Ciao bella! It's Emma here, reporting live from the Eternal City! Rome has officially stolen my heart – think ancient history meeting gorgeous architecture and delicious pasta – all under a glorious Italian sun.
Today is Wednesday, 23rd August, 1995, which means it's time for another instalment of my Rome travel diary! For the past few weeks, I've been taking ballet classes in the city, you know, keeping my pirouettes up to scratch while exploring everything this beautiful place has to offer.
This morning, I decided to start my day with a dose of history and a side order of fabulousness. The Colosseum, a gladiatorial arena in ancient Rome, has been on my bucket list for ages. I’ve been reading loads about gladiators and I even bought a tiny model of one for my collection. It was just incredible, to be in a place that felt so alive even centuries after its peak. Imagine the roar of the crowd, the gladiators clashing steel. I tried to picture myself in a warrior’s toga, strutting my stuff! (Tutus probably weren't worn in gladiatorial combat, darling – the logistics would be a bit of a challenge).
But hey, maybe I can start a trend! Imagine, “Gladiator Tutus!”… okay, maybe that's a little too much. I must confess, after a few hours of picturing the gladiators I did fancy a change from the historical hotbox so I indulged myself with some truly beautiful Italian shopping!
This city is a treasure trove of chic fashion, and I'm definitely on a mission to find the perfect Italian dress for a show in Verona next week. Think shimmering silks, beautiful fabrics, maybe even a little bit of sequins! There's nothing quite like the Italian eye for fashion – so inspiring! I picked up a beautiful new silk scarf, perfect for my next dance class in the park – it’s all about creating my own little pink tutu world, even in a city like Rome.
The evening ended on a magical note. The most wonderful thing about being in Rome, apart from all the fashion and the history and the gorgeous sunshine, is the theatre! I got to see a stunning opera performance tonight at Teatro dell’Opera di Roma! It was La Traviata! Absolutely magnificent! The costumes, the voices, the music – just glorious. For a moment, I could have sworn I was transported right back to the days of powdered wigs and decadent balls. Oh, if only they’d had pink tutus back then…
Now, my lovelies, it’s late and I’m exhausted from all this exploring, I have to go, I need a glass of wine and a bowl of gelato, the traditional treat in this city – maybe with some delicious amaretti biscuits.
See you all next week, where I'll be blogging from Verona. I've already booked a special pink tutu for a grand opening performance, stay tuned!
Much love from Rome,
Emma, your Pink Tutu Travel Guide x
