Discovered Heaven in Rome!

On  Saturday, we had the day to ourselves. Kristen, Cayla and I had every intention of making it to the Spanish Steps AND the Trevi Fountain. Steven from the Accent office suggested that we check out the wonderful garden at the top of the Spanish steps. We thought we'd go check that out. Little did we know that this little garden was NOT so little! 

We climbed the 135 steps to the top of the Spanish Steps and went in search of Villa Boughese.  Just outside of the garden, we had a view of the entire city.  We then spent the next four hours wandering around the garden! Simply...unbelievable. Nature at it's finest. Huge trees, plenty of grassy areas to sit on for hours reading a book, fountains, places for kids to play soccer or cricket, a pond to take a rowboat ride in, flowers to photograph, a cinema, wildlife, and so much more.  