#i spent my afternoon in my hotel room doing this bc it was too hot to go swimming

[ryollie]

"I'm going to go out all out in this match, Angel. It doesn't matter if you're my friend or not. I'm not going easy on you."

Ollie and Angelo's first Quidditch match against each other.

I find their rivalry interesting and I wonder how they would react to their losses against each other. I wrote this on my phone so sorry if there's any mistakes, fic is under the cut!

Angelo belongs to @angellazull

"The long awaited Ravenclaw-Slytherin match we've been waiting all year for is finally here!" As usual, Murphy McNully knew how to hype up a crowd.

The crowd was now roaring with excitement as the anticipation for the Ravenclaw-Slytherin match grew. The Ravenclaws were in high spirits, having crushed Gryffindor in their previous match with a whopping score of 170-30. This was all thanks to their Ravenclaw seeker, Angelo Lancaster. He was one of the best seekers Ravenclaw had seen in decades – whoever said Ravenclaws were just all brains and no brawn?

However, things would not be as smooth sailing for Ravenclaw this time round – the Slytherin seeker, Ollie Potter, posed as a threat. It was no secret that his parents were amazing seekers during their time at Hogwarts – with his fathers' expertise in Quidditch and the latest broom model to boot, Ollie Potter posed as a formidable foe in the Quidditch pitch.

Meanwhile at the spectator stands, Catherine smirked as she watched Talbott struggle internally. Brows furrowed, he was torn between deciding whether to support Slytherin or Ravenclaw. Ideally, he should support Ravenclaw and his friend Angelo, but his boyfriend was the Slytherin seeker...

"Just come on to the Slytherin corner already, the game's about to start," Catherine rolled her eyes and gestured wildly to an empty spot next to her.

Talbott sighed. "Easy for you to say," he muttered under his breath. "You have it easy because your eye candy Erika is Slytherin's beater and Ollie's one of your best mates. You don't even need to choose."

"What did you say?" Catherine fluttered her lashes sweetly at Talbott, eyes glinting maliciously. Talbott shuddered – Merlin, does she even know how scary she is sometimes?

"Nothing," Talbott replied, a little too quickly. Before he could say anything else, Catherine had forcefully dragged him to sit next to her in the Slytherin stands.

**

Meanwhile, another dilemma was ongoing in the Quidditch changing rooms. Ollie had been excited to play a Quidditch again, but it somehow slipped his mind that Angel was the rival seeker. Pacing around the room anxiously, he waited for Angel to emerge from the Ravenclaw changing room so he could have a small talk with him before the game. Once he saw the familiar tuft of blue hair peek out from the curtains, Ollie jogged over hurriedly.

"Angel!"

The blue-hair boy blinked at Ollie, a little startled from being suddenly called. "Hello, Ollie. Good luck for the match," he said good-naturedly. He didn’t even seem bothered by the prospect of playing against Ollie; he kept his cool. Ollie gripped his Thunderbolt – the latest and adapted version of the Firebolt series, mind you, tightly as he took a deep breath in.

"I'm going to go out all out in this match, Angel. It doesn't matter if you're my friend or not. I'm not going easy on you."

Angelo was a little taken aback by Ollie’s announcement. He nodded slightly in acknowledgement, but before he had a chance to reply, Madam Hooch blew her whistle and the two teams set out to assemble at the pitch.

**

The crowd cheered loudly as the two teams emerged on the pitch. Catherine had herself painted in full green and silver paint in support for her house and somehow managed to convince Talbott into painting himself half green and half blue to show his support for both houses. His fellow Ravenclaws most certainly did not approve of his unlikely allegiance to the enemy, but they ultimately didn't make such a big deal out of it since they knew Talbott and the Slytherin seeker had been a thing for quite some time now.

Madam Hooch's shrill whistle pierced through the pitch; signalling the start of the match. Almost immediately, the Ravenclaw beaters set to work as they flung a giant bludger towards Ollie. Ollie had activated his full focus and managed to dodge the bludger with ease. However, the two beaters were relentless and batted the bludger back and forth, as though they were desperate to land a hit on him. Even though they seemed like they were trying to hit Ollie with the bludger, the beaters knew they were not able to achieve that, given with how quick Ollie's reflexes were. Instead, they were trying to buy time by distracting Ollie so their seeker Angelo could search for the snitch. Ollie could either dodge their angry bludger or look for the snitch – doing both would be impossible. They grinned at each other as Ollie seemed to be taking the bait – their distraction was a success!

Their short lived victory was cut short when Erika Rath suddenly appeared behind Ollie. She grasped her bat firmly and with one swift hit, plummeted the bludger onto one of them, causing them to get hit by it and falling off the broom. The other beater worriedly soared towards his fallen teammate, leaving Ollie free from the bludger. Erika shot Ollie a grin as she gave him their signature fist bump combo, before Ollie zoomed off in search for the snitch once more.

Angelo frowned and was panting a bit under the harsh sunlight. The snitch was nowhere in sight – despite his teammates best efforts to keep Ollie distracted, he still hasn't sighted the golden, buzzing ball of victory. His eyes darted around the pitch as he scanned his surroundings with great care. To his dismay, Ollie seemed to have broken free from the beaters' distraction and started flying rapidly towards him.

Is he going to crash into me? What is he doing? A thousand thoughts swirled in Angelo's mind as he watched Ollie with wary eyes. He was shocked when Ollie simply ignored and zoomed past him, that means he must've seen the snitch! Propelling his broom forward to face the direction Ollie was headed towards, he was mortified to find Ollie just a few inches away from the snitch. Angelo gripped his broom with firm resolve as he flew fast behind Ollie's back, hot on his heels.

Ollie was aware of Angel tailing him, but that wasn't a big deal. The snitch was just a hair's length away from him; he could easily reach out for it and finish the game right now. However, Ollie hesitated. He had never played against Angel before, and had no clue how he would respond to Ollie after suffering a loss. Although he knew Angel was kind-hearted and one of his best friends, he couldn't deny that Angel had a bit of a temper. Grimacing, he chose to take a leap of faith as his hands closed in and clasped the snitch gently.

The snitch fluttered its golden wings weakly in his palm, as Murphy's loud voice echoed through the Quidditch pitch: "POTTER HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH! Slytherin wins with a soul crushing score of 190-40! There's only a 94.78% chance that the Ravenclaws would be utterly demoralised after that great defeat..." Murphy's voice zoned into the background, as Ollie released the snitch in his palm. He quickly turned around to look for Angel, but he was nowhere to be seen.

