Wednesday 2 November 2011

This morning was yet another beautiful day in Roma. I caught the bus up the Gianicolo to the University for the next day of the conference. More interesting sessions this morning!  Once again walked down the hill after the day’s sessions were in order to take advantage of the excellent weather.  Once I reached Trastevere I caught the tram to Largo Argentina since I wanted to visit the city again before leaving Roma.

The day was not very eventful; I just spent my time visiting some of the major monuments again. I strolled past the Vittoriano and walked up the Via dei Fori Imperiali again, the Forum Roman on my left and the Imperial Fora on my right, heading toward the Coliseum.  Once I reached the amphitheater I crossed the street and came back down the other side in order to inspect more closely the Forum of Augustus and Temple of Mars Ultor. Then I headed toward the Pantheon for one last visit.

One thing I noticed today was the changing fashion in Roman women’s shoes.  When Gary and I were in Roma a few years ago all of the Italian women were wearing shoes with extremely long pointed toes.  They almost looked like something a medieval court jester would wear!  Then, when I was here on sabbatical in 2008, the women were mostly wearing extremely high heels, very Sex and the City.  Right now boots are apparently current fashion in women’s footwear.  I saw lots of very high boots, way up over the knee. Many of them had turned-back cuffs and big buckles.  They look almost like pirate boots, something Johnny Depp would wear in one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.  Italians love their fashion!  Roman men are particular about fashion too, but their footwear is not as extreme as that of the women.  I just stomp around everywhere in sneakers, which is expected of Americans, Canadians and Australians.

I stopped at a pizzeria on the way back to Trastevere and had dinner: pizza with sausage, mozzarella and arugula.  Back at the apartment I did some laundry in the high-tech mini washing machine next to the bathtub. I don’t know what’s in the laundry detergent that I buy here, but it smells so good I almost want to pour it over ice cream and eat it.  I wish you could by this stuff in the United States.  Before bed I read the news online.  All Europe is in an uproar about the Greece bailout.  Italy is trying desperately not to be next (actually, I think that Ireland, Spain and Portugal are ahead of Italy on likelihood to default).  I finally went to bed. The next day would be my last full day in Roma.