.. and he said it was just a short walk

Sunday 23 February
2020

Sill in Rome

Again with the 3 am.
Enough already! Well I was able to roll back over and get back to
sleep until 5.

Out the door and off
to the Concierge to give me some advice on hoe to best get to the
Pantheon. I was looking for the closest Metro, since I’ve become
the Metro Queen. The Metro doesn’t go there. But! If you are
walking it is just a short multi block trek past what you already
know and then into the new “Beware! Dragons!”. A simple walk.
Yeah. It’s not like any street runs longer than four blocks and
then dead end’s and to have to turn to find the next street, or
alley, or cow path, since the map makes almost no distinction from a
4 lane divided highway and a one car wide alley. Then when you finish
with the Pantheon you should walk over here (another short walk) and
then down here and over there and …

Okay thank you, I’ll
be sure to see everything you suggested. (whispered “not!). I
started out the door and lo and behold Mr Blue boy was on gate duty
again. I happened to remember I had a shoulder patch from that
unnamed Federal agency that use to pay me to show up for 30 years,
until we both got sick of one another. I went to offer him that as a
Thank you for being human yesterday, reward. He wasn’t having any
of it. He did say in pretty good English. Thank you, but inside would
not allow it. – Fair enough!

Back on my trek,
down familiar streets and then into virgin territory. The street was
about to “T” and my sense of direction has been so out of whack
in this city, I may as well be in Stranger Things’ Upside Down.
Left or right? I knew my next landmark, and a coffee place was right
there. I opened the door and was greeted with.”I don’t speak
English”.I said you do speak, and pointed in a couple directions. I
showed her the map, pointed to me destination and she pointed off to
the left. I told her thank you, and she almost smiled. Almost.

I followed the map
and as the camera totters became more frequent knew I was in the
right area. A short pit stop for a cup of coffee and a roll I was
back on track. Suddenly I turned a corner and there it was. The
Pantheon. Some big old round building with a domed roof that the
Caesar type Romans built. They used some sort of super cement and it
is still standing. Big Whoop! I’ll give it the obligatory look and
get on to some other stuff. Wow! What a building! The architecture is
outstanding and decorations are out of this world. Marble and gold in
the pillars. Marble mosaic on the floor. Kings and artists laid to
rest inside. 25 foot tall 7 ton doors to enter through. High ceiling
that has a little hole to let the sun light in, that little hole is 25 feet
across. It was amazing! Thanks Eamonn for reinforcing that I should
see it. Raphael is entombed there. So I’ve see the works of
Michelangelo and now Raphael. I expect to see some DaVinci in
Florence. So I now have three of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles under my
belt.

Stepping outside
into the plaza, I look to m left and that is the exact spot where
Audrey Hepburn noshed in Roman Holiday. Right there! It wasn’t a
cafe, but a set of doors, but it was the spot. A little bit of a
disappointment, one of those heroes falling off pedestals times.

The next place was
easy. Look at the map. Look at the picture of the Pantheon. Look at
the orientation of the door and turn left and start walking. Along
the way was a really big church, so might as well have a look see,
churches seem to be free. This church wasn’t as big as the one the
Pope lives in, but it must to have homed a Cardinal or two. The altar
was as ornate as Saint Peter’s and the ceiling was fresco-ed
beautiful. Were the Sistine Chapel didn’t want anyone to share what
they saw, this church welcomed cameras. They even had a very large
mirror cocked to the roof so you didn’t have to stand there and
stare up. Obviously the artist was not as famous as Michelangelo,
Whatever this church paid the artist, they got their money’s worth.
I was reluctant to leave, but my list was long today.

On down the street I
walked. Did a quick local pedestrian direction check and found I was
going in the right direction. Until I got to the corner and saw a
sign pointing to my destination directly back the way I had just
come. I sighed, but was really happy the wrong turn lead me to that
church. Back to the Pantheon, past Audrey Hepburn, follow the rest of
the tourists and five minutes later. I was at some big square, that
was a must see. I saw, and wondered what I was missing. It had a nice
fountain, a tall pointy thing stolen from Egypt. A guy with bagpipes
and men in skirts, and restaurants lining the sides. My watch said I
had walked over 2 miles, so I was allowed to have a real breakfast.
Sitting at a white table clothed sipping coffee and eating scrambled
eggs done to perfection is a great way to watch the world pass by on
a Sunday.

With trusty map in
hand I pointed to my next stop and could see it was either via that
end of the square or that end. The waiter assured me it was that way.
I stopped in at a church along that way. Another no shoulders or
cameras church, but the choir was rehearsing. God they sounded
Heavenly. I mean that. The director was seldom happy with the women,
but never corrected the men. I guess you can’t go wrong with too
much bass. Back on That-a-way in a few blocks I hit the Tiber. That
was not what was expecting. The part of the Tiber I wanted was at
least 10 blocks from that square. Looking at the map, it was clear I
was in the wrong spot. A quick U-turn, back to the square to bitch at
the waiter. But he was clearly cowering in the back of the restaurant
fearful of my return. I kept the sun in my eyes and in about the right number
of blocks I found the right part of the Tiber. Triple checked and
turned left.

Before I knew it, I
was in front of m destination. I was within 50 feet of where I asked
for directions to the keyhole. This was one of the must see’s that
the concierge circled. The line was long to get in. Maybe it was free
chocolate Sunday. Might as well get I line. The line moved with fits
and starts, an then it dawned on me. Me and most of Japan and Korea
were waiting in like to see an artifact. A round disk like a sun with
a face and a mouth. Gregory Peck (?) told Audrey Hepburn that it was
the mouth of truth. If you put your hand in and lied it would chop
off your hand. Everyone was in line to get their picture taken with
their hand near the mouth. The church was totally secondary, it was
just a place where the disk lived. I hopped out of line and went
directly into the church. Frankly the Disk was the high point. Though
there was an entrance to Hadrian’s crypt, which was pretty cool.

Back along the
Circus Maximus and a left to the Colosseum and the subway beckoned.
According to Apple Watch I had covered 7 miles on foot. According to
me, I had covered quite enough. Metro, short stroll, taxi and I was
back at my starting point. My bed.

Dinner time
eventually came and I looked at the nearby restaurants and they all
seemed to be closed for Sunday. I found one about 4 blocks from my
hotel and really had a nice meal. I just wish all the men and women in
this town would quit asking me personal questions. I walk in and the
say “Prego?”, and I have to admit. “No, not prego. Just fat”.
I guess I’ll get used to it.