Notti Animati!

The mausoleum of Hadrian is surely the only tomb of the Roman emperors that is not only still intact (most, like that of Augustus, are crumbling red brick ruins), but grander than in Rome's ancient glory years.

Now known as the Castel Sant' Angelo, the building that now lies a stone's throw from the Vatican has, in its colorful history, been a fortress, sacked by goths and visigoths, saved by an appearance of the Archangel Michael (hence the name), a refuge for popes, a palace, a prison and place of execution.

Now, in summer, it's the home of Notti Animati - the nights are alive - thrown open to the public til 1am every night (2am Fridays and Saturdays), with children's entertainment until midnight (I love what that says about the Italian approach to life), live music and comedy in its various courtyards, bars, and tours of that now famous (thanks to Dan Brown's sequel Angels and Demons) tunnel linking the fortress to the Vatican.

My new 'besties' from work, Rach and Astrid, and I have been planning to get long for the fun for ages, despite the hefty 10 euro entry fee. Suddenly, it was the last weekend in August and if we didn't go now, we'd miss out... We met up in Trastevere and caught the bus up, queued for not nearly as long as we thought we'd have to, climbed to the top, found a bar... and made our way through two bottles of bubbly. By the time we'd finished pouring out our hearts to one another about life, the universe and everything, it was closing time. We raced ahead of the packing-away crews, stopping for gelati and to admire the views and the statues, singing (yes, singing) our way up and down stairs, thinking we sounded pretty damn good as our voices echoed off the stones.

We sang all the way home too... Astrid is now a huge fan of my new favourite: What you do with what you've got', which I learned from the singing of Dick Gaughan.

And what's the use of two strong legs if you only run away?

And what use is the finest voice if you've nothing good to say?

What good is strength and muscle if you only push and shove?

And what's the use of two good ears, if you can't hear those you love...

It's not just what you're born with

It's what you choose to be

It's not how big your share is

But how much you can share it

And it's not the fights you dreamed of

But the ones you've really fought

It's not just what you're given

It's what you do with what you've got

My feet ached by the time I walked in the door. And a bunch of italians we passed on the way probably think I'm crazy.

I don't care. Tonight was alive and me with it.

Note: I pinched this pic from Wikipedia, see link above.