Friday everyone was off doing their own things. The week had been around 60-70 degrees everyday and sunny, so I decided to go walk around on my own for awhile. I had three goals: Go to Lush and get some SPF face lotion (I was already looking sort of pink around the eyes from sun), get some gelato, and go look at the cat sanctuary in Largo Argentina on the way back. It's one of my favorite places in Rome and I make the excuse to go down there as often as I can.
I took the tram down and got to Lush pretty easily, where I found my face lotion. Afterwards it was so nice that I decided to get lost a little bit in the area. I did a little too well at this, because I was, literally, lost for awhile.
So I get pleasantly lost, wandering these little side streets for awhile. It was a gorgeous day, and I wasn't too worried. Finally, after about an hour, I decide it's time to get un-lost. I find the river (another saying you hear in Rome- "You're never lost as long as you can find the river") and lo and behold, right across the bridge, is the Vatican! So I knew where I was then. I stopped at this little gelato place nearby and got some gelato for the walk back (pineapple gelato is one of the best choices I've made all semester). As I'm walking back, I find that I've somehow looped around and passed the farthest tram stop, near Piazza Venezia, but I'm somehow right next to Largo Argentia. So I finish my gelato and go look at the cats, all lying around in the sun. I see these steps down, and since I'm a nosy thing, I go down them and find the main part of the cat sanctuary, the part underground, is open to the public!
I go in, of course, and one of the workers speaks English and offers to give me a tour of the place. So I get to go into the nursery for injured cats and kittens too small to be out, and she tells me about everything the sanctuary does. They get no government money, they're 100% donor funded, and they take in these cats and give them vaccinations, take care of them when they're sick, feed them, spay/neuter them…they really do amazing things there. And they take care of an average of 250 cats! They had just been fed when I was there so they were all sleepy and affectionate, lying on desks, meowing at visitors when they wanted attention.
Of course, on the way out, I had to buy something from their little shop. I mean, all the money goes to taking care of the cats. I bought a little something for myself, and something for my equally cat-crazy sister. (That's a lie, she's more cat-crazy than I am).
After that I took the tram back home and made a little dinner. I was a little pink from the sun so it's good I got my lotion when I did. (Curse you, Irish blood. I bake in the sun like a potato.)
