Serena Akeroyd's Blog: All Things Serena! , page 91

Pickpockets, the Roman Forum, and the MetroYou know, I do think I live in a bubble. Everything seems...

Pickpockets, the Roman Forum, and the Metro

You know, I do think I live in a bubble. Everything seems to whirl on around me but I seem to notice it regardless of it ignoring me. Now, I’m not complaining about that. In fact, I think as a writer, it’s damn useful. So either I have hyper focus or the rest of the world really needs to watch what they’re doing.

I braved the metro today. Having decided that I wasn’t going to walk into the center, I followed a monk—in a cassock, yep, complete with jeans and sneakers, but no bald pate—to the closest station near my apartment. It’s surprisingly cheap. I paid €24 euros for a seven day, unlimited pass. I think that’s cheap as chips, tbh. The service doesn’t go that far, but it’s better than me walking everywhere then being too knackered to do anything by the time I hit the center.

Not that that worked out today.

I really wanted some bubble tea so walked about fifteen minutes out of my way to hit one of the two bubble tea shops in the city. It was, sadly, underwhelming. The matcha didn’t have that punch it usually packs *sobs*. It wasn’t really worth my going so far out of my path, but the joy of the central city is that very quickly you find yourself close to a tourist hotspot.

Another five minutes and I was coming across the joy that is the Colosseum.

Approaching the city from this angle meant I had the view of the Roman Forum, too, and as I was heading deeper into the back streets, I had the joy of almost being shoved aside, LOL, as four guys came running like bats out of hell behind me.

Naturally, I wondered what the hell was going on, but it wasn’t difficult to figure out.

There are a crap ton of touters in the city. If you haven’t been, I think it would surprise you. Everywhere you go, someone is either selling you a pashmina or a selfie stick. A selfie-stick seller was one of the runners, and then the other guy had obviously pinched a tourist’s bag. Someone gave chase and retrieved the bag for its owner, but the thief, who did run off, didn’t run far once he’d lost the bag. Someone took a snapshot of his face, but he hovered in the area, telling me he was going to go for another round. It’s crazy when you think of how large a police and Army presence there is in the city.

Speaking of, last night I had two Swiss Guards as my dining companions. LOL. Not really. They were seated to my right and boy, they got better service than I did. ROFL. They were cute, and my editor is insisting I write a story that has one of the Guards dumping their vows for one of their lady loves. Haha. We’ll see. ;) They were certainly cute enough in their smart get up. It was half police uniform, half Army uniform—and very smart caps, to boot.

I’m still on the hunt for a decent coffee. Today I’m in a bio café shop, so at least my carbon footprint is being controlled. #lifegoals I asked for weak and received watery. Ha. I didn’t realize I was so fussy, but at least I’m not in McDonalds!!

Speak soon!

Serena x

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Published on February 16, 2019 11:51

Finn had a proposition. Sex. Nothing more. Nothing less....

Finn had a proposition. Sex. Nothing more. Nothing less.

It’s morphed into something more, though. Something Aoife is only too willing to embrace.

But Finn?

Find out how he feels in SCREW YOU: http://www.books2read.com/ScrewYou

#BadBoy #BillionaireRomance #MafiaMan #MadeMan #Irish

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Published on February 16, 2019 10:42

Let Finn be your Valentine’s and he’ll show you a...

Let Finn be your Valentine’s and he’ll show you a reaaaal good time. ;)

Read how hard he falls in SCREW YOU!

Buy it now: http://www.books2read.com/ScrewYou

Available on Amazon, Kobo, Apple, B&N.

#BadBoy #BillionaireRomance #MafiaMan #MadeMan #IrishHero

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Published on February 16, 2019 10:36

Dancing Queens, overpriced coffee, and screaming kids...

I love Rome.

Have I mentioned that?

I love how, when you walk around a corner, you find an ancient building peeping from out of nowhere. I love the number of churches and how many nuns you come across—seriously, where are they going with such purpose? They can’t all be going to the Vatican, can they?—and I love how everyone here seems to have walked off a catwalk. You can definitely tell the tourists from the natives. Ha! I include myself in that criticism. Complete with flip flops, I’m getting funny looks even though it’s actually bloody warm here. Then, I just love the random craziness you see, like a girl, dancing like she’s singing with a hairbrush in front of the mirror. LOL.

So, today, my blog post is coming from McDonalds. Mostly because a coffee here is 1.20 instead of 4.50 elsewhere, and also, there’s the miracle of the internet and actual sockets to plug into—seriously, I love McDonalds. It seems to be the only 21st century place in the city! Lol! As modern as it is, I just watched an elderly gentleman anoint himself with the cross after eating.

It’s easy to remember how ‘adult’ kids feel when they’re allowed here by themselves. There’s a group of girls that are making me feel my age. They’re screaming and being so damn happy that you know their only concerns are whether they’ll be getting their homework finished on time or if their boyfriend is two-timing them. Was I ever that happy to be in McDonalds? Lol. I’m not sure what that says about me or them, I just know I’m grateful they’re pissing off. As are half the clientele here.

I’ve passed the Roman Forum to get to this McDonalds, even though there is one at the end of my street as is the Vatican—yep, I’m sharing soil with the Pope. I wonder if he can sense the smut I’m writing while I’m here? :P But it was worth the trudge as I caught a peep of the Colosseum, too. I need to brave the metro but I’m in denial mode, so will be putting that off for a few more days. :D

There’s an IKEA in the city; it’s a pop up store, and if you want to have a decent sized coffee, then seriously, go there and buy a mug. I’m in heaven now. After my half-a-cup of black witch’s brew yesterday, my taste buds are still scandalized. I figure I paid ten cents per ml in that coffee shop on the Piazza Navona. Gasp.

