Sunday, March 15, 2009

Short Story

This afternoon I received a call from one Evie Scogin. Looks like Ms. Scogin wanted to take a walk up the Janiculum to seem Rome from above. As I too am fond of both walks and Rome, I was happy to oblige. Take note: these events took place within the viscinity of 5:30 pm, as the sun was beginning to set.

So we set out after I gave fair warning, as we had many, many steps to ascend, and we soon arrived at the top of the the hill, and snapped a few pictures. This was not enough for Ms. Scogin, however, and we soon pressed onward.

As I had walked this route before, I was aware of what to expect, and I guided toward a certain well known church in the area: St. Peter's Basilica, also known as the Vatican. After a short time we rounded a corner and saw the church beautifully silhouetted against a rich blue sky, Venus neatly completing the composition.

We wound through streets, always keeping the luminous dome in sight, a beacon toward our final destination. And what a destination that was: St. Peter's piazza at night, gloriously aglow, the twin fountains gushing, the collonade serenely embracing. We explored for a bit, snapping photos and exchanging pleasantries with the Swiss Guard, before deciding to be on our way.

We once again ascended the Janiculum, and were struck by the view. All of Rome stretched before us, three thousand years of history spread beneath our feet. The beauty was exhilarating, and we stood for some time in quiet awe.

Eventually though, driven by our hungry bellies, we made our way back down the hill, and to our respective apartments. There we would eat and be filled, but not soon forget how lucky we were to be in this place.

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