Living through Travels of Change

Who wouldn’t want to visit Rome! I never believed that it would honestly be useful to end that sentence with a question mark, but after my first day I wasn’t so sure.

Starting what is sure to be a great Italian adventure, we get off the plane and are quickly whisked onto a tour bus. I catch my first glimpse of Rome as we buzz along the highway, and we soon arrive at our first destination. Surrounded by concrete roadways, we are standing at the base of the Colosseum.

I look up with surprise at the lack of commanding majesty that I had envisioned from pictures of this celebrated landmark. Ancient ruins that now pale in size compared to the grandeur of the modern city infrastructure built up around it. This disappointing introduction to a famed city leaves me wanting. The following days do little to reverse my first impression of Rome—the heat, the crowds of tourists, a modern city lacking the elements of a romanticism I had hoped to find.

On to travels around the different regions of Italy, only to return to Rome for one last evening before flying home. With no plans and our hired tour bus off duty, we head out onto the streets by foot. One of our group had once lived in Rome and takes the lead, trying to rediscover a locally known path that he says is well worth the search. We walk, taking turns here and there, working solely from memory.

At last, he spots the opening in between two buildings that leads to a staircase. We follow. The night air and the cobblestone beneath our feet push us on. Stairs, decorated with mosaics and a glowing angel image above, lead us to a park with luscious green trees, providing much needed respite from the heat of the day. Suddenly I spot, just beyond the trees, a soft glow of lights. I walk forward to a break between the leaves and find a towering structure gently lit against the dark evening sky with a full moon as its companion. To my surprise and delight, I see the Colosseum.

My eyes are full of the beauty of this ruin, now framed by green foliage. Our new path brought us by foot to this place that now erases the memory of my first sighting amidst the roller coaster of concrete roads three weeks ago. I finally feel a connection to this ancient city, having felt the streets below my feet, breathed in the cool evening air, and set eyes on a Rome I had always dreamed of. The lesson learned—always take to the streets on foot!