Yes, I Just Discovered Audrey!

When I first moved in with my flatmate and she told me she absolutely loved Audrey Hepburn, I'm ashamed, I repeat ashamed when the name did nothing but very softly ring a bell - something about a famous actress, y'know? She was mortified, and I mean positively mortified at a) my lack of knowledge and b) my lack of love. And so we resolved to buying a Hepburn box set and working our way through one girl's night in. 
Though that plan fell through, when we parted ways I did hang onto the set as H said she'd seem them all already. Just as well 'cause it's come in handy this grim & grey, dreary & drizzly weekend when I've done nothing but snuggle, sniffle, watch Strictly and then Sabrina. Followed by Roman Holiday. And then, of course, Breakfast at Tiffany's. 
I'm miffed by what I was missing. I know, 52 years after release, it's hardly newsworthy stuff... but Miss Holly Golightly - have you ever seen a girl so flakey hidden beneath a woman so elegant? Sipping whiskey and smoking never has, probably never will, look quite so sophisticated. 
I'm in love!
SL x

Rome - The Full & Final

Trust me, I will shush now. This is the rest! Happy weekend! 

SL x

Navratri

So I've been harping on and on about this festival - but I figured the most well known of the hindu festivals are Holi and Diwali... so, in good time, here's just the video that sums up the 'garba' dance that goes on for the nine nights of Navratri, Slightly Bollywood (did you guess?!) but it really catches what I love most about this festival - the beat, the colour and costume and above all, the zest and dedication with which it's celebrated. 
SL x
P.S. Don't worry about the scary lady at the end. She's just a bit... odd. :/

Rome: Day #1

Following a gruelling 4am wake-up, a two hour commute to Gatwick Airport and then the (fortunately very smooth) plane journey, it's fair to say that by the time we'd figured out which train to take from Fiumicino to Ostiense, and dragged our suitcases down the platform and onto the carriage, bedraggled is the only adjective that summarised our state. It was hot, we were tired and my stomach was growling. The train provided some respite though (take note, England, it was a double-decker - so much more space!) and we were, quite honestly, awash with anticipation. Upon disembarking, and subsequently realising I'd forgotten at home the print-out detailing our route from station to hotel, we resolved to the excessive use of hand gestures and map-pointing in order to gain some guidance. Having circled the station some three times in the scorching 32°C heat, we finally found someone who understood our phrasebook Italian (somehow Spanish and French came leaping out of my mouth first?) and rocked up at our abode one straight, three-minute walk later *sighs*.

It wasn't long after depositing our baggage that the bustle of the street below beckoned. We asked in the lobby how far The Colosseum was, and, ignoring advice that a train would be easiest, picked up the map, commencing our pursuit for perfect pizza and a first gelato. Now, I know a map chopped in half is hardly ideal but it was a real lifeline in our navigation of the city and its sites so it's important you can see (vaguely) what I'm blabbering on about. 

Wandering a city is, quite possibly, the best way to absorb it - its pace, lifestyle, vibe, aura, routine and peoples. You can miss a lot in dimly lit subways and dingy trains. Ostiense is not actually on the map; it's south-west of Circo Massimo (labelled) but a long street lined with quaint gelaterias, cafeterias, pizzerias & panetterias made for a dazzling first insight into the suburban side of this city. 

More tomorrow. SL x
P.S. Happy Friday! 

Fall, Leaves, Fall*

Shorter days, crisp mornings, dewy grass and golden leaves. It's official - we're well into my favourite three, or even six months of the year. Yes, you do get the same post at around the same time each year. Look, here's last year's. Oh, and another. Navratri, Halloween, Diwali, Fireworks Night, DECEMBER, birthdays, a new year, SALES(!), all that Valentine's Day paraphernalia and then, of course, a chocolate filled Easter! 
I'm very excited about getting my Indian suits and sarees out - they mostly sit around gathering dust bar the odd appearance for a wedding or the temple. So you'll have to forgive me if I get carried away blogging and 'instagramming' my outfits and bangles and shoes and scarves and jewellery... ah, I'm starting to feel like Cinderella already! 
SL x
*From Emily Bronte's Fall, Leaves, Fall.

Do As the Romans Do

You didn't honestly think I was going to start with anything BUT the food, did you?? Of course not. This is Italy we're talking about and quite frankly our days were planned around pizzeria perching and punctuated with stop-offs at various gelaterias. A typical day, really, went something like this:  
Breakfast. Coffee. Gelato. Pizza. Gelato. Gelato. Pizza. Gelato. I'm going to come to the pizzerias another time (trust me, they deserve an ENTIRE mention of their own) because today I want to focus on ice-cream, ice-cream and only ice-cream. Luckily for us it was a scorching 32°C throughout the holiday - even luckier, then, that our daily route from Ostiense (where our hotel was) to the Colosseum and beyond (Via Del Corsa, Trevi Fountain etc) was lined with quaint little ice-cream parlours vending every variety of gelato under the sun - from pecsa to panna cotta, limone to liquirizia, they had 'em all. 
What's baffling, though, is that no two gelaterias seemed to have the same selection - some favoured sticking to the traditional recipes (like hazelnut, coffee, chocolate & strawberry) whilst others' USP was innovation and invention. The prize for the wackiest we found goes to The Gelateria Punto Gelato...

I can imagine some of you recoiling at the very thought of this curious concoction, but, I tried it (how could I not?) and I assure you, it was the lightest, most refreshing sorbet I could've ever imagined. Sure it was peculiar, distinctly tomatoey and bordering on savoury... but it had a subtle sweetness and... well, it was just delicious really! 
I made a point of not having the same flavour twice and boy was that a good call 'cause I can't remember disliking a single one of them. Here are a lot of pictures of gelato for you. Try not to drool. 

SL x
Gelateria Punto Gelato, 00186 Via dei Pettinari 43, Roma, Italy.

When in Rome

It seems, given the opportunity to gallivant for a few days, I'll end up in Italy 9 times out 10. Let's face it, I think I've been to Italy as many times as I have India. I don't know if it's the warmth, architecture, people, culture or simply the Italian way of life in its entirety (most probably the pizza and gelato actually) but its appeal grows with each successive trip. I s'pose it's a bit like a kid in the park - never wanting to go home once they're there ("just five more minutes mummy, please please please?").

Alas, less than a week was all I had this time. As I was a little young to have much recollection of the last time I was in Rome - the only resonating memories being of sweet watermelon, coconut gelato, a lot of steps (y'know, the Spanish ones), the Vatican City and, of course, the Trevi Fountain - it was somewhat alarming when a strong sense of deja vu took over whilst wandering the streets. I've some spots worth sharing with you and also a few... well, mini-minute-revelations if you might. For now though it's time to enjoy what remains of the weekend. Stay tuned. 

SL x