Ciao to the People of Rome!

Sadly enough, I think I might actually miss the different characters I have seen walking along the streets of Rome. What will I do walking down the streets back home without seeing a gypsy on the ground begging for money? Or a group of tourists crowding the sidewalk? Or even hearing the occasional "Ciao Bella!" coming from a creepy middle-aged Italian man? I suppose it is just an adjustment that I will be forced to make, because these characters just can't be found back in my hometown.

I would say more than anyone though, I will miss the street musicians. As an avid music lover, the contemporary sound of a man playing an accordian , playing two recorders with his nose, or even the man from day one that I saw lip-syncing to Pavorati is music to my ears. For now though, I must say my goodbyes and maybe I will be back again!

Dog Walkers

Everyone loves their pet dogs and what better way to exercise both you and your dog than to take a walk down the street? People walk their dogs in every town and city around the world, especially when it is really nice outside. There are some international differences though between dog-walkers in Italy and those back home in the United States.

Many of the dogs in parks and on the streets of Rome are not on leashes. Weird? Back home there are little things we like to call lawsuits that happen all over from unleashed dogs biting passer-byers, especially little children. It just is not safe back home to have a dog off the leash. Here is a map of rabies across Europe though. I do not see one speck of green on that map to show rabies in Italy. Maybe that is why people allow their dogs off the leash. I know that I was quite frightened as I took a run through a park when a dog came chasing after me. It was not until I completely stopped running that the owner did anything to make the dog get away from me. Seems strange, but it did happen.

The weirdness did not end there. Usually when I walk down the sidewalk I avoid one of two things, puddles or sticky gum. In Italy I have added a new avoidance to my list-- dog feces. The dogs of Rome are allowed to take dumps on the street without any punishment to their owners if the owners do not clean it up. I know for a fact that this is not the case back home in America. There are fines against leaving dog feces on the sidewalk. It perplexes me why leaving it on the sidewalk is not a problem. I guarantee thousands of people walk the streets in Rome every day, and the poop is usually smeared so I know people are stepping in it. Is there a complaint box somewhere? If so, where can I file a complaint??

Tourist Traffic

The temperature outside is getting hot, Hot, HOT!!

Summer is getting near as the days go on, meaning more and more sunshine every day. Funny how the place of the sun in the sky has an affect on the traffic patterns of people on the sidewalk. Yesterday while walking down the Corso, I quickly became irritated by how slowly the people in front of me were walking and noticed that there was an overflow of people on my side of the street. I looked right across to the other side to notice that only one old man was walking down the street. Before thinking twice I quickly crossed and after about 50mt realized why no one was on the opposite side of the street-- the sun rays were burning the back of my neck to a crisp. I looked back across to the other side of the street and noticed how cool and shaded the area was. I had never noticed this type of traffic pattern in people before. Now that I have noticed it though I see it everywhere. I just haven't figured out yet if it's worth sweating down the sunny side of the street to avoid slowing walking behind tourists on the shady side.

Random Procession in the Streets

Walking home from the Termini today, there was some sort of procession on Via Merulana. I'm not exactly sure what the procession was for but it involved an alter of some sort, as well as several priests and monks. It consisted of about 100 people, priests and monks first followed by what I guess you could call civilians. The group was relatively small, but was led by a police car in the front, and behind was a full lane of traffic. I attempted to research what type of holiday or event it could be for, but there was no information available. I think it was some sort of memorial service for a saint of the church or something along those lines, only because priests and monks were involved. This assumption only comes from knowing how religious the people of Rome can be, and how many have strong ties to the church. Other than that idea, I really am not sure of what was going on, but it was interesting to see!

The streets of Rome are always a happening place. I am not sure whether it is just life that can be found in any major city or at this is just life in Rome. I have never lived in a place where every week certain streets are shut down for parades, festivals, markets, or even tourists. The narrow streets throughout the city always seem crowded. It is unusual for me, but interesting to see different events going on all around the city streets.

Tourists

Rome is a city that is practically filled to the brim with tourists.

