The traveller around Europe steps out of his hotel on Via Veneto, into the bright, warm light. A morning breeze from the north blows gently down from the Borghese gardens and along the street. The light combined with the fresh air gives the day a feeling of ease, such as is rarely encountered, and therefore the traveller, known to the kind reader from previous appearances in columns on this website, is in a cheerful and enterprising mood. He sets out to explore Rome in the springtime.
The city has not yet lost its great soul. True, Via Veneto is no longer what it used to be; the street faithfully accompanied the Cinecittà in its decline. Gone are the legendary stars of the silver screen, like Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg. The marble and imperial splendour of the Excelsior also looks a little tired. But much remains from the best times. The Spanish Steps are thronged with tourists, buskers and street traders, even in March; the Babuino still reclines, relaxed and satirical in the old square; and the Vatican gardens are still a wonderful centre of power, a unique quiet place of refuge in an area brimming with vitality.
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