I have come from northern Europe to the south, to Rome, the world’s city, where the pizza is calda, the vowels are lazy, and the people are as warm as the summer sun.
I enjoy Rome terrifically. I have met more friends here than anywhere else — and from all over the world. I have witnessed inimitable beauty in art, architecture, and landscape. I have seen, heard, smelled, tasted, and touched this city.
Yesterday I met my Uncle Giovanni and his wife, Alba, and daughter, Ilaria. What a kick. Johnny and Ilaria speak English impressively, for Romans, even though they insist they’re not very good.
But as soon as those three are in the same room with me, the conversation turns into a blur of Italian. It is at once the most overwhelming and hilarious sensation. The phenomenon of an Italian conversation is that, as it warms up, all participants get louder and more competitive, until it becomes a din of flat sound that no one involved can understand. It finally ends with a sudden bang, usually marked by a trailing opinion from the patriarch, and then silence. But the cycle restarts not long afterward.
Having grown up with Italian family, I feel quite at home, even if I only understand poco italiano. My visits to foreign countries make me wish desperately that I could speak all of the languages of the world. I hope to try.
Now I’m sitting in a Roman street caffè, where the prices are blissfully lower than in the north. The (halfway-decent) International Herald Tribune is spread before me, and I just finished a cup of caffè latte and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Lots of pulp, like I like it. (The juice in France is pulpy, too, but they add ice cubes — divine.)
I have seen the Coliseum, built during the time of Christ, as well as Vatican City, which does not feel much like an escape to a foreign country — but Saint Peter’s Square, the basilica, and the Sistine Chapel were awe-inspiring. I may never see more beautiful things in my lifetime.
It’s a few minutes till noon and I have been relaxing here for too long. Time to set out. Maybe some tiramisu gelato?