Saturation point

On Friday, Ms. Packratty started the day with a tour that included the Trevi, where she threw the obligatory coin - one of the Susan B. Anthony dollars her grandfather gave her many many years ago. She likes to think that he would approve of this adventure. We tramped on to Hadrian's column and then on into the Pantheon. No words. There simply aren't enough words and then there would be too many. It is a still, quiet place, immeasurably calmer and more holy than St. Peter's gaudiness and crowds and the Sistine Chapel, burdened as it is with rude throngs. I hope to go back there many times.

The tour took us past the Quirinale Palace, residence of the Italian president. While the guide was talking about the palace, I noticed someone walking - a Westie - in a gated off alley or vicolo - behind the palace. Clearly someone in the presidential palace has good taste. The tour took us for a turn around Piazza Navona next and was then headed to the Vatican. Since I had spent the entire previous day on the Vatican side of the river, I elected to leave the tour then and take a couple of slow circuits of the Piazza.

After stopping in a very famous toy store, Al Sogno, Ms. Packratty followed the signs to Campo di Fiori, where she bought ingredients for her lunch - including a slice of some absolutely divine porchetta. She also located some gloves for her mother and then negotiated the bus system back to the Termini and then home to Via Urbana. After a nice lunch and an afternoon rest, Ms. Packratty dressed herself up warmly and took off for Piazza del Popolo, where Rome's Carnevale is being observed.

The primary show Friday night was equestrian and what a show it was. It started with one man walking around the ring with four white horses on either side in a perfect line without a single rein among them. After a short while, six of the horses were dismissed and the man leapt onto the back of one horse and then to his feet, first standing balanced on one horse and thenwith one foot on the back of two horses. First walking, then cantering, the trio took jumps and wheeled around the ring like clockwork. Then the remaining six horses came out and performed the same act, lined up on either side of the trio and in perfect unison. It was astonishing - nothing like the bravura of a circus performance, but utterly simple and unadorned perfect training and cooperation.

After about 9 p.m., it was getting so chilly that Ms. Packratty reluctantly headed back to Via Urbana and had a hot cup of tea before turning in for the night. Funny note - across Via Urbana from the apartment, there are a number of small shops. In one of them Friday night there was a group of men in their 50s and older, drinking wine and singing along with one of their group playing the guitar. They were clearly all old friends and associates and having a grand time and it was fun to walk by and get a wave from them as I glanced in the window.

On Saturday morning, she awoke early and went down the street to the little coffee bar and had her cappuccino and roll and then headed for the Colosseum, where, after standing in an endless line, she finally got in to see the ruins. Hard to imagine how many people and animals died in that arena for the amusement of the public - makes football and hockey seem quiet utterly tame by comparison.

Having decided to use the other half of her ticket for the Forum for Sunday, Ms. Packratty set off for the Circus Maximus and La Bocca della Verità. The Roman pavement finally had its way with her though and she tripped and nearly took a nasty header, only to be rescued by three students from the university in Perugia who grabbed her arms before she hit the ground and then walked with her until her ankle stopped complaining. One was Spanish, another Brazilian and the third from The Netherlands, all graduate students in chemistry in Perugia. They were actually a little lost and had been about to ask Ms. Packratty for directions(!) when she started to trip and fall and she very gratefully gave them her spare map and sent them on their way. At La Bocca della Verità, after testing it for herself, Ms. Packratty witnessed what must be a Roman ritual - a young bride and groom in their wedding finery zoomed up in a tiny limo, were allowed to the front of the queue, and placed their hands in the mouth while affirming their undying love.

From there, Ms. Packratty marched to the banks of the Tiber and walked around Rome's great synagogue and through the back streets of the old ghetto and finally caught the #40 express back to Termini from the Largo Argentinia. From Termini, she headed back down to Via Urbana, stopping for a bottle of wine, as well as some bread for tomorrow's breakfast.

Tomorrow, Sunday, she plans to brave the Porto Portese market in Trastevere.