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Rome 2004

Rome 2004: Day Two

Barry Price
2006-02-20 14:53:23

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I am exhausted.

It was an early start, with just time for a black coffee before the walk. And what a walk it was. Firstly, we visited the enormous cathedral of Mary di Magiorri. It was a breathtaking, brazen display of enough wealth to feed the poor of Italy to bursting point for several lifetimes, yet impressive all the same.

On to the Colosseum, Palatine hill, the Forum, and then the “Wedding Cake”, as Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II is apparently known - the location of Italy’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It is strictly forbidden to sit on the floor or steps, as a series of signs inform us. Most of the tourists take no notice, are continually being moved by the guards for our entertainment. Some great views, and some good photos. But sometimes it feels like we are two people each on our own, who just happen to be taking the same route. I suppose this is why you’re generally supposed to have a series of gradually longer dates and actually get to know one another before doing anything quite so intense as a ten day holiday in Rome.

My feet ache, and we stop for lunch and water, but then it’s a further march to Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Both breathtaking, as everything and everyone seems to be around here.

We check out the church at the top of the Spanish Steps, and then make our way back to the hotel. There are a few awkward moments as we try to discuss how we’re seeing ourselves and each other in this situation. It seems that now we’re actually here, face to face, things are not quite as we had both hoped they would be.

It’s not that we don’t get on - we have so much in common, so much to talk about, and each of us seems capable of making the other laugh with little more than a look. But the spark of romance; the chemistry; the smouldering gaze across the room - or however you want to define the seedling of… whatever we are looking for. It is not here. It’s surprising, since I’m sure it was there when we talked all night at Suan Lum, when I was in Thailand. But it’s not here now. We’re friends, but nothing more. And we’re sharing a double bed for the next week…