Today we saw the King and Queen.
It all started when we woke up and, without showering, dressed in our raggedy clothes
and went up to the train station to a place that makes an "american" style
breakfast. The Man often wakes up with a hankering for bacon, eggs and conversation
with Rocco, the owner of the cafe. This morning, the first words out of his mouth
were, "Do you want to go with me to Rocco's for breakfast?" To which I replied, "NO!"
Fifteen minutes later we were on our way.
The ladies in the back were very happy to see their favorite customer. They made
him a special plate this morning. The scrambled eggs were especially yellow, and
the bacon was especially plentiful. I only had coffee. But, I had two of them.
Afterward, we walked over to the Esquilino market for produce, pistachios and, across
the street, at the Chinese market, I bought five bags of edemame beans. We stuffed
all our purchases into my shopping bag and we caught the bus for home.
Midway on our ride I noticed a big commotion at the Quirinale Hotel. There were
cars with blue lights on top and special looking black shiny motorcycles, complete
with beautifully uniformed police riders. Then I noticed that there were a lot of
police in dress uniforms directing traffic. As we made one turn in the road I caught
a glimpse of the monument at Piazza Venezia, The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
It was full of soldiers.
When we got closer, some plainclothes officer told our bus driver to "move, move!"
He was getting all the traffic out of the way, getting ready for something.
Our bus went across an empty intersection and made an unscheduled stop. I told
The Man to "move, move!" I wanted to get out and see what was going on.
That's how it is around here. Things just happen and you have to watch the spectacles
unfold.
We walked up near the monument and joined about fifty others standing on a little hill
waiting. All traffic had stopped, which was really something because Piazza Venezia
is the center of the center of Rome and is an extremely busy intersection.
There were hundreds of brightly dressed soldiers in formation, standing at attention
wearing various, colorful, shiny, be-feathered, be-metaled costumes. The military band
was there, too, instruments gleaming in the sun.
A motorcade arrived and a black limousine pulled up. A woman security officer ran
alongside and was there to open the door when the car came to a complete stop, just
ahead of the motorcycle police escort.
First, a woman got out of the car wearing the biggest black hat I've ever seen. It was
divine! It was a dream hat, dignified, grand, imposing. And, this lady stepped out of
that car and didn't even bang her hat on the way out. It was smooth, let me tell you.
She'd obviously had some practice. A grey-headed man got out of the other side, but
he was boringly hatless. The woman was escorted to the steps leading up to the Tomb
of the Unknown Soldier. She turned and faced the soldiers below. The band played an
anthem I didn't recognize. Afterward, the woman bowed her beautifully hatted head in
acknowledgment. The band played the Italian national anthem and the grey-headed
man and an Italian minister walked along the line, inspecting the troops.
After the inspection, the grey-headed man and The Woman of The Hat followed two
incredibly tall soldiers, impeccably dressed in beautiful red and blue jackets, white
stretch pants tucked into shiny, knee high, black boots, silver breast plates and
matching silver helmets with huge black feathers. These honor soldiers carried a
large wreath up the marble steps to the lay at the foot of the Tomb.
Afterward we asked some others who these people were. They were the King and
Queen of Sweden, King Carl XVI Gustaff and Queen Silvia.
When I was in the fifth grade I had to write a report on Sweden. I also had a best
friend at that same time who was Swedish and who taught me how to sing "Baa Baa
Black Sheep" in Swedish. I can still sing it and will at any time upon request.
So, I was feeling my Swedish roots as I stood there watching the King and Queen
of the Hat.
Wow. What a life. The whole thing spent traveling around with uniformed soldiers,
security people who run alongside ready to open the doors, bands playing, people
waving, free lunches with foreign dignitaries, and, best of all, a different hat for every
occasion.
"The Queen of Sweden NEVER has to carry a shopping bag full of frozen edemane
beans," I thought. "She NEVER has to stand around on the street waiting for a
stinking bus. She NEVER has to go out with dirty hair in an old brown jacket."
She can just sit around all day listening to ABBA records and watching Ingmar Bergman
films, whilst her maids polish her hats.
I wanna be the Queen of Sweden. "Ja, ja. Take a chance on me".
