Random in Rome

Here's the Collis' at the Colosseum, eating sandwiches in one of the covered archways and trying to stay out of the rain.


Every night, outside our window we hear a cheesy lounge set by a guy who brings his electric guitar and portable amp to the fountain at the Pantheon. He's there every night without fail, playing a pastiche of mellow songs by Pink Floyd, the Police, and Cat Stevens. He's also particularly fond of the Titanic song. But one night, a real opera singer came out and sang to a gathering crowd of about 70 people, and they went CRAZY. He was good. I think he probably made about 200 euros. In Tsawwassen all I hear outside our place at night are drunk teenagers yelling at their boyfriends.


Not a 30 second walk from our apartment are a series of shops that sell religious clothing for nuns, priests, cardinals, and, I'm guessing from this photo - the Pope. I've even seen nuns stand in front and check out the latest fashions in hot, sensible shoes. But what confuses me is that the Pope has to buy his own clothes. This photo implies that he chooses the ridiculous hat, and it's not forced upon him. What gives? I hear he tweets now, so he should be hipper. I've seen some cool cardinals in wearing baseball caps and sunglasses, who walk against the traffic lights and it makes me wonder if they have to mention it in confession. Another interesting fact: nuns love gelato. They congregate outside our downstairs gelato shop so much that I have to exercise true restraint not to sing Sound of Music songs to them. (It's not the sort of restraint they have to exercise in their jobs, of course, but it's something.)


We bought this box of wine for .60 euros, or roughly 90 cents Canadian. It's a quarter of the cost of water, and holds 3 full glasses. Are these like juice boxes for grown ups lunch boxes? How is everyone not gooned all the time? The wine was not even that bad.


Steve told me that the official day of Rome's founding is April 21st, more than 2000 years ago - and that the Pantheon was designed so that the sun would shine through the occulous (the big hole in the ceiling) every year on that exact date and make a natural spotlight on the Emperor as he walked in the doorway. Since we were there that day, we checked it out. Cool, eh? Man, those ancient romans had egos.


I'm ending with this picture of Steve showing off his disco moves in the deserted area of the Capitoline Museum, because I can.