[watchmegetobsessed]

BABY MAMA

A/N: woke up and just knew i needed to write about dad Harry, bc lets be honest, he is my fav. this fic is perfectly fine as a oneshot, but if you'd like, it could be a sequel to Grammy Winner Husband and Baby Grammy, i wrote things to line up with them!

PAIRING: Husband!Harry / Dad!Harry x Reader

WORD COUNT: 2k

masterlist

The arena is blowing up, the fans are screaming from the top of their lungs and Harry is putting out a show just as good as the previous ones have been. He is blowing the stage up, singing, dancing, joking around with the fans, enjoying this time he gets to spend with the people who got him to this point in his life. He’ll never be not grateful for what he has, what he is experiencing, no matter how hard this life can get sometimes.

“Dallas, how are you feeling tonight?” he asks in the mic as he walks back to his water bottle to have a few sips. The crowd erupts, the screams almost burst his eardrums, but he just chuckles, easing his thirst with some water before he returns to the microphone stand.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” he teasingly asks, though the reaction is the same. Insane screaming. “Alright, let’s move this show on before you get bored,” he chuckles playfully, the band starts playing the next song and he is back at what he does the best. Performing.

Though not far from the arena, there’s someone who thinks there’s something he is even better at than performing. That person is you, and you’re one hundred percent sure Harry is best at being a father to your five months old son.

Owning the stage, putting out the utter best he can, Harry’s thoughts still wander away from the show he is supposed to be focusing on. He can’t help it, his instincts are just completely drawn to his baby in the hotel suit, dying to know how he is doing. Leaving for the show late afternoon was harder than usually, because baby Theo was having a fever and coughing quite badly. His heart was breaking that he couldn’t help his son, didn’t even know what could be done for such a tiny baby.

“Love, he’ll be alright, okay? The doctor is on the way, it’s gonna be fine,” you told him gently as he was cradling Theo to his naked chest, always so eager to be skin-to-skin with him. Harry kissed his soft little curls on top of his head before nodding, though you knew it was eating him away.

“Call me or Jeff if something happens, okay?” he told you, handing Theo over to you, who was finally asleep after fussing for hours.

“I will,” you nodded, but he cupped your face to make you look at him.

“Y/N, I mean it. I’ll come off the stage if—“

“You won’t come off the stage, Theo is gonna be fine, he just probably got a cold from the aircon at the greenroom in Denver. He’ll be here when you get back, okay?”

He knew this tone, this was your momma bear voice and he would never argue with you when you used it, so he just nodded, kissed you and then Theo’s chubby cheek before heading out.

Now as he is nearing the end of the show he can’t help but think about finally being back at the hotel with his wife and baby, though he won’t let it be seen how eager he is to get off the stage.

The last song passes, the whole arena blows up from the energy and he is throwing kisses everywhere as he heads off the stage, down the aisle that leads him backstage. As he puts on his mask he turns around one last time, throwing some more kisses around to his beloved fans before disappearing behind the curtains.

“Did she call?” he instantly asks Jeff instantly, who hands him his phone over, a text from you already waiting for him.

Doc just left, everything is fine, left some meds for bub. Love you Xx

Even though this is what you told him before too, he feels relieved that the doctor confirmed it, but he still can’t wait to see the two of you.

“Alright, get the car ready, I’m leaving in ten,” he tells Jeff.

“Got it,” he nods, not even daring to argue with him. He knows better than to stand between Harry and his baby.

His legs bounce nervously on his way back to the hotel and he jumps out of the car as if it was on fire, running inside in a rush. He swipes the keycard through the reader on the door and opens it quietly, scanning over the place for you and Theo and there you are, sitting in one of the armchairs with his sleeping son in your arms, your hand gently tapping on his bum. You must have just finished feeding him, because a rag is still thrown over your shoulder and your shirt is all wrinkled around your chest. Theo loves playing with the fabric while you breastfeeding him and Harry loves watching his tiny fingers grab onto it and massaging it aimlessly.

“Hey,” he breathes out, quietly pushing the door closed behind him before he walks over, kneeling in front of you. He kisses Theo’s forehead first, before pressing his lips to yours too. “How is bub feeling?”

“He is doing good. The doc gave him some meds for the fever and we have a syrup for the coughing. He said he’ll be fine in a few days,” you softly explain to him, nodding towards everything the doctor left you on the coffee table.

Harry grabs the bottles, inspecting them as if he knows anything about medicine and you can’t help but smile as he furrows his eyebrows, reading the packaging.

“Want to put him to bed?” you ask him, his head snapping up right away.

“Of course,” he nods eagerly. You both stand up and he carefully takes the little boy from your arms without waking him up. “Hey bubs, I missed you,” he coos at Theo and as you watch him sway with the sleeping baby, your heart could easily burst from just the sight of them.

You didn’t know what life would be like as a family of three. After Harry posted a picture of you with his Grammy award and your belly ready to pop, the whole world went crazy over the fact that Harry Styles is going to be a dad. Despite the buzz, you managed to stay hidden for the rest of your pregnancy and just three weeks after that post, Theodore Styles decided to come to the world. Harry cancelled everything for the first two months, it was just the three of you, showering in the joys of parenthood. You had all the ups and downs, but you wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Then tour got rescheduled and Harry was hesitant whether it was a good idea to go on the road with a five months old.

“Sarah and Mitch are coming too, she gave birth a week after me,” you reasoned when Harry was about to cancel the whole tour. It took you some time to convince him that it’s gonna be fine, though you knew he would be extra cautious with Theo.

Now as you see him gently sway his way to the bassinet next to your bed, knowing that he just performed to thousands of people and now he is here with you and your son, you wouldn’t change it to some peace at home. Besides, you’re convinced tour is gonna do good for Theo, make him get used to people around him, not just the two of you or the grandparents and aunts. During the first night in Vegas, he barely spent an hour in your arms, everyone wanted a piece of him and you gladly let them befriend him, especially because he loves meeting new people, just like his daddy.

As Harry lays him into the bassinet and stands next to it with a lovesick smile on his face, you sneak behind him, wrapping your arms around his waist. He smells so fresh, he surely had a quick shower before heading back to the hotel, but you’re already planning to seduce him to join you for a quick shower as well. He won’t say no.

“Watched a livestream for a bit, you were so good,” you hum, kissing his right shoulder blade and you don’t miss how he leans back against you. “Loved the shimmery outfit.”

“Yeah?” he chuckles softly. Reaching around, he pulls you forwards so he can wrap you in his arms, kissing your forehead gently. “I missed seeing you dance at the side,” he smirks at you and you don’t miss the reference to the old times.

