(no subject)

[oakenguy]

In Rome! I only have internet access in the lobby of the hotel, so I must keep this brief.

Rome has:

*Coloseum-dwelling seagulls that eat pigeons and chase them ruthlessly back and forth over the heads of the tour groups;

*drivers who are vicious, ruthless, and seem downright jovial after Boston (walk signals actually mean something! Half of them are on Vespas!);

*ruins EVERYWHERE. The big ones are one thing; it's walking down a street, glancing through an open door and spotting a random courtyard with a 300-year old fountain that's really mindblowing;

*tourists EVERYWHERE. And I'm not sure why, but D and I totally give off the vibe--all we have to do is approach a checkout aisle, and we're greeted in English.

*Swallows who seem to have taken the ecological niche that sparrows and starlings have in Boston. I got woken up at 7:30 by chirping outside my 4th floor window, and looked outside to see this amazing aerial display, hundreds of swallows zooming and spiralling around the rooftops.

I've adjusted to the time difference, after crashing for about 12 hours yesterday; D has NOT. This has already made things interesting, and will continue to do so, I'm sure.

Oh, I've also learned that a mustache + gelato + a June day in Rome do NOT go together. Ugh, what a mess.

Also also, folks who've watched Arrested Development, remember Portia? She has at least 20 lookalikes on the streets of Rome.

Also also also, the ruins have "Roman soljers" posing for pictures outside them (yay!) for 5 Euro apiece (eep!). I was still tempted by one in particular, who looked more like Nobby Nobbs than any human being I have ever seen in my life. Maybe it was the two-sizes-too-big breastplate.

Hope you're having fun, f'list. Be well!

Comments

[stanharding.livejournal.com]

Do you like the hotel? They were awfully nice to us.

[oakenguy.livejournal.com]

We LOVE the hotel! We got the top floor, with the terrace that looks out over the neighborhood roofs! It's a great location, a cool little part of town...now if we could only get our neighbors to stop playing cheesy '80s music from 2AM to 4AM. ('Fame'? Again??)

[stanharding.livejournal.com]

Do they still have the place down at the end of the alley that sells chocolate Coloseums? I nearly bought one.

[temperlj.livejournal.com]

Very Cool :)

[tpau]

you know, it is likely to be a 1200 year old fountain instead :P

rome is AWESOME.

[in-water-writ.livejournal.com]

OMG you are making me want to go back SO much.

Did you see the Trevi fountain? Every time I see it I'm hit with the urge to climb all over like I'm six years old and it is a big fancy jungle gym with water!

And the Pantheon? That was cool too.

Did you ever read Angels and Demons by Dan Brown? I'm not even sure whether I liked the book itself, but it really made me want to go visit all the statues/fountains/art pieces in Rome in the order they list them in the book!

Did you get to see the Castel Sant'Angelo? I've always wanted to walk the bridge there!

I think I need to just go live in Italy for a year please.

[resk.livejournal.com]

I was in Rome when I was 11 years old, but I don't remember any of what you're talking about. Of course, that was 28 years ago, so it's a distant memory. Plus, things may have drastically changed in that time. For instance, perhaps now there are more ruins.

[scixual.livejournal.com]

when I was there the Coliseum was full of stray cats.

[kip-w.livejournal.com]

I was expecting Rome traffic to be much worse than it was. I didn't see the problem. And after Florence, walking was a pleasure — it's like dog owners in Rome actually cared (as opposing to "giving a shit," which describes Florence). We trailed along with the million-man march that was going on while we were there. It went by my window for about an hour before we went outside to see it. Stayed with it until we saw the police gathering with their helmets and riot shields, then we went to a cafe for sandwiches.

Rome has one of the better sheet music houses I've been to, Ricordi. Lots of recorded music there too. I'd go again.

[plastickitty.livejournal.com]

wowee wow wow

Ruins and Runes and old stuff

[etiger4.livejournal.com]

Yay! I'm so glad someone is getting through the jet lag part, tell D to sleep that puppy off... although it will likely hit like a wall... or at least it's my style to fall asleep while in mid-gelato... anyway, take pictures! Love you'all! Give my best to the sleepy-D! You must have an adorable pasta lunch and salad and some fashionable main dish and espressos on me as I wanted to get you a dinner in Italia for D's birthday!