A new world experience in the old world

Today was an errand day. After our leisurely breakfast at 9:30 (my how we have changed in six weeks) we walked to the train station and caught the train to Rome, as chronicled by Mike in his blog addition below. He didn't mention an experience we had on the way back from Rome that I found very interesting. As we have been doing, we struck up a conversation with the people sitting near by us in the train. These men were obviously Americans, as evidenced by the diet Cokes they pulled out of their "panini express" bags (think Italisn McDonalds). The Boston Red Sox hat was not enough of a clue as to citizenship, as every other European wears a baseball hat from the US, mostly the NY Yankees. Even the Adidas tennis shoes was not 100% proof positive, although it was close. The Diet Coke was a clincher though. They cost between 2 and 4 Euros for a bottle of Coke Light, or $2.75- 3.50, so anyone drinking them must be a sure fire addict, and that is almost always an American. There were other obvious clues too, but the Diet Coke was the sure fire proof. The Rick Steves guide book that they pulled out after we had pegged them as Americans only cemented the opinion.

In any event, these two big, buff guys were sitting there in the train across from us, although not right beside us. Placed just right for us to notice them while we were reading and to start up a conversation. Independently we were trying to peg their story (business collegeagues out to see the sights on the weekend, etc.) until we struck up a conversation. They seemed happy to talk to fellow Americans and told us they were celebrating their honeymoon, having just married in Boston at their home, and again in Maine at the family home of one of them. We talked about their wedding, their jobs, their holiday and ours and altogether had a nice visit during the remainder of the 1 1/2 hour train ride from Rome to Florence.

I relay this story because it struck me that although we were traveling in an old world country with architecture and heritage thousends of years old all around us, we were talking to people that could only share their life story with us in the current world. How wonderful to be visiting the world of the Renaissance and the Great Thinkers in a time of telerance and acceptance.

Peace,
Deanne