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Ciao Bella. . .

In my last entry I told you all how romantic my man can be well I have to say the proposal took the biscuit. As I told you before we booked the hotel back in January and our anniversary was in August so Phil decided we should go down to his brother�s for the bank holiday weekend, I was thrilled � not!!! Phil told me I needed to take a few days off work so that we could go down early on the Thursday, I had no idea why he was getting in such a flap about it but agreed anyway and sheepishly went to ask my boss for time off with only two weeks notice (thanks Davey!!!) he agreed surprisingly easily and we were all set.

Wednesday night I had thrown a few bits into a bag and was downstairs watching TV when he came down and asked me what I�d packed and what time my beautician�s appointment was in the morning? Usually such matters don�t concern him so I was a bit curious? When I asked him why he said that he had lied and that we were going on a plane in the morning and I wouldn�t be able to make the appointment �..now he tells me!!! In between jumping around and trying to get out of him where we were going I completely forgot to repack and had to do it next morning. He refused to tell me anything only that it was hot, so I had to pack light (yeah right 10 bikinis!!!!) next morning we set off and arrived at the airport where he proceeded to make me close my eyes and led me to the flight info, on the board was just one flight �..Rome (which is my favourite place in the world, if you�ve never been you should go its brilliant!!!) He had set the whole thing up flights, hotel everything and all without me knowing which is some mean feat I can tell you!

Next thing we were on the plane drinking wine and we were sitting in a caf� in Rome in no time. The hotel was beautiful right beside the colusseum, we spent the first day sightseeing as I showed him some of my favourite places, I was so excited to be there and I thought it was such an amazing anniversary present that no other thought entered my head. We went shopping on the second day however we both began to suffer from the heat 45 degrees is no fun when you have to walk everywhere, so we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner, Phil had been jumpy all day but I thought it was because he was suffering from heat stroke! We had dinner in a beautiful Argentinean restaurant (I know in Rome, we had had enough pasta by then!!!!) and then Phil said he wanted to go and see the Trevi Fountain on the way back. I got really excited because the fountain is so beautiful at night and I had been dying to show him it before but he kept making excuses. So we wandered off up the side streets to the fountain.

When we arrived the look on Phil�s face was hilarious as we were surrounded by about 250 other tourists, he thought it would be quiet and couldn�t get over how many people were around, he had gone quite pale and I started to get worried about him so I said we�d go and throw the pennies in the fountain (a roman tradition) and then head off, we both stood with our backs to the fountain and threw the pennies in and gave each other a big hug. Phil started to push me away and I kept snuggling in, so he had to push me back a bit, as I was about to get stroppy with him, he told me to look at my watch, it was the exact time we had got together the year before on the same day, as I looked up he was down on one knee with the most magnificent ring I have ever seen and told me I was the love of his life �.in front of everyone. I gave him such a big hug that he nearly ended up in the fountain and I was crying so much that I completely forgot to say yes! Everyone around the fountain started cheering, lots of people stopped us to say congratulations, its amazing how kind people can be, one old Italian man gave us an Italian blessing for life-long happiness which set me off again (by the time I actually get to the alter I�m going to have to buy shares in Kleenex!!!) We left the fountain and went round to a little restaurant for champagne and rang our parents and friends (who all knew about the surprise!!!) And started to plan for our housewarming which we had set for the following weekend (he had planned that to coincide with getting engaged) so now we had a double celebration!!

So now we had exactly a year to go with the date set at August the 4th so the race is on!!

More about the party and our plans so far next time �..if I haven�t cracked up by then!!!!

Luce xx