October 26 - Tuesday - Rome

After breakfast, we set out to walk the central to north end of Villa Borghese to the Tiber. The weather today was still moderately cool and rainy, but definitely doable. I used Google Maps to chart a course, writing down each of our turns, and we were successful in getting to the Tiber and back.

It began to occur to me on this walk, after having walked and ridden the tour buses through Rome now for a couple of days, that Rome is about the beauty of what man can create. I don't know what my impression was before we came. At best, it was vague, perhaps draped in pasta and gladiators and statues. But my opinion now is different.

The park is beautiful, but it celebrates more than natural beauty. People can walk in peaceful surroundings ...

Walkers in Villa Borghese

They can sit beside quiet ponds and dream ...


Pond in Villa Borghese

They are surrounded by reminders of writers, poets, artists of ages past ...


Statue of Gogol

By graceful arches ...

Peering in to what seems to be a government building, near the Tiber

Magnificant buildings ...

I have a thought that while the best of man's artistry is brought together in St. Peter's, the sense that stirred that artistry is evident everywhere in Rome. Rome is a sensory experience.

We ate lunch at a little cafe on Flaminia. Only one person in the cafe spoke English, but he helped us figure out how to order. (Of course, if we spoke Italian, that would be helpful, too, but we Americans have become spoiled.)


Mouth full of good food

Our flickr pictures of Rome are posted at: Rome