Parting is such sweet sorrow

(Dude... Looks like Steve Tyler!?)

Thursday 6/16

Today was our last day in Rome. We checked the remaining must-see items of my list visiting the Spanish Steps and the Piazza del Popolo. We also managed a walk through the Borghese gardens. It was nice to walk under the shade of the trees admiring landscaping and fountains outside of the hustle and the bustle of Ancient Rome. More pizza, cappuccino, and gelato was consumed. Another afternoon nap was had. Now we are preparing to pack our bags and head out to one more late night dinner. It is such a bittersweet feeling to know we'll be leaving the first city we've ever experienced in Italy, but excited to move on to the hill towns and country side. As we prepare to leave this city, I thought I would attempt to make our departure easier by listing ten things we will not miss about Rome. But I could only come up with five and even those petty annoyances are part of the city's charm.

Five things we won't miss about Rome.

1. Beggars on the street shaking cups at you to ask for change. (It makes me sad.)

2. The smell of car exhaust, garbage, and cigarette smoke. Yuck!

3. The dangers of crossing the street, dodging vespas, taxis, and smart cars and needing to walk in the shadow of a local to know when it is "safe" to cross.

4. Pushy street salesmen that pollute crowded tourist sights by shoving trinkets, flowers, and handbags at you.

5. Traffic noise; honking, shouting, sirens, car alarms, and the roar accelerating of motor bikes.

As I reflect on this list, all of these challenges or unpleasantries result directly from the fact that tourism is a huge part of the Roman economy, especially in the neighborhood we are staying in. Many Romans make there living off of tourists, they count on foreigners to spend their Euro on crappy plastic souvenirs, knock-off handbags, and whatever else it is they think we want or can smooth talk us into. It is not their fault that it's not the experience we are seeking as travelers. Further more the traffic, the trash, and so on is partially what we contribute to the city. We have tried to be aware of our trash and recycling as we visit this city and think about how what we use while we are here and how we dispose of it will affect the people who call this their home. We have also used the public transportation system to avoid putting one more car on the street here (plus it would be really scary to try to drive in this town!) So Rome is not perfect, but in its flaws truth is reflected: what the place was and what it has become. Now for what I've been trying to avoid, what we will miss the most about this city when we depart tomorrow morning.

Ten Things We Love about Rome (Hard to narrow it down to ten, but here we go...)

1. The details in the architecture, a gargoyle here, a lion head door knocker there. The old and the new blend seamlessly and beautiful old churches and little treasures pop up down every cobbled alley way.

2. The Roman women and their commitment to wearing beautiful shoes, every day, even when walking many kilometers down cobbled streets and through dirty metro stations. Their heesl, wedges, and espadrilles sport a 3-4 inch rise and you never see them stumble or sway! (I walked for one afternoon along the streets in flip flops and got a blister, so don't know how they do it!)

3. The Roman men and how they can wear a full suit, complete with white pressed shirts and a tie in nearly 90 degree weather with humidity to boot, and never allow a bead of sweat to appear on their noble brows or let their starched collars wilt. They are very cool characters, even in a crammed bus.

4. The food! Need I say more? See the last several blog entries for the mouthwatering details.

5. Our pension and how we open a heavy fortress like gate into our shady little courtyard and immediately feel protected and at peace in the heart of the city.

6. Our innkeepers who have been so kind, helpful and friendly. We thank them for their perfect ristorante recommendations, helpful advice, and tech support.

7. The unique feel and quality of each neighborhood. Termini has grit and modern flair. North Rome has a million shops, gardens, yet retains old school charm. The Pantheon neighborhood oozes romance and beauty. Vatican City is a world away filled with art, riches, and holy reverence beyond compare.Though we've not made it to South Rome,Pilgrim's Rome or Trastevere, we had to leave some locations unexplored for a return trip in the future. Then of course there is Ancient Rome which is the heart, the history and a perfect home base for first time tourists (like us).

8. Afternoon naps, the only way we've been able to make it to the dinner hour in light of heavy sightseeing and jet lag.

9. The vibrant night scene. The way that the neighborhood bar fills up and spills out onto the sidewalk, the most popular overflowing patrons into the street. Prompting eager bar goers to drop their woman off in front of the bar (as they dodge customers who are sipping wine and drinking beer in the middle of the street) so she can hold some real estate until he gets back from parking hisVespa around the corner.

10. Gelato, at first when I told Greg that a veteran visitor to Italy told me we would be eating gelato twice a day, he doubted he could keep pace. Guess who is sleeping off his afternoon double cone right now?