Candle in the Wind

As I mentioned in an earlier post there are shrines all over the city. Many are built into the walls that surround estates or courtyards and are tended to by local societies or confraternities. Flowers, petitions and candles are left imploring the protection or favour of the Saint being honoured - in most cases Santa Maria Virgine. This particular shrine - to the Virgin - is set into the wall surrounding our Villa complex.


As well as the plastic flowers (at many shrines they are real and changed regularly) and petitions that are attached to the grill there has been a red votive candle on the ground in front of the shrine for the past two weeks. When the first burnt out it was replaced. What I as an non-Italian find unusual is this votive has sat on the ground totally unmolested for that long. The walls may be sprayed with graffiti, people may throw litter on the streets but that candle has not moved. And ours is a busy street with two embassies side-by-side and a very large elementary-junior school at one corner. You would think that a bright red glass votive holder would be the target for, at the least, a prank of some kind. But there it sits - burning, representing some one's intentions and concerns. Had this been back in Ottawa I'm pretty sure that within a day it would have been used as a football or stolen.

It says a lot about the power of traditions, and perhaps superstition, in this country.

28 febbraio - San Osvaldo

A Hitchcock Moment

Monday February 4, 2008 - 6 P.M.

This afternoon around five as I sat working in what we laughing call the Office - in better days it would have been the maid's room, a very small maid I might add - I became aware of the most incredible sound. It was a buzzing, flapping, whistling noise that sounded vaguely familiar; somewhere I had heard that sound before. And then it hit me: The Birds! Tippi Hedren!



I looked out the back window and there were thousands of swallows: hundreds perching on, as hundreds more swarmed around and into, the surrounding pines tree. The noise was almost deafing. I ran for the camera but it wasn't until later I remembered the video feature and caught the tail end of the event. Laurent saw them heading up Via Nomentana towards Porta Pia and said it was like an enormous - very noisy - cloud.

Ten minutes later there wasn't a bird in sight nor a chirp to be heard.

4 febbraio - San Gilberto

Overkill

To get into our complex – Villa Nomentana – you have to get past the Portero, have the key for the front gate, the key for the building and two keys for the main entrance to the apartment. Should you make it that far and decide to leave by the service entrance you are faced with this:

Is it me or does that just seem a bit like overkill? Or maybe there’s something about the neighbourhood we don’t know!

25 agosto – San Luigi di Franschi

Hibiscus

Our friend Betty Jean donated plants from her terrrace when she was moving. I've never had much luck with hibiscus but this one seems healthy and is now on its second set of blooms in a week.

23 agosto – Santa Rose di Lima

The Reese Report – Rome II

Well Reese has laid claim to the small garden at the back of our complex – he has decided that any other dog coming within 10 feet of “his” fountain has to be challenged. For a little dog he does have a big bark but the minute it looks like the other dog is going to break the 10 foot rule he backs off. As most Romans love their dogs only slightly less than they love their children – and in some cases slightly more – there are plenty of dogs to react to his bold challenge. The Shetland downstairs cowers; the Dalmatian from across the road goes into a frenzy of barking wanting desperately to put this little piece of fluff in his place and the Weimaraner with the sad eyes looks even sadder and just keeps chewing on her rubber bone.

We’re still having problems with the accidents in the house – and we’re not sure if it’s just the break in routine, an infection or the effect of advancing age.We find that we’re taking him out at almost 4 hour intervals. And as to the accidents, well as Laurent says: Its only water.

15 agosto – Azzensione Maria Virgine