The Rest of Rome & Applying Law School

This post wraps up our experiences on June 4th. Our first stop after gelato was the Trevi Fountain.


This fountain is at the exit point of one of Rome's old aqueducts. It was originally supposed to have been designed by Bernini so that the Pope could have a more dramatic view from the Quirinal Palace. That Pope died and the project was postponed until 1730. Work was finally completed in 1762, but it is hard to blame them for taking so long when the results are so spectacular.


Now there is a legend surrounding this fountain. It originally said that a drink from the fountain was good luck and would ensure a fast return to Rome. This developed into tossing a coin into the fountain to achieve the same result. Specifically one is to toss a coin over their left shoulder with their right hand. Currently the saying is, one coin for a return to Rome, two coins for a new romance, and three for marriage or divorce. So here I am, hoping the right-hand-over-left-shoulder toss brings good luck :)

After that little bit of fun we headed off to the Spanish Steps, another product of the 1700's when the Pope's wanted to show off. We were expecting a quick photo and then move on to dinner, but then we saw this sight...

One of my companions got all excited about the prospect of being in a protest. We hadn't even seen the actual crowd & my thought was, "No...we don't have civil liberties here. And with the carabinieri (the national military police) out in force like this, I'd rather hang back a while to see what is going on." Well, we got around the corner after passing fifty or so polizia outfitted in riot gear and saw this...

"Free Gaza, Break the Blockade, & Boycott Israel," was the general tenor of the banners. Peaceful protest, you may have even noticed the people sitting on the steps enjoying the evening, but wow were the police ready for it to hit the fan...

We asked for a translation and got a little more than we bargained for. Basically I think that this little tiny Italian man wanted to pick a fight with us Americans. He was pretty adamant that "the only thing the Jews took from the holocaust was the lesson not to kill a whole bunch of people at once, otherwise do what you want." He said it three or four times to me, (I took one for the team, they only heard the rant once and then escaped up the stairs). I didn't rise to the challenge and I just interrupted his rant with a history lesson on Egypt, Palestine, Syria, the colonial mandate system, and the Muslim religion until I had him shut up enough that I could leave too. However, nothing too exciting so I followed them up for a looksie...

It was a fairly small protest and we don't speak Italian so we headed off to the metro station enjoying the view of Rome & St. Peter's...

Then we headed off to a little restaurant across town recommended by a friend of my traveling companion. It is a place called "Dino & Tony," it's out on Via Leone IV, on the left side of the street as you walk away from the Vatican. It was amazing!! We ordered nothing, in fact there was no menu. He asked, "Antipasta?" We said, "Sure." Out come six different appetizers and a pitcher of wine. Then the question was, "Pasta?" "Si, signore." Four big plates of pasta and another pitcher of wine. Next is was "Meat or Fish?" We had to turn him down, we were too full for that, but not for disserto. Five different desserts and a tray of cookie like pastries. This course came with a bottle of homemade limoncello. The whole time these three old guys were rushing back and forth, we got there names down pretty well as they were shouting at one another across the restaurant. The atmosphere was like you were part of the family, right from the get go. In fact, the family right next to us tried to refuse the limoncello, so Dino poured the a little glass of it and then came right down the line and filled our glasses up a second time. The little old man with the family across the room insisted that Dino pour me a third and share a shot with me. They even shook our hands on the way out. It was really cool, I advise everyone I know to visit this place if you are in Rome. It is only twenty-seven Euros for all the food, wine, & limoncello, and the experience was more than worth it.