Stories from the Road
September 24, 2016
Rome, Italy


On the way to Trastevere we passed a building on fire. In the states you would see a large crowd gathered, but the Italians kept moving. The smoke was intense, so that was probably part of it. In Trastevere we cruised churches, museums, and places for cappuccino. It was a good morning for seeing and being.

As I was walking I passed a priest having a morning glass of red wine. He was a large man-Orson Wells like-with a fedora and a big beard. I thought that if you gave him a steamy confession, he’d probably say, “That is a good program, my son.”

Later we had lunch near the Parthenon. Vicki had an insalada mista, and I had pasta vongole. Both dishes were excellent. Though it was hot out, we were cool in this outdoor restaurant. The Romans built their structures close together, so that there would be cool shade in the alleys between the buildings. This engineering strategy worked.

Last night we ate near the Spanish Steps. We had good pasta dishes before heading back to our hotel. We got lost on the way. Unfortunately the Roman officials apparently don’t understand the physiological needs of its tourists, as I haven’t seen any public rest rooms. Finally I saw a bike taxi man, and he pedaled us to the hotel. I told him we were lost, and he asked if it was our first time in Rome. I said we had been there many times, and he said,” You know the city well, huh?” Vicki and I both laughed, as we watched the way he skillfully moved in and around cars and people on the busy streets.

Today we fly south to Reggio Calabria for phase two. Have a good day.