Roma!

Oct. 8, 2003- Endless Flight
(photos:Spanish Steps,
Trevi Fountain-David and me)

We landed on time after an arduously long and boring flight. David told me our return trip from Rome to Atlanta will be twelve hours. That’s the same flying time as a trip we took from Minneapolis to Tokyo.

The monotony of the flight was broken up when I struck up a conversation with Tony, our gay flight attendant. We were chatting about travel and that led to talk about our families and ourselves. I asked if he had family in Texas and he said he did but it probably wasn’t what I had in mind. I then told him to ask me about my daughter and her new spouse Julie in Minneapolis. We bonded. He was raised in Vancouver, British Columbia and speaks Italian like a native. He now lives in Dallas with his partner who owns a dry cleaning business. An amusing moment occurred when he asked my name. I said that it was “Toby.” He responded with “Tony.” I corrected him by saying that my name was “Toby.” We figured it out and shared a good laugh.

As shades of orange and yellow were peeking over the horizon, we made landfall. City lights were glimmering below and my pal Tony called the captain to check our location. We were over Gatwick Airport in London. The rest was sheer splendor. We barely made out whitecaps as we sailed over the Channel. France was waking up and the highways were lined with pinpoint lights as we approached the Swiss Alps. The sun had crested and cast a pink glow over the snowcaps plunging the hillsides and valleys into bleak shadow. What a welcome!

The results of the California election was announced and a groan went up from the Americans. At least Arnold isn’t eligible to be president of the U.S. I wonder what our country can do next to embarrass itself?

Hitting The Streets

Our cab ride in from the airport in Rome was what we expected. We dodged scooters, zipped down narrow lanes, a multiplicity of McDonalds welcomed us, and our driver gave a running commentary of the sites in Italian. Oddly enough we understood most of it. Roman skies were gray but clearing and the newly washed city glowed. From our perch on a modern highway we could see ancient and new buildings greet us. Stately columns rose up next to construction sites and I couldn’t help but think they were accidentally found during excavation.

Friends we’re to meet here, Ron and Karen, came three days ahead of us. We hooked up with them after we took a nap. We allow ourselves two hours sleep after flying overseas. It helps get us on a schedule. They've been enjoying themselves. They hooked up with some young Australians who kept them hopping. Unfortunately their tour to Pompeii had to be cancelled because the Pope was visiting there that day. That was a terrible disappointment but if he dies while we’re here the entire country will shut down.

We hit the streets and got a feel for the city. One of our first stops was the primo McDonald’s in Rome. The entryway was constructed to resemble a Roman arched colonnade complete with frescos. The menu was the usual with the exception of a salad bar and gelato counter. We were inspired to get a bite and had a quick panini snack before a dinner of delicate pizza with the thinnest crust I’ve eaten. The Spanish Steps are close to our hotel and we took pictures of each other sitting in the crowds so we can do a “where’s Waldo” search when the film is developed.

The shops are each a study in the style and class symbolizing the new Italy. The talent and artistry that produced the great structures, paintings, and sculpture of the past has been translated into elegance of line and stunning use of color and whimsy of today’s merchandise and merchandising. The overall tenor is appealing, friendly, inviting, and chic. Italian respect for this place shows in the surprising cleanliness of the streets. I expected a Parisian devil-may-care attitude complete with dog droppings, but there’s little litter and lots of pride.

We took a nighttime bus tour of illuminated Rome and visited the typical venues. Somehow I thought the Trevi Fountain was round and I expected to be looking up at it. The buildings around it have encroached on its space and it was downhill from us as we approached. When we walked down the steps to ground level it snapped into perspective. It’s massive, vibrant, and yes, we threw coins in. Bernini’s creation in the Piazza Navona had an equal impact but with a touch of humor. The horse and lion sculpted at its base wove in and out of the design so that from some perspectives all we saw were their rear ends. We slowed down to gape at the Coliseum, Hadrian’s Tomb, and St. Peter’s Basilica as we kept to our tour schedule. Fortunately we return to this lovely city at the end of our trip so we can do it justice on foot. Our friends said their self-guided walking tour the night before was more spectacular.

I did my usual cat napping on the bus and managed to stay unconscious during an altercation between a passenger and the driver. As we crossed and re-crossed the all too familiar avenues the driver asked repeatedly for the names of the hotels where passengers were staying. We feared we would never return to ours.

When we finally were dropped off we needed gelati. Tired as we were, we staggered up the street and sated our tastes with our favorite flavors of Roman ice: café, chocolate, banana, strawberry, and Irish Cream.

Toby