Roads to Rome

Ancient Rome and the Roman Empire.

I spent several hours yesterday thinking and writing about Julius Caesar, the Pax Romana, Roman roads, Jesus, St. Paul, and Roman law and justice. Remember learning that in middle school? And only today, while skipping around the blogosphere and landing on a stranger's account of Rome did I really remember Italy.

Italia, the Vatican, prosciutto, Botticelli, gypsies, La Scala, Milan, train rides and Firenze. That was Summer 1999, translating and celebrating my Japanese host family's son's destination wedding. I dreamed about eventually learning Italian and living there. Summer 2009, I'm not there, I'm writing about it and about to teach about Italy's ancient history but right now, I'm definitely, there. I want to be there wining and dining and writing my way into a fantastical state of mind.