I am an English teacher and student of the Italian language currently teaching in Perugia, Italy for the company Angloville. I am working here for the week and writing about my trip in both English and Italian. My Italian is bad so expect lots of mistakes/Itenglish so don’t hesitate to correct me.

I did not sleep well. This monster heatwave had me waking up at 4am before I thankfully returned to sleep waking up again at 8.30. After a much-needed shower I was ready to begin my day. Yesterday I tried and failed to find the rendeyvous point for the free city tour this evening. Today I would succeed. I had done my research and even downloaded an offline maps app.

Onto the meeting point which was the statue of Marco Minghetti [no idea] at the piazza di San Paleo. This time the walk there was very straightforward. It started with a look around the local church, as well as seeing some suggestive bottles in a shop as well as some old ruins which are everywhere in Rome. Roundabouts 40 minutes later, I had reached the rendezvous. Success.

It was 10.40 and the sun was already so hot so it was time to seek refuge in the hostel. Back I went retracing my steps with a quick pitstop at the local Carrefour express for lunch. I bought a sandwich and drink for £5.17. This must be an Italian equivalent of a meal deal.

It was a tomato and mozzarella sandwich and served as a good lunch back at the hostel. Having suitably recovered from the heat, it was time to go back in it! Once more unto the breach dear friends. I wanted to find the pick-up point where Angloville would be driving me to Perugia from.

This was another relatively straightforward 40 – minute walk – well other than the thirty-degree heat, but I did see some heart-warming graffiti. It made me think of the missus. I reached the pickup point which was Triburtina train/bus station at 1.10.

I had found it no problem so you think I would have made it back to the hostel okay. You would be wrong. I took a wrong turn and saw amusing graffiti before eventually finding my way. Once back on familiar ground, I saw a pride parade going through Rome Termini.

This was a surprise considering Italy’s right-wing government. Anyway I returned to the hostel at half two where I resolved to wait out the afternoon heat. At least that was the idea. Two hours later, it was still as hot as anything. But I had spent enough time feeling sorry for myself, so at 4.30, it was time for some touristing.

I returned to the piazza della repubblica where I saw the earlier pride parade in full swing.

I wonder if anybody had told Meloni about this. Anyway, as I was still suffering from the heat, it was only fair I got to suffer with an ice cream. Mango and wild berries for £3.50.

Then I went to the Venice palace although a lot of it was hidden behind construction works. I managed to find the only spot that wasn’t. I also went up to but not inside the colosseum. I have been in it before, but once you’ve seen it before you’ve seen it a thousand times.

          Instead I watched the many tourists and a seagull attack a pigeon for no apparent reason. There were a lot of tourists. It reminded me of being around Westminster Bridge or the Eiffel Tower.

          I stayed in that area until 7 when it was time for the free walking tour. I went to the rendeyvous where I found the tour guide Paula and I spoke a little Italian with her. There were three other Angloville volunteers joining us: fellow Brit, Mancunian Lucy, Irish Lauren and yank/fellow Wasian Midori. Off we went. Paula pointed out lots of backstreets, piazzas as well as taking us across the River Tiber and in the general direction of the Vatican.

She also pointed out many of the city’s free water fountains – London has them too and they are a great idea. By 8.30, the tour had finished and Midori suggested this pasta place she had eaten at earlier. They sold 8 euro boxes of pasta. I got an amatriciana and it was so good. Lauren got a proper, creamy carbonara – not just scrambled eggs on pasta. It was so good too. I know because I got to finish it as Lauren couldn’t have anymore. For 8 euros it was a good, tasty portion. Much better than pizza I had yesterday. I also got to use my Italian.

We ate in one of the various piazzas and got to knwoe ach other better. Lucy was an English student, while Lauren worked in cartography. This was both their first Angloville’s. Midori was a full-time traveller and seasoned Angloville participant. She has done it before in Poland like me. But unlike me she did it with juniors. Not adults and she was offered desserts and day trips. That DID NOT happen with me.

During the piazza, a street seller tried flogging some red roses to us, but I told him I already have a girlfriend which made Lauren again. But alas all good things had to come to an end. Midori wanted to keep the party going, but the rest of us were a hard no. I am a grumpy OLD man. I do NOT party anymore.