Being on a budget in this city is going to be hard work. I can see that already. There are no supermarkets here, none save the tiny local stores that are really expensive. It makes me question how everyday Romans can afford to live here. The wages aren’t that great, after all, and if the average man has to shop at Pam Local or Carrefour Express, my God, I don’t know how they do it.

Yesterday, I grabbed a salad from Carrefour Express and was serenaded as I ate by a cellist on the Piazza della Minerva with the oldest church of them all, the Pantheon, peeping out at me. It was quite sweet actually. The cellist had a fan girl. When I first noticed her, she was on the church steps opposite where he was playing, then she moved next to me, and then to the furthest end of the steps. I reckon she was trying to make sure he noticed her, it worked: he greeted her when he’d finished his set. A love story in the making? Or is that just the romantic in me?

Well, on a non-romantic side, let me attest to the fact that a man can be drop dead gorgeous, and if he eats like a pig, he’s suddenly gross. I couldn’t stop watching this guy eating his burger last night. It was mesmerizing in how revolting it was. LOL. He might have thought I was drooling over him, instead I was just creeped out. That boy’s mamma needs to tell him to close his mouth when he eats.

Having discovered TED’s last night, a burger joint, I’ve managed to evade pasta for another day. :P I’m deep in Pasta Country and I seriously have no jonesing to eat any, and that’s all there is here!! I might have found a Philipino joint that I could go to tonight, we’ll see.

In other news, Screw Me (book 2 in A SCREWED Duet) is close to completion. Squee.

I’m still hard at it even if I’m in the city of love.

Speak later!

Serena x

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Published on February 15, 2019 15:29

Finn can lie to himself as much as he wants, but Aoife’s...

Finn can lie to himself as much as he wants, but Aoife’s different.

He wants to screw her, but will that ever be enough?

Read how hard he falls in SCREW YOU!

Buy it now: http://www.books2read.com/ScrewYou

Available on Amazon, Kobo, Apple, B&N.

#BadBoy #BillionaireRomance #MafiaMan

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Published on February 15, 2019 10:39

Finn is a made man. He’s decisive to the point of...

Finn is a made man. He’s decisive to the point of arrogance.

No one confounds him.

Until Aoife.

Read how hard he falls in SCREW YOU!

Buy it now: http://www.books2read.com/ScrewYou

Available on Amazon, Kobo, Apple, B&N.

#BadBoy #BillionaireRomance #MafiaMan #MadeMan #IrishHero

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Published on February 15, 2019 10:30

Stinky Passengers, Small Coffees, and Lost on Borgo Pio

That whole ‘moving homes’ is one of the most stressful times in your life thing?

Yeah, well, I think flying has to be added to that list. Or, to be precise, flying with Ryanair. I mean, kudos to them. They’re cheap and budget, and they can’t help that they have idiots for passengers but with their new Priority Boarding rules meaning you can have only one onboard bag and one handbag/purse, people don’t seem to be able to comprehend that the suitcase goes overhead and the purse in front of you at your feet.

I mean, because that’s so difficult to understand, right?

Apparently so, because yup, we departed late. I even watched an air steward get ‘air rage’ at one couple. LOL. He was very polite, but they were being stupid. I’m a witness. Ha!

On my way to my seat, I was unpleasantly surprised to come across a very smelly dude. Now, I’m sure he can’t help it, but I just felt so sorry for his wife. I mean, do these guys think Rexona is for everyone else? There’s a clue in the ‘Nivea for Men’ title. Cue eye roll.

So, after a bus journey, a flight, and a train, I landed at Roma Termini.

Have to admit, the Leonardo Express is BRILLIANT. 14 euros to take you to the center? Cheap as chips. Just be warned, don’t book ahead. You might think you’re being organized, but you’re really not. Just grab a ticket there and then.

I’m staying across the River Tiber which, thanks to arriving late, meant I needed a taxi. 30 euros! I almost had a heart attack. I do love me a bargain, and that’s in my blood because I am from Yorkshire. ;) Still, I had no choice because of the time and commitments, and God, it was so much more comfortable after a pretty long day of traveling.

But everything is better with gelato.

Seeing Rome at night is always special. Things seem to shine more in the dark, which makes zero sense, but it’s the truth. At least, my truth. And the Altar del Pater is even more impressive after dark.

After settling in, I found a Pam Local so that I could buy latte (semicremato ;).) I’m a goddamn Brit! I need my cup of tea. My trip to the store was followed by grabbing a pizza from a nearby pizzeria. I have no idea what I ordered as, cute as always, you couldn’t choose your own pizza but had to select what was premade and they baked it there and then. It tasted like anchovies smell. Yeah. Not sure I’ll be heading back there. Although, I may for their Diavola—spicy salami pizza. Yum.

I ended up doing yoga at 4am after waking up at a crazy time, and headed out at 11 to Piazza Navona. I’ve been here before, but never for this length of time, and it’s crazy how much of the city I still remember. It seems to confirm what I’ve always believed that you should walk everywhere. Seriously. Walk it. Don’t get trains, taxis, the metro etc. Walk it, because you see so much more of the city, you burn a shit ton of calories, but also, you come across crazy ass shit you’d have missed before! :D

Having found the Piazza without a map, these are a few pics from the tourist hot spot. Woot for my internal compass! It’s from here I write today’s blog post. ;)

Thanks for reading!

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Published on February 14, 2019 12:35