Too Cute Productions

It was our second evening in Rome, but our first after a gloriously long day. It is lucky that Italians eat late, because we were hungry. My stomach usually growls pretty loudly, but this walk was too enchanting to listen to my stomach and complain. We walked through the main tourist track and enjoyed Piazza Navona before heading towards the river to find some possibly less touristy options. My buddy JT was adamant about founding our “back alleyway” restaurant, but I was content to look at the river reflecting back all the soft Italian street lights. I reluctantly crossed to the inside track of the street only to discover one of Italy’s quirks. Although a city organized by Romans it has nooks and crannies almost every other time you look. So, to our left was a below street level alley with one incredibly classic and inviting sign amidst the turned off lights.
Sure this was our chance at an authentic Italian meal we bolted around the construction on the street in front of us and winded ourselves down into the alleyway. Unknowingly we just about stepped into a coat shop out of the 1950s, only one room with the office and merchandize all cluttered in an artistic fashion together. We smiled and took our classic tourist “click” of a photo before starting to walk away. An older Italian man came out to throw something away and gave us a welcoming smile only to recognize our confusion at finding his little shop at 10pm. So, after turning down his offer of some water he went back in his coat shop. But immediately came back out and invited us in to introduce us to his friends. He spoke little English, but games and a few words can get you a long way. He dressed us up in classic jackets and had his friend ask us about ourselves; only to shudder that we were the same age as his grandchildren! The laughter and stunted conversations, along with a charade of a fashion show become some of my giddiest and most memorable moments in Italy. Sometimes we don’t always get what we were looking for, but that is usually a good thing in my book. People are the most precious commodity in a world of materialism. So, the next time I go looking for a simple cure for my desires, whether small or large, I’ll go looking somewhere unexpected, like a coat shop in Rome.