counting sleeps

45 sleeps until we go here

45 (maybe 46) until i get to photograph this

and i really want to photograph it at night
obviously i want to photograph it during the day TOO, but i REALLY want to photograph it at night

maybe i'll get a shot just like this one, because we're going to treat ourselves to one of these before we go

45+ sleeps until we drink a lot of this (standing up, because apparently it's cheaper if you drink it standing up)

it's also apparently totally uncool to have milk in your coffee after 10am, (or maybe it's before)
i know i'm totally gonna stuff it up and look like a total plonker-type tourist

but i really want to drink one SITTING DOWN here...
and i don't care how expensive it is

because in 50 sleeps we're celebrating 25 years since we did this

[sigh] if i knew then what i knew now...

i wouldn't change anything

N-EEEEEEEEEEEE-THING.
[true]

so, we have very good friends who are both 50 and have been together longer than us and don't have kids and they're going to live in rome for THREE MONTHS (to celebrate their 100th). the middle month just happens to be the month of our wedding anniversary which is why this trip is SO MEANT TO BE.

they're staying in THREE apartments (just to mix it up you know) and we get to stay in TWO!)

this one in via patera, in the heart of trastevere
(i have no idea what that means, i just cut and paste it from google)
and this one in the jewish ghetto
it sounds very chic and cool, no?

then we're treating ourselves to a 1st class sleeper on this

it's a tiny picture, but you get the picture!
overnight from rome to paris, then eurostar to london

we're staying with my sister in london, and i've been making good use of google maps dot uk and have discovered that there are a GOOD many of these to be found within walking distance of my sister's flat (well, 6 miles, but after eating pasta and drinking red wine for a week, we're gonna need the exercise!)
of course we'll be going on this
(who wouldn't?)and on our first night in london we're going here for dinner
and were meeting this totally hip and cool blogger
(although i really hope she leaves the inflatable stripey thing at home...)
then we're taking the train out to here
{i don't know whose child that is...}

to stay with this strangely lush blogger and her adorable family

i hear there's even a castle near where they live
(although, knowing the UK, that isn't anything unusual)

i was disappointed to discover however, (while writing this post) that this castle is under renovation and won't be open while we're visiting

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!
(boo hoo hoo)

ah well. maybe i could just take a picture from the outside
[like this one...]

jealous much???