Nobody bathes twice in the same river

Piazza di Spagna 1979


Piazza di Spagna 2017
Finally, we arrived at Rome! Many, many years ago I passed by the eternal city while backpacking through Europe. Inexplicably, I had never come back. Until now!  Throughout that time Rome remained in my memories like a dream place,  full of history, art, and ruins. I was excited to revisit one of my favorites cities. The city where you can eat the best tiramisu and the best pizza.  But above of all, where you can be overwhelmed by the magnificence of the Rome Empire and all kind of arts, starting with the lonely guitarist playing and singing in front of the Pantheon, culminating with the Michelangelo masterpiece in the  Sistine Chapel ceiling.


Fontana di Trevi 1979
Coliseu 1979


We returned the rented car and went to the hotel exhausted, after many hours driving and days touring around Europe. The hotel was strategically located on Piazza di Spagna near the most expensive and luxury shops and the most vibrant nightlife. It had a huge and heavy wooden door that led to a narrow corridor ending in an old fashion elevator, which was so small that just fitted one person and one bag. The noisy and gridded doors and the apparent stainless steel cables transported us to the XIX century. We stepped up to an apartment not so big, but comfortable, took a shower and dozed off for some minutes before the first stroll through the city. I was looking forward to being amazed again by it's mysterious and narrow streets that always end in the most charming squares.

After a quick rest, we went out, heading straight to Piazza di Spagna, one of the most famous and busy squares in Rome. I have kept for decades an old photo sitting in front of the fountain, with my back to the staircase that leads to the Trinità dei Monti Church. I was willing to take another photo like that, to remember that mythical journey of 1979  and go back in time for some minutes.

Getting to the square, I looked for the best place to take the photo, which should seem as similar as possible to that old one. I sited in the same small wall surrounding the impressive sculpture of a boat with big fishes around and asked my sister-in-law to take the photo while I was trying to remember young Rachel's experiences throughout that fantastic trip.

And here is the photo! That is me, although 40 years older, shorter hair, the purse crossed in the chest and no jeans because it has become uncomfortable as the years go by.

But nothing seemed as was used to be, neither I, or the square, or Rome, or anything on that trip. Although I am still Rachel, I am very different of that 24 years old girl, and lots of things had happened in my life.  I got many wrinkles, and gray hair and I went through an ocean of experiences, some good, some not. Although the square is more beautiful, cleaner and rejuvenated, it lost part of its charm, became almost aseptic, perfect in all aspects, everything in their places and full of alert police officers. By the time of my first trip the tourists are curious and unworried, everything was to be discovered, from the store where one could eat the best tiramisu to the coolest bar in Trastevere region. Nowadays everything is already disclosed, revealed and standardized, it is just a matter of following the mainstream. Almost everywhere you go is full of hurried people forced to take care of your belongings to avoid being robbed. Most of the people seem not enjoy the places and walk by taking photos with their cell phones which they share immediately on the social web. Not mentioning the soldier's groups always around, reminding us of the terrorist threats.

Hence, I had to admit once again that the world is not the same, Piazza di Spagna and Rome are not the same either. Society has changed radically. There are no more curiosity or significant discoveries. It seems that fear and technology has permeated everything and everybody;  virtuals relationships has overtaken the real ones; the beauty does not strike or touch the people hearts as was used to do.

Maybe I was naive to think I could feel any  external connection between this two periods of my life!
As used to say Heraclito, the Greek philosopher: " Everything flows continuously, everything is in movement. That's why you can not bathe twice in the same river since in the second time you will not be the same person, and the river will be changed as well".

Fontana di Treve 2017

Coliseu 2017


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