Only in Rome...

So I've been in Italy's capital for 5 days now. A quick snapshot:

• salesman changing his shirt behind the counter of an upmarket store. Totally bizarre.
• girls in short skirts and high heels on Vespers with designer bags at their feet
• Italian men stopping you on the street to tell you how beautiful you are, despite the fact your face resembles a pizza (or perhaps because of???)
• gelato. So, so, good. I recommend the raspberry. I have an Italian phrasebook, but it's easier just to point to the pink one.
• megaphones appear to be the order of the week in Rome. Thursday night at 4am a guy started braodcasting through one on the street. At first I thought it was a police action, but once he started crooning "Carolina, Carolina, oh Caroline", I realised it was just a drunk yobbo.
• subsequent admonishing tones by his mates silenced him - for a while. He finally stopped, or I managed to make it to sleep, about 5am.
• another megaphone came out on Friday night at a bar I was at. I haven't seen megaphones hanging alongside the fake designer bags at the Indian/Bangladeshi stalls/blankets that line the streets, so I don't know where they're getting them from.
• free water! Everywhere! Cold, delicious, gift of the Water Spout Gods!
• warnings from every man and his dog to keep your valuables close to you - apparently there are thieves everywhere. Personally I think there are people warning you there are thieves everywhere, and the thieves are on holiday in Spain.
• as Bill Bryson said, there are more ancient ruins here than dog shit. I can definitely confirm that. You can't walk for five minutes without running into a Roman ruin or a crazy Baroque fountain (unless of course you're actually looking for a Baroque fountain, in which case you'll walk around for ages, somehow missing the numerous signs to Fontana di Trevi)
• queue jumping. As I'm relaxed on holiday I can't be bothered snarling and pinching and doing whatever it is you need to do to ensure your place in an Italian line.
• constantly being told you look like a tourist. No! Really??? I'm wearing thongs (the flip flop kind, I'm on holiday, okay?), a backpack, I don't have makeup as thick as my finger on, I'm not teetering around on high heels, I don't have bleached hair, my skin is a patchwork of white and pink, and you're telling me I don't blend in?
• did I mention the Italian men? "Hello, where you from, you are soooo beautiful."

Librarian Out.