Preface

Five cities in five years: such has been my life since leaving Sydney in May of 2010. In the intervening years, I have called Paris, Dusseldorf, Mexico City and Cottbus my home, a trail that now leads to my new urban existence in Rome.

For those of you who know me, it is a perhaps a match made in heaven. After all, not only did my unhealthy obsession with the Romans equate to my father making me an actual suit of Roman armour (albeit with spray-painted silver card rather than actual plate), my later studies also saw me return to the events of the Republic and Empire, though admittedly the Eastern Empire became my forte.

Anyway, such facts are of little interest save to provide some element of context, to which I should perhaps add that my purpose for moving is the same as my purpose for remaining in Europe passed the initial six months I planned in 2010; that reason being love.

No surprises there, for I am sure that I, like many before me, have been enticed by some European beauty to leave my plans with mice and men in order to carve my own path, one that in my case has meant following my beloved as her career formulates and my own CV grows ever longer. In fact, a few more capitals and I may be able to pass that paper off as some fashion house; such will be the illustrious names upon it.

I digress. Here I wish only to present observations, flashes of the city and world I now find myself in. Taking into consideration past failings concerning blogs, I will not attempt a narrative, but instead offer only those lines I jot down as I pause, notebook in hand, upon worn-cobbled streets and crystal sun-drenched piazzas. Seeing as past cities have born literary works from my hand, it may well be that these very notes soon find themselves in such a piece… time will tell.

Rome, 28^th August 2015