Well, you are probably wondering what the heck that means, mai in una vita, but I was just doing some research on The Eternal City and practising my Italian, which is more than rusty–it’s downright non-existent right now because of all the mercis and bonjours and quel est le mot, oiseau–that means, “what’s the word, bird” in French but since I don’t speak to many birdies, I don’t have the opportunity to use it much. Still…
What the title of this blog means is that even in a lifetime, a kitty like me could never know all of Rome and its beauty and its secrets and its history, even if I padded the streets day in and day out and took a different route every day and spent from wake up to snooze time. That’s Rome, all right. Even from my balcony viewing place I can see that there is something to feel wonder about and something to discover in every corner of that piazza over which I preside. I mean, just for starters, the Doria Pamphilj gallery is just across the street, filled with magnificent art (and kitties in the paintings, as always), and from the street, the sounds of teen-aged kids bubbles up with all their energy and laughter and teen-age-ness, Italian style, and I like to watch them because they are so, so young and vulnerable and their poor country is in such a state and there are no jobs for when they graduate from their university studies, if they go at all, and they look so young and innocent and…well, naïve…about their futures.
But I’m off the subject, as usual. Their mothers and fathers and family members will try to help them, even though families in Italy are not the same as before–people eat at different times, and kids eat junk on the streets, and both parents work or don’t work, as is often the case, because they can’t find work, and these kids are wandering around with no discernible future, at least right now. I hope they have a kitty at home to cuddle and pet, because that helps when you are a bit sad about things.
Then again, these kids are growing up in a city that everyone longs to visit, that still pulses with amore and sweetness, in many ways, just as it did when mama and papa first discovered it so many years ago. Or at least, that’s what they tell me. In a way I wish I had been there then, but then I probably wouldn’t be here now, because we kitties were sometimes part of the menu, I understand, after the war…Let’s not go there.
So I always look forward to my visits there, even if I don’t have a garden to romp in (I’m not known for my romping anyway–I’m more famous for my once-or-twice-a-day-in-the-garden-run-like-hell-from-whatever-that-was-that-felt-as-if-it-were-chasing-me-but-it-was-nothing sort of antics). This time I’m going to talk mama and papa into taking me out, maybe on my leash, maybe in the early morning before the dogs take over and go bananas the way they do, and then I’ll have a better sense of our magical city.
Mama’s list of what she’s going to do is this: hit every museum in town, even if the subject of the show is not kitties; try to eat in different trattorie where she and papa haven’t been in years and see if they are still good; walk and walk and walk, even if it’s raining or at least go to a few exercise classes where she used to go sometimes; spend time with the little anthros after school and see how they’ve grown during the last few months; try not to get bummed out over holidays in general and keep a light heart about it all and maybe even go see their friends in Ascoli whilst wearing several coats because they froze their little tootsies off last time but their friends are so cool and Annie has become mama to all the kitties on their street and feeds them every day, those lucky devils, so she is definitely worth a detour.
That’s about it.
I have to go pack my catnip rat and my malt paste and Feliway and Bach drops so I can face this ordeal.
Frankly, I think it’s mama who needs the Bach drops…
I hope you will tell us about your trip! Hope you don’t have to administrate the rescue remedy to your Mom!
Well, I only threw up once, but that was enough–it was on mama’s quilted jacket that she had put on the bed to make me feel at home.
Ah, well…it is washable and like new again. But those big suckers that go ‘woo woo woo’ with engines throbbing and the seas rolling are NOT for me.
Mama has put out a query for anyone who knows what to give a kitty for seasickness……
Well, whoever needs the bach drops, we hope someone remembers to pack them! 🙂
Too bad you don’t have a kitty stroller. Your mom and dad could take you around and show you the sites like Skeezix’s Food Lady used to do for him. A number of others have a stroller. We asked Jan for one and she said as soon as we all get a job and buy one. What?
Jan, here’s your response, finally!!!! I could have a WHAT???? A kitty stroller???? Then I could throw up on other people’s jackets instead of mama’s. But I’m fine now…just a bit disoriented. I wish I could make the transition better between countries and I have no garden here….a bit of a trauma.