Subscribe by email:I haven’t been to Rome, so why did I set Her Shameful Secret there? One reason is that Rome is romantic, colorful and filled with beauty. It’s the place of myths and legends. Art and history. It’s no wonder that the city is popular with honeymooners and romance readers.
In fact, you don’t have to look hard in Rome to find the simple gestures of romance. I recently viewed over 800 pictures a relative took when they went to Italy. Yes, 800. I’m cursing the person who invented memory cards. One picture caught my eye:
So I asked: Did you see who left the rose? Was it an old gentleman like in Under the Tuscan Sun?
She: I don’t know.
Me: I wonder what it means. Ooh, I bet it was a secret admirer.
She: No idea.
Me: Maybe it’s an apology. No, I think that would mean a whole bouquet of flowers.
She: The Trevi fountain is in the next picture.
Me: In a second. Or maybe it’s a secret message. Like a code. From one spy to another.
She: Or maybe the florist left it there because no one was home.
Me: Aren’t you the least bit curious about the story behind the flowers?
She: No.
Me: Seriously? You’re killing me.
I decided that I don’t want to know the real story behind it. In my mind, it was a secret admirer. There’s an old charm about it, so I want the flowers to have been from an elderly gentleman with a hat and cane. And he was wooing a woman with white hair, wrinkles and wicked gleam in her eyes.
Rome is probably not as romantic and beautiful as I imagine. But I like my idealized version and that’s the one that’s in Her Shameful Secret.
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You are correct-parts of Rome are beautiful and oh so romantic. However, one has to take into account it is a really old city with really old buildings.
I really like the photo and its’ romantic connoctation.
I really need to get to Rome! It’s rare for me to see old buildings. I think it would be a treat (until I have to climb all the stairs or discover all the inconveniences of old buildings!)
Since your relative doesn’t know the meaning behind the rose, we can make up our own stories. I can’t believe she isn’t even curious!
I know! She’s not even a little bit curious. She says she took the picture because he liked the colors of the flowers against the door.
The old buildings of Europe bring such awe, especially since there is few like it in the United States. The picture captures that romanticism well. It makes the perfect springboard for many “what if” kind of stories. It could have even been a woman who left the flower. Oh, the possibilities.
I know what you mean about friends’ holiday snaps, Susanna. I sat through my friends’ LA holiday memories, which turned out to be nothing but photos of the Hollywood sign! From the back, the front, the left, the right, each individual letter… Until that day I didn’t think it was possible to fall asleep with your eyes open.
It’s a beautiful photo of the flowers on the door. I imagine they were put there by a man trying to win back the heart of the woman inside who won’t answer the door to him because he broke her heart.
Aww… I can see that possible story in my head very clearly!
this sounds most intriging. I’ve never been to Rome; but sounds so amazing.
One day I’ll get to Rome! And I think it will exceed all my expectations.
That’s a lot of pics to view.