With a plethora of historical sites, museums, palaces, and ruins to check out it only makes sense that the tourist industry in Rome is booming. But what exactly does this mean for the city? It means fools like me are wandering around hopelessly trying to navigate the streets in an attempt to find the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain or the Colosseum. The attractions in Rome are spread far and wide throughout the city, not in one central historical part of town as one might expect. It is easy to walk into the middle of tourists snapping the cliche pic, as seen below (taken in Pisa not in Rome obviously). Due to all the tourists, many of the shops and restaurants are aimed at offering foreigners the authentic Italian experience of pastas and mini Colosseum replicas. Although I walk by these places and think "who would want that?" obviously these places exist because other tourists buy into the products. Are these tourist attractions in Rome really much different than the tourist attractions in any other country? Isn't the tourism industry built solely upon giving the "authentic" experience of life in another country? I think back at home we just don't notice that the same annoying street vendors and same terrible "authentic" food stores exist because we might avoid tourist areas altogether. Maybe getting the truest Roman experience requires a tourist to go to somewhere off the map, somewhere out of the center of town.

Sometimes when I go for a run, I just pick any street and I have seen a different side of Rome that I don't around the Colosseum area where I live. People are sitting outside, relaxing and enjoying the night. Windows of houses are open and it almost seems more lived-in than around Via Labicana where I live. I think it's giving a try to head out to a part of town without any big historic monuments or famous restaurants and maybe you will find a part of Rome that you didn't know existed.

Become a Tourist of Roma Just Like Me!

Lovers in Rome

The lovers of Rome are vast and plenty. Turn a corner at any time of day, anywhere in the city, and you can find two infatuated lovers staring deeply into one another's eyes. Whether it be on the grass in the park, outside of the Colosseum, waiting for the Metro, or even at the grocery store the romantics of Rome pay no attention to the idea of Public Displays of Affection! This idea not only extends to the locals of Rome, but also to tourists across the city as well. It must be the atmosphere of the city on a warm Spring night that brings out the affections of all the Romeos and Juliets. Maybe it's just a feeling or idea of togetherness and the ability to last forever that the ancient ruins thousands of years old portray to the romantics. Either way, if you are looking for a romantic trip to Europe, Rome may be the place for you.


Finding Romance in Rome!
Romance of Rome Video Game!

Street Vendors

Street vendors are all over the tourist areas of Rome. In true touristic fashion, these vendors are extremely over-priced. The vendors do not even attempt to give a sales pitch for their products, because they know just by being located along Via del Fori Imperiali they will sucker hungry and thirsty tourists into buying their paninos, pizza, Pringles, Peroni beers, Ritz crackers, and Coca-Cola products (yes, you can buy beer right off the streets in Rome). If you find yourself along any of the tourist areas or main streets avoid these stands. Try looking down an alley or side-street where the prices are lower and the food is better quality. It is cheaper to look around a bit and prices can be unreasonable if you only go to the first spot you find. Last week we were near the Vatican and went to the first ristorante we found, and ended up paying $10Euro for pizza and $5Euro for a 500mL Coke--both tasted terrible.

Gladiators

Street Gladiators take advantage of the history of Rome by imitating the dress of the gladiators who fought within the Colosseum during the early 1st century. Directions for those trying to find these street performers are easy if you take a walk along Via del Fori Imperiali outside of the Colosseum or also walk through Piazza Venezia near the Victorio Emmanuel II Monument. These sometimes handsome men will flirtatiously approach you, and in an unimpressive manner flashing their swords and shields. One would think with such movement and distractions that a picture of these street gladiators (without paying a small fee) would be easy to take-- but it is quite the opposite. It's almost as if the only mental and physical abilities these men have is a sense for tourists attempting to grab a quick photo of them. I managed to sneakily snatch a photograph of one of their helmets early in the morning while the street gladiator was fixing his armor.

Suore

Around the city, especially the Vatican, many different types of nuns can be seen. Being the mecca of Catholicism, I expected to see religious figures throughout the city but I had never realized a few things about them.

In particular I have noticed that not one of the sisters I have seen has been wearing the same outfit. Usually when I would think of a nun or a sister I would think of the outfit being worn as the typical black robe with white underneath, but I have seen several different oufits on the sisters around Rome. I have attempted to research why this is, but to no avail. I heard from a friend that sisters from different sects and positions within the church wear different clothing. This is my only explanation thus far, but I can tell you that if you are looking to see or speak to a sister, head towards any of the 900 churches around Rome (especially the Vatican) and you will be sure to find some.