We said goodbye to Lauren and Lucy. Midori was going to take an e-scooter to her hotel – I’ve never ridden one before. She offered for me to hop on the back, but, alas, it was not big enough for the both of us. We went our separate ways and I walked back to the hostel arriving at 22.15. Usually I’m not a shower in the evening person, but I was soaked with sweat so it was into the shower I went. And that concludes day two in Italy. It was a day of pride parade, water fountains and new friends.

Non ho dormito bene perchè del ‘heatwave’ mi sono alzato alle 4am prima sono tornato dormire prima alzare ancora alle 8.30. Dopo una doccia, sono prono per cominciare il mio Giorno. Ieri, ho provato e failed per traovare il rendeyvous per le tour citte stasera. Oggi ho successtesto. Ho fatto un investigato e ho scaricato un ‘offline map.’

Andiamo! Il rendeyvous era la statua delle Marco Minghetti (boh alla piazza di San paleo. Questa volta, la passegiata era tre semplice. Ho cominciato per “looking around” la chiesa locale, dopo ho visto delle bottiglie suggestive e del ‘ancient ruins’ che ovunque in Roma. Circa 40 minuti piu tardi, ho trovato il rendeyvous. Molto bene.

C’era 10:40,è faceva molto caldo ancora quindi ho trovalto la solace nell’hostello. Ma prima, ho comprato un panino e bevanda nelle carrefour express per £5.17. Era un panino pomodoro, mozzarella e rugola e era bene. Purtroppo, dovesto avuto retornare per il caldo perchè ho volute trovare il rendeyvous per domani. Ancora la passegiata era tre semplice – altrecose il caldo era intensive. Ho visto dei graffiti simpatico e ho raggiunto il rendeyvous – Tributini Stazione alle 1.10.

Allora, l’ho trovato senzo problema quindi tu penseresti che ritornatesto va bene ma no. Prendo il torno sbagliato prima ho trovato la via giusta e sono sbagliato prima ho travuto la via giusta sono tornato all’hostello alle 2.30 e ho volute ‘wait out the heat.’ Al meno, c’era l’idee ma due ore piu tardi, faceva ancora trente-sei gradi. Sono partito per un po touristing ma ho trovato un pride parade. Era una grande sorpresa. Dopo ho mangiato il gelato – mango e wild berries.

Allora, c’era il tempo per tourism. La palazza della Venezia e il Colosseo e il circo massimo era su mia lista. Sono anadato il Colosseo molti anni fa quindi non andato ancora. Non era necessario. Invece, ho siento nell’ombre e ho guardato tutti I turisti comme alle Big Ben o The Eiffel Tower.

Alle 7, era tempo per il tour. Ho incontrato la guida di tour Paula e abbiamo Parlato dell’italiano e abbiamo incontroato tre piu volunteri di Angloville: la irelandese Lauren, un altro Brit Lucy e un americana e ‘fellow Waysian’ Midori. Il tour molto ‘meh.’ Abbiamo visto il Tibor, una piazza, water fountaisn. Niente di speciale.

Dopo abbiamo finito, Midori ha suggest che mangiamo in un restau di pasta. Ho comprato una Amatricana per 8 euros. Buona value e un buon portion. Era molto bene. Lauren ha mangiato la carbonara e c’era la carbonara authentica – non dell’ovo spazzatura ma un authentica ‘creamy’ carbonara.’ Era delicissimo. Lo so perchè Lauren lo non ha finito quindi l’ho finito.

C’era la prima Angloville per lo studente Lucy e il cartographer Lauren ma Midori era ‘un seasoned Angloville participant. L’ha fatto in Poland dove andato I ‘day trips’ e ha mangiato le dolce. Non c’era cosi per mi.

Duranta la cenare, ‘a street seller, tried selling red roses to us, ma ho detto ‘ho una ragazza ancora. Lauren had ricedete. Purtroppo tutte le buone cose devono finire. Lauren e Lucy sono partiti e originalmente Midori e io convidermmo un e-scooter ma non c’era grande abbastanza per il duo. Che palle. Qundi ho devuoto camminare all’hostello. È tutto per il secono Giorno in Italia. C’era il Giorno di pride parades, turisiti e le amiche nuove.