"Living in Rome" a Rome Travel Page by craic

I crossed the equator for the first time in 2004, and landed in Italy for the first time.
Rome knocked me out. It was love at first sight.
I wrote a very over-excited page. Which I have now discreetly removed into a travelogue.
So I may write a more considered and esoteric page. Having spent more time with the beloved, becoming a little cooler and more measured. Having tried to live with the loved one.
I became a little Roman. Seen it all, done it all, not impressed.
Over-Excited Gush

Anyway, back in 2004, one taste of Rome wasn't enough so I applied for a residency at the Whiting Studio in Rome - and got it. I think you always get what you really want. I had six months, from February to July.

This page is about the Rome I saw during those six months.

I saw a great deal of my roof garden on the 8th floor on Viale di Trastevere (not the pretty part of Trastevere) and I think the morning glories were the piece de resistance.

I saw a great deal of my living room.
With six months I had time to spread myself a bit. I didn't feel as if I had to run out and do Rome!
I read a great deal. (The Whiting Library is in fact a library and to leave the flat you had to walk past over 2000 books. This is not always easy.)
I listened to my neighbours fighting through the wall. I watched a lot of (mostly) very bad television.
I wrote a bit.
I would walk out onto the roof garden and lean out a bit and look at St Peter's Dome.
I walk walk back through the kitchen and look at the glint on the white marble of the Vittorio Emmanuele.
I would go and lie on my bed and listen to the old lift creaking and groaning.
The mechanism housing was right by my front door.
As I can lie in my bed in Wingello and listen to the traffic up Bumballa Road, I could lie on my bed in Trastevere and listen to the traffic in the block of flats.
Who was that person who always left at 4-30am? Secret lover, tram driver on the early shift, owner of incontinent dog?

From time to time Rome would call me and I would descend from the 8th floor and go out into it and have a look around. I didn't always like what I saw. Rome didn't always treat me very well.
But you know, I would go back there and live there in a minute. I'm not finished with Rome yet.