When I first landed in Rome, I thought, "I am home."
Many think of Rome as large, crowded, traffic-snarled. For me it was amazing to be in a place with so much art, so much history, so much beauty. Just walking along the sidewalk, one sees statue after statue, building after building, of beauty. Even the graffiti on the trains is a work of art. An image is indelibly imprinted on my brain of a young man walking out of a building near the Tiber River, flinging his long, dark hair back, glistening in the sunlight, thin, clothing unaffectedly stylish...what an image.
I wanted to cross the four lanes of busy traffic and stood on the curb for three or four minutes, waiting for a break in traffic. A short older woman, stout, carrying brown grocery shopping bags in each hand, neared the street. Without breaking stride, she just walked right out in front of the traffic, face straight ahead. Traffic stopped. I stepped out and walked with her....she a barrier for me against the traffic. Oh, so this is the way we do it in Rome.
One morning, I went out alone on a Sunday morning to buy an item at a nearby pharmacia. Hardly anyone was out. A young Capuchin Franciscan monk in long brown habit and rope belt walked about twenty paces in front of me. I looked down at his sandaled feet..."Ski Aspen" said his socks. Lovely! Oh for a camera in that moment!
A gelato at the Spanish Steps. Isn't it amazing how we can freeze a moment in time. This guy, walking along, enjoying his gelato, stops. I quickly grab this shot. This was about 10 years ago. Wonder where he is now? Wonder what has happened in his life? Wonder what he was doing that day? Where he had come from? Where he was going? What he did that evening?
A Sunday morning. The Rome Marathon. This guy running barefoot on those ancient cobblestones.
Rome....a city for lovers....even the pigeons.
Pantheon. This building is very beautiful on the inside...with beautiful marble. Near here is San Luigi dei Francesi where hang three of the most beautiful Caravaggio's, including perhaps my favorite painting of all time..."The Calling of St. Matthew".
St. Peter's.
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Comments: 42
Great pics.
Some are mathematicians, some are doctor's wives
Don't know how it all got started
Don't know what they're doin' with their lives
interesting people shots.
I like this series, karie anne.
I love the discussion in that book about cities having a particular word to describe them. The author curiously asks a native:
"What's Rome's word?" I asked.
"SEX," he announced.
"But isn't that a stereotype about Rome?"
"No."
"But surely there are SOME people in Rome thinking about other things than sex?"
Giulio insisted: "No. All of them, all day, all they are thinking about is SEX."
LOL. I wonder what the pigeons in your photo essay have to say about that?
But a few more thoughts in Liz and Giulio's discussion will put this WORD game in perspective (from where I left off):
"Giulio insisted: "No. All of them, all day, all they are thinking about is SEX."
"Even over at the Vatican?" [Liz, the author, asks]
"That's different. The Vatican isn't part of Rome. They have a different word over there. Their word is POWER."
"You'd think it would be FAITH."
"It's POWER," he repeated. "Trust me. But the word in Rome -- it's SEX."
Then Giulio asks Liz:
"What's the word in New York City?"
I thought about this for a moment, then decided. "It's a verb, of course. I think it's ACHIEVE."
(Which is subtly, but significantly different from the word in Los Angeles, I believe, which is also a verb: SUCCEED..."
Kind of an interesting way of thinking, isn't it?
You are so much fun, Karie Anne!