Ah, Back in Rome

Wow, it seems my return was definitely a good decision. I have had a very
successful weekend, and had some very appreciative audiences. I just got
an email from someone who bought a CD and wanted to let me know how much
they are enjoying it. Makes me feel all warm inside :)

I wish I'd summoned the courage to set up right next to the ever-present
cops in Florence because I've had such a bizarre relationship with the
polizia in Rome. Yesterday a cop car sat next to my pitch for about ten
minutes while the cops did paperwork, then just left. This morning a cop
in a passing car winked at me. Then this afternoon, playing at what I
doubted was a legal pitch next to the Trevi Fountain, I was told to move
on - after three polizie had strolled right by me. Apparently there are
five or six types of police here, and only some of those have jurisdiction
and of those only some of them care. Interesting...

Playing near the Trevi Fountain was something I've wondered about, and it
turned out not to be a good pitch anyway - lots of people in a narrow
space makes it hard to gather and hold an audience, and people tend to be
swept away by traffic before they get a chance to tip. And the fountain
is rather loud, which turned out to be really neat once I stopped fighting
it and let the music flow with the water. I've been trying to find the
tempo for one of the songs I wrote in Florence, and by playing in time
with the rhythm of the water I think I found it and finalized the piece,
so I'm thinking of fountain- (or Neptune-) related title ideas. All in
all, though, I really didn't mind being told it wasn't a valid pitch.

I did miss the cops at one point yesterday, though. I had a street beggar
walk by and start blatently robbing my tips. He was apparently a bit
simple (maybe retarded?) and I felt like a real jerk - albeit a rather
angry jerk - for taking the coins out of his hands and putting them back
in my till. My audience of about eight people was totally on my side,
though, and stopped him from doing it again once I resumed playing.

I'll be in Rome for a few more days - the one affordable place in Genoa
was booked up until Thursday so I'll be busking some more during the week
before I head north again. I'm also looking forward to taking a day and
playing tourist tomorrow - there are still a number of things in Rome I
haven't seen but would like to!

Hoping you are all doing well,
Vince