RomeI was blessed this month with the chance to visit Rome as part of my master's degree program in Creative Writing. We spent a week alternating between touring Rome and taking classes. I'd been to Europe before but never really thought much about Rome. I have no particular ties to Italy. It just wasn't on my radar.
It should have been. This is a wonderful city. And no matter where your family does or doesn't come from it holds meaning for us all. Rome is the birthplace of western civilization and has influenced our world in countless ways. Mostly, though, Rome is just a beautiful place and magical to visit. The old city center is surrounded by a wall. This is the same wall that existed thousands of years ago to keep out barbarian raiders and rival armies. Then it marked the edges of Rome. Now it sits in the middle, a 27 mile-long wall surrounding the heart of Rome. It is dotted with many entrances - usually large arches leading into vast cobblestone courtyards each famous for its own monument, statue or fountain which sits at its heart. Within these walls Rome is still built for a city of foot traffic, with narrow cobblestone streets all meeting at odd angles and lined with cafes. Vendors roam the streets selling everything from toys to roasted chestnuts to tapestries and fine leather bags. Everywhere you turn there are buildings or monuments dating back thousands of years. There are fountains everywhere sporting filtered water where you can fill your water bottle for free. Most of the shop owners speak at least a little english. They are used to tourists here. Many restaurants have english menus. The week I was there was perfect weather - blue skies, bright sun, 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit. The Roman shop owners seem a little gruff at first, but once you get talking they open up and are soon some of the friendliest people in the world. On weekends, the many courtyards around the city are filled with people of all ages. They spill out into the streets where they stroll arm in arm or pop into shops and sit in cafes. Cars periodically wind their way through he throngs of people. And its not expensive to eat here. Compared to New York or L.A. it's down right cheap. So I recommend Rome, highly and with enthusiasm. If you ever get a chance to go, do. Choose a place to stay just outside of the city walls where the prices are cheaper but you are still in the heart of things. Try some Italian or just speak English. Take a cab when you need to but walk when you can. Because for all its museums and history, Rome isn't about seeing specific places or things. Rome is about experiencing the current of the city as it flows around you. Its about being part of something magical and more ancient than you can imagine.
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Christie GoodmanChristie is a 50 year old Author from Missoula Montana. She has an MFA in English and a bachelor's degree in Philosophy. She owns an off-grid horse ranch in the mountains of western Montana. She is an author of two books with a third on the way. Her first book will be published in December of 2024! Archives
October 2024
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