borntogo14

[borntogo14]

A catalogue of purified beauty...

It was that time again yet again, finding myself selfishly indifferently stepping on  a plane that was headed for Rome, (Italy). I had always wanted to visit Rome, since I could childishly remember... and it was just highly grateful towards my mental self for allowing me to do so.

As everyone says: ‘we are only going to see the colosseum’ and as a individualistic person I wanted to see much more rather than the cliche’ that is so over used; that it will consequently make an Encyclopedic-book sound so old that collecting endless dust would become more of a normality for itself. So in essence I had heard of the many customer orientational cafes that were renowned for it’s blissful coffee, I had heard that the Pizzas where also famous throughout the world and I had also heard that the local people living there would be so hospitable that you would therefore for happily mistaken them for your very family... 

None of those spoken factors were any of standing reasons as to why I was visiting Italy. I decided to come here, as my friend Michael (met in Bangkok) lived here, and that the other reason as the explorative nature a compass with my entire soul and heart... that discovering the less seemingly touristic regions and places of the city... would be a satisfying endearment on my behalf.  

I was finding myself getting tirelessly enthusiastic sitting in a confined of an aeroplane, I felt restricted and rushed within the pure urge of exploration and discovery upon Rome’s quarters and the variety of chapters that it offers to abundances of international tourists the world over.

I finally landed within Rome, and it was there Michael met me there. It was great seeing him after being departed from each other for six months... but that didn’t matter, as we were now within each others presence. I got into he’s car, and he started explaining what he had been up to since leaving Bangkok Thailand:-(studying for his economic degree, training for his local rugby team and just trying to make conjure a life) like anyone else would, it was so fascinating to hear; knowing that somebody like that wouldn’t feel the need to take a break from all that prior studying and work. But yet he has somewhat found an affective coping mechanism, which is applaudably admirable on his behalf. 

We arrived within the heart of the city, and it was there that Michael started to explain on the more and less touristic sectors of the city... and the optimistic and pessimistic things about the city. I listened with intend, and took everything he was telling me on board.  It was rather ironic, as even know we had got to know each other for one day prior to meeting, that he had taken to my safety with much caution that even a police officer would be put to shame, I felt rather blessed it was nice! 

He dropped me off at my hostel, and told me that, ‘he would come and collect me later’ so that way he could show me the less avowedly inhabited regions of the city... I didn’t know wether to be taken of surprise, or wether to be interested by the opportunist of much explorational doses that I was about the atmospherically inject into my veins; that would (hopefully) help grow my purified love for travel.

I pondered on that very thought, and decided to wonder the darkened streets of the city. It was there I came in contact with an acute restaurant that seemed isolated socially and physically throughout the population that was manufactured of cliche-like-tourists (a bit stereotypical I know) it was there I knew this place gave me much interested from those factors, so it was then I decided to dine within. 

I wondered in, and I could sense swiftly that the restaurant had many elements of traditional aspects to it:- (traditional pizza oven, decor and the waiters that worked there) I then noticed that the decor was archaeologically inspired through it’s ancient heritage (that being Ancient Rome) and that the waiters conducted themselves with much delight and helpfulness that even a waiter working within a 3-star Michelin restaurant would quickly be put to bed. 

After being engulfed with these obvious features, I decided to order my pizza. I ordered a Tonno, which traditionally had cheese & tomato on it, and that it also had tuna and onions upon it. After waiting some little time for it to arrive, it came and man was it worth the wait... It was so nice that the even the crumbs on the plate were not compensational to my love for it; that I even wanted to eat the plate with a hopeful desperation that there would still be contents of flavour from the pizza still on it!

Annoyingly there was not, so after finishing and looking around with apparent interest, I decided to head out, and explore the darkened quarters of the city. It was then (after walking for some time) that I found there was a real atmospheric reflex to the city... so much that the vibe very much felt like it sub-divisional personality that had pessimistic and optimisic notions to it. I carried on with imperative enthusiasm, it was there that I found most of the streets I wondered; were to be overhauling with cobbled that seemed narrowly introverted with tourist to witness upon. My interested become gleamed, and it was then (apart from the introverted notion) that the city self-self-occlaimed within it’s devout praise and gratitude towards religion. With this factor, I came to acknowledge the city was plagued with the an abundance of diversity, that was depended much so, that even a Rabbit would give up trying to walk down that spiritualistic pathway.

