Ciao Roma!

Ciao Belli Ragazzi!

Rome...well, of course! An ancient and thoroughly modern city with 5 million people, 4 million Vespas and 3 million horns honking at all hours of the day and night! Totally different from Venice, such a sleepy little tourist town with barely a suit in sight...here, you can find gorgeous Roman men in their Armani suits riding Vespas to beat the band and stunning women in high heels and Dolce and Gabbana, riding...you guessed it! Vespas! Busses, taxis, Smartcars, Mercedes! The whole lot. I thoought I was going to meet my maker at some stage, but started getting in to the swing by putting up my hands and yelling "MA! Vavangulo!" That seemed to save me on more than one ocassion.

The first day out I got to the Vatican and did the obligatory Vatican Museum...by the way, the only museum I would wait and pay for, but had to see the Cistine Chapel...And, in the end it was worth it, but I tell you. Here is a clue. GO LATE! I was gobbled up and spit out by every tour group from around the world. It was so hard to see stuff because you want to look up at the Frescos and here comes a swarm of Koren tourists, all listening into headsets, looking up and taking photos of every relic from 55 B.C. on! Augh! Had to leave after 3 hours, but the Chapel itself was incredible. Don't know how he did it, that Michelangleo. Hooked up with some cool girls from Cali, but they had their heads in the guide books too much for me and had to escape. Sweethearts and full of info, but one almost got hit by a Jaguar because she was regaling the entire life of Raphael. Would rather google it at the end of the trip, frankly. In fact I haven't even looked at a map since arriving to Italy. Not once. Have just used my nose and the metro schedule. Landed safely everywhere, and then some.

After the Cistine, went to St. Peter's Square, perved on the Swiss Guards in thier little clown suits...(hot though) and then got yelled at by another because I went down a wrong street and I guess they take security seriously, guarding Il Papolo and all. Don't see the big deal, but then again, millions of visitors come here each year and kiss feet, hands, fountains...icky. Hope they have some antibacterial spray or something. Wandered off to the Palazzio Del Popolo, although I found that out later, it just looked appealing. Ended up at some other monument and decided that Rome is chalkers full of weird statues and fountains...mostly of naked men, which suits me fine, but...ahem! Some kind of homo erotica was definitely the order of the day! Too many fig leaves, I say, if you are going to do it, do it 100%!!!

Oh, also perved on the embassy guards, all so hot and tall in thier uniforms. Why this little hippie has all the sudden gotten a craving for the military is beyond me. Which brings me to my next point.

CIAO BELLA!

I am certain that this goes on all over the country, and to a fair extent in Venice, as I witnessed. But so far, the whole "Ciao Bella" phenomenon has been quinticentially Romanesque. I don't know how these guys get anything done! You just walk buy anyone, taxi driver, construction worker, lawyer, storeowner, banker, husnad, father, priest! It's not only Ciao Bella, it's "Ma, che cosa, grazie a dio que ci sonno le donna cosi!" Translation..."Oh my god, thank you for women like this...blah blah." Even the guys guarding the national bank and embassy with assault rifles manage to whisper under their breath "Madonna mia, che bella donna!" Crazy. Can't take it seriously, they cast a wide net and you could be wearing a potato sack, have warts and weigh 350 pounds and you would still get the same thing. Oh well, good for the ego, I guess. And the pocket book.

See, this phenom has bourne some fruit for me. I swear, I just go and have a beer somewhere and the owner, barman, waiter...brings me free food! And, then another beer! Then it's "weara are-a you-a fromma?" Then, again....che bella donna! Ciao!" Love it. Have spent very little money here. Weird.

Yesterday, unbeknownst to me, the public transit system went on a strike. So, I caught one bus to no where, and decided to try and walk back to camp. Well, I think I almost ended up in Bologna, because I walked for about 4 hours, down side streets, ally's, almost ended up on a freeway and then back again. Missed the only bus for another hour and gave it up and decided to...right, go and have a beer and think about my options. Well, sitting next to me were Fedrico and Diego, two Italian marines who were semi-retired, just still working in the military here in Rome. They said "wera are-a you-a fromma" and I told them, they started singing to me and asked me, among other things, "why-a donta you-a hava boyfirenda?" etc. etc. Then, when I told them I was lost and the busses didn't run and the metro was closed, you know what? I got a 3 hour tour of Rome, by two Romans, with dinner and beers at thier local hang out. Then, I kid you not, a drop off with kisses on the cheek and "ciao bella!" (Probably married...so good for them for going home!...yes, never marry an Italian, they are scoundrals!) But, they were perfect gentlemen, and I have seem Roma as the Romans...Friday afternoon rush hour traffic from an actual car, two guides who spoke NOT A WORD OF ENGLISH!!!...which was actually good because I had to strech my brain...Grazie Ragazzi!

Today, got lost again, said my goodbyes, saw the Trevi Fountain, ran the Spanish Steps, took one last look at the Colesium and now I am back at camp using up the last minutes of my internet time. My computer has been stuck on 27 minutes for the last hour so I am going to pass it on to someone else as soon as I pay some bills.

Off to Tuscany tomorrow, in the form of Siena, the Fiorenze. After that, Nice, etc. Sad, so sad to leave. I love Italy. Ugh, love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CIAO BELLI!