This is my last night in Rome and is a view from my terrace at the Hotel Due Torri. The view is marred by the grizzled old guy squinting into the Roman sun, which has blazed down on the city since his arrival.
My last days in Rome and in Europe, and I have spent most of the time working on reviews and articles I owed certain publications or revisiting places I loved here to say goodbye.
My time in the British Isles at the beginning of this journey was very special. I learned many new things, got to know an Anglo-American family well, and enjoyed myself immensely.
But Rome--Rome I have come to love. Forty years ago, my newly wedded wife Kris and I came here, and from our visit I knew that if I couldn't for whatever reason live in the United States, I would want to live in Italy. This trip has confirmed that feeling once again. Let me try to explain why by taking you for a moment to the Via die Portughensi near my hotel. Portughensi is not an important street nor does it have fountains like the Piazza Navona or crowds like the piazza around the Pantheon, but this is one reason I love it, especially with the heat and the crowds right now. People know each other on this street. Yes, there are tourists like me, but a lot of people greet each other. The owner of the street's wine shop has helped me several times select a wine, and the owner of a dingy little cafe just past Orso 8, a major restaurant, can't speak a word of English, yet serves a generous glass of white wine, has the face of a saint, and has become my friend.
When I decided to stay here for a month, I said that I wanted to know a city. This was arrogant, for I am not sure I can ever know Rome, especially at my age. But I can still fall in love. And I have.
Some special thanks yous are now in order:
To all of those who helped make this trip possible: I'm not sure you'll ever realize what this trip has meant to me. In so many ways, this journey will help me with my teaching, with writing, with living.
To the staff of the Hotel Due Torri: the gifts I put on the check-in desk today are only a small measure of what I have felt toward each of you. All of you were gracious and kind, and always ready to assist me in any way. When I come back to Rome--not if, but when--I am staying with you You were my home away from home.
Susan and Geoff: thank you so much for your London hospitality. You made my visit there a delight, and I truly enjoyed meeting your two sons. You were the most gracious hosts.
John Peery: thank you for coming on the British Isles end of the trip. I have missed having company in Rome and will always look back at our time together with fondness and amusement. (And thank you for several times saving my life in London traffic).
Sid Cundiff: your recommendations for Rome made my visit a great pleasure: the Hotel Due Torri, several restaurants, how to look at churches, where to go for ATMs, and all the rest you shared with me. You were better than any guidebook.
To all my loved ones, family and friends: thank you for your support, comments, emails, and prayers.
Tomorrow brings an end to my stay here, but I will be back.
My time in the British Isles at the beginning of this journey was very special. I learned many new things, got to know an Anglo-American family well, and enjoyed myself immensely.
But Rome--Rome I have come to love. Forty years ago, my newly wedded wife Kris and I came here, and from our visit I knew that if I couldn't for whatever reason live in the United States, I would want to live in Italy. This trip has confirmed that feeling once again. Let me try to explain why by taking you for a moment to the Via die Portughensi near my hotel. Portughensi is not an important street nor does it have fountains like the Piazza Navona or crowds like the piazza around the Pantheon, but this is one reason I love it, especially with the heat and the crowds right now. People know each other on this street. Yes, there are tourists like me, but a lot of people greet each other. The owner of the street's wine shop has helped me several times select a wine, and the owner of a dingy little cafe just past Orso 8, a major restaurant, can't speak a word of English, yet serves a generous glass of white wine, has the face of a saint, and has become my friend.
When I decided to stay here for a month, I said that I wanted to know a city. This was arrogant, for I am not sure I can ever know Rome, especially at my age. But I can still fall in love. And I have.
Some special thanks yous are now in order:
To all of those who helped make this trip possible: I'm not sure you'll ever realize what this trip has meant to me. In so many ways, this journey will help me with my teaching, with writing, with living.
To the staff of the Hotel Due Torri: the gifts I put on the check-in desk today are only a small measure of what I have felt toward each of you. All of you were gracious and kind, and always ready to assist me in any way. When I come back to Rome--not if, but when--I am staying with you You were my home away from home.
Susan and Geoff: thank you so much for your London hospitality. You made my visit there a delight, and I truly enjoyed meeting your two sons. You were the most gracious hosts.
John Peery: thank you for coming on the British Isles end of the trip. I have missed having company in Rome and will always look back at our time together with fondness and amusement. (And thank you for several times saving my life in London traffic).
Sid Cundiff: your recommendations for Rome made my visit a great pleasure: the Hotel Due Torri, several restaurants, how to look at churches, where to go for ATMs, and all the rest you shared with me. You were better than any guidebook.
To all my loved ones, family and friends: thank you for your support, comments, emails, and prayers.
Tomorrow brings an end to my stay here, but I will be back.
RSS Feed