On his first solo tour, when you weren’t even married yet he often caught you dancing like crazy at the side of the stage, it would always make him laugh mid-song and you loved hearing his giggles through the mic, so you often did it on purpose. A few nights ago in Vegas you did the same, but with Theo in your arms, a massive ear protector on his head so the noise didn’t hurt him. When Harry spotted you, he almost started crying, he mouthed I love youand then carried on with the show.

“I’ll be there soon,” you smile at him, cupping his face in your hands to pull him down for a kiss that’s more than just a peck. “Now, I need help with something,” you mumble against his lips.

“Anything, baby.”

“I need you to help me shower,” you tell him cheekily. He pulls back and stares down at you with a playful grin, his hands already wandering under your shirt.

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yeah, I need someone to wash my back and… maybe somewhere else,” you hum seductively and start pulling him towards the bathroom, peeking at Theo one last time, but he is sleeping so deep, the two of you can have some alone time.

“Alright, I could never deny anything from my favorite milf,” he grins, but you smack his chest with a gasp.

“Harry! I told you not to call me that!” you protest, the two of you walking into the bathroom not to bother the sleeping baby in the room. You start running the water right away so it can be nice and hot for you when you walk in.

“Why? You are a milf,” he smirks, so full of himself, already pulling his shirt over his head.

“Then you’re a dilf, just so you know.”

“Baby, my fans have been calling me that for years, even before Theo,” he chuckles softly.

“You were destined to be a dad,” you giggle, getting rid of your own clothes. “Hey, if Theo feels better tomorrow, we could maybe take a walk in that park we saw on the way here,” you suggest, but when no answer comes, you look at Harry and find him just standing there, fully naked, staring at you grinning widely. “What?” you ask, glancing down at your own naked body. Suddenly, you are way too aware of the weight you haven’t been able to lose after giving birth, the stretch marks on your waist and how you’re not at all freshly shaved. Just as you’d move your hands to cover yourself a bit, Harry grabs your wrists and stops you.

“You are so fucking gorgeous, baby,” he hums, dropping his head until his lips could reach yours.

“Stop being such a flirt,” you giggle, feeling your face heating up.

“It’s the truth! I have the prettiest baby mama and that’s a fact.”

He looks at you with so much love and adoration in those beautiful green eyes, it almost makes you cry, knowing that this man is your husband and you get to spend the rest of your life with him.

Wrapping your arms around his neck you kiss him hard, pulling him into the spacious walk in shower.

“Then come and get your baby mama wet,” you giggle against his lips, making him laugh with the ambiguous request as he shuts the glass door behind him, his lips hungrily kissing wherever he can reach and you’re pretty sure the hot water is not the only thing that’s steaming up the glass.

Thank you for reading! Please like/reblog if you enjoyed!

[nightglider124]

Japan: My Trip

Thought I’d put together a little photo diary of my two weeks in Japan because why not and I just like to share with my tumblr pals.

Read on to find out what I got up to.

Sunday 13th May

This was the day I flew out to Japan. I packed my bag and was ready to leave at 11am UK time. I’m not gonna lie to ya’ll, I was an emotional mess, leaving my family behind. 

You should know, I’ve never been on a trip without my family and I’ve never been out of Europe. So, going out to Japan with just my best friend was a big thing for me. So, was pretty tearful and then my mum like burst into tears; she’s a worrier. 

Anyway, my dad dropped me off at the airport to meet my bestie and we did all the boring airport stuff and soon enough, we were on the plane. The sky is ridiculously pretty at different times during an overnight flight or at least, a flight that crosses different time zones. 

Pretty uneventful. I mostly ate, slept and wrote chapter 1 of CTD: Bound. 

Monday 14th May

So, I arrived in Japan’s Narita airport at 11am.

Then I went up and grabbed my suitcase as well as going and grabbing my pocket wifi - Something that is tremendously helpful if you go to Japan. I don’t know what it’s like for you guys but in London, I pretty much have wifi anywhere I go whereas in Japan, it wasn’t as easy to come across; at least not for free. 

The pocket wifi was a godsend. It can connect up to 10 devices and it lasts all day long when fully charged. Now, there were a couple times it tapped out but you just need to turn it off and turn it on again. 

It cost about £60 for 2 weeks but if you’re going with people, it works out better. Me and my friend split it so we only paid £30 each but very worth it.

But, yeah, defo recommend this for anyone who is going to Japan. It was a big help, especially when needing to look up locations and/or directions.

Next, we went and grabbed our Japan rail passes which look like so:

This was probably the best thing I bought for Japan. Not even joking. 

Even if you aren’t going very far, this thing helps so much. It’s a pass that allows you to use any trains that are owned by the JR company which is a fair amount that helps you get around Tokyo and surrounding districts. Note: You have to buy it before you fly to Japan and take the exchange form that comes in the post with you to Japan. You exchange it at the airport and they give you the passes above. Just make double sure your passport has been stamped because otherwise, they won’t let you have it. 

Anyway, this was £310 for 2 weeks but again: WORTH IT. It does depend on what you’re doing but me and my friend were out and using transport every single day. We also went far. We went to Hiroshima, Kyoto and Osaka - All covered by the passes. And for example, £310 is basically a return ticket to Kyoto so you are already making your money back. 

So, we picked these up and using them, hopped on the shinkansen (bullet train) to Shinjuku (Sound familiar, Titan fans? Yes, it’s the ‘roughest part of town’ according to Robin in the Trouble in Tokyo movie). It took about an hour and then we checked into our hotel which was: Shinjuku Prince Hotel.

It was a really nice hotel actually. The staff were friendly and spoke really good English. I recommend staying here; it’s right in the heart of busy Shinjuku and was only 5 mins from the station. We booked a deluxe twin room because two rooms worked out more expensive and it was not too shabby at all. I didn’t actually take any pictures so I snubbed some off google.

Anyway, we were running a little late and we had tickets to the Studio Ghibli museum so naturally, I was freaking out because the website expresses that they are strict on being on time for your slot. I nearly had a breakdown because... dunno if ya’ll remember but I had a right time trying to get a hold of these tickets. They sell out so quickly it is unreal. Anyway, our slot was 4pm and they only allow you to be 30 mins late. 

We arrived at 4:50pm and I was close to tears as I ran into the park it’s situated in. I was so annoyed and so scared they weren’t going to let us in. But...

They did!! The guy was so sweet; I think he could see by my face how much I wanted to go inside. He was like all smiley and was like it’s okay, go on in. I was like THANK YOU JESUS. Here are some photos:

They don’t allow photography inside to preserve the magic of visiting. And honestly, it was so nice inside. It felt just like a Ghibli movie and seeing the animation process and the short film and the original drawings... it was all so amazing. Being a Ghibli fan makes this 1000% better but it’s still great for people who aren’t as into it. My friend isn’t really into Ghibli movies but she thought it was still pretty cool whereas there was me in like awe over all of it.

