Ron and I chose Sunday to go back in time. After sleeping in (no alarm, no watch) we found a delightful open cafe for omelettes and fresh-squeezed blood orange juice (looks weird, tastes divine). Then we began our day-long trek through Roman history.
It is no small thing to walk in the footsteps of Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, and Mark Antony. There is a reverence among what remains of the Forum, where self-aggrandized senators met to debate ideas years before Christ was born..
The elaborate baths (capacity: 3000) are just a few steps away and living quarters with fireplaces, tile walls and marble floors are still visible. A few meters down the road stands the iconic Coliseum, where countless gladiators fought to the death for the glory of Rome.
Italians take Sundays (Domenica) very seriously, and several streets are blocked off to accommodate the masses that flood Rome in search of sun, food (its own religion here) and the joy of living.
Music (accordions, peruvian flutes, guitars) fills the clear skies and there are people EVERYWHERE! It is thrilling to be a part of the energy in such a vibrant, alive place.
As promised, we walked to the sea nymph fountain in Plaza Republica to throw coins with wishes of love and a new beginning for my aunt Judy's surgery tomorrow.
A stop at the train station to check schedules for our trip to Positano Tuesday was the equivalent of joining an ant farm. Absolute Craziness...!!
On our trek back to the hotel (25,000 steps) we came upon an American life raft in the sea of caprese, bruschetta, pasta, pizza, more pizza and red wine.....Hard Rock Rome. I ordered the biggest margarita they make, and we both devoured our Red, White and Blue cheeseburgers WITH onion rings and fries...relishing a little taste of home while rocking Italy!
Well how damn jealous am I? And not just about the onion rings...
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