I keep on walking past this hoarding half-way down via Giulia, in the one ugly spot on one of Rome’s most beautiful streets. I always wonder, “Is this Rome’s new traffic plan?” Because that’s what it says at the bottom: Rome – Traffic and Mobility Action Plan.
And I wonder “When is this going to start? It looks exciting. Am I ready for it? What is going to happen?”
On and on it goes. Yards and yards of fancy dresses and solemn notices.
It’s only when you get right to the end, you discover what is happening. It’s just two different messages one on top of the other. The top says “The Friends of Via Giulia Association Wishes You Happy Holidays“.
But they fit together so neatly for 95 percent of the way that I am still tricked every time I walk by. And since fate has put this combination into our hands, perhaps we could do something with it. I still think it would be a brilliant traffic plan. I am not sure how it would be implemented in full. But I can imagine the first morning, with everyone got up like that. Surely traffic would be smoother if everyone was dressed so. The cats, the dogs, the pigeons and the seagulls would stop to watch as well.
Sideways Station 