Last night Filippa took me out for gelato near the Pantheon. I mentioned before she knows everyone in the neighborhood. She took me to a bar / restaurant nearby just to introduce me to everyone who works there. She is telling everyone she is friends with my parents. Then while waiting for the bus, she pointed out the Carabinieri. I asked the difference between the Carabinieri and Polizia and she called them over and had them explain, chatted with them until the bus came. Later we passed a police station and she had us go in, chatted up the girl working at the desk, and had her explain the difference again. And model for me the difference in uniform. When we walked out she said to me in Italian, “I’m not exactly normal”. (In case you are curious, the polizia are civilian, and the cababinieri have a military structure.) We got delicious gelati and took cover from some rain in a museum entrance across the street, where she knew the people there as well. Then we went to the Pantheon, which was amazing. The noble families in Italy (or maybe just Rome) still get married there. Rome seems smaller with Filippa.
[Edit] Link to Rome photo album:
https://picasaweb.google.com/kaitlyn.hanrahan/20101001Roma#
