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ROME
Rome is one of the most illustrious cities of the world, if
not the most famous, at least as
far as the tourist is concerned.
By ten am in the morning the avid
tourist is on the street, fighting
crowds and traffic as as they get
from Renaissance palaces and
ornate buildings to the famous
ruins of the distant past. In fact
it is true that Rome often seems
to have two populations: one of
Romans and the other of tourists.
In the summer, the city plays host
to crowds of countless sightseers
who converge on it with guidebooks
and cameras in hand. Every one of
them, Americans, Europeans,
Japanese, is given a warm welcome.
Rome extends a warm and friendly
welcome, wining, dining, and
entertaining them in its
inimitable fashion. This is
actually true throughout the year,
as if you visit in August you
might see only tourists, not
Romans, because the natives flee
the summer heat of the city.
Rome is a city of cherished images, and sounds that are
rarely, if ever forgotten. Images
that captivate, like the view of
the city's profile from Janiculum
Hill at first light, or the
collection of broken marble
columns and ruins of temples of
the Roman Forum. Then there is the
St. Peter's dome against a
pink-and-red sunset, crowning a
magnificently ornamented basilica.
And the sounds of Rome,
beginning early in the morning
with the ringing of church bells
calling the faithful to Mass. As
the city awakens and comes to
life, the sounds increase and
combine into a kind of urban
symphony. The streets fill with
cars, taxis, and motor scooters,
all blaring their horns as they
weave in
and out of traffic; the
sidewalks become swarming with
sleepy office workers hurrying to
their workplaces, but first
pushing into crowded cafes for the
first cappuccino of the day. Then
there are the shops by the streets
opening for business by raising
their protective metal grilles as
noisily as possible. None of these
noisemakers are surly disturbers
of the peace, but instead they
seem to delight in their
contribution to the general din.
Before long, fruit and vegetable
stands come alive with bustle as
homemakers, maids, cooks, and
others arrive to purchase their
day's supply of fresh produce,
ever quibbling over the prices and
fussing over the quality.
Long before the city has fully awakened, the daily traffic
will have filled the streets and
from then till almost mid-night,
and even later, it is one mad rush
of tourist and resident, all
having some urgency that has to be
taken care of. Rome is also known
as Tangentopoli or the Bribe city.
Being the capital of the city, it
is also the centre of major
political scandals and corruption.
Notwithstanding
all this chaos or maybe because of
it, Romans still know how to enjoy
themselves. Once you have finished
wandering through the
Colosseum and being overwhelmed by
the Pantheon and after you've
ploded through St. Peter's
Basilica and thrown a coin in the
Trevi Fountain, you can start to
experience the charisma of the
Roman evening. Find a cafe at
summer twilight and watch the
shades of pink turn to gold and
copper before night finally falls.
This is when a completely
different Rome emerges,
restaurants and cafes become
alive, especially those on ancient
hidden piazzas or along a narrow
alley in Trastevere. After dinner
relax over a gelato or maybe an
espresso in the winter, you can
stroll by the fountains or through
Piazza Navona,
do anything you wish –
because the night is yours
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