The Streets of Rome

It's hard to describe what the streets of Rome are like. The closest I can come to in any previous experience is being in New York City. New York is always bustling, always full of energy. But NYC can be hyper energetic and stressful at times. Being out on the street in Rome is close to being in Manhattan without all the tension. There's a joy and ease of moving about that makes just being here a welcome experience. People are talking and laughing, courteous and helpful..unless you are standing in line, then it's every man for himself! You can starve to death politely waiting to buy a sandwich at a street vendor. Still, the people seem so alive and vibrant. Even the occasional raised voice is tempered with a smile afterward. I grew up with people like these. Passionate, sometimes inflamed but always forgiving and always ready to pour themselves out. Their language is lyrical and romantic and they are so expressive when speaking it. All this runs rampant up and down the streets of Rome. If you're a people watcher, this is the place to be!

Street vendors abound selling everything from food to hats, umbrellas and t-shirts, to jewelry and fresh fruit, many of whom roll up their goods and run when they see the Police!. The waiters at the sidewalk cafes stand in front of their restaurants inviting passers by to join them for dinner. No pressure, just a casual invitation. Warning! The food is dangerously delicious!

There are many broad thoroughfares and untold thousands of narrow side streets and alleys, all of which have some grand and ancient structure at their end. Traffic moves along at a startlingly fast rate. There are very few traffic lights. The lane markings seem to be more of a casual suggestion than a lane boundary. Crossing the street seems precarious at first. The cars and and the multitudes of scooters and motorbikes came very close to pedestrians. Yet there seem to be no accidents and no one seems to get run over.

Here are some pictures taken out on the streets. It is truly an amazing and beautiful city, filled with fountains, statues, marble buildings, huge stairways, churches, ultra chic shops, pizza places and sprawling, ornate plazas. Rome is totally enchanting, totally unique and totally memorable. We're so pleased to be able to visit. I've been battling vertigo for the last two days. Because of it, we missed the Vatican. Kelly went out to see some sights today and took many of the photos in the slide show below. We may try to see it before we leave for home on Sept 1.

Some of these were taken from a moving bus and have some strange reflections in them. There are three parts in all but it's a great tour of the city. The music is Vivaldi's "Concerto for Two Mandolins."







Next up....Keramoti!