Time is already getting away from us. I can’t figure out how many days have passed since the one I last posted about. We’ve now got our friends here with us! Bitti and I were chilling all afternoon inside after checking into our new accommodation, a two-bedroom apartment near Termini. R and A were due to arrive at 7 pm, and I thought maybe we could wait to eat with them.

Checking into the new accommodation was a bit stressful because although it was a mere 6-minute walk from our old hotel, Bitti had had enough of walking and decided that the moment I was carrying all bags and pulling a suitcase over cobblestones in the hot sun on our way to meet someone at a predetermined time was the right moment to stage a sit-in. After much cajoling we made it to meet our AirBnB host, but I had forgotten to change my 50 Euro note to pay the tax of 31.50. The man who met us with the keys didn’t have change so I had to venture out again, on a Sunday when everything was closed, with a crying child because the toy she bought from a dodgy street hawker had just broken and she still didn’t want to walk.

There were no concession stands open nearby, so I tried a fancy restaurant first. I asked if I could buy a bottle of water for my poor little hot child (who of course was also teary-eyed, which was actually helpful for once!). The waitress said they only sold glass bottles so couldn’t give me one. Damn. Next a pizzeria. An old man near the entrance said they were closed, I asked again to buy water for my thirsty daughter who was about to die from dehydration. He started to get her a glass of water. Nooooo, just a bottle please! He called the owner who did get us a small bottle of water, but when I produced my 50 Euro note he was pretty pissed! He made a real meal out of getting the change, while I forced Bitti to go through the charade of gulping down some water, shushing her when she protested, ‘but I’m not thirsty!’, ffs, keep up child!

Finally furnished with the correct change, I handed the taxes over and we returned to our new apartment for a well earned rest and toy mourning session.

The apartment is larger than I expected, with plenty of windows as we are in a corner of the building. It is like living in an IKEA showroom, there’s nothing here that I haven’t seen before on Sir Donald Bradman Drive. The shower is comically small, and making things worse, one of the two sliding doors seems to be jammed so I can only just squeeze into the recess. But you should see the deadbolts on the front door, feels like we are in a fortress. Something we are realising is that although the public places aren’t terribly clean or well-kept, Roman’s private spaces can be quite luxurious. Behind the facade of these graffitied, run-down buildings there are beautiful gardens and cushy modern living spaces.

We waited for evening and went back to the favourite restaurant for dinner. While we were eating A and R turned up! We had a little table for two, and no tables were free nearby so they sat down across the restaurant and we made eyes at them while we finished dessert. Bitti was ready for bed so we went home early. Excited for group travel to begin!