti- neoconservativism it is baffling how such a president was re-elected. As a result,
(it was hard to attend any social occaisons and have fun)...

It was definitely time to flee the country - if only for a few days - to regain some perspective and renewed joie de vivre.

Where better than Rome? A place so surreal one feels constantly high.  Floating around the city like Tosca in chiffon (it was that hot!) dodging any evil Scarpia look-alike.

The city is completely stunning - albeit peppered with American tourists. Perhaps they too were running in search of the old classic romantic world.

We were wandering down to the Colosseum when suddenly hundreds of police in riot gear jumped from purring police vans and stood in an invincible row.

This ordered performance lasted no more than a few minutes before the carabinieri betrayed their Latin temperament. Impressed with their outfits (a sucker for a man in uniform!) it was hard not to flash them all a smile and toss my hair around.

Their fierce bravado instantly evaporated as they smoothed their hair and posed in the warm sunlight. One of them lit up a cigarette. Pushovers, these carabinieri.

Unbelievably, a globalisation march appeared on the horizon – they must have known I was in town. Perfect to vent my frustrations. Stretching for miles down the wide cobbled Via di Fori Imperiali stood thousands of peace marchers, slogans waving, passions high.

Some New Yorkers standing beside us looked anxious and my friend turned to them: “Yeah, you Americans aren’t too popular at the moment - if I was you I would get behind that wall.” And they did.

Naturally my bike obsession translated well here; the only way to really see the city in a day or two, whizzing around dodging the crowds at the Trevi in the diluted autumnal sunshine. And tell me where else in Europe do you see twenty-something men whiling away their Saturday afternoon in a capital city rehearsing love songs on the banks of the Tiber. Wonderful. My love of life was slowly seeping back.

The only disappointment was the lack of flirtation.  All my life I’ve avoided Italian stallions - purely due to their reputation. Reflecting, that seems lame.  How can one avoid something without experiencing it first? Pretty narrow-minded. My mantra now is to try all things - at least once.

Surrounded by the pack, it was time to take them on. It’s about having the confidence, and at last it felt right. But horror of horrors - not one backward glance, wink or air kiss sent my way.

Had my window of opportunity closed? Reeling from the shock - I had to admit failure on the infallible litmus test - The Italian Male Attention Scale. My highlights must need touching up.

Some kind soul offered this thought: when you reach a certain age, look it, and walk down the street with your brother, people assume you are a couple. This was what was happening here on the streets of Rome with my cousin.

Italian boys just don’t fancy duels at dawn anymore. If it were re-run with a couple of my girlfriends ambling down that same street it would be a different story. Mmmmmmm.

Next trip to Italy I will definitely be alongside my gorgeous youngest girl cousin - although naturally that might throw up a few issues too, I imagine.

Times Online - Comment
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Xanadu is a pseudonym