Amore

I am attaching a clip from one of my favorite blogs - Ciao Italia - again. There is a reason I am doing this. Her post brought back some awesome memories of our first trip to Italy, which included a visit to the Trevi Fountain in Rome. Here is the clip and my comments will follow:

"Cupid takes aim with his arrow this month febbraio (February), and love is in the air. Can you feel it? And while roses, sentiments, and chocolate occupy our minds and drain our wallets as we honor those we love and cherish, it is always Valentines Day in Italy; it just goes by another name, amore.

By nature, Italians are very affectionate people. Just look at the way they greet each other with a kiss not on one cheek but both. And passion is always a public display at outdoor ristoranti and in just about every piazza.

One of the best places to show affection, or dream of receiving it is at the Trevi Fountain in Rome (Fontana di Trevi). It was built in the 18th century and the central figure of the fountain is Neptune, the sea god. He rides a chariot in the shape of a shell that is pulled by sea horses.

Millions of visitors from all over the world converge at this massive marble masterpiece to throw coins into the fountain and wish away their secret desires. But if you go to see the fountain, make sure your wish comes true by tossing your coin in the proper manner. Legend tells us that you will return to Rome if you throw a coin over your shoulder with your back to the fountain. Now that’s amore."

Our first visit to Italy followed a week of visiting friends in the London area, and attending Danny's soccer tournament as well. Flashback 1995. We (me, Artie, Lindsay and Danny) enjoyed the crazy week of sightseeing through London, Bath, and other little hamlets, and attending soccer games. Following the tournament we caught the ferry across the English Channel to Calais, France. We were catching a tour that would cram sojourns to five countries in one week. We literally had to ask one another when we woke up what country we were in! Lindsay was 18 and pining away for her then boyfriend, and Danny had his 15th birthday while in Monaco. Neither of our kids appreciated the trip as much as Artie and I did. So, why the post on the Trevi Fountain? This was my first trip to Italy, the land of my ancestors, and I couldn't have been more excited. One of my "goals" was to be pinched - not pick-pocketed, the kind of pinch made by someone's fingers on your booty. As we visited various cities and towns in Italy I was disappointed that the pinch hadn't happened. Lindsay was pinched while visiting the Piazzo Navana and she was apalled, grossed out, disgusted. I told her to lighten up, that "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" as they say. My pinch still evaded me. But then it happened! While visiting the Trevi Fountain on a beautiful summer night in Rome a young Italian man pinched my bottom. I beamed from ear to ear. Mission accomplished!

One other memory of note at the Trevi Fountain was the traditional coin toss to ensure a return to Rome. None of the people on our tour knew exactly which shoulder to throw the coin over. We all laughed about it, but I, being the superstitious being that I am, really wanted to make sure a return to Rome was in my future. So, I tossed two coins - one over each shoulder. I have not been back to Rome...what did I do wrong?