Our European Adventure: Day 35 - Arrivederci, Roma

As all good things must end, so too does our time in Rome. But I did not want to leave without being in old Rome, the antique center. I wanted to walk once again in the footprints of Julius Caesar and Marc Antony. To revisit the remains of the temples of Diana and Apollo.  To gaze once more at the arch retelling the story of Constantine and his battles and of his conversion of all Rome to Christianity. What must those other Gods have thought as their temples crumbled into obscurity? And what of those people who had to be eradicated, the way the Mythras were, when they could not in conscience “convert”?

The Borghese Gardens

What a strange world we live in. Men were being killed over religious beliefs two thousand years ago. Do we learn nothing from history?

However my step back into history was not to be. Today’s world intervened. The entire area of Rome around the Colosseum and the antique center were closed off today. Our hotel concierge told us he thought we would not be allowed anywhere near where we wanted to go, but our taxi driver gave it a try anyway. Impossible. There was a European Union Marathon and it began right there. No one allowed anywhere near.

We were sorry to have our plans disrupted. We had hoped to visit the ruins in the morning and then see the two Capitoline Museums and have lunch in their roof top restaurant. We’ve done this before and enjoyed it. But it was destined not to happen. Furthermore, it being a high church holy day, All Saints’ Day, Vatican City was out. The Pope was saying Mass in the square.

The cab driver shrugged his shoulders and used both hands as only an Italian can, to say, “What now?”

Old Roman Walls in the Borghese Gardens

So we had him take us to the Borghese Gardens. We knew that in all of Rome this would be the most peaceful, pleasant spot to be. We were right. We had a lovely leisurely stroll through paths lined with umbrella pines and cypress, beside rose hedges still in bloom in November, around fountains and by a statue on a horse with nothing anywhere to identify him. (I think it was Napoleon. His brother married a member of the Borghese family back when most of Italy was in the hands of the French.) At one point we sat and listened to an accordion player give a very credible performance of the Bach Toccata and Fugue in d minor. I wouldn’t have believed it possible.

We ended our stroll at the top of the Spanish steps, the living room of Rome. We couldn’t take pictures because the lovely little boat sculptured by Bernini that adorns the foot of the steps is under repair. The whole lower part of the famous steps is encased in tall, obstructive, board fencing.

The Spanish Steps

We’re back in our room now. Nothing is left but to pack. It has been a full, wonderful five weeks.

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Following are my published novels. Go to my Goodreads page, to find more info and reviews.  

To purchase one of these books, just click on the book link below and select the vendor of your choice.

 • The Memory of Roses ~ The story of a secret and how it impacts two generations of the McQuaid family.  It unfolds on the beautiful Greek Island of Corfu and is a tale complete with beautiful and passionate women, handsome and fiery men, and an intriguing mystery.

"The Memory of Roses by Blair McDowell is simply an incredibly lovely story. It’s also a love story, and a story about finding yourself, and about closure. The theme running through the book is “all’s well that ends well.”  --  Marlene, Reading Reality

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 • Delighting In Your Company ~ Delighting In Your Company is a paranormal romance set on an exotic Caribbean island, featuring a handsome ghost and an adventurous heroine who travels back in time to solve a mystery!

"Delighting In Your Company is a unique paranormal romance that brings together island folklore, history, and mystery with an unlikely romance between the past and present that had me going through a torrent of emotions and made it impossible to put down." -- The Romance Reviews

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 • Sonata ~ Sayuri McAllister has just arrived home to Vancouver to find some shocking situations:  
~ A robbery has taken place at her family home, and it is being investigated by her old flame;
~ Alyssa James who she barely knows, is about to become her new stepmother; 
~ and Alyssa’s brother, Hugh James, is a charming Irishman who is intent on bedding and wedding the rich and beautiful Sayuri. 

It’s a confusing and difficult time for Sayuri, especially when dangerous accidents happen to her father and herself – or are they accidents?

“I found Sonata to be a charming novel that left me laughing out loud in parts and gnawing nails in others. It was a delight to read.” – Night Owl Reviews

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 • Abigail's Christmas (short story) ~ An enchanting tale of love and romance, with a magical touch of fantasy.
 
Abigail's Christmas is a holiday story about Abigail who goes looking for a tree on Christmas Eve, and ends up with the man of her dreams in a sleigh in the Rockies --- with a wedding in the offing! Is it real?  Is she dreaming?  Or is it just Christmas magic?

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