Italian Days and Nights

One of the coolest things about Italy is that it's cities shut down from about 1-4pm every day and everything closes on Sunday. Today I went for a walk in the afternoon, and not only were all the shops closed, but there were several people sleeping in their cars at the roadside. America is such an opportunist country. We don't waste one moment of potential economic value. Italians, on the other hand, live entirely in the moment. Afternoons are time for rest after a busy afternoon, and Sundays are family time. Everyone takes this very seriously. Italians take the time to enjoy their life. It seems to me that Americans are so preoccupied with ensuring that their futures are comfortable and happy, that the present passes them by unnoticed.
Though during the day on Sunday, people take off work and spend time with their families, on Sunday nights, the streets of Rome come alive again. Italians don't waste a minute of living life. Some friends and I went out last night, which was a Sunday, to find the Pantheon. This was the second time we've gone sight-seeing at night, and I really think it's the best time to do so. No matter when you venture around Rome, the buildings and the nature and the sights will be beautiful, but at night, under the stars and all aglow with street lights and shop signs, the city takes on a magical quality. I feel like a movie star walking around a backdrop. The city looks unreal and ethereal. At night, most people are out looking for fun so there's a bounce to their steps and everyone has a look of anticipation. I have yet to feel unsafe here. Wandering the cobblestone streets of Rome at night will be something I'll keep with me always.
We took the 990 bus to Piazza Cavour, walked along the Tiber River, then down Via Del Corso, a main artery of Rome. At the start of Piazza Cavour is the Valentino Museum. This incredible and modern structure looks so out of place amongst the old stone buildings that characterize Rome. Walking down Via Del Corso, I saw the Ferrari Store, Fendi, Armani, Rolex, Benetton, and basically every other high end fashion store you could think of. It was 11:00 at night and the streets were full of people. All the stores were open, though still lit up beautifully, but the bars and gelaterias and tiny drug shops were open for business. Though we had a map, my friends and I were not entirely sure that we were going the right way after Anna dropped her compass and we couldnt figure out what direction we were headed. We stopped in an alleyway at a outdoor street sale and bought postcards and I was thrilled with all the knicknacks and paintings and memorobilia for sale. Back onto Via Del Corso, I looked up to see a little yellow sign with an arrow pointing down another narrow alley way that read "Pantheon". I was struck by the simplicity of this sign. The Pantheon, a structure known throughout the world, a sight I have wanted to see my entire life, a building overflowing with history and significance; this building was simply to my right. Down this alley.
However, this was not just any alley. Tucked in this narrow corridor were adorable authentic restaurants, more shops, cafes, bars, more gelaterias, a clockworkers shop, a wood workers gallery, and of course, hundreds of people, young and old, all out late on a Sunday night.
Without warning, the alley curved sharply left and then ended abruptly, and we stumbled out of it, a mere 100 ft. from the Pantheon. It was incredible. To stand in front of this building, the temple of the Gods, after years of studying Latin, Greek mythology, Greek history, and Italian culture, left me speechless. I felt stupid even describing what I was feeling because saying "this is incredible" is really not enough to describe it. We walked around its pillars, read the inscriptions, took copious amounts of pictures, and then decided to go sit at an outdoor bar next to it so we could drink wine while we stared. And while sitting in front of the Pantheon, glass of red wine in hand (which cost only 3.50 but tasted amazing), having a great conversation with some new friends, I felt invigorated, like two chapters of my life had simultaneously closed and opened.
At about 12:30, we wandered back to Tiber river and hailed a cab. The streets were still full of people and full of life.