A few Delights

Rome has so many delights, most that I have selfishly refrained from blogging about. Due to my extremely empty wallet, I have looked up all of the free things to do in Rome. I found a tour of the Pantheon that happens at 7 on certain days each week given for free by volunteers. I happened to find out about it 20 minutes before it began. Determined, I rounded up a friend on facebook to meet me there and flew out the door. How silly it was of me to think a bus would come on time and that it would happen to get me to the center at the busy traffic hour in 20 minutes. A bus did come though, and I ran through the streets of Rome to arrive 3 minutes late.

The website said to find a group with an angel on the umbrella. Yeah, right. After circulating the Pantheon 2 or 3 times and sidling close to large groups speaking English, after searching for any umbrellas at all, after asking people if they were on a free tour (I kind of liked to see their faces fall when they realized they could have had something for free-- humans-- our happy lives are so easily set off kilter when we compare our reality to unknown missed opportunities) Kim and I concurred that we couldn't find it. So we gave ourselves a free tour that was full of "I learned about this in Art History, but I can't remember anything," or, "There is something about a famous person buried here, oh yeah, it is Raphael I think," or, "I heard it is cool in here when it rains because the oculus (the big hole in the ceiling) makes this cylinder of rain," etc. I am sure you can imagine. So then we just enjoyed the Piazza and for the third time I enjoyed a street opera performance. This video is dedicated to Beckah Whitlock because she introduced me to this song. I know it is one of her favorites.
But you have to see it on my facebook because it wouldn't load on here.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150225216639859&saved


All of the residents upstairs have a great radio . . . right outside their window. The opera man is always followed up by the jazzy gypsies. Molto Italiano. Very Italian.

This man saw me and gave me a little pose. Oops, didn't give him money. Sorry. Thanks. But sorry. I had to get a picture of that big bass fiddle.