Oh, that’s nice, now get away from my feet…

So I have arrived in Rome, the final stop on my journey. Of course I had more transpo problems. But like I said-It’s not my fault. This time my train had rocks on the track and electricity problems. See?

Now that I have arrived I made sure to do all the classic Roman things. Today I went to the Pantheon, the Capuchin Crypt, an ancient art museum, the Trevi fountain, and so many other amazing places. I ate gelato as I wandered the narrow streets. I watched the sunset over Rome from the top of the Spanish steps. It was great. There are some pics down below. I took video but I do not have the cord to connect to my computer so you will have to check that out later.

And instead of sharing a story from one of these amazing, historical venues, I would like to tell you of my brief encounter with a Roman this evening.

It was 8 pm and while wandering around the Pope’s Piazza I spotted a church. I was tired, I had been wandering all day and it looked like it might be a great place to sit and rest. So I went inside, sat down and began to enjoy the general splendor. It was a beautiful church. The marble was gorgeous, the frescos were vibrant, I really did enjoy the experience.

While I was sitting, a man came to talk to me. He was in his early forties, balding, with black frizzy hair, thick glasses, and wearing a fanny pack. A native Roman. He greeted me and asked if I spoke English. I told him I did and he kindly relayed a Roman tradition to me.

According to this man, the floor of the church is considered holy. And women, being the more sensitive of the sexes are allowed to walk barefoot in the church because they can feel the powerful vibrations through the floor. I thought that was interesting and with a little urging from the guy I took off my flip-flops and began to walk around.

The marble did feel nice and cool but I did not feel vibrations through the floor. This man, however, began to ask me several questions. Do you go barefoot a lot? When do you go barefoot? Do you walk on the streets barefoot? Do you walk in the forests barefoot? I politely answered every question while my freak-o-meter slowly rose notch by notch.

But he was nice and I was able to steer the conversation away from being barefoot. He told me this was his favorite church and he often came to pray. We talked about the imported marble and the popularity of being Baptist in the US, among other things.

After we had circled the church he said he wanted to show me a tomb I had missed on the way in. So we walked through a kind of hidden door to where a saint was buried. It was very beautiful and had a painting that was breathtaking. After standing in silence for a few minutes the man asked if I had heard of the other tradition common in this church.

He said it was tradition for brothers in Christ to put the shoes back onto the feet of their sisters (in Christ).

Excuse me?

Yes, that’s right. And after a moment of stunned silence he told me to sit down and he would gently replace my flip-flops onto my feet.

As my freak-o-meter burst from the rising pressure I dropped my flip-flops to the floor and stepped into them. I told him thanks, but I can put my own shoes back on. I gave him a sincere thank you for all his interesting information and then ran out of there as he asked where I was headed.

1. Trevi Fountain: check

2. Spanish Steps: check

3. Man with a foot fetish: check check

Trevi Fountain

The dome inside San Carlo Alle Quattro Fontne Church.

A fountain near the Capuchin Monk Crypt. These are all over Italy and deliver free, cold, supposedly fresh water

The Spanish steps, anyone referencing Roman Holiday yet?

A beggar at the steps. They are all over the city, it breaks my heart.

Sunset from the top of the steps.

Piazza Navona, this is the top of the Palace Pamphilj, which I spelled correctly.

A fountain outside the Pantheon. Is it just me or is that statue checking out the bird?

The Pantheon. I didn't get any great shots inside but I did take some video. It will be up soon,