Roma

This is my second visit to Rome.  The first time I was here was about 5 years ago.  I came with my husband on a business trip.  We were here for a week.  He would work all day, and I would shop, eat and admire.  Then in the evenings, we'd have a business dinner to attend.  I was finally able to show him very quickly the following Saturday--a little snippet of Rome.  We raced by fountains, shops, and piazzas and then had to fly home the following day.  So, this time we are here for pleasure--no work, only vacation.  3 days in Rome to start with.  We are walking everywhere--no car.  Yesterday we walked about 5 miles and loved every minute of it.  It isn't as hot here this time around.  We came a month earlier in the year than the last time we were here and I am so glad that we did.  My last trip to Rome was incredibly hot.  Probably near 90 degrees and very humid.  I had to take 3 showers a day and still felt dirty and sticky.  This time though the weather is beautiful--maybe 75 degrees with a soft breeze.  The temp helps to keep the smells down.  I'm not going to lie here, there is an earthy smell that comes with Europe.  Maybe it's the drainage system--I'm not sure.  But walking along the city streets, well, sometimes it can smell a little sewer-ish.  We choose to walk on by and not acknowledge it.  It's our unspoken code.

I'm going to attempt to describe Roma.  There is the ancient city--which includes fountains, colonnade buildings, and statues, and then thrown into the mix might be a modern hotel or two hundred.  Seriously there are hundreds of hotels in Rome.  This city has the most tourists of all Italian cities.  And I can see why.  The mix of ancient and modern alone would draw people, but I think what draws the most attention is that you could come to Rome and see everything in one city.  There are gardens, churches, archaeological digs, a river, the Coliseum, arcs, castles, the Vatican, Roman bridges, the Pantheon, etc.  And what astounds me most is that you literally could be walking down a street, turn a corner and be facing one of the most beautiful fountains ever.  There are markets and shops everywhere.  It's a huge fascinating city loaded with tourists and Italians, great food and gelato, coffee and history.  I love it here.

One of the things I admire most about Italians is their ability to relax, enjoy and stroll.  It is said that Europeans work to live and that Americans live to work.  I want to live.  Life is exciting to me.  And life is short.  And maybe that is why I am not a good relaxer.  I am an explorer.  However, when I come to Italy--I do relax.  At least I attempt to.  Our hotel has a roof top deck which we are encouraged to visit.  The breakfast is served up there, and also you can take a picnic and drinks and enjoy the deck 24 hours a day.  Yesterday in the late afternoon we took our books and sat up there in the sunshine and just relaxed, read and enjoyed the sounds of Rome.
I'm glad we are here--we are on vacation.