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[Odler]

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It is 11:25 p.m., in Rome, the Eternal City, the capital city of

Italy, the capital of Catholicism. It is 5:25 p.m. in New York,

capital city of the world.

Once again, I lived the miracle of a metallic box flying across the

Atlantic Ocean, from Newark, New Jersey, at the fantastic speed of

1,000 km per hour, and landing safely 7 hours 34 min later 6.600

kilometers away, in Rome.

Only two hundred years ago, no one would even imagine this feat, let

alone ring it as possible. Miracle of science, miracle of our

civilization, a miracle daily re-lived and forever wonderful.

Rome is intrinsically intricate with our Judeo-Christian heritage.

Built in the 8th Century before Christ, the City not only for

centuries dominated the rest world by its army, its richness, its

arts, but it is its powers that were involved in the demise of Jesus-

Christ. And paradoxically, later, his powers fueled the expansion of

Christianity.

Rome, Rome, Rome, magic city of the dolce vita, grandiose symbol of

an evil empire of ancient times, relic of a mighty state. Rome of

beauty, of grandeur, of excesses, of divinity, of libidinity, of

gladiators, of Leonardo da Vinci.

Rome of Nero, of Ben-Hur, of Caesar, of Romulus and Remus, of Russel

Crowe.

Rome, for the time of a pizza in the shadow of the Coliseum. Or,

Rome, the metropolis of 2,6 million, that makes our history as a

civilization. Rome forever with us, in the past, in the future. Rome,

the Eternal City...

(The Traveller, Friday, Nov 8, 2002)

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