Two days to go

Wednesday 13 Sept

A 'rocky' start with Kathryn having had a disturbed night; Niah seemed to wake happy enough but became cranky pretty soon after (when Kathryn left for work). I thought: 'It's going to be one of those days!'.

After a fair bit of mucking around with food, milk and toys, we set off to the Testaccio Market to get some cake from Cups - this time Ciambellone (we had the peach and chocolate torta last night that I had bought from here the other day - it was delicious!); plus ravioli al cacio e pepe (Pecorino Romano cheese and pepper) from Le Mani in Pasta. When I told the girls at dinner later on, they all drooled.

Ciambellone is a classic Italian cake - it is a ring cake (strict translation is 'big doughnut'!).

This will be for our dinner tomorrow night (our last night) which will be PACKING night (ugh!). Tonight we go out with the girls. They will no doubt be keen to hear from Kathryn how the Team Leaders' meeting at HQ goes today re the anticipated restructure just announced by the new boss.

More walking around the market and finally Niah fell asleep and I got a well-deserved coffee and crostate; basically, a crostata is a fruit or jam tart. Feeling stuffed already. Looking forward to a bit of a break here at the cafe - but boy, the smoking here drives you crazy.

A woman at another table is having a Campari Spritz!! And it's only 11 a.m.!! I think I might be done with Campari Spritzes for now. Depends on how the day goes I guess...

The market -

Niah sleeps an hour - it never seems enough !! Why does an hour asleep always seem less than hour awake??!!

We call in to the supermarket for a few items and have to enter via the checkout to fit in with Monster Stroller. Juggling groceries, stroller, baby, wallet - in the tiniest of spaces - is enough to have you drop your bundle!

Stagger up to our flat - leave some stuff at foot of stairs whilst lugging up baby in papoose plus whatever can be carried, then unlocking the door - then back down with baby in papoose to get the rest, dragging Monster Stroller into tiny lift! Phew!

Niah guzzles down a bottle of milk, we play, put a load of washing on - all one-handed of course - and about 3 p.m. get her to sleep: INSIDE for a change, thus I am resting!

Kathryn arrives and I have to continue nonna duties till 7 p.m. as she is 'work-shopping' stuff with Katuschia. Then we are going out to dinner - all of us with Tania and Fiona also. This last stint nearly does me in but we make it - including nonna doing bath duties on her own!

We are booked into Da Felice's. And a booking IS required! We have an early slot at 7 p.m. and when we emerge later, it is like the Cannes Film Festival outside - throngs of people!! The food is simply amazing. It is renown for real Roman cooking. Apparently, Felice, the grumpy old owner, used to put 'reserved' signs on all the tables so he could turn away anyone he didn't like the look of. Now run by his son Franco, this corner trattoria has had a makeover. Very chic. I had the most amazing carciofo (artichokes) alla romana (a classic Roman dish) - the BEST I have ever had; then saltimbocca alla romana (veal with sage and ham - amazing!!); finished with torta ricotta e pere (ricotta tart and pear) - delicious. We were once more in the capable hands of Tania with the wines - Montefalco Rosso Arnaldo-Caprai 2015 (from Umbria; it is a blend of sangiovese and sagrantino, a grape indigenous to the area) followed by a lovely digestivo of Montenegro, a traditional amaro distilled in Bologna - lovely 'on the rocks'!

It more than made up for the stint I did outside the restaurant, glass of red in hand, rocking Niah to sleep in the papoose between main course and dessert. Success! Go nonna!!