#PinkTutuRome Wednesday 2011-12-28 exploring Rome Italy

Buongiorno, darlings! Emma here, your resident pink tutu wearing travel enthusiast, reporting live from the Eternal City, Rome! This week's adventures have been bursting with Italian sunshine, decadent gelato, and oh, the history! My pink tutu has been twirling through ancient ruins, past cobbled streets lined with the most fabulous shops, and even had a dance with a charming street performer! It's hard not to feel inspired by this magnificent city, where ancient wonders rub shoulders with modern delights.

Now, before I get too carried away, I do need to rewind a bit and explain how I even got here! You see, my darling friends, my week begins on Wednesday evenings, when I post a little piece of my world, my very own "Pink Tutu Diaries", on www.pink-tutu.com. A lot goes on behind the scenes in those few short days before Wednesday rolls around though! You see, I’m a busy ballerina, you could say I’m funding my passion for travel by performing at various shows throughout the UK. Sometimes, even the odd theatre performance or ballet class crops up! And, since we’re on the topic of pink, this week I performed in the annual Derbyshire Pink Tutu charity ballet, which, as you may guess, raises money for a local cancer charity! All the ballerinas wear pink tutus of course and the whole event is a wonderful spectacle, all in the name of charity and well, pink, of course!

Anyway, this Wednesday morning, I found myself in the gorgeous little station at Chesterfield, (which incidentally was completely packed to the brim as everybody travelled to a very popular Boxing Day Christmas Market), where I had just finished my ballet routine! All of the festive bustle made me wish I had thought to pack a little something Christmas-themed in my trusty little ballerina bag, just to show my festive support!

I got on a little train (no one does trains quite like the Brits) and set off for London, for my usual pre-blog, big city, inspiration spree! What a day that was! From Liberty’s department store, where I was absolutely lost in the stunning display of fabric, trims, and haberdashery (which immediately sent me off on a wild shopping spree of my own, in the surrounding department store’s jewellery section, as you do) … right through to The Ritz Hotel, with their majestic marble foyers and the grandest of ballrooms. Well, a girl can dream, can’t she? And, although, I didn't see a single tutu on the well-dressed guests there, I just knew that a flash of pink was what this beautiful setting needed! I envisioned myself pirouetting gracefully into the elegant ballroom, as the perfect blend of vintage charm and modern flair flowed all around me, but alas, that vision was merely for me.

Oh, but back to reality! I'd travelled straight from London to the train station at the very end of my fabulous fashion and retail therapy in the capital, so it wasn't until I had found my place, on the high speed train, towards Paris, that I even realised that I’d never seen a “real” Christmas market!

“That will have to wait until next Christmas!” I declared, with the very biggest of smiles, whilst pulling on a little festive Christmas music from my favourite festive playlist. Now, if that’s not a recipe for Christmas-spiced happiness then I’m sure I don’t know what is! I thought of my lovely ballet students all having a wonderfully lazy time over Christmas, but somehow the Christmas break was always a little busy for a pink tutu wearing dancer! That’s just the way it is!

Just then, there was an announcement about an hour’s delay as a result of the heavy snowfall that they had experienced. Thankfully though, they were all on board the high-speed train so all was going swimmingly in that regard, which put me right in the festive Christmas mood again. Oh, those announcements are my absolute favourite.

And the views! Well, let’s just say the snowy scenery went straight to my head – I simply had to pull out my camera. Then, in a moment of complete “Pink Tutu-ness” and pure excitement, I grabbed a bag of sweets from my bag and in a burst of pink, my travel day continued.

I made it to Paris in time for a cup of coffee in a charming café and a lovely pastry. You can’t travel to France and leave without enjoying some of the fabulous French pastries, even though the shops, even the charming cafés on a French high street, always seem to be closed on Boxing Day, that's a fact!

The morning then began with a delicious Parisian breakfast of croissant and coffee! You may find it hard to believe, but I found myself in France’s capital. It must have been my “Pink Tutu” destiny! I had a late lunch, (and another pastry) then in the late afternoon made my way to the Gare de Lyon station for the TGV Eurostar to Italy. Well, who wouldn't take the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the Parisian winter and to feel that magical atmosphere of winter's end on the way. I couldn’t resist purchasing a “Christmas Special” selection of delicious sweet treats from the very friendly railway café before boarding the TGV, a delightful combination of creamy French flavours.

Then there it was! The “magic button” as it were! The TGV doors closed and there was a soft swoosh! I sat in that rather smart train carriage and let my gaze float past all the passing fields and forests, whilst I savoured every moment of the journey. Oh, but isn't train travel romantic?

