Street Scenes. More Contrasts (3)

First view of Piazza del Popolo (People's Square) as coming down from the West stairs, around Neptune's Fountain.

The Saudis were finally taken away from the heat. Then two odd couples walked by, separated by a few minutes… made me wonder if there was a daylight disco opened in the neighbourhood, or…..

One was a mature man walking with a visibly younger woman in shorts and high-heels with platforms, both dressed in overly flashy outfits for what is Rome at that time of the day, in that part of the city. Maybe they would have been OK in Vegas or in South Beach. I need to provide you with some practical info here: Rome is a city for walking, because traffic is usually horrible and you get faster on your feet, because there is so much to see, that you would be missing so much by moving on wheels, because it is relatively safe. Having said that, many streets and squares, such as Piazza del Popolo are pebbled. Visitors in Rome all know (either they were told or they learnt like me the hard way, by being refused entrance) that if you are going to walk into a church –no matter if it is more like a museum nowadays- you’d better be properly covered (no shorts, no miniskirts, no nude shoulders/back). This is not a beach resort, no matter how high the mercury line hits. Because of all this, tourists are kind of laid-back in their looks: no one seems to care much if you don’t look very cool or smart in a long skirt and running-shoes, or wearing a short-sleeved t-shirt on top of or under your strapless summer dress. Everyone wants to be comfortable and to get the least number of ‘bouncing’ from sacred places. So what are these women doing walking in shorts or hot-pants, struggling to keep their balance on their high-high-heels in a pebbled city? Clearly, neither the pebbled streets nor admission to the churches were of their concern.

Rome is also to be walked by locals in tasteful outfits, yet contrasting. I saw a number of Italian men–all ages- in stylish suit-and-tie, wearing… running shoes. Do not imagine AllStars or Nike: these are slimmer, thinner, dark, in Swede and leather; they are almost like elegant shoes except that men walk clearly like on clouds.

Dea Roma on the East side, from where the steps take you to Pincian Hill and Villa Borghese gardens.

Closer look at Dea Roma, armed with lance and helmet. The she-wolf is feeding Romulus and Remus.

Neptune's Fountain, on the West side of the square, just across Dea Roma.

Finally, Piazza del Popolo in itself is a place of contrasts: ranging from a node where main roads started, and the spot where travelers would take a first glimpse at Rome before actually entering the city, a square 'overpopulated' with artistic beauty,  to a place for public executions (last one took place about 200 years ago!).