A square full of life and people are really happy
This was a day where I stepped out of my AirBnB accommodations without a plan or direction. I was in awe of this opportunity of being in a city, especially as iconic as Rome. I kept saying to myself “I’m in Rome!”. It was on of the many surreal moments during this European discovery tour.
I decided to turn right, then left at major intersection. Up a hill, down a street, and lo and behold, the coliseum. What luck… but this is not what this post is about.
After the coliseum, i decided to do some more walking. Not knowing where I was going, I just kept on trekking. No map, no plans. Suddenly, I am in Piazza Navona.
I’m not one of those that usually appreciated a location that is covered with tourists. However this felt different. There was life, music, art, and dance. People just walking around taking in all the activity. One moment, a painter on the ground with his spray cans, next, jugglers, human statues, souvenir sellers and my favourite; musicians. Near the entrance of the square, I stopped to watch a 4 piece band performing authentic italian music. Their audience was large as they were very good. A circle formed around them, when suddenly a rather attractive and fit couple begins to dance to the music. It is the tango. While this may be part of the act, it seemed to spontaneous to me. One thing I have noticed often during my travel, is Europeans love to dance. This is where I spent most of my time while in Piazza Navona, but eventually, i moved on. A while back at home, I watched a video on youtube of a person busking as a baby in a stroller, entertaining the masses with his brand of cheeky humor. I had no idea this is where he was located and seeing this guy in person, made this experience so much more surreal.
I wanted to experience the square at night, and another observation I make was that Europeans, especially Italians, gather at night. The number of people increased that the sun set. I walked and admired the real statues, and fountains for a while. They were spectacular. When night fell, the architecture gleamed with color and light as the structural details stood out. It was magical.
Piazza Navona at this point has become one of my favourite spots in Rome, a spot that I will surely return to, should I happen to travel to Rome.
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