Remarkable Rome

I waited patiently inside the baggage claim area of Rome's international terminal for my new traveling companions to arrive. It was creeping up on a good sixty minutes since their flight's status had changed to “arrived” and that patience was beginning to be tinged with a little bit of worry. After all, these were more than just two new traveling companions. This was their first foray across international borders in more than twenty years and just the first intercontinental trip ever for one of them. As such, they were largely depending on me to serve as their de facto tour guide for the next two weeks as we visited a handful of Italy's most storied cities. That was a responsibility I didn't dare take lightly and it didn't look like things weren't getting off to a good start.

Not that they had anything to worry about. After all, I'd been to Italy before. Once. That trip was four years ago and the vast majority of it was spent a few hours north in Florence. We, however, were currently in Rome. I had visited Rome during that previous trip though. For all of six hours. It was also probably best that I didn't mention the incident the previous day when I'd managed to bungle the simple act of ordering a slice of pizza upon my own arrival in the city. To be fair, I had managed to make good use of my time in Rome four years prior, visiting a plethora of the city's best attractions during those scant few hours using just my curiosity and a borrowed guidebook. Plus, I'd almost committed my current guidebook to memory before arriving and had managed to get myself around a new city or two in the last seven months without major incident. If nothing else, the dozen or so words of Italian I'd managed to memorize were a dozen or so more than they knew.

So, when the doors from immigration swung open once more and I finally saw my parents' smiling faces bounding through it, that twinge of worry was replaced by one of relief that we'd at least managed to find each other at the airport. Together for the first time in over half a year, I was eager to show them a little of what I'd been doing for the last seven months. They were equally eager to get out and see Rome, but not before a quick nap after a long day of traveling.

After sleeping off a bit of jet lag, we set off for their first taste of Rome with what was left of the day as well as to see how well I could manage to guide them through one of the world's most celebrated cities. Luckily, Rome just might be the perfect place for a novice tour guide. Something of historical or architectural significance - or both - looms around nearly every corner. You generally just have to pick a direction, wander off and it looks like you knew what you were doing all along. Sometimes even getting lost is fortuitous as some of the most interesting places are hidden down side streets or narrow corridors. Most of all, Rome is a city that teems with life so it seems like something significant is going on just about everywhere.

I opted to start by taking my folks to two of my favorite spots in Rome betting that they'd be as fascinated with them as I was. I knew my instincts were correct when I saw my parents' faces light up with their first view of the immaculate Trevi Fountain. It's less a fountain than it is a work of art that happens to have water spouting from it. It almost seems to be hovering in the air with the statues suspended in animation, ready to return to action at any moment. Legend has it that if you throw a coin into the fountain you are assured a return visit to Rome one day. I can't recall doing that during my previous visit, but perhaps there's a caveat that still allows you to return so long as you bring a couple new people with you.

From Rome '07

I think my parents would've been content to hang around admiring the Trevi Fountain for hours, but the daylight was fading so we decided to walk a few blocks over to my other favorite spot, the Spanish Steps. While the steps certainly have an unmistakable aesthetic beauty, their charm might be tied just as much to the vibrant air surrounding them, given off by the multitudes of people bounding around them or taking in the panoramic views of Rome from the top. Either way, it makes for an invigorating, if not contagious, atmosphere that you can't help but enjoy and my parents (and me) were far from immune to that charm.

Once the sun set, we settled in to a local restaurant for a fantastic dinner (pizza, of course, at my parents' request), followed by a leisurely walk through the streets of Rome. Strolling through Rome's often cobbled streets is as much a part of the allure of Rome as any of the numerous historical monuments it holds. The streets come alive at night with jovial locals and tourists alike out enjoying a fine Italian meal, imbibing more than just the night air or simply enjoying the city's intoxicating atmosphere. We decided to sample some of it for ourselves by stopping in at the nearest gelato shop, a treat that instantly became my parents favorite Italian treat. As we consumed our creamy dessert with zeal, our meanderings took us by a host of historic sights like the Pantheon, The Roman Forum and the granddaddy of them all, the Colosseum. Standing in the shadows of the Colosseum illuminated against the night sky, we decided that there was no more perfect ending to a near-perfect first day in Rome. Eager to get a good start the next day, we reluctantly, but excitedly boarded a local bus back to our hotel.

The following morning, I figured it was best not to tinker with success, so we followed a similar template to the one employed on the previous day. Pick a direction, wander off, stare in awe at the myriad of sights and experiences we encountered, then repeat. That formula was implemented with equal success throughout our four day stay in Rome. We explored all of the city's greatest attractions including return visits to a few of the ones we saw on our first day (the area around the Pantheon being a favorite), this time seeing them in daylight and in greater depth. But, we found just wandering around the streets was as interesting as any of the attractions. Perhaps each enhanced the other. In that regard, the sights in effect came to us as we were never in a rush to get anywhere, content to simply ramble around and see what we could find. When we did find something of interest it made it even more extraordinary.

Somewhere along the way during those four days, I noticed that a change had quietly taken place. Much as they'd done for me on numerous occasions during the first decade or two of my life, I was now the one doing the leading as they took a turn being the ones to stare wide-eyed and gap-mouthed at all the incredible and exciting things surrounding them. Like eight-year-olds some fifty-five years removed, they were brimming with equal parts fascination, curiosity, and unbridled excitement. They were eager to see and do everything they could, eagerly anticipating what the next minute, hour or day might bring. And, much like those instances years ago, afternoon naps were required and if they were good, we'd stop for gelato.

ROME PHOTO ALBUM (click photo):

Rome '07