Mistero di Roma Donna Laura Biagiotti 2010

While the bright Essenza transports me to the sunlit Villa Borghese, the Mistero reminds me of hidden corners of Rome.
Side alleys where old, once magnificent houses stand, radiating their luminous decadence and bearing witness to former elegance through their peeling facades.
These are enchanting hideaways where my room is located.
The house is an old hotel, run by two elderly, well-groomed ladies from Switzerland.
The furniture is valuable and curvy, exuding the scent of oiled wood. Apples and grapefruit lie in playful glass bowls, filling the dusty air with a hint of fruitiness.
High up in my guest room, I can open a French door and step out into the Roman air, filled with the scent of almonds and anise - interwoven with the exhaust fumes of the two-stroke engines of the Vespas.
I can see the dome of St. Peter's, completely bathed in sunlight, and my nose detects myrrh and sandalwood.
On the soft bed, my beloved is dozing, exhausted from the hike over the seven hills.
This house radiates something past, mysterious, that completely captivates me.
It is a quiet island amidst the noisy hustle and bustle of the city, which will later lure me back out.
Out of my refuge right into the squares of Rome.