Happy Fourth of July...in Rome!

This year marks the second time in my life I was overseas during the Fourth, the first being my last night in Amsterdam before heading home from my first time in Europe.  I drank a lot and checked out the Red Light District with some Canadians.  Way to celebrate.

Today I decided to wander aimlessly with no real plans, except for reach the Pantheon, which I did.  Before there, I made my way to another Basilica, home to Michelangelo's Moses with horns due to misinterpretation of the Bible apparently, and while there, enjoyed an impromptu choir concert from some out-of-towners from some southern state, recognized the southern drawl is all.

The Pantheon was big...so are a lot of buildings here.  I guess I'm starting to get numb to it all, so it's a good time to move on.

  I noticed an Irish pub out of the corner of my eye and something was calling me to it, so I popped in for a pint.  I ended up meeting a gal from NY who apparently teaches English here and well, she was absolutely nuts, and she was driving a motorbike around the city, so that explains a lot of why I've almost lost my life a few times here while trying to cross the street.  Anyway, I trained in vain to carry on a conversation with her - you know, someone from the states and also looking for a way to celebrate the 4th - but she could not focus on anything. I'd ask her a question about living here and she'd respond, wondering why athletes take birth control that stops their menstrual cycle.  Anyway, I had to keep from laughing really.  She invited to show me around on her bike, but it's way too early in the trip to have to go home with broken bones. 

I escaped that unharmed and headed for a bookstore to pick something up since my current hostel has no exchange, at least nothing in English.  I found something cheap with a lot of pages because tonight I'm celebrating with a book.

Enjoy the fireworks without me everyone!