When I woke up this a.m. in Florence, church bells were ringing (along with a nearby shop's burglar alarm, apparently feeling its oats), rain fell. The rain followed me back to Rome where church bells continued to ring as showers came down intermittently.
I've had a serious urge to wander, which led me to a neighborhood north of here this evening, to a theater that shows original voice films. Saw The Quiet American (god bless Michael Caine), discovering in the process that, unlike Madrid, Rome's o.v. theaters don't use subtitles. Meaning they get a large enough English-speaking (or at least English-comprehending) audience that subtitles aren't needed. Pretty interesting.
Watched crowds of Italians out in the streets -- couples of all ages, groups of kids out together. Far less in the way of families out walking than I see in Madrid, an interesting difference. But loads of stores were open, something else not seen on a Sunday evening in Madrid, most high-end clothing and footwear joints, most closing around the 8 o'clock mark.
The streets were also crowded yesterday evening in Florence, at least as congested with people at 6 p.m. as they were at that time on a weekday. I like that.
Two things I've rediscovered that I love: cappucino and Pellegrino water. I could easily get used to having them both as part of the daily routine.
And for anyone who may have wondered: yes, Italian women are beautiful.
I'm blabbering, I know. And not about much of any real import. Time to pack up my tent for the night.
