So I arrived in Rome, ragged and tired and ready to beat the bugaboo called jetlag. I had all intentions of following the textbook on beating the travelers' curse but it didn't end up that way. I first came to our amazing apartment on the Tiber River just down from the Piazza del Popolo. Not only is it the sight of not only the obelisk from the Circus Maximus but to my surprise, the visiting World Cup trophy prior to its trip to South Africa. After a lunch of slumber inducing pasta and brew at an outdoor cafe on the Piazza, i actually got my second wind. Not sure how this happened but I grabbed it with gusto and off I went. If you have looked at my pics on Facebook, then you could see that my wife, MIL (short for Mother in Law- the best substitute for a mother I could ever ask for) and I ventured out into the City of Emperors and saw quite a bit on my first day. Here are a few of my simple observations of my time in Italy so far:
1) No one, I mean NO ONE, drives in any one lane-buses, cars, vespas alike. The rule: you look at the car, they keep going. You step out into traffic without looking, they stop. Simple game of Roman Roulette....
2) One does not tip in Italy. Why that is? No clue.
3) The small toilet next to the big toilet is not a small toilet. Trust me on this one.
4) The big toilet has two settings. One for number 1, and one for number 2. Environmentally friendly yet considerate, I suppose, for those folks who need just a little extra oomph, when you want to really "haul the mail"....
5) No matter what you do, you already have two strikes against you. You are American and you are a tourist. A double whammy for those Italians who need any excuse to be pissed at somebody...
6) I can't walk 16 feet without hitting a church...
7) I can't walk 16 feet without hitting an outdoor cafe...
8) The obsession of Italians with super skinny jeans and these hideous white, flat leather Puma sneakers is one I will never understand. Then again, the Italians probably can't understand why I must wear my obnoxious royal blue UK hat so far from the SEC tournament...(GO CATS!).
9) Everything in Rome is within walking distance. Coincidentally, the only fat people were tourists...
10) I can't help to laugh every time I see a sign for Peroni beer...It reminds me too much of a urological condition of the same name but spelled a bit differently...
Well, it is now 9:48pm here in Rome and I have yet to sleep. I must pay the Sand Man at some point and there is no time like the present. Good night, sleep tight and don't shit in the bidet...
Just discovered your blog. Was cruising facebook on a real computer, not my phone and saw your link. Nice McClellan, really nice. If this MD thing doesn't work out you can write. I will hire you....if someone else hasn't already. Have a blast in Rome. I must say, I envy your life...Becca
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