Back in Twickenham now and missing my leisurely days in Capena, starting with cappuccino and cornetto at the bar. Now it’s a brisk dog walk at 7.30 am and sitting at my computer before 9. Before I settle down to my day job of translating, I usually start by answering emails from prospective new bookings. This week I have also had a complimentary email from a guests with laptop who is staying at Casa Galilei and making use of the wi-fi to tell me that the house was even better than she expected – and an email from Kerstin, a very simpatica US guest who is counting down the days to her Italian holiday and determined to get the most out of every minute by the sound of it.

One of the most common queries is about transport. Most people would like to avoid renting a car for the whole week if possible, often in a desire to be more eco-friendly. This prompted me to look at car-sharing schemes in Rome. At the moment, the scheme is not a lot of use to guests as the car parks are in the city and involve a subscription, but maybe this could prove to be a good solution if the scheme expands and develops. The website is www.carsharing.roma.it – at present only available in Italian.