Roma, the Infernal City

We spent only one night in Rome when Woody and Jane and Mike and Wendy arrived, but we returned after six nights in Florence for another four nights, and indeed, four days as well. Our hotel (Smereldo) was conveniently close to Campo di Fiori and Piazza Navona, as well as to good bus connections. Of course we had to take a walk through the almost ever present market at Campo di Fiori, and Mike led us on a forced march to the Collesium and Roman ruins area. We also got to see the balcony from which Il Duce made so many of his great and stirring speeches to the people.

It was interesting for me to note that the folks who get all dressed up in their gayest outfits, so that they can look like gladiators, actually do face death every day on the job. Indeed, this is a picture of one smoking a cigarette as he is trying to get people to take his picture and give him a Euro or two. I kept thinking of my brother, who brought his banjo all the way to Italy, in hopes of playing it in from of the Collesium to also make a Euro or two. I think he actually succeeded in that endeavor. Ah well, tourists never cease to amaze me.

Of course we had to go to the Vatican, even though Benidictus XVI was out of town for the weekend. I met Gaspare Marinello there, who had a meeting with the lay group that is sponsoring the project in Tanzania, and then waited for the Pope to play Jack in the Box from his balcony, but instead they had huge screen TVs set up so one could see him do the same thing from his country residence.
St. Peter's still looks like the copy that is in Montreal, Qc, which I suppose should not be very suprising.

For anyone wanting to visit Rome, and stay in the area in which we stayed in, I feel like I must highly recommend Hostaria Costanza in Piazza Paradiso. It indeed was paradise, with wonderful food and attentive service. If your guide book suggests Il Pompieri, which ours did, I would strongly suggest you look elsewhere. While the service was not very good, the food was almost evil in its poor preparation. We almost had to call il pompieri to come and put out the acid burning in our stomachs afterwards.

No visit to Rome would be complete without seeing the Trevi Fountains. They are indeed spectacular. If one throws a coin over their shoulder into the fountain, it insures one that they will return to Rome someday. For whatever reason, I did not throw a coin in.

After a wonderful time in Rome, Jane and Woody headed back to Westchester County to get back to work. Wendy, Mike and I took a train down to Naples, and then the Toonerville Trolley on to Sorrento. We really like the high speed train, which got us to Naples in less time than it took the slow train to get us to Sorrento from Naples. I was able to get into Naples one day to try to renew my passport (I will have to go there again to pick it up when it is ready), and Mike and Wendy visited nearby Pompei. The highlight for me was seeing the drum seller.