In Lisa I Trust

Lisa Tucci, my friend and guardian angel in Rome, is amazing. If you simply suggest an idea, she will take said idea and make it happen. A rain-maker if you will. And I trust her (oh, yes, I do) when she tells me to do something. She says "salta" and I say, "how high?" That's why when she had me on my first day in Rome take a bus to the suburbs late at night with nary an Italian word in my vocabulary, I did it without question (it turned out okay, despite the wrong bus debacle). 

After all, she did find me my job at Cantina del Vecchio and my penthouse digs in the heart of the most desirable neighborhood in ancient Rome. And she did take me to the quite intimate party where Hill Harper (star of CSI: New York) was the guest of honor. 

So, when on one of our few visits together she took me to Rome's Gianicolo one sunset eve and said trust me, it's worth it, I trusted. 

Gianicolo, or Janiculum Hill, is across the river. A winding drive up the hill and the vista is spectacular -- Rome is literally at your feet, bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun. You can see the hills of Rome (not all seveb, I believe, but certainly some of them). No wonder this romantic place is also known as a, if not the, Lover's Lane of bella Roma. 

Even as we were ascending the hill in Lisa's red Honda Civic, the beauty inspired an actual gasp -- and I'm no gasper (I've seen the Taj Mahal, I've walked the Great Wall, I've seen Jesus -- that is in Rio de Janeiro). Yeah, it was that stunning.

There are, course, other sights at Gianiculo. What's any Roman clearing without a fountain -- the Fontana dell'Acqua is a popular spot for wedding portraits to be taken. Then there's the Garibaldi monument. Apparently, according to Lisa (who I trust), Guiseppe Garibaldi helped unite Italy and fought against French attacks on Rome. Apparently, his the pregnant wife accompanied him into battle, so there is a monument in her honor nearby as well. 

At the top of the hill, as in any touristic spot in Rome, you can buy snacks at vending truck. It was here that I spotted him -- the cotton candy vendor. Since cotton-candy is one of my favorite foods (I can hear my mother saying in her Brazilian accent, "you have verrrrry infantile tastes"), I had to pay the 2 Euro (around $3) for the penny's worth of spun sugar on a stick. Zucchero filato and the best view of Rome. Does it get better than this?

For some wonderful musings on all things Italy -- check out Lisa's blog at www.burntbythetuscansun.blogspot.com