La dolce vita (and other Italian desserts)

Gosh I have been a grade-A shocker when it comes to posting!

Am sure many varied and exciting things have happened in the last month, but I can't remember most of them so I shall provide an abridged version:

• Did fun tour of major London museums when Jamila and Marc came to visit over Bank Holiday weekend - I love the British Museum
• Went to Italian embassy and got Schengen visa with no trouble whatsoever. So sucks to the Finnish embassy - ha-HA! Also fell mildly in love with attractive man behind the counter. Needless to say I have never seen him again. Ah well, such is the fleeting nature of love
• Worked on a client event that ended up with me being in the office at 5.30am. Well, actually, standing outside the office building for half an hour since it only opens at 6.00am when the security guard arrives
• Found new place to live
• Went to Italy for Laura and Matt's wedding

There, I think that covers it... in the way a hanky covers a sedan, perhaps, but it'll do.

Earlier in the week I managed to sneak out of work at 5.30 (i.e. the technical end of our working day, although rarely the customary one) and found myself at a bit of a loose end. So I wandered along down to the gym to fulfil the one appearance a month that I manage to put in, in order to justify the astronomical sum I fork over by way of membership fees. Never do I get more of a sense of how magical London really is until I'm walking along with no specific purpose - I think having destinations and deadlines can numb you to some of the city's charm, leading many people to think that perhaps it has none. In spite of being poor, perennially single, partially homeless and currently about two sizes too big for any of my clothes, walking along the Victoria Embankment I felt an overwhelming sense of goodwill. There must be fairydust in the air.

Busy few weeks ahead, with the Peters arriving today for a fortnight, a visit from Nathalie next weekend and moving/packing shenanigans to get on with.

No rest for the wicked.

Some rocks and a hard place

I have admittedly been a bit rubbish at posting lately - for no more interesting reason than being busy at work and not wanting to spend more time in front of a computer than strictly necessary. Not sure why or when exactly the cloud of work-related busy-ness descended on my already reasonably eventful existence but it seems to have settled in and made itself comfortable while I wasn't looking.

Last weekend saw me gadding about the countryside, visiting Salisbury and cocking an eye at Stonehenge - something I've wanted to do for most of my adult existence. Not to diminish its value, but I must admit that Stonehenge did not look quite as I expected. In my mind's eye, it's always been rather mystical and windswept and solitarily located at the top of a hill. It is, in fact, on the side of the road and simply dripping in gawking visitors (yes, self included, I know). Nor is it as big as I thought. Not that 45 tonnes per stone is a size/weight to be sneezed at but I'm going on visual aspects alone here. Still, it was good to finally see it. And to tell the truth, I wasn't disappointed, just surprised.

Salisbury is a lovely little city too, with a beautiful Gothic cathedral, river flowing through the centre and some nice little walkways. Sadly I doubt there is much demand for PR professionals there so moving over may not be an option. Yet.

Speaking of moving, it's been 4 months and I was clearly getting too close to settling in, so the laughing Gods have arranged for me to have to move house. Again.

Italy in a few weeks and then some talk of American adventures in October, so lots to be getting on with in the short term future. Ah well, no rest for the wicked, as 'they' say.