La Barcaccia the Fountain of the Boat

La Barcaccia A boy, of twelve, cups his hand and drink water from the fountain near the Spanish steps, while watching the traffic that seems anarchistic and cars park with total disregard to fellow users of roads; he is twelve, dreams of owning a Vespa scooter when fifteen, but for now he has an old bike, not many boys, his age, have got one. It is seven thirty in the evening, a mild April day 1961, the day is over, Bellini is still open and so is Vanity Fair, selling expensive dresses and lingerie’s; but Roland’s the Jeweler has shut shop, by the spring people sit and are sociable, as most Romans are the hum and harmonies of their voices make it good to be human The fountain was designed by Pietro Bernini 1627 and represent a sinking boat that sank here after a flooding. And it was washed up at this spot. The boy doesn’t know that, it doesn’t matter, it had been a fine day when all was well in Rome and no one spoke of carbon foot prints in the sky and other silly things