After a dinner of Veal Saltimbocca Alla Romana (literal translation: "jump in your mouth," so good) with family friends, I had a chance to be in the heart of the city observing the people of Rome on a Saturday night. Campo was full of 13-20 something year old kids and adults of all ages walking about the vast square, mixtures of grups which can only be seen in New York City on such a night as this. Boys kick empty beer bottles back and forth across the cobblestones as girls chat in groups of three or cling onto the arm of their boyfriend as they run up to another group of friends they haven't yet found. Just watching from the table where we drink a glass of wine we can observe the magic.
It's hard to imagine the square the way it was in the morning when you look out over the flock of teenage boys and girls. The open air market where I bought fennel and pears this morning... there are absolutely no traces.
the glory that is the daily market
the cleanup
the piazza transformed after dark
Now, as I watch over the social experiment that is Italian meet and greet, I remember why this never happens at home. Those who live in Rome live in a city where driving from dinner to a friend's house across town isn't commonplace. Simply put, you walk. You walk until you run into people who you know will be there waiting for you. A double kiss on the cheek and the conversation begins, the city is yours to explore.
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