ROME BY NIGHT AND DINNER

I waited at the reception all ready and fresh. Soon there was a ring on the door and the bus driver had come to pick me. There were already two couples in the bus and we picked up one more and a lady. It was so comfortable and warm sitting inside the bus with others and enjoying Rome by night. I have no words to describe how lovely Rome looked in the night. Its fountains, glistening cobbled roads, marble monuments all draped in soft light. It would be an understatement to say it was romantic, it spoke of eternal love. It was not about the lusty love of honeymooning couples but the timeless love of just being you , of realising how beautiful human mind, thought and genius that built all this could be. It was about pride in belonging to that species, of being the successors of that age of men who were beyond time and eras. It was not just the beauty from outside but each monument had hundreds of years of history behind it. It was absolutely breathtaking and heart wrenching and extremely joyful to watch the city unfold around me.

As the guide explained, we took a ride around the city watching its Piazzas and fountains and streets. We passed by some posh areas strewn with restaurants which were empty because of the cold season. We stopped and got down at the Trevi fountain. Legend says that you drop one coin into the fountain if you want to come back to Rome, two to get married and three to get divorced. No prizes for guessing how many I threw. The fountains in Rome were based on gravity as there were no motors at that time and hence no jet fountains. The Trevi had three aqueducts feeding it with water and from the base of the fountain, the water flowed to the river. The frontal of the Trevi monument was actually the wall of a palace and the front wall was all that remained. After getting back into the bus we continued the tour to Vatican and St. Marks Basilica. At many places we could still see the old Roman walls. Many of the old buildings had been transformed to banks and offices. It felt like living in an old city.

After the panoramic night tour we were dropped off at a local restaurant. The receptionist was dressed like a roman and he posed with each entering guest. There were just two couples and me. The Japanese couple were given a table and I shared with the old 80s Italian couple. I looked around and saw that most tables seated six or more people. Food was definitely a group ritual here. There was a live pianist and a couple was singing Italian folk lore. We were served with red wine and sparking water. First item was pizza like appetizer in crisp bread. It was delicious. Then some more bread was served while we waited for the main course enjoying the live music. By then the couple and me started having some conversation in sign language. We did no know each other's language one bit but were still communicating. He explained to me that the bottle had sparkling water by making noise of bubbles. He also showed his wedding ring and five fingers. It was their fiftieth marriage anniversary! Incredible!

The singers were mixing among the guests and making people clap, wave napkins and sing. It was a participative affair. They sang a special song for the couple on my table. It was like watching a live opera. I could see that people were making requests and even singing along. They seems to be popular songs. They sounded so sweet and full of passion and yearning and intensity. Lady's voice was high pitched but very soft and sweet. By then our main course of two kinds of pasta arrived. It looked like a lot but surprising and slowly I was able to finish most of it. Next came and piece of meat with some sour leaves. Though I already felt full, I was able to eat this one too with time and wine and the music. It was flavorful and delicious but not spicy. Last came the chocolate gelato. The songs continued and in one of the songs, the male singer walked towards me and held my face up by the chin singing something which sounded like you are very beautiful. The whole dinner went on for two hours though I think we ate very fast because of the hunger. A night to remember!