Anyway, we stayed there about an hour and as you can imagine, we were frazzled af. We were tired from the flight but I wanted us to force ourselves to stay up so jet lag wasn’t as much a problem. 

After, we made our way back to Shinjuku where I took some pics from my hotel room:

Then we grabbed some McDonalds which was literally just across from us; something quick so we didn’t starve. I facetimed my family, showered and fell asleep.

Tuesday 15th May

So, the first full day we were there, it was a more chilled, sightseeing day. Nothing too taxing and we felt a lot more refreshed after a proper sleep.

First, we went and checked out the Tokyo Imperial Palace which was really pretty but we couldn’t go inside. It was mega hot the entire time we were in Japan; I thought I’d die. I hate the heat.

And because I was out in the heat all day and didn’t think to put suncream on... yeah, you can see where this is going... 

More on that later, because then we carried on to the Yasukuni shrine which is just down the street from the East Gardens of the palace. 

The shrine was cool and everything was so pretty; very tranquil and peaceful.

In the afternoon, we headed over to the Sunshine City mall in Ikebukuro where I forced my friend into the Pokemon Centre Store which was LIT.

I was fucking excited, ya’ll. I got some really cute stuff too. Got myself some Mimikyu chopsticks, an Eevee tail key holder, a Pikachu glasses case, a Pikachu makeup bag and a little Mimikyu figure bc Mimikyu is a fave and I have no cool stuff with it on. 

I also got my brother most of his souvenirs in here because we have loved Pokemon since the dawn of time. I mean, we’ve fallen out of it in recent years because all the new gen pokemon etc... we’re more for the original pokemon and original series and games. Seriously, when kids come up to me like, do you even know Pokemon I’m like bitch step back you don’t even KNOW. It’s like I got a Pokemon CD for my brother and it had a japanese version of one of the songs from the first movie and we were like screaming. That film man, don’t even look at me.

Ahem... the Pokemon store was so wicked but mega expensive like shit son. Glad I took so much money with me because I NEEDED IT.

After the Pokemon store, we went down a level to the Studio Ghibli store where I didn’t get as much stuff as I thought I was gonna. 

But, I got a Spirited Away fan with No Face on it, a Totoro and No face figure as well as a Totoro bib and hat for my niece. 

Then we went and had fooood where I noticed... I was extremely sunburnt... Like in the below pic, you can’t see it that much because it hadn’t really come out full pelt yet.

Pls ignore my hamster face but see my chest? Burny burny burnt burnt. I got back to the hotel later that night and I had the shakes where it was hot and all the heat was there rather than all over. It was horrible.

I’m lucky I decided to wear full on makeup that day otherwise my face would have gotten buuurnt. Well done, Estee Lauder foundation, well done.

But yeah, it wasn’t the best end to the day because then I was all uncomfortable and my skin was sensitive and I was mad at myself for not putting on cream so then I got all upset and cried but I think I was still tired from the journey too and I was overwhelmed but yeah; kinda sucked.

Other than the sunburn, I also didn’t pack shorts for under my dress so my thighs rubbed and were in agony as well as my vans gave me like 4 blisters on each foot so I couldn’t walk or at least was in extreme pain when I tried so getting back to the hotel was a damn hoot.

Besides all that, it was a pretty good day!

Wednesday 16th

This was the day we trekked all the way down to Hiroshima which is like a 5 hour journey by train. We had to take two trains but it was actually not too bad. It certainly didn’t feel like it took that long to get down to Hiroshima. 

One thing I will say about longer train journeys; remember to reserve a seat. Some like the one from Narita Airport are reserve only so you have to reserve a seat for it. But, others don’t need it and have “non reserved” cars but mark my words, if you’re travelling on these trains at a busy time, it really pays off to reserve a seat. We didn’t for Hiroshima and whilst we found seats for the 3 hour part of the journey; on the second train, we had to stand for like 45 minutes because there were no seats and then even when we did get to sit down, it was separated so yeah; book your train seats, people.

Once we arrived in Hiroshima, we hopped on a ferry which took us to Miyajima island. It’s about a 10 minute journey and once again, it’s covered by the JR pass. I loved that thing to death not even kidding.

Here’s some pictures I took on the ride over:

This island is home to the big red Torii gate that people may know of. I picked up some cute souvenirs and ate katsu. And there were even deer roaming around the place! A couple got married too whilst we were visiting and it was so nice. Again, it was mega hot so I was dying from that aspect but otherwise, I could live on this little island.

Unfortunately, we spent so much time at the island; we didn’t get round to doing the two other things we had planned which were seeing Hiroshima Castle and the Atomic dome memorial. I was kinda bummed by not seeing those but the last train was at 5pm and we weren’t staying the night so we had to get said train. It was okay though; it’s something to add to the list of things to see when I eventually revisit.

We got back at about 10pm and then it was lights out because we were exhausted.

Thursday 17th May

This was another sightseeing day that was fairly local considering we were pretty tired from Hiroshima still. 

We traveled over to Asakusa which has the lovely Senso-ji temple and shrine. It was really cute, the walk up to the temple is lined with all these little shops and souvenir like places which have charms and fans etc. Really nice.

Inside, they do this thing where you pay 100 yen and you shake a metal box that contains lots of sticks with numbers on. When you bring out a stick, you find the number it matches and you bring out the fortune. You get a good fortune, regular fortune or bad fortune. I got myself a regular ol’ fortune XD. 

But, they also have this rack so that if you get a bad fortune, you tie it to the rack to rid yourself of the bad fortune whereas a good or regular one; you would carry it with you.

Other than that, we hung out and then went back to our hotel for a while before heading out again to check out the nightlife of the area. Everything was mega lit up and was so nice. We went and grabbed dinner and also went and got crepes. They were a m a z i n g. Like they were so good ugh. 

After that, went back, showered and slept. Pretty uneventful day; just being touristy. 

Friday 18th May

Again, more sightseeing on this day. We went and saw the Tokyo Metropolitan Building and looked out over Tokyo.

Then, we went to the Meiji Shrine.

Aaand lastly, we went to Shibuya for the evening.

Yes, those are people dressed as characters from Mario Kart driving in the streets of Tokyo. This place was crazy. XD

After seeing the crossing scramble that is so infamous, we trekked back to the hotel and fell asleep.

Saturday 19th May

This day we literally went on trains all day to collect stamps. In Japan, they do these things called Eki stamps which are stamps you can find at stations, museums, shrines, tourist spots etc.

I haven’t got any pictures of mine but i got like 50 of them whilst I was in Japan. Going on one train line at all the stops got me like 30. 

