You CAN Get There From Here

"They found a country (Italy) which is still to us, as to them, an earthly paradise; where amid superb cathedrals and palaces and beautiful walled cities, dwelt a race that numbered life itself amongst the grand arts.  The love of beauty for its own sake."

                                       St. John Lucas

     Trains, metros and automobiles
- plus a little shoe leather can take you back 2,000 years in these parts.  Daughter Georgia and her Happy family (yes, as a matter of fact, their last name is Happy.


accompanied us to Rome last Sunday.  On an unexpectedly warm and sunny day, we conquered the Colosseum,

the Forum, (including the Senate),

and the Palatine hill. 
  

  Jim narrated it all with his guide book.

If you've seen the HBO miniseries ROME you can well imagine the pure thrill of walking through that once thriving, throbbing space.  Caesar, Pullo, Varenus, Marc Antony, Attavia, Servilia.....omigod, nobody touch the remote!

    Our lunch waiter, on the piazza in front of the Pantheon,    

could have graced an old Roman coin or, better, modeled for a marble statue. 

At the very least he would make it into my calendar of Rome's Finest, if I did one.  Ladies, don't you frickin' agree?! 

    I needed a spiritual moment after lunch, so back onto the cobblestoned streets to a nearby church.  Our friends Rossella and Marco Re parked their motorini beside St. Ignatius dei Loyola and met us inside where we were all being appropriately awestruck over the beautifully ornate, colorfully marbled, fresco-rich interior.  (How awestriking is it?  I'm more impressed with it than the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.)

    Then the Re's guided us to the ever tourist-mobbed Trevi fountain. 

There's no visiting Rome without tossing in a few coins to insure a return visit.  Eight year old Jacob wanted assurances that it would work before throwing away his money.



I told him it certainly would - after all, it was my 4th visit to Rome and the fountain.

Nineteen year old Naval Academy Midshipman Jon (did I brag, I mean, mention he's our grandson?) and his dad Cliff enjoyed hearing Marco tell about his archaeological cave dives (Jon, like Jim and Marco, is SCUBA certified).  Rosella, Georgia and I people watched.

Actually, we were on the lookout for pickpockets.  That's our story and we're sticking to it.  We also noticed the waiter from lunch wasn't there.

    Afterwards, Rossella and Marco treated us to coffee at the reknowned and elegant Caffe' Greco.  The place has been there since 1760.  Then it was off to the Spanish Steps    
 (all gussied up for the holidays) where we said our arrivedercis and headed back to Spoleto.

So, Hail Rome and arriverderci 'til next time,

Susan