Perhaps for me, Rome is a city that is not unfamiliar even though I have never been there. How many Hollywood movies have been made here? From romantic movies like "Eat, Pray, Love", "When in Rome", to suspenseful "Angels & Demons", "Spectre" and even comedy "EuroTrip". The annoying thing when talking about Rome is that "Rome is mentioned too much". But I come to Rome at a different place, I will not talk about the majestic Colosseo, Foro Romano, Fontana di Trevi, I will talk about less bustling things, without the hustle and bustle of tourists jostling each other to take pictures at Fontani di Trevi, without fear of robbery in front of Colosseo.
Today, let's walk on the cobblestone streets. Oh, before going out, remember to wear some warm clothes, a trench coat will help us shine more in this already sparkling street.
I was immersed in the Christmas atmosphere as suddenly as I lost my luggage when I arrived at Fiumicino Airport. I left the thoughts of going to these star-marked places on the map, to those restaurants on TripAdvisor, and chose to wander gently through the streets. I was still wearing the same sweatpants I wore on the plane because I had no change of pants, but it didn't matter, the trench coat my lover gave me covered up a little fashion mistake. When I arrived at Via della Scala, the atmosphere gradually warmed up.
The way I know that Christmas is coming to Rome is like the way we see winter on the daisies trucks in Hanoi's Old Quarter. What makes me know that Christmas has come here is that the houses, shops, and restaurants have started to hang yellow lights, round mistletoe or green pine trees around their doors. A few steps around Via della Scala is enough for me to feel that atmosphere filling the streets.
From the Castle of Angels, I crossed a bridge over the small Tiber River, feeling like I was walking on a bridge in Paris, a little nostalgic for last Christmas when I had the chance to transit in Paris for half a day and enjoy the Christmas atmosphere there.
While we're at it, I'd like to discuss some of the names of Italian countries that have been transliterated into English in many different ways without keeping their originals. For example, the Tiber River, when transliterated into English, becomes Tibre, or not Roma but Rome, Venezia becomes Venice, Firenze becomes Florence, Milano becomes Milan. Searching on Google, there's no specific answer, only knowing that names of Latin origin are often translated into other names in English because they're hard to pronounce. But I still like the original names of cities and rivers in Italian, it sounds a bit romantic.
It can be seen that Christmas in European countries (with experience of celebrating Christmas in Paris, Reykjavik and a little bit in Rome) has a "not bustling" atmosphere throughout. Some Christmas markets will be especially bustling, but "rumor has it" that only some cities and towns such as Strasbourg (France), Munich (Germany)... but Christmas in European cities is only expressed through the menu with delicious eggnog or cinnamon cakes for a warm Christmas season, and the decorations around the streets.
Christmas in Rome is the same, no noise, no fuss, just the chilly air with a few warm yellow lights that make us not need too much, just sit down at a roadside restaurant and order a special menu.