We had nothing else planned on this day so my friend suggested the collecting stamps XD.

Sunday 20th May

This was one of my two absolute favourite days whilst I was there. It was the day I went and saw Mt Fuji and went into Aokigahara forest. 

It was approx 2 hours from Tokyo but we’d booked a tour instead of trying to do it ourselves. It worked out a lot easier. When we reached the highest point you can go to on Mt Fuji, by vehicle anyway, we had 30 mins to sightsee. We took pictures and went into the souvenir shop etc. 

My god, it was so frickin’ cold up there. Obviously. We were high off the ground like shit, it was freezing. But, pretty pictures.

We then went caving in an ice cave that is iced over all year round and is not usually open to the public. 

After that, we were taken back to Shinjuku where we grabbed food and went back to sleeeep.

Monday 21st May

We went to Kyoto on this day. We managed to see all we wanted to as well but then again, Kyoto was only a 2 and a bit hour train ride away.

When we got there, we saw the Fushimi Inari Taisha.

They were pretty but boy, was there a lot of people. I had to wait for so long to get pictures with none of very few people in it.

Then, we headed over to Kinkaku-ji which is this golden temple.

Again, very pretty.

Lastly, we checked out the Arashiyama Bamboo grove which was pretty also.

After that, we headed home to our hotel. We had an exciting day the next day.

Tuesday 22nd May

TOKYO DISNEYLAND, BITCHES.

I was excited and I can see why people hype Disneyland up. No matter which one you visit, there is this big sense of nostalgia and magic. It was unforgettable and wasn’t half as busy as some theme parks get here. But, I suppose we did go on a Tuesday.

Would hate to see it on a weekend.

The mike melonbread was delicious <3

Disneyland catered to the childish side of me and I loved every single bit of it. <3

Wednesday 23rd May

On this day, we visited Osaka which is about the same sorta time out from Tokyo as Kyoto is. Again, not too much going on. We checked out Osaka Castle.

And then, we checked out Dotonbori which was also very cool.

After that, we headed back to Tokyo. There wasn’t too much we were desperate to see in Osaka and it was raining which wasn’t the nicest.

Thursday 24th May

Last full day meant Harajuku and Shibuya for shopping day. I haven’t got any pictures but omg we went and did those purikura photo things? They are hilarious. It was funny doing them but even looking at them; they funny XD

I bought a bunch of stuff for myself as well as my family as souvenirs. It was funnn. 

Friday 25th May

The day I flew home to London :(. I was sad to leave Japan but I was really happy to be coming home. No matter how much you may call your country a shit place, there’s no place like home. 

Omg, I went over my bag weight limit with all the stuff I bought. I’m allowed 23kg and my suitcase was 27kg -.-

I paid £65 for that extra weight because I was not about to be that person who opens their suitcase in the middle of check in trying to decrease the weight XD

Pretty straight forward afterwards. I flew home and when I got to my house, my family let me have reign on dinner so we got KFC.

So, that is what I got up to in Japan. I loved every minute I was there. It is so very different than London and it has much more beauty than any city I’ve been to has.

I can’t wait to go back someday and I encourage anyone and everyone to go there. It is something else! <3

Thanks for reading if you made it to the end! I appreciate it ^.^

[all-the-love-harold]

Paris in October - Part 3

Part 1 I Part 2 

You were sat next to Harry on a private jet that was taking you to London and you couldn’t believe that just two weeks ago you were sitting on your couch in your tiny apartment in Sydney considering cancelling your trip to Paris all together because you were afraid you’d get lonely by yourself.

After the show the other night you had gone back to your hotel room completely buzzing from what had just happened.  You found it hard to believe that not only had Harry asked you to go to his show in Paris, but he had now asked you to go back to London with him.  He had a show in Germany on Friday which gave you time to pack all your stuff up before he came back to Paris to meet you.

It was only a short flight, but it gave you more of a chance to get to know Harry, which you were grateful for considering you were going to be spending the next week or two with him in a place you’d never been before. You were excited to see the UK, you’d always want to spend more time there, but you could never bring yourself to miss Paris in October and you never had enough time or money to do both. But here you were, on a private jet, with an incredibly handsome, down to earth guy that wanted to show you around his home country.

“So, this ex of yours sounds like a dick” Harry said in attempt to get to know you a little better

“Yeah, we were together for like 9 years, and when I got a job in the city and had to move away it got too much he dumped me”

“*whistles* wow 9 years”

“Yep, I was 14 when it started, I always saw myself marrying him” you admitted “apparently not”

“You’re better off without him, a job in the city is way more interesting than a home town boyfriend”

“You’re not wrong there, I don’t particularly like Sydney, but I’m so glad I moved out of my hometown, I love my job”

“What do you do?”

“I’m a play therapist, I use play to help sick kids understand what they’re going through”

“Now that just sounds like the best job ever”

“Not as great as yours” you said gesturing around the plane

“I’m very lucky to get to do all this” he nodded

“You sure are” you smiled “I should let my friend know that I’m going to London with you, She’ll freak” you said, searching through you bag for your phone. Once you found it Harry took out of your hand

“Let’s send her a photo of the both of us” he said, opening the camera app and leaning in close to you to take a selfie. You took the phone back, looking at the photo

“I look like shit, but you look good, and that’s all she’ll be looking at anyway”

“Are you kidding Y/N, you look incredible”

You giggled, enjoying the compliments, while it had only been a month since you and Mike had broken up, it had been a long time since you had felt beautiful around a guy, and Harry definitely made you feel beautiful.  

On our way to London!!!

WHAT THE FUCK Y/N!!!

THAT’S HARRY FUCKING STYLES

WHY ARE YOU GOING TO LONDON??????????

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED THE OTHER NIGHT?!!!

DID YOU FUCK HIM? BC THAT’S ONE HELL OF A REBOUND

Hahaha no! I didn’t sleep with him! I was backstage at his show and I met his band and we drank champagne that was probably worth more than my entire life, and I said I didn’t really have anything planned for the rest of my trip, so he asked me to come back to London with him

And now we’re here, on a private jet, about to land in London

What did I tell you about getting onto private jets with strangers?!!?!

If I’m to quote 17 year old you correctly “life’s too short to pretend you don’t like Harry Styles” and I’m on a private jet with Harry Styles, so I’m taking your advice

Omg you didn’t tell him I used to say that did you?!?!?!

Maybe

I hate you

You don’t

I don’t you’re right, but please be careful, I know he’s pretty and famous and you’ve been listening to me talk about him for years, but you’ve just met the guy and if you end up dead in a foreign country I’ll have to kill you

There was a car waiting for you and Harry outside the airport once you’d made it through security. The car took you back to his place and you spent the majority of the journey looking out the window, admiring the city.

