Cleo's Corner from Rome(6.11.10)

For six months I have been looking forward to going with a group of twenty people on a tour of Italy and Germany. The tour is being hosted by the Pass-a-Grille Community Church and led by Rev. Dr. Keith Haemmelmann, the Senior Minister. Now I am here, in Rome, typing this article and totally awed by the beauty and complexity of everything I see around me.

We were met at the airport by Gerard Venet, our guide, and what a wonderful job he is doing in informing, answering, and exploring all of our questions. I am including a link here to Gerard’s newsletter because he is full of great stories about places you and I have only heard of. Or, for some of you, he will bring back memories in his Newsletter. (Click here to view.)

I am going to share some snippets of information I have gathered over the days which I find interesting. In Italy, the birth rate is low and the immigration is high, mostly from Indians, Muslims and Gypsies. It was in 381 that Rome became Christian and as our tour guide told us, although it was not a clean and easy transition to Christianity, once made, it has continued. In many places, the 2000-year old ruins are now used for concerts and celebrations of all kinds.

When driving, there are no rules, few road lines, and lots of traffic. We watched in horror at one point when our large bus was turning a very narrow corner and just at that moment one of the numerous motorbikes whizzed in between the bus and a parked car with one inch or less leeway. It is not uncommon to see cars pull in front of and across other cars or for a motorbike to whiz by on either side. Sometimes it felt like swarms of bees were buzzing by us, vying for position at the next stop light. When I asked a police officer how often there were accidents, he said that they happened, but very rarely. The drivers all look out for the other, and as long as you do not get in their way, they are quite civil.

There are great stands of trees everywhere called Stone Pines and they are magnificent as they outline highways and byways all over the countryside. Rome is full of a great variety of trees and shrubs including the olive, fig, rosemary, oleanders Lime or Linden and Holm Oaks. We saw many rose gardens and poppy stands in fields and along the highway.

And to make sure you are all savvy, I learned that the SOS signs all over town stand for Save Our Souls (which translates into HELP today).

My overall impression is that Rome is as amazing as we are all told, from the old cobblestone streets, amazing architecture from all over the world, and the vast public displays of art, to the people we met in hotels, restaurants and museums. So far it has all added up to overwhelming, impressing and reducing me to mush by the end of each day.

As I sit here in the hotel lobby writing, I feel most happy that I came on this tour, not only for the amazing opportunity to see this city, but because of the wonderful group of twenty who make each day a joy with their smiles, comments, helpfulness and joy.

For those of you who would like to follow our trip and see all that we have seen, Jeanne Haemmelmann has put up photo slideshows on the church's wedsite. Click here to go to the Pass-A-Grille Beach Community Church's Website. From the Home Page scroll down a little and you will see a photo with a "click here" to view the slideshows. Enjoy.

We go on to Venice and then Oberammergau, Germany next so I will keep you posted. Ciao.

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