Quo Vadis?

This was a beautiful day in Rome after yesterday's rain but I cannot say I enjoyed it.

It began well enough. Lyn went to mass in Santa Maria in Trastevere and I did the shopping. Then we replenished funds at an ATM and successfully caught Bus 118. The plan was to do some gentle walking along the ancient Roman road leading south of Rome - the Via Appia. This area is chockers with ruins and on Sunday is usually a beautiful place to explore and stroll. 

The bus was full of tourists and German school students with similar plans. However, according to my smartphone we were going the wrong way - for a very long time. "Where are we going?" I wondered. Bi-lingual tourists established that there was some sort of marathon and the bus route had been changed. A 15 minute trip became 45 and when we eventually reached the end of this journey we were 5 kilometres from where we planned. The bus, we established, was not heading back for 3 and a half hours. The cause of this debacle was a marathon or something. Telling passengers what was going on was beyond the driver. He seemed thoroughly pissed off.

We made enquiries locally and learned we could walk the Via Appia back towards Rome and end up where we should have started. Rather than waste the day, we set off. If we hadn't been a little anxious it would have been a pleasant walk. The fact was though, we didn't really know where we were going.

Romantic old ruin standing next to the tomb of Cecilia Metella

We found the happiest man in Rome flogging bread rolls in a van and so we didn't starve to death. We eventually reached the bus stops at the end of our walk in the area of the catacombs. We waited for a long time at the bus stop at one of the catacombs. There were several others waiting on the side of a busy road. Bus 118 was the only bus that stopped at these stops, but Bus 118 never appeared. A German tour group arrived. They placed themselves in front of those who had been patiently waiting. They also placed themselves on the road. To others, the thought of such discourtesy and danger from traffic would have been daunting, but they occupied the road like their forefathers had occupied sundry other European sites.

My smartphone said 118 wasn't coming so we left the others and walked North. 

To make a long story short, we walked all the way home to Trastavere. We were not pleased. I've no idea what happened to the Germans. I wish them well.

On the way we passed a small church which marks the spot where legend says Peter ran into Jesus. This was long after the crucifixion and resurrection of course. Peter was in Rome and decided to disguise himself and leave the city. He was walking down the Via Appia when he saw Jesus.

And as he went forth from the city, he saw the Lord entering into Rome. And when he saw him, he said: "Lord, where are you going?" 

Now I assume Peter would have spoken to Jesus in Aramaic, but the legend has him speaking in Latin, "Domine, Quo Vadis?" Anyway, Jesus was going to Rome and Peter took it as a sign that he should turn around and go back too.  Nobody that day caught Bus 118 so I suppose I shouldn't complain.