“I can’t believe you’ve been coming to Paris for the last five years and the most you’ve seen of London is Heathrow airport”

“It’s a great airport”

He laughed as the car pulled up outside his house, thanking the driver and helping you out of the car, making sure to grab both yours and his luggage out of the boot.

“I can carry my stuff Harry”

“Now I wouldn’t be much of a gentleman if I let you carry your own bags, would I” He said punching the code into the security gate, struggling to hold all the bags “My keys are in my pocket, you mind grabbing them out?”

“Sure” You giggled, reaching into his left pocket, getting dangerously close to his crotch but getting hold of the keys quickly “Which one is it?”

“The big one” he motioned towards the biggest one that on the key chain, and you grabbed it and unlocked the door and walked in “don’t go too far, the alarm will go off” and you stopped dead in your tracks not wanting to set it off. He put the bags down and punched the code into the alarm turning it off

“Go free” He chuckled, and you walked ahead, looking around, feeling very out of place in such an incredible house. Your apartment was nice, but nothing like this. He watched as you looked around, a little in awe of how beautiful you were when you were so unaware of it.

He took you upstairs and showed you were you would be staying for the next few days, he had offered to pay for you to stay in a hotel if you didn’t feel comfortable staying with him, but you’d spent enough time by yourself recently and thought it would be nice to stay in a real house for a few days and he was more than happy to have you. The room was beautiful, with a king-sized bed and a window overlooking London, you were glad to be here, and excited to see what Harry had planned for you over the next few days.

That afternoon, after you’d both had a chance to rest a little, Harry decided to take you out for a walk in the park that was down the road from his house. He’d always loved it there, in the summer it was so green and luscious, the trees that lined the path provided much needed shade from the sun and it was always filled with people, out enjoying the warm weather, usually with their pets, and if it was possible, the park was even more beautiful at this time of the year, filled with orange leaves and almost bare trees. Harry took your hand as you walked down the path, the park was almost empty, expect for a few people walking their dogs.

“It’s a squirrel!” you stopped walking and let go of Harry’s hand so that you could point to the squirrel. He chuckled at how excited you were and watched as you moved closer to the edge of the path.

“Never seen a squirrel before love?”

“Shhhh, you’ll scare it away”

Harry laughed at you some more “They’re used to people love, he’s not going to run away, unless you get too close”

“Look at his little paws Harry, look how cute he is”

“Honestly love, have you not seen one before?”

“We don’t have them in Australia, oh my god, look at the way he runs, look at him go, I love him”

The squirrel ran back up the tree and you put your phone away while Harry grabbed your hand again, leading you off the path towards the pond that sat opposite the deserted playground. You stayed there for a while watching the ducks and chatting about Harry’s tour, before he noticed that you were starting to get cold. The sun was setting, and the wind had picked up a little and what had started out as a lovely afternoon stroll, was beginning to turn miserable as it got colder.

“Should we head back?” he asked, pressing a kiss to your hand “Your hands are freezing”

“They’re always cold, but I wouldn’t mind heading back now”

“I make a mean hot chocolate, if we stop by the corner shop on the way past, I’ll grab everything, and we’ll warm up with those before we have dinner”

“I’ll never say no to chocolate”

The store looked like it was getting ready to close when you walked in, but Harry quickly grabbed the milk, cocoa powder and a bar of chocolate, knowing exactly where everything would be and took them to the counter to pay.

“Harry!” The shop assist said, “Long time no see, where have you been?!”

“On tour” He flashed that dimpled smile at the old man “Got a show in London tomorrow night, you coming?”

“Me?” the man laughed “Sorry H, not really my cup of tea”

“You don’t know what you’re missing” you chimed in, winking at Harry, hoping that he would notice

“New Friend H?” he winked at Harry

“This is Y/N, I met her in Paris, but she’s never been to England before, so I thought I’d show her around”

“I’m George” he said reaching his arm out to introduce himself, you shook his hand “H has been coming here since he moved to London, he’s my most valued customer, disappears a lot though”

“I bet” you laughed as harry took his wallet out of his pocket

“8 pound 50” Harry handed over a 20-pound note

“Keep the change, that’ll make up for my absence” he took the bag off the counter and you grabbed your hand “Cya George”

“It was nice to meet you” you said as you walked away. The walk back to Harry’s wasn’t long but it had gotten much colder outside, so you were glad to see house appear when you turned the corner. Once you got inside, Harry took your coat off for you and hung it up on the hook near the door, and doing the same with his own and making his way to the kitchen and filling a pot with the milk he had just bought. You sat down on one of the stools that sat under the island bench and watched as he chopped the chocolate up.

“This better be good Styles, I’ve got high hopes”

“Maybe lower your expectations a little, it’s good, but not that good”

“Chocolate’s chocolate” you admitted “Where can I find the mugs?”

“Top left” he said adding the chocolate to the milk and stirring until it melted, while you took two mugs out of the cabinet and placed them on the bench beside the stove. He turned the stove off and poured the milk into the mugs, topping it off with some marshmallows and cocoa powder.

“All yours” he said, handing you a mug “Let’s go sit in the living room, I’ll put the heater on”

You followed him into the living room and sat down on the couch, and he sat down right next you, after turning the heater on.

“You’re right, you do make a mean hot chocolate”

He smiled, taking a sip “I told you”

“So I’ve told you about my ex, it’s your turn to tell me about yours, and don’t try and pretend you’ve only got a few, Suze has given me the rundown ”

He looked at you for a second, contemplating what he could say next, not wanting to make himself look bad “How much do you know?”

“Taylor Swift, Kendell Jenner, and a few others, you don’t have to tell me everything, just give me something, so that I don’t feel like I’ve over shared”

He nodded, staying quiet for a minute “Taylor was a long time ago, so was Kendell really, it’s been a long time since I’ve dated anyone”

You nodded, edging a little closer to him “Have you ever been in love?”

“I don’t think so, have you?” he asked without really thinking “Sorry, that’s a stupid question, you were in a 9 year relationship”

“I don’t know if that was love or convenience though, it was easier to stay together than it was to break up, until I moved”

He put his mug down on the coffee table and put his arm around you “It must be hard to move on from something like that, even if you weren’t in love with him, he was a big part of your life”  

You leant your head on his chest, this was the first time in weeks that you’d let yourself think about it properly and you were glad that Harry was here to comfort you. You turned you head and looked up at him “Thank you, for being so understanding” you said, “I’ve known you for less than a week but you’ve made being on the other side of the world a little easier”

He leant down, brushing his lips against yours “It’s been my pleasure love” he pulled back a little, so that he could look into your eyes and placed his hand in your jaw touching it softly “You deserve more than what he gave you.” His eyes lingered on your lips for a second and then he kissed you tenderly, cupping your face with both his hands and slowly pulling back to pepper little kisses along your jaw before returning to your lips and kissing you deeply.

