It's just a couple of days before the holy days of Easter. The last days of Christ will be re-enacted in the streets. From the Vatican the Pope will speak to the enormous crowds that travel to see him at Easter each year. It's a big event, televised around the world. Elisabetta gets a text message from her father saying that her mother is looking for her amongst all the faces on TV. Christian groups have come from around Europe and America to this Mecca of catholic iconography, painting and sculpture laden with religious motifs. There are monks and nuns rushing through the city, all of them probably on a holy mission. We also hunt for an olive branch for Elisabetta to take back to her mother. We see people carry them everywhere and we just know - being in the very centre of the Catholic world - stuff's gonna happen.

After a good night's sleep and breakfast on the roof of our hotel it's GO! We go to see some of the ancient heaps of rubble they have here, but instead we find ourselves in the middle of an enormous demonstration with speeches, balloons, slogans and all the rest of it. Through the crowds I can glimpse the Arch of Constantine, and we swing past the Colosseum and go to Forum Romanum. The buildings are enormous, elaborate and adorned to surprising dimensions. It is grand and opulent. It's crawling with tourists everywhere but it is so spacious here that it really doesn't matter, it's like Rome was built confident that the world would flock to see it's glory for centuries to come. The best thing though, is to find the charming piazzas and people-watch and talk. It's as if we have found some gems scattered through the city and only we and the Romans know about it. Off course we're not the only ones, but these places have so much charm and character, there's plenty for everyone. And we stroll through old parts of the town with small speciality stores and quaint restaurants and more gelatterias than regular houses it seems. I'm spending a month in Italy and my goal is to have tasted every flavour I can find. So the sooner I start the better. The very charming Trastevere must be a good place to begin. It's a sunny day and we get there just before a rush of tourists. They q well into the streets, how lucky is that?

In between all of this we find Barbara's church, three Norwegian celebrities and I can't stop gawking at those nuns and monks.

The picture I have of monasteries, nuns and monks is, naively, from the films set to the middle ages, and I find it so surprising that here they are just walking around having lives! Are they really supposed to ride motorbikes, eat ice-cream and guide hoards of tourists around? And they're everywhere. Off course, the Vatican City is just up the street and this is a Catholic part of the world. Amusing none the less. And they come in every thinkable variety, brown outfits or black, with or without the headdress, different variations on the crucifixes and ropes and some monks even have the top of the head shaved to create a round halo-like shape on their heads. It's a wonder. And without any comparison - the street performers. They are all over Europe and we've all seen them for years. But one morning as we make our way to the Vatican museum we spot a rather odd looking performer standing absolutely still in his chosen pose. He's under a tree and there is absolutely nobody around! What a hilarious sight! We prepare for some serious quing to get into the Vatican, we want to see the Sistine chapel. We spend the time in the line to talk and joke and it isn't so bad. We finally get in, and Barbara takes us through room after room with art. What makes my jaw drop is the paintings on the ceilings. They are just so beautiful and meticulously made. I spend a lot of time with my face turned upward, but start to feel some butterflies as we get closer to the 'grail'. On the way we see one of Raphael's masterpieces and I'm quite taken aback. It is amazing to gaze upon the real artwork that I have only seen in print before. We're allowed to take pictures of everything apart from in the Chapel itself. They are huge works and absolutely exquisite. We're finally there - in the Sistine chapel. I'm in awe and wonder.

Back outside in the sunlight. There is so much to see and we end up embracing our inner tourist - and I know Barbara and Elisabetta just do it for my sake, they've seen it all before. We actually get on a tourist bus - the kind with an open roof so that the tourists can take pictures, and we fly by all the galleries, museums and buildings. We have ear pieces so we can listen to a man explaining what we see. And we can get off and on as much as we want for 24 hours. I don't like?

