Pax out, Rome

We left Rome today. It's funny how quickly your memory starts to filter out all the stuff that was maybe not so fun, and you remember things more kindly than they really were. By the time I get back to the States, I will be like all American tourists to Rome, yammering about the quaint streets and the colorful people. Reality was never as nice as we remember it, but so what? What good is memory if. It doesn't filter out some of the non-life-threatening irritation?

Still, I like remembering the experience warts and all, because I had a great time, and the hard parts were part of the whole journey.

The hard part of Rome is that it is a hot, crowded, crazy tourist trap full of Romans. We were joking at various sites about Disney needing to give these people lessons, with the key difference being that Disney actually cares enough to make people happy (after all, happy people are cash cows). Romans, on the other hand, do not give a flake of dandruff whether you are happy or not.  In the United States, I have met friendly criminals. I'm not sure I met an even vaguely pleasant Roman, except our landlady and two different restaurant people. Romans are like, "You wanna see a Rome? Fine. There it is. Now get the f$&k outta my way." And no, this isn't like New Yorkers. New Yorkers are lovely if you don't irritate them, and sometimes they like you FOR irritating them. Romans do not like you.

And the food in Rome is not exquisite. Well, it is in some places, but you cannot afford them until after you knock off rich Uncle Somebody.  A good dinner without wine for four people runs 80 euro, or $120.  Not a great meal, just a filling and tasty dinner. Rome is for the seriously wealthy. Everyone else is gonna get sick of pasta, tomatoes and mozzarella.

At the end of the day, Rome is totally forgiven for being full of rude, loud, grouchy people, because it has so much else to offer. It really is fun to get lost on the side streets (bonus: there are fewer people there). And everywhere you look, every single millimeter, has been home to an interesting event in history. If you don't like history, or you can't appreciate how one building can be a backdrop for everything from an emperor to a pope to a dictator to a revolutionist a president, then skip Rome. Skip most of Europe and just go hiking somewhere.

But don't take any Romans with you. They really are butt heads.