It was getting dark (still) with my indifferent interest for the city growing more so.  So I roamed furthermore, I came into acknowledgement that the busyness that governed the city throughout the day were slowly going home, which was frustrating as an explorer it is always key to meet new people and maybe even friends, but I failed to let that sway my conscious.  It was approaching 20:00 so concluded my roaming for this evening... it was then I got a text from Michael, telling me that he was ‘coming to my hostel.’ So he could  play host to some of the bars that he often goes to with his rugby friends. I read with apparent optimism, and waited for him to arrive.  

He parked he’s car, and inside I got. He explained to me that there were many Irish bars within the city... and that some of his rugby mates go there after matches against other teams throughout the country. It was then my eyes began to gleam with a reluctancy of hearing the word, ‘Irish’ it may of been as I am English and am envious of the the fact that I am not Irish, or was it that I fully lacked the Irish accent. Who knows!? 

Away we went, and it was there we arrived at the bar that was known as ‘The Drunken Sailor’ and yet with furthermore irony the bar was managed by an Irishmen that was named Dave who was from Lurgan in Northern Ireland (just outside of Belfast in Craigavon) and Abdu who was family was originally from Afghanistan, but now lives within Rome (of course).  Apart from meeting two of Michaels friends, that atmosphere inside was quiet, but at the same time felt climatic still... it was as if something was boiling to the point that something unhinged was going to be released. It was rather exciting of this notion that was left unanswered for some time, but that really did not bother me at this stage.

As well as this seeming to be apparent, the conversation amongst others seemed bleak, as this Michael’s local bar, he was very much a professional when conversing with others. So as this became an annoyance upon my subconscious I decided to speak to Michael’s friends. I began talking to Abdu, he really was a very intriguing person to converse upon...he was full of such insightful drunken stories of old, from the time he met Michael, how well their rugby team were doing (Rinos Old Rugby Nuovo Slario). Apart from talking about these factors, he also began talking about in how Dave and Abdu play moronic jokes on each other, and the respect they feel for Michael, in being a new member of the team. 

Shortly before hand, I started speaking to Dave, it was there that I was quickly able distinguish that he’s accent derived from Northern Ireland... he seemed a little shocked knowing that someone as young as 21 was able to differentiate the difference between an array of accents. It was then the springboard was made, and then found ourselves talking about the national team from Northern Ireland participating in Euro 2016 Footballing tournemant, his love for Ireland’s national rugby team, and that we both thought that they would do well within the upcoming rugby World Cup in 2019.

He really was a cool guy, as he was the manager of the bar he’s personae came with much confidence and was very much a conversationist towards the local people that would drink in the bar (American students who went to the local universities, the locals themselves) which in consequence rubbed off with accumulation and expenditures made from the customers. He was that cool in fact, that I am now actually beginning to compare him to the cartoon character John Bravo who wore black sun glasses, he had a muscular outlook and an attractive personality and with a somewhat dull hairstyle (just joking mate!) 

With those feelings expressively felt, myself and Michael started to play beer-bong, along with his two friends that were both funnily named Camilia who were also from and local to the city. So the teams were formed, it was myself and some other guy from Rome (I cannot recollect he’s name) but he seemed like a cool person, who was actually a security guard within one of the bars in the city. 

So it was myself and him, against Camila and Michael. It seemed like a heated contest, as Camila and Michael were both winning fashionably. As annoyingly competitive it seemed, I managed to let this fuel my search to gather some respected points back... that I did, but it was not enough as we lost funnily, as we were that drunk in fact that we no-longer cared for what happened. As worrying as this seemed, we moved onto one of Michaels next favourable bar. This place was called Scholars Lounge Bar, and as atmospherically sociable and rowdy it seemed, I failed to like it as I felt in dire isolation prior to the amount of people there... it was like Members Of Parliament trying to barge into every spoken conversation with the pure ambition to get at least a somewhat distinguishable word within.