Interested in joining a convent Click Here.
Increase in # of U.S. women joining convents?

Collettore di Immondizia

Trash Collectors can be seen throughout the city of Rome. I would say that it is a relatively clean city for the amount of people who travel throughout the streets on a daily basis. From the picture you can see that the required uniform is quite interesting. These trash collectors can be seen at most busy tourist locations sweeping up trash and emptying garbage cans. I would not consider it to be the most glorious of jobs, but these street cleaners do exceptionally well at keeping the streets tidy. So when visiting Rome, expect to have clean streets to walk on, a big difference between some of the major cities in the United States.

automobili sulle vie

People use several different types of transportation to get around the streets of Rome.

In the United States , seeing one of the SmartCars was a funny little instance where I found myself amazed by the size of it, especially since I drive a gas-guzzling Ford Explorer. I even read an article in USA Today during April that said because of the decrease in gas prices, SmartCar sales in the U.S. were dropping drastically. In Roma, the SmartCar and other cars of its size can be seen everywhere around the city. Gas in Roma (and all around Europe) is significantly higher than in the U.S., where I've seen gas costing 1.26Euro a liter, which is equivalent to $6.75 a gallon in the United States. Having fuel efficient, high MPG cars appears to be a necessity in Roma. I recommend using public transportation or walking over other means of transport.


Central Rome Public Transport Map

Carabinieri v. Polizia

Who protects and serves the streets?

Walking through Rome, you see two types of men in uniform: the Carabinieri and the Polizia. In my view, I never really see either doing more than directing traffic, allowing pedestrians to cross the street, or standing around talking to one another... but apparently each has different abilities and control when it comes to law enforcement.

Carabinieri. Created in 1815 by King Victor Emmanuel I, the Arma dei Carabinieri is the national gendamarie of Italy that polices both the military and civilian populations. Its headquarters are in Rome and officers are placed by a territorial basis (Wikipedia, 2009). The Carabinieri can be seen all over downtown Rome, patrolling the streets and posted up at crowded tourist areas. This military group is an essential part of keeping the citizens and streets of Italy safe.

Polizia. Created strictly as a civil police force, also has its headquarters in Rome. The Polizia di Stato are responsible for patrolling roads, airports, and customs amongst other locations. The Polizia is the primary force of citizen protection throughout Italy, and are expected to maintain public safety and order at all times. This force can also be seen patrolling the streets of Rome as well as standing guard at several busy tourist attractions and piazzas.

The main distinction between the two groups is the ability to police military operations. Personally I have seen neither do anything but drive around or stand around on street corners. This causes my suspicion that there are not many tickets given out and the court system is not a busy one. It reminds me of the part in Italian Neighbors where it is alluded that most people take matters into their own hands because each law is interpreted per case and there is no such thing as precedent. Bepi must be the only one, in both the fictitious and real world, that actually uses the court system.

Apparently there are four different types of police in Rome. Could you imagine having four different police forces back home. Who does that put in control? Does that create issues between the different forces? I would imagine so. I am not sure how any order is maintained when so many different authorities are in one place at one time. I guess that is just the chaos that is life in Rome!

la gente della via

The people that can be found on the streets of Rome come in very different shapes and sizes. There are the locals, the tourists, the gypsies/people of the street, and the vendors-- to name a few. In the picture to the right we have an example of one of the people of the street. "Gypsy" is the term most commonly used to refer to these beggars and derives from the word Egyptian, as was discussed in class. Most of the gypsies are of Middle Eastern decent and have difficulty getting jobs in Europe due to extreme discrimination.

There is a wide array of opinions on the gypsies. Some deny their existence, others strongly disapprove of these "scam artists", while others feel sympathy towards them. I have mixed feelings about the group, and depending on the type of gypsy I see I interact in all three ways towards them. It is hard because you cannot tell which ones are the scam artists, or which ones are gypsies and legitimately need the help. For example, I do not see the significance of the beggar dressing up as a mummy, does that have some deeper kind of meaning? Is the person under this costume actually a gypsy, or is it an American or an Asian person looking to get some money? I would never know because the mask conceals the true identity.



More Info on Gypsies
Warnings about beggars
Day in the life of a beggar