Upon arriving in Rome a good friend back in Ithaca told me about a particular saying…That a True Roman returns to the city when he (or she, or they) is able to stick their thumb into a fountain and successfully get water into their mouth the first time ’round.
Apparently, I am a True Roman and have returned to the city, perhaps after thousands of years, if you believe in reincarnation that is.
After traveling about to other Italian cities this past weekend, I quite missed these free standing and free flowing Roman water fountains. My colleagues have often questioned whether or not such fountains are a ‘waste of water’. This sentiment is clearly debatable, but honestly, as a city planning student I am intrigued to find out exactly the path of water flow to and from these fountains.
As I was walking past this exact fountain in Trastevere once again and saw someone struggling with getting a drink, I thought back the True Roman saying and silently giggled, Questa persona non è una Romana vera…This person isn’t a True Roman!