The rest of the evening was spent stealing kisses from one another while you watched movies that you’d both seen before. You both called it an early night and went to bed by 10, knowing tomorrow would be a busy today.

***  

The next day was spent exploring London with Harry. He made sure to avoid all the tourist spots, instead taking you to all his favourite places, most of them private enough for him to stay hidden from prying eyes, but still out and about in the city. You were quickly falling in love with this city, and Harry was quickly falling in love with you. He was completely in awe of you, he appreciated the normalcy of your life but saw a side of you that was far from dull. Your light hearted, and relaxed personality was a nice change from the intensity of women he had previously dated, and your shared sense of humour meant that spending time together was a lot of fun.

That afternoon, before he had to head to the venue for the first of the two London shows, you found yourselves sitting on a bench at Primrose Hill, overlooking London sipping on two warm cups of tea, enjoying a moment of peace before things got crazy tonight.

“I want you to meet my Mum tonight” he said as he took a sip from his mug

“It’s a little early isn’t it?” you weren’t expecting Harry to introduce you to his family yet, ever really. You were really enjoying what the two of you had, and as much as you liked him, you couldn’t see it lasting much longer than your trip “I only met you four days ago”

“I really like you Y/N, I told you last night that I haven’t dated in a long time, but I can see us being together, I want this to work, I want it to be more than a Holiday fling”

“I live in Australia Harry, it’s a 23-hour flight”

“That’s why I want you to meet my mum tonight, I’ll make it work with us, I’ll be there in a couple of weeks anyway with the tour and if things are still working between us, I’ll make sure I come visit whenever I have time off, and I don’t know when I’ll get the chance to introduce you to her again”

“This is all moving very fast H” you said finishing off your tea

“I know love, but that’s kinda how things are with me, if things don’t move fast then they don’t move at all”

“I do really like you Harry, please don’t think I don’t, but I hardly know you”

“You’ll get to know me, just give it a chance”

“It’s a lot of pressure meeting you Mum”

“It’ll just be a quick introduction tonight, and if you come to Manchester with me in a few days, you can talk again”

“I can deal with that” you said resting your head on his shoulder “and of course I’m coming to Manchester with you, I’ve got nothing else to do”

He laughed, planting a gentle kiss on your head. Hearing Harry tell you that he wanted this to be more than a holiday fling had you excited, you liked him a lot, but everything that’s happened since you met him had been so surreal but, you couldn’t imagine a world where you dating Harry Styles would actually work. You were, however, going to give it chance, because you liked him a lot than you expected you would. In the last four days you had felt more special than you had in the nine years you had been with Mike. You were falling for Harry and as fast as it was going, you didn’t want it to stop.

And that’s part 3! I hope you’re all enjoying it so far, it’s looking like there’s going to be two more parts, and if there’s anything you’d like to see happen, please let me know 

Master List 

[thesylvalining]

Sometimes I feel like my life is like a conversation between myself and Tom Petty.

Me: Man, I’ve got the travel itch.

Tom: Time to move on, time to get going.

Me: But where?

Tom: You belong somewhere you feel free.

Me: Duh! Where would you suggest? Italy?

Tom: You belong on a boat out at sea.

Me: But Tom, you know my track record with seasickness…

Tom: Let me get to the point, let’s roll another joint…

Me: Okay, now we’re getting somewhere!

It’s all my dad’s fault: he listened to Tom Petty for ages before I could even say “Tom Petty.” In truth the first complete sentence I said — “Go play on the freeway,” to a cute little old lady at the grocery store — was his fault, too. Supposedly I heard him say it to the dogs… apparently it’s real  kids understand more than you think.

Speaking of kids… munchkins actually play into the way things are evolving but first: I want to touch on the way I’ve been feeling lately: like a leaf in the wind. Every day I am blissfully unsure of how things will unfold. It’s the most free and open I’ve possibly ever felt in my silly little life.

So when I read this bit of “Jitterbug Perfume,” by Tom Robbins (borrowed from my Italian friend/queen Lisa) I almost fell off the toilet where I do most of my reading. In this section one of the main characters, an ex-king named Alobar, is having a conversation with the village shaman, who speaks first:

“I encourage you to ride this strange wind that is blowing through you, to ride it to wherever it will carry you.”

“But which way shall I go?”

“That is between you and the wind…”

Lately the wind and I have been having a riveting dialogue, because in the last 72 hours, the “plan” (if anyone can call it that) has changed. It’s worked itself out in the most enchanting of ways, unrolling like pastry dough on the counter, ready to be filled with crema, nutella or marmellata… But the last couple days, my friends, are a story all of their own. Long story short, I am not coming back to the States until September… but the details are still evolving and all of that deserves its own glorious post.

So, while this new direction works itself out like a much, much more pleasant kidney stone, let’s allow the wind to blow us back to Rome, shall we?

We therefore pick up the trail in a hot and humid afternoon breeze outside the train station in Spagna, the Spanish quarter, in search of our quaint hotel. Kelly and Jacob are uncomfortably warm; I — the lizard — am in my happy place.

After ditching our bags at in our cool hotel room and chugging an appropriate amount of water, we burst back into the sun to check off the first item on our tourist list: the ancient Colosseum. And on the way, enjoy horse hats, the stately Altare della Patria and some more really old crap.

Not to be that person (although I’m gonna be that person)… but last I spent time in Rome, it was March of 2005 with my good friend Amy (AP Photo!) and her friend, Sherry. The streets — and the Colosseum — were cold, but deserted. This round it was busier than centro on market day, but nonetheless, the ancient, enchantment of such a structure remained intact.

With throngs of other humans we wandered in awe past old columns the size of Redwood trees and arches that had watched not only gladiators, but now — with an ancient eye roll — modern-day Selfie Stick aficionados battling with their Smartphones. I personally don’t need one because I was born with an arm… actually, two of them…

Boom! The Colosseum 🙂

Frands.

The big picture.

Old crap.

Selfie sticksssss.

More selfie love.

Even people carried from across the globe and deposited there like so many pieces of guanciale in a really good Carbonara (one of Rome’s specialties), the magnificence of so much history was not obscured. To read the Colosseum was regularly flooded for ship battles is incredible; to read people were tossed into the labyrinth of the Colosseum with lions like fish food into a fish tank to be ripped into tiny little fish food-sized pieces is gruesome… but fascinating, to be sure. Ahhhh, history.

