Dear Romulus,
founder of a city originated from nothing, which has over the years become great, rich in history and charm, full of wonders, chaotic, sometimes difficult and problematic, stressful but also warm, bright and welcoming. Thank you.
Thank you for having had 2768 years ago (yes, soon it will be Rome’s birthday) the idea and the determination to found what would become one of the most important cities in the world for its history and culture; a city that has evolved over time, to become an important protagonist of wars, conquests, victories, expansions, dark and golden periods.
It cost you great effort, but achieving success and everyone still remembers you as one of the most important figures in history, along with your brother Remus, whom, however, you did not allow to have a nice end, eh…
Would you like to know what Rome is like nowadays, in 2015? I was born here and I have been living here for years and I can tell you that there are problems today also (although different from those that you faced), many and varied, but they are compensated by the beauty, by the sunsets, by the antiques, which appear all around as you walk in the old town, by the charm of living in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, even if somewhat neglected, full of history and with the nearby sea to enjoy on the sunny days.
Living here, you get sometimes used to the beauty and you stop paying attention to it (you get used to everything, you know) but a walk to the Pincio, the Gianicolo or to the Orange Garden to admire the view, a tour through the Coliseum and the Imperial Forum, or through Piazza Navona, the Pantheon and Campo de’ Fiori, or a walk through the streets of Trastevere, can raise the spirits of anyone in a bad mood and are most certainly worth the price of living in a doubtlessly complicated city.
What are these difficulties? Should I start the listing Romolo? Alright, I’ll be good. Let’s start with the traffic: if you have never been stuck in the traffic along the Tiber during rush hour or on the Grande Raccordo Anulare (Ring Road of Rome), when everyone is returning home from the office, well you were lucky! It is not a pleasant experience, but it happens very often to all Romans who, between demonstrations, strikes, rain and various disasters, have now acquired a high level of patience (although a few swear words sometimes slip out).
If you want to avoid taking the car, you will encounter the terrible public transportation, which, again, put another strain on the limit of tolerance to stress of Rome’s citizens: long waiting times to get on, on often overcrowded busses or trains, where you get squeezed like sardines. Getting an idea? There is then the chapter on street cleaning which in some neighbourhoods leaves much to be desired: overflowing garbage bins and litter on the ground. The people’s lack of manners is always a problem.
Thank you all the same Romulus, because I love this city, it belongs to me, I know it like my own pockets, I live it every day and, although sometimes I cannot stand it, for most of the time I love it and I am proud to belong to it. With more care, more organization, less complications, cleaner, I would certainly live here better, but Rome is Rome and it is always worth it.