Jamie Sandelin
It's 9.20am here on the 'Frecciarossa' - our mode of transport out of Rome en route to Florence. As much as I'd love to tell you what that translates to in Italian, I've given up on learning the language after I got an interesting look from a Roman security guard after being fooled into saying 'ciao bella' on our way out of St. Mary's, which according to Bucko translates into something like 'later hot stuff'.
As we begin our journey to our next destination I can reflect on the first week and a bit of our travels. Rome for me sits well above Athens on the pecking order. Athens, although blessed with some pretty amazing archaeological sites, is commonly described by the lads as 'a bit of a hole', so Rome was a nice contrast. Our accommodation was most appropriately compared to staying with Grandma- the nuns put on a great show and made us all feel very welcome and loved (much needed for the more sensitive lads in the group as Crooksy, Smithy and Bucko aren't particularly keen on giving out free hugs). I have to admit that I never thought after entering 4 churches in one day I'd be looking forward to the next one, but such is the power and beauty of places like St. Peter's Basilica. The colosseum was as spectacular as I imagined, and I'm yet to become tired of the pizza/carbonara/gelato combo for most meals (kebabs proved to have the same effect in Greece).
Quickly addressing the facial hair status of some of the lads, I can quite happily admit Theo Taylor and Adam Clark are two of the most beautiful men on the planet. The sharp stubble on their jawline is the envy of the group, however how long they can sustain it is beyond me with Bucko policing them with admirable dedication. Harry Hornabrook is convinced something is growing under his chin, but that observation is about as true as Kirkwood developing a golden tan in the Roma sun.