One evening we find our way to an Irish pub. We like Ireland and everything Irish, especially the accent, so we go there and find a table. We have a hysterically good time, we laugh so much it actually hurts, but not due to all the fun and interesting Irish people or any other nationality for that matter. Next to us is a German couple arguing really loudly and for the entire length of the evening, it is really invasive. Behind us two woman are talking in hushed voices and after a while one of them seems to be falling asleep. Next to them are two guys with very little to say to each other. We gently brief the subject of men who would be shorter than the women they were with, and I remember someone once referring to it as 'finger food' - or tapas if you like, since we have just left Spain.

My gelatto marathon takes us to the best ice-cream parlour in town. In Italy the price of food and drink is very different if you sit down at a table or eat or drink at the counter. It's really busy in this place so we skip the q and enjoy the pricier table outside. A lot of people have come for ice-cream today, including some important looking people with what looks like bodyguards. They have ordered regular ice-cream in cones but still sit at the table. The waiter comes to let them know that the tables are only for the people ordering off the menu, but one of the black suits just wave him away with a knowing look. The waiter gets it immediately and our curiosity is stirring. Are these Mafiosi awaiting a trial in the nearby official building? Why the bodyguards? What would happen if the waiter had told them to leave? Barbara spots one of them wearing Camper shoes. So he can't be all bad. After a little while some of them move away. Two of the guys are hanging out across the narrow street and they seem to watch us and talk about us. Oh dear, they are looking at my camera that is sitting on the table. Maybe they think we have been taking pictures or filming the whole thing. And now they are moving over to the table next to us! They seem to follow our every move. These are the bodyguards, aren't they supposed to look after someone? This is getting very mysterious and we are glad that we can talk in Norwegian amongst ourselves. Well, we haven't done anything wrong, so if they want to approach us that's fine. And they do. One of them wants to ask me out on a date. So much for the Mafia and the drama! He doesn't speak English and I don't speak Italian so that's the end of that. His friend wants Elisabetta to come to translate, and the friend will come as well. This is getting very funny, and Elisabetta is stuck there trying to explain. How long am I going to be in Italy? I'm leaving for Assisi on Wednesday - he'll be happy to drive me up there. He wouldn't mind spending Easter in Assisi. He has to go, his job needs him. After they leave we laugh and can't believe how wrong we were about the camera on the table and everything. After a little while we get up to leave, and bump into him again. We're curious about their job and about what went on at the ice-cream place so Elisabetta asks him what his job is. So now he thinks that I'm interested! Well. He is a Carabineri - local police, and they were there to protect the politicians. He learns that I'm a teacher and am I staying in a hotel or a hostel in Assisi? Because Elisabetta is doing all the talking I can observe the whole thing and realize that he is really very nice. A bit short, but really friendly looking and charming. He is rushed off again, he has to work. We walk away laughing and talking animatedly. What if he shows up in Assisi? Someone said that they thought I would probably meet someone in Scotland. Well, Elisabetta isn't very keen on haggis anyway, she'd much rather come and visit me in Italy. And Barbara is sure that if he wears Camper shoes he must be worth keeping. That's good friends for you. And wasn't he anyway too short? We laugh until we cry. I guess you had to be there.

One day we find ourselves very lucky in a small street were Elisabetta takes the lead and just finds the perfect place to eat. We read the menu outside and it looks like things are fresh here, and that the menu changes according to what's in season. We like. The waiter is very friendly and very Italian. When we order the food he shows great joy that we chose the risotto. And I realize that eating in places that are run by people that care about the place and the food always have emotions about what you order. It's like trying to score answer correctly in a game show or something. After the meal he give us limonchello on the house. This was my first meeting with this drink, to be had after a meal to help with digestion. It's lemony and fresh. Too bad, if I was ever in Rome again I wouldn't be able to find the place, it was too nicely tucked away. I guess that's a part of the charm too.

But I will come back to Rome. Tradition says that if you toss a coin in the Fontana di Trevi, it will assure your return. It's the most glorious fountain I've ever seen and we toss our coins and grin widely.