I'm not quite sure what it was, maybe the plush upholstery, the smell of coffee in the air, the beautiful views, or the delicious Parisian treats. All I can say is that, on the journey towards Rome, something special seemed to be brewing! I had to get ready to capture Rome! This city has so much magic to offer; and there I was, sat on that very sleek and comfy, futuristic high-speed train on the way to my adventure.

So, how is a girl from Derbyshire ever going to see all that the city has to offer you ask? You see, I don’t have just one pink tutu (no, never!) I have my suitcase crammed full of them! As my dear grandmother used to say "It's important to be prepared for any occasion." You just never know when you will find a party, an elegant dinner or a spontaneous picnic (or, in my case, a tour of some historical Roman landmark).

Okay, back to Rome and those beautiful buildings... (sigh...) Let’s just say, all that historical magic made me wonder where I could dance! Of course, my first visit had to be the Colosseum - it's just so iconic! It's incredible to think how old these structures are and I felt like a modern-day princess in my pink tutu, stepping back in time.

Later that evening, after finding my little Roman hideaway, a gorgeous boutique hotel right in the heart of the city, I joined the hustle and bustle on the Roman streets, and that's where the pink tutu magic happened! This was when I finally understood how the combination of a little “pink tutu-ness” and Italian sunshine could create such magic. Just strolling along those stunning narrow streets, feeling that warmth on my face, seeing that beautiful, centuries old architecture (well, just about every building I saw was an antique) it just made me happy, so so very happy. It really does pay to let the little pink tutu princess out.

After enjoying the most authentic bowl of pasta, with all the trimmings, (as you know a ballet dancer never leaves room for anything, let alone a delicious plate of spaghetti with lashings of grated parmesan), and then a fabulous espresso (something I have been perfecting in my apartment’s kitchen) I just had to see what was happening in the main square. What a wonderful surprise that was, there was a local orchestra, which, as soon as I saw the group, I was convinced was performing live for tourists such as myself! The music was simply stunning, I was caught in a whirl of waltzing tunes, a romantic Italian melody for dancing, a musical masterpiece of a truly high-standard! I really have to start a little blog page of my adventures for people with a passion for music and dancing, because I just cannot go anywhere without experiencing both! It’s quite funny to see tourists just standing there, whilst I feel compelled to give a performance, there in that historic Roman Square. I could tell from the smile of a passerby that my performance was very much appreciated! Oh the things we do for our "pink tutu" passion, my friends!

And on my way home, I simply had to pick up a little treat of Roman pizza, oh the cheese, the olives, the crust, what a treat! As it turned out, I wasn't so far from my own little Roman hideaway that I could just sneak into the street corner café, before closing time and devour a delicious dessert with a beautiful cappuccino. Now that’s what you call the “sweetest dreams” of Rome!

Now, let me tell you, the city’s been such an amazing experience! This city, with its vibrant colours, its buzzing energy and its enchanting mix of past and present has really filled me with joy and creativity! If I had to pick a favourite moment, it would be wandering around Trastevere, that stunning little part of Rome where colourful buildings line narrow, cobbled streets and local cafes overflow with happy, friendly Italians, where I can almost imagine myself as a pink tutu clad princess in another time, gliding down the charming narrow pathways. The streets were alive with the sound of laughter and the scent of delicious food. My pink tutu has never been in such high spirits.

However, I do have a little confession for you, the other day, in the heat of the afternoon (and you do get warm even when it’s a little cloudy in this gorgeous city!) my darling pink tutu, you see, it's had some “adventures”, well, in a romantic fairytale way, not so much that it has got lost or lost any of its sparkly, shiny glitter and pink magic!

Oh, no! But it did find a wonderful Italian gentleman. I found him sat amongst the magnificent ruins of the Pantheon. The most beautiful old building, absolutely enormous! I did try to be discreet, but he seemed to notice and saw something a little "special" about my choice of footwear! I could see it, he really enjoyed our moment, well it only lasted for about 30 seconds, as that "Roman twinkle" was all over his face and he started smiling. Well, as any sensible ballet dancer, ballerina would do, I kept my “Pink Tutu” and Roman gentleman meeting a closely guarded secret and a fun memory from the "Pink Tutu" archives! It was really quite a lot of fun - the “Roman twinkle”!

Well, after that day and night, I felt like I had achieved all that I had set out to do and so this Thursday morning (just as my wonderful "Pink Tutu" day was ending and the Roman dawn was breaking!) I set off for a long day at the train station! This time I was not returning home, but my "Pink Tutu" travels continued with a grand Italian adventure and a whole week’s worth of adventures to enjoy! I can't wait to share my "Pink Tutu" next week from, yes you guessed it…Florence. I’m excited!

So, are you ready for some more Pink Tutu inspiration? See you next Wednesday, darlings, and remember: The world's a beautiful place when you wear a pink tutu!