Next time we approach Rome we will do it the way Hannibal did in 211 BCE. He took elephants over the Alps to surprise the Roman Empire, stopping short of the Eternal City because he lacked the necessary supply lines and siege equipment. I can relate. Jubilee assured we wouldn’t see the interior of Saint Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, although I saw them when I was a schoolkid.

The rest of Rome was crowded for November, both a blessing (tourism) and a curse (traffic). I nicknamed our guide Benita Mussolino. She marched us with the glee of a drill sergeant, and seemed enamored with Il Duce’s architectural prowess, pointing out one building he personally designed. As for World War II, she said, “He just picked the wrong side.” Well, then.

We did have a nice lunch in the embassy district, near what may be the most guarded building in the city outside the Vatican walls.