Rome

For the most part, Trastevere, meaning beyond the Tiber, is a solidly residential neighborhood.  Standing on my balcony, above the leafy Via Portuense, with Rome whizzing below, I pondered my limited options for a morning run, perhaps the best way to experience a new city.  Run northwest, toward the iconic Piazza di Santa Maria, and brave Roman traffic, where drivers have the right of way and red lights are advisory, or try to find a running path along the Tiber, not more than half a mile from our apartment.  Unsurprisingly, I chose the latter.

After about 10 minutes, I crossed Ponte Testaccio.  I turned north and, under a canopy of sycamore trees, ran along, and high above, the Tiber, past Ponte Sublicio, across Ponte Palatino, and then down the embankment, to a running path, in the direction of the apartment, seemingly miles away from the mostly benign chaos of the Eternal City.  After about 40 minutes, I was back at the apartment, unscathed and invigorated, ready to explore more of Rome and, of perhaps equal importance, to enjoy my usual morning cappuccino.

It was a perfect, Thursday morning, in the middle of October, the last full day of a 10-day Italian vacation, which started in Venice and included visits to various cities in Tuscany, before ending in Rome.  I have a (good) habit of running in (almost) every city I visit, and Rome would be no exception.

This would be my third visit to Rome, with the first exactly 40 years ago, immigrating to the United States from the former Soviet Union.  From that visit, I recall living in 2 apartments, with the first likely in central Rome and the second in Ostia, on the coast.  Rome was the last stop before the United States, and one at which we had spent the most time.  During my second visit to Rome, with my grandparents in 1988, we visited Ostia, as American citizens, with an entirely different perspective.  Rome today remains a transit point for many immigrants, and this point was not lost on me during my visit.

Invariably, Rome has changed, likely considerably, in the last 40 years, but I could not account for the passage of time and space since my first (or last) visit.  But for the modern Roman art (graffiti), it was all too familiar.  I attribute this in part to the general constancy of the residential areas and perhaps more so to visiting Rome during the same time of the year, with the cool mornings, warm afternoons, and mild evenings, perfect for a walk through a city constantly negotiating the past, present, and future.  In Rome one cannot but feel the weight of history, which, while not overpowering, is ever-present and certainly encourages one to adopt (at least while there) a holistic rather than transactional view of everyday events.  In today’s hyper-connected world, there is simply not enough time to do everything (well).  Rome, which embodies the long view, teaches us quite the opposite.

The path was mostly empty, with a few runners, mostly locals I assumed, enjoying the slow, purposeful flow of the river.  The previous day included a full-day tour of the Colosseum, ancient Rome generally, the Vatican, and a dinner consisting of fresh lasagna and salmon carpaccio from a superb kosher pasta shop and takeaway (http://cepastaepasta.it), and this day would include the Spanish Steps, Borghese Gardens and countless miles of walking through, but for the traffic, one of the world’s most walk-able cities.  However, my mind was in the moment, just as it should be.

Comments welcomed.