Rome, That Feeling You Give Me
After a bumpy plane ride, I land in a country that I swore that I would visit one day immediately after the CORONA virus allowed it. Italy is to me a sacred place for the entire Europe and most of the western world. Most particularly the city of Rome who according to legend was founded by two brothers who were raised by a wolf in the wild. After a bit confusion walking around the Italian designer store ladened Airport I stumble across a legitimate cab driver (as there are many scammers around) and embark on our 30-minute drive from Leonardo Da Vinci Airport to the city of Rome. I stare out of the window of the cab as we wiz and zip past other cars. I have a feeling of calm as I observe the surroundings of the outskirts of this ancient city. It’s quite different from all that I have seen in the northerner and middle countries of Europe. Palm trees are in abundance and the air is a humid hot mess.
I entered Rome and I immediately feel as though I’m at home. I don’t speak Italian or any other Romance language for that matter. It is, however, the culture that places me at ease. The almost nonchalant attitude of everyone makes me feel as though I’m back in my native neighborhood. I stop to drop my bag at the boutique hotel that I’m staying in and began strolling the streets. “How much for an Espresso” I ask a woman standing outside of a hole in the wall coffee shop. She responds with the heavy Italian accented English “This cost sixty cents”. Sixty cents, I thought after a bit of hesitation. I couldn’t believe how inexpensive that is. Dinner came within an hour of that experience. A pizza topped with four cheeses, bottle of water, glass of wine, spaghetti as a starter dish, and a tiramisu for dessert cost less than fifteen euro. It was unbelievable how cheap all that was.
The next few days I felt as if I had Rome all to myself. There wasn’t a line anywhere to be found at any major ancient attraction. The Pantheon, I walked right in. Castel Sant Angelo, no Line, I walked right in. The Vatican Museum and Basilica, I walked right in. Colosseum and Roman Forum where more of the same, empty. After I did the obligatory “Top 5” of Rome I took a bit of a stroll through some of its most popular neighborhoods. They have all the charm of Paris but without the hustle and bustle. The culture is thick here, but no one is treated like an outsider. I’ll be back for a visit soon enough. I haven’t quiet identified what it is about Rome that intrigues me. It’s just a special feeling it gives.
