Roma, Day 1

Originally published on: Jan 12, 2007

While in Firenze, I took a weekend trip to Rome on a Eurostar train, which takes less than two hours, compared to a 4-hour trip by car or Regular train. I had booked a room online in a sweet little guest house in the Trastevere area of Rome. I would highly recommend this place, run by Sylvie Ruzzin, a young French photographer who has relocated in Rome. Here's a link to her website:
www.maria-rosa.it

I arrived in Rome's gigantic, modern Termini station and followed Sylvie's easy instructions to catch a nearby bus across town to Trastevere. Described as a Bohemian area of Rome famous for its quaint restaurants, here's a view along the street where I stayed.

My penpal Paolo had offered to give me a tour of Rome, and I couldn't pass up the chance to learn about the Eternal City from an Italian history buff. Paolo met me at the guesthouse in Trastevere, along with his wife Silvia and their daughters Miriam and Livia. Paolo, Livia and I went sightseeing while Silvia and Miriam headed off on a shopping trip. First, we walked along the Tiber River to view two structures from ancient Rome: the mouth of the city's still functioning great sewer, Cloaca Maxima, and part of a ruined bridge, called the Ponte Rotto. Then we took a drive down via Porta San Sebastiano, leading to the gate of the same name. Beyond the gate is Via Appia Antica (Appian Way), built in 312 B.C.

Below is a view of cars coming out of la Porta San Sebastiano.

The Aurelian Wall, built in 272 B.C. as a defense for the city, still stands, and spans some 11 miles around one edge of modern Rome.

Next, we went to the Mouth of Truth (Bocca della Verità), which many people remember from an old Audrey Hepburn movie, Roman Holiday. As the legend goes, if you place your hand in the mouth of the sculpture, and you are a liar, your hand will get bitten off. This shows Paolo and Livia proving their innocence...

After this, we were joined by Silvia and Miriam and continued sightseeing. Some of the other sights we saw that day include the Colosseum,

The forum

and The Pantheon.

Later we went to the Vatican, and arrived there just as the sun was setting. Inside Saint Peter's Cathedral we saw Michaelangelo's Pieta. (Oddly enough, I saw this statue in 1965 in New York City at the Worlds Fair.) Earlier in the day, we also saw Michaelangelo's Moses statue at San Pietro in Vincoli.

That evening, we spent several hours in the center of town, visiting Piazza Navona, where musicians and street performers entertained us. Several famous fountains reside here, but alas, they were boarded up for repair. I experienced a bit of magic with one of the street performers, a female mime dressed in silver. Entranced by her movement, I took several photos of her, then placed some change in the hat at her feet. As I did so, she handed me a note, written by hand in French with a silver pen. It said:

de coeur percoit ce que l'oeil ne voit pas

I handed it to Silvia and the girls, knowing they speak French, in addition to Italian and English. As they translated, "the heart perceives what the eye cannot see," I knew at once the source..."The Little Prince," by Antoine Saint Exupèry. The note was a paraphrase of a very important quote. This book has special meaning for me, and this phrase in particular:

"And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart
that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye."

Without knowing it, the woman in silver added a moment of grace to my night in Rome. True synchronicity. I still have the note, by the way...

Paolo and his family treated me to an incredible meal at a trattoria, then gelato afterwards as we strolled the area. We ended up spending 11 hours together, and I experienced an unforgettable introduction to the beauty and splendor of Rome. I've done a meager job of sharing all that I saw and learned that day, and I'll be forever grateful for their kindness and generosity in showing me around. Here's a view of Livia, Paolo, Silvia and Miriam from that evening. Grazie molte, i miei amici!