#PinkTutuRome Wednesday 2023-08-30 exploring Rome Italy

Ciao bella!

It's Wednesday, which means it's time for another Pink Tutu Rome adventure, and my oh my, are you in for a treat! I've finally made it to the Eternal City, and as I write this, I'm perched precariously on a pink marble bench in the Piazza Navona, trying to soak in the sheer magic of it all.

Let's be honest, it's a bit hard to take your eyes off this city! I'm pretty sure Rome is one of those places where everyone feels just a little bit like a movie star, even in a pink tutu! (I’m going for the effortlessly chic traveller look in my pink tulle number with a vintage linen top and some stylish mirrored sunglasses, of course).

I know what you're thinking - Rome in August?! It's boiling here, and there's a certain charming "slightly sweaty" vibe to everything. I’m coping quite well with it, though, by wearing light fabrics, drinking endless amounts of water, and of course, keeping that pink tutu fresh (and fabulously smelling) after a quick spin in the hotel's laundry machine.

Getting to Rome was an adventure all of its own! A beautiful, breezy, high-speed train journey across Italy from Florence, my last stop on this European whirlwind! My travel outfit, a hot pink, hand-knitted cable knit jumper, and matching hot pink ballet skirt was an absolute hit! I think everyone in the train carriage knew a pink-tutu-clad ballerina was on board! (Just a small fact - they say that everyone knows how many people are on board a train carriage by the time the train has arrived at its first stop – you get good at counting when you do a lot of travelling. My favourite method of counting the number of people in a carriage is just before they all get up at a station; and I'm always correct, always!)

Anyway, I digress! (That’s one of my annoying habits I can’t seem to break!)

Speaking of travels, my ballet performances in France and Belgium have been so much fun and very rewarding. ( I'll blog about them next week when I get back to England!) It really gives me such joy knowing I get to pay for all my amazing travels (the hotel room overlooking the Colosseum and the pizza-and-pasta-stuffed evenings are going down a storm!) just by doing what I love – dancing and making people smile with my colourful tutu creations!

Oh, let's talk about the Colosseum! It's actually much more impressive in real life than even the photos I've seen suggest. It's vast, historical, and almost… well… almost, tutu worthy! Imagine a massive, gladiatorial show but with a troupe of pink tutu ballerinas instead! My mind is absolutely exploding with possibilities here!

But enough of my whimsical ramblings, I must get on with this blog, or it will be about 5am when it’s finally finished (it happens all the time - I'm not a morning person at all - my dancing regime means I'm generally up late). Let's dive into a little more Roman fun.

So, on the day I arrived in Rome, it was all about "firsts!" - and I didn’t disappoint. I, naturally, had to have a proper Roman lunch. It was a little Pink Tutu paradise of carbonara and artichokes with the tastiest glass of wine! And I'll admit, it wasn't exactly a traditional trattoria - I was lured in by the cute outdoor tables (because… pink roses hanging over the table!! And how can a tutu enthusiast not succumb to pink roses??) - a little slice of my tutu-dream-come-true in the middle of Rome. After I'd refuelled on some carbs and deliciousness, I was ready for another big Pink Tutu Roman first - the Trevi Fountain!

Let me tell you, the Trevi fountain is much bigger than I thought. And PINK! Imagine my delight - all those pink and cream marble carvings and those pink water lilies at the edge. It felt like a tutu fantasy world had somehow transported me to Ancient Rome. Of course, I tossed a coin into the water, the ritual of it all, with my own little prayer, “May all my tutus and ballet performances be pink and magical.” Who can resist the promise of a happy ending with a pink tulle wish?

The fountain was buzzing with tourists - and I spotted a whole load of gorgeous floral patterns everywhere! (You really can't have a blog about Rome without mentioning floral print… they are so sophisticated, and oh-so stylish. Let me tell you, it was an almost overwhelming sensory experience, the best kind of overwhelm. Every corner I turned, I seemed to stumble on something beautiful, an artistic delight or a wonderfully dressed woman. My kind of Rome. (Just a quick tip if you ever do come to Rome – make sure you buy yourself a pretty straw hat with a big ribbon on it, it makes everything so much chicer and fashionable, even when you’re sweaty in the August heat, like me!

The Trevi Fountain - it’s a real tutu delight and the iconic Rome moment everyone dreams of. (Just a bit of advise - I spent ages taking photos, so do be prepared!)

For dinner, I made my way over to the Trastevere, one of Rome’s oldest districts, for the best seafood restaurant I've been to (there were little pink shells in the menu, how could I resist?). After another amazing pasta dish and some heavenly wine, (always some yummy red Italian wine with any dish – it's so essential - almost a sixth flavour), it was time to discover even more of ancient history.

There’s this thing I do when I’m on holiday - every evening before I settle down, I take myself for a 30-minute walk, somewhere different every day, and I do all the "sightseeing" things then – I don't waste time during the day (for you non-ballerina folk – that means I like to spend my days eating and shopping! haha!)

This walk brought me to the Forum Romanum and the Palatine Hill, two ancient wonders that have seen their fair share of history. Stepping into this ancient world, I couldn’t help but let my imagination run wild (you can't visit an ancient wonder without it, it's impossible!) – all those stories in those ruins and statues! But in a twist, instead of gladiators and emperors, I imagined legions of dancers, spinning in graceful ballets beneath the warm Roman sun! (Who says ballet doesn’t have a place in history? It's all around us!)

Walking back to my hotel, my feet happily sore (you really can't underestimate a walk round ancient Rome – so much exploring!), I was reflecting on my day in this amazing city. There was a feeling, it was hard to name it, maybe a pink mist that filled the air, it just felt... tutuful! It’s a special thing - knowing that everyone I met today has seen Pink Tutu Emma rocking out a pretty pink dress and doing what she loves - exploring, learning about history, falling in love with everything new and exciting. I’m glad you’re on this pink tutu journey with me. It’s truly been amazing so far.

For tomorrow I am thinking... (don’t get too excited about this one!)

Fashion, food, art, more pink tutus. A pink overload, it's the best overload there is. I've been hearing about an extra PINK little Italian secret gem, a "pink room", (no, not that kind!), an unbelievably ornate room within a Vatican chapel with everything just swathed in pink silk – I'm off to check it out, you can imagine I’ll let you know what happens – and naturally, I’m going to document the entire pink adventure in pictures for you!

Stay tuned for next week! And as always, stay pink!

Note: This post has been shortened to about 1200 words. You can extend the post further by adding specific details of Emma's daily routine, incorporating a detailed shopping trip or highlighting other fashion events.