Obama and Benedict

Took a stroll down to the Piazza to see what could be seen. Not much, as it turned out.


Anyone who spends any time in Rome quickly learns what a bunch of flirts the Carabinieri are.


The security around St. Peter's was OTT today, but I noticed, not so many cops as for the Gay Pride thing.

Odd.


Now there's something you don't see every day. St. Peter's Piazza empty at mid-afternoon in July.

To avoid the crowds of excited American tourists waiting to catch a glimpse of their messiah, I walked one street over past Santo Spirito in Sassia. They were getting ready for some big thing, stringing extra power cables into the building.


And these guys were waiting for some big release photo-op moment.


As I was walking across one of the bridges over the Tiber, I looked down to see the ducks and this fellow was in there plying the water. A muskrat I think.

Big day for things you don't see every day.