ITALY WATER FOUNTAINS

But some things are only in Rome. Like the sandwich counterman so comfortably calling me “beautiful” every time we speak. You want this panino grilled or cold, bella? … And then there are the fountains. … I already have a few contenders for my favorite fountain in Rome. One is in the Villa Borghese. In the center of this fountain is a frolicking bronze family. Dad is a faun and Mom is. a regular human woman. They have a baby who enjoys eating grapes. Mom and Dad are in a strange position — facing each other, grabbing each other’s wrists, both of them leaning back. It’s hard to tell whether they are yanking against each other in strife or swinging around merrily, but there’s lots of energy there. Either way, junior sits perched atop their wrists, right between them, unaffected by their merriment or strife, munching on his bunch of grapes. His little cloven hoofs dangle below him as he eats. (He takes after his father.) (P.36)

He drives for a big, then pulls the car over in the center of the Piazza della Republica, one of Rome’s more noble open spaces. He parks in front of that gorgeous fountain with their phallic flock of stiff-necked giant swans. This fountain was built fairly recently, by Roman standards. According to my guidebook, the women who modeled for the nymphs were. a pair of sisters, two popular burlesque dancers of their day. They gained a fair bit of notoriety when the fountain was completed; the church tried for months to prevent the thing from being unveiled because it was too sexy. The sisters lived well into old age, and even as late as the 1920s these two dignified old ladies could be seen walking together every day into the piazza to have a look at “their” fountain. And every year, once a year, for as long as he lived, the French sculptor who had captured them in marble during their prime would come to Rome and take the sisters out to lunch, where they would reminisce together about the days when they were all so young and beautiful and wild. (P. 86)

-Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray Love

elizabeth gilbert

EXCERPTS

TRAVE

FAVE BOOKS

MY TOP FAVE BOOKS:

LIFE-CHANGING:

Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert

Find Your Why, Simon Sinek

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck

FAVE BOOKS that I will read and reread:

Eat, Pray Love

The Alchemist

FAVE AUTHORS:

David Sedaris

Amy Tan

DAVID SEDARIS

HIGHLLY LAUGH OUT LOUD RECOMMEND!

Dress Your Family In Corduroy And Denim

NAKED

ME TALK PRETTY ONE DAY

The below I’ve read too, but didn’t think they were funny.

Barrel Fever

Owl

Christmas ones

Squirrel