26 September
I didn’t write an entry yesterday, and I wholeheartedly apologise, because it was a very wonderful day. We went to the beautiful Capitoline Museum, near the Forum, where we met Richard Heizer, the director of this whole shindig. I can’t begin to describe to you the wonders inside. Sculptures I had only seen in photographs were merely metres away from me, sometimes even closer. Yesterday was a bit slow, to compensate for everyone’s jetlag, but today was full on. We started it bright and early at 07:00 and from breakfast we walked to the Forum. My favourite was the Arch of Titus. I sketched it a bit, but we had to continue on. I’ll be perfectly frank: it was overwhelming! The sheer wonder of seeing marvel after marvel… Ruins everywhere… It was extraordinary. After that we separated for lunch. I ate my composite leftover meal right in front of the Arch of Constantine. Once the group gathered, and after watching a hilarious skirmish between street vendors and the police, we did the standard tourist event. We went to the Colosseum. I cannot say anything more poetic than the last person, but it was amazing. This wonderful day closed perfectly with a frolicking night in the empty Pantheon amongst what I can tell are going to be quite great friends. A bloke could get used to this.