Rome, the Eternal City

By Mark C. Hale

Well, I didn't say I was going directly to Ethiopia and Debre Birhan! I'm in Rome and the weather is beautiful!

I've arrived on the 15th of August which is a holiday called Ferragosto celebrating the Catholics commemoration of the Assumption of Mary, that is to say the day in which the Virgin is thought to have entered heaven. Like many religious holidays, it was a holiday long before it took on religious significance. The name comes from the Roman Feriae Augusti, a series of festivals and celebrations that were likely introduced back in 18BC to celebrate a battle victory by Emperor Augustus. From what I saw, it seemed as if everyone had headed to the beach rather than spending a lot of time in church. The day appeared to have more Roman inspiration to it than Christian.


I took an all night flight from Atlanta, landing at 11:00am. And, after calling the hotel and finding my driver, it was a quick 1/2 hour ride to the Kobe Hotel located right next to Palentine Hill and a short walk to just about every famous place - The Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, the Trastevere Neighborhood, The Victor Emmanuel II Monument, Capitoline Museums, Piazza Novana.

So, my afternoon was spent walking everywhere! Lot's of tourists, but not too many. It was fun watching folks taking selfies and the young girls posing for each other in front of the fountains. After a shower and some rest, dinner was in the hotel's garden at 7:30, and it was terrific. Prosciutto and melon, pasta, and tiramisu. You just can't beat Italian cuisine!

And, with the dollar running almost 1:1 with the Euro, it's much more reasonably priced. I'm looking forward to the next two days! 




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