Bonjourno from Roma!

Happy 4th of July from Rome! Scant evidence of the holiday in these parts.  This storefront window was all I could find that promoted our American holiday. 

I have tons to write about, but it's 11:30 pm Rome time (3:30 pm Nashville) and I'm still wearing same clothes I had on when I left my Nashville condo at 5am Wednesday.  Haven't slept at all really, but today has been so full of wonder and delight that I'm running on fumes and espresso!  We made our connection in Dusseldorf and then arrived in the airport at Rome less than 2 hours before Aron, Hapny and Sofie.  How wonderful to see them again after 11 months!  We took a cab to the apartment Aron arranged for us on the Vicolo della Cancelleria.  Wow!  Rustic and quaint 2 bedroom, 2 bath and kitchen right in the heart of a trendy section of the city.

We're tired, but smiling in our Rome apartment.

 After we got checked in, we met Aron's Swedish friend Per, a PhD art historian living here on a 6 month fellowship. He knows the city and has been very helpful in our enjoyment of it.  We took a walking tour that included the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and the Piazza Navona with its three Bernini Fountains. Per took us to a favorite restaurant this evening and we dined al fresco along a narrow alley (as so many of the streets are). Everyone else has gone to bed. I, of course, want to share this experience with all of you!  Tomorrow we do the Coloseum and Roman antiquities.  :)