Outside the Colosseum, with sweat moving like curious ants through crevices on our bodies which — unlike the Roman ruins we stood among — had somehow until this point avoided excavation, we spotted something incredible: free cold water. Throughout Italy a refreshing army of potable water pours from the frozen metal maws of lions or stoic faces but here, there was a choice between naturale (still) or frizzante (sparkling) water. From that moment on, the fizzy water stop became mandatory on all expeditions.

Post-Colosseum we paused for our daily gelato stop and found an appropriately ugly spot to suck it down…

We took the scenic way home, bypassing the chaotic, clogged but more direct shopping hub on Via Del Corso, stumbling across this lovely courtyard that probably has a story of its own…

After the hot sun went to bed, we decided a trip to Trevi Fountain — featured in Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita,” — would be next. Despite feeling more like a zoo than one of Rome’s most ancient water sources (the Aqua Virgo Aqueduct built 19 B.C. provided water to the Roman baths and Rome’s central fountains), Trevi fountain at night was still magical. We grabbed a bottle of wine from a nearby enoteca and pizza al taglio (pizza baked in large rectangular pans, sliced in squares and re-nuked) and observed people chucking coins in the water. After some wine and some time, we noticed most people tossed over  left shoulders, turned backwards. The key to a wish come true, apparently, is not to watch after the coin leaves your hands.

After leaving the zoo, we retreated to our cool, dark room and passed the flip out.

In the morning it was ____. Yep, you guessed it, hot! After an Italian-style caffeine-pastry breaking of the fast, we headed towards the Roman Forum, rented audio guides and proceeded to march around learning about, among so many other things, the 7th century Temple of Vesta, Umbilicus Urbis (the Roman entrance to the Underworld) and Basilica Julia, built by Julius Caesar. Over it all sat a blue sky over which the brilliant sun ruled; Kelly and Jacob sweated to death and soon retreated to a popular shady area to revamp; I continued my wandering, sweating to life 🙂

Listening to some audio…

The remains of the Temple of Castor and Pollux.

Temple of Saturn, in the distance…

The Temple of Saturn.

Sharing grounds with the Forum was Palentine Hill, one of Rome’s Seven Hills and where Romulus first founded the original city in 753 BC. We wandered among the House of the Vestal Virgins, learning those lucky ladies had to keep their virginal, ahem, properties intact or, of course, they were killed. Lovely.

Kelly and Jacob kicked it in the shade while I ran up to the top of Palentine Hill to check out the garden atop it and of course, the view!

Post-Forum we made a pit stop for acqua frizzante with a herd of other thirsty humans, found more pizza al taglio for lunch and made our way to Via Labicana to rent three neon bikes from Wheely Bike. With the wind in our hair, we zipped over to the (free!) and glorious Pantheon. Formerly a Roman Temple, the Pantheon was constructed between 118-128 BC.

Inside, with everyone else, we gazed silently upwards to marvel at the Pantheon’s spectacular oculus. And — equally stunning — to postulate how, almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon is still the world’s largest un-reinforced concrete dome. My mind still struggles to wrap itself around such a feat like a thick spaghetti noodle around a fork in a bowl of cacio e pepe (cheese, pepper sauce — another irresistible Roman culinary masterpiece).

After the Pantheon, we zipped through nearby (crowded) Piazza Navona on our way to the river and our obligatory gelato stop of the day: Gelateria Del Viale, some of the best gelato in Rome, according to a friend of mine. We cooled off along the river and rode the long way back to Wheely Bike to return our neon steeds…

DCIM101GOPRO

Gelateria del Viale.

Looking down from steps near Altare della Patria.

Exiting the bike path by the Tiber River.

Coming around the back of the Forum…

After we ditched bikes, we figured we’d have enough time to trot over to the room, powder our noses and head to dinner at the charmingly-named Guilio Passami l’Olio (Guilio, pass me the olive oil). But suddenly we were the Lemony Snickets amongst a series of Unfortunate events: First, missing the first bus because we were on the wrong side of the street. Second, Sylva — The One Who Has Been to Italy Many Times Before forgot to pop in a Tabacchi and buy tickets before catching the bus. And the third bus (of course) was late enough to push our delayed arrival into the realm of “maybe they’re not actually coming at all…” Eventually, we threw in the cheaper public transportation towel in and hailed a cab.

At Giulio Passami l’Olio we found a hopping scene and our reservation had somehow gotten lost in the shuffle like an olive in a very loud, well-dressed salad. Eventually, however, we sat in sweaty clothes and tennis shoe to eat delectable food and consult the restaurant’s fantastic wine bible, or Wible.

To digest and enjoy the temperate evening, we wandered back along the river, enjoying the play of the lights on the water, the trees swaying in the breeze and the feel of a big city under darkness.

Back at the ranch, we made quick work of falling dead asleep. In the morning, at 8:30 a.m., we had a hot date with the Vatican and the even more infamous Sistine Chapel…

Morning found us squeezing onto la metropolitana with the rest of Rome — the Romans to work and us to Vatican City. Like an open bottle of red wine, we poured out onto the streets, directed this way and that by hawkers and helpful folks associated with the Vatican — problem was, it was impossible to tell the difference. But with such volume of people heading to gawk at the plush, art-full innards of the Vatican, we found ourselves funneled right into the gaping, rope-lined mouth of the museum. Luckily, we bought tickets in advance and soon marched up a long spiral staircase into the Vatican.

A sign presented two options: a short tour and a long tour. Two plus hours, Egyptian heiroglyphics, Roman statues, ancient painted maps and medieval tapestries, several Salvador Dali pictures and a Sistine Chapel later, we couldn’t even imagine what the long tour entailed…

From one of the many Vatican windows, Rome, on and on…

Old ass stuff.

The Hall of Muses.

Some of the coolest maps of Italy and Europe possibly ever.

The Vatican’s dome.

Salvador Dali! One of my favorite artists!

In the Sistine Chapel, I was a very, very bad monkey and — amongst loud, firm admonitions via intercom for “Silenzio, per favore; silence, please!” and “no pictures” I fake sneezed, glanced both ways and pointed my very incognito camera straight up:

Oops…

After the Vatican, we located some grub and had just enough time to sprint up the Spanish Steps for a view before getting sucked back into the cockles of la metropolitana and the expansive Roman stazione for the ride back to Faenza…

On subsequent episodes of The Sylva Lining… there’s Venice and I answer the same question The Clash pondered: Should I stay or should I go now? And furthermore, how? As they say, where there’s a will there’s a way. Or, as this Roman street artist penned:

La Dolce Vita Sometimes I feel like my life is like a conversation between myself and Tom Petty. Me: Man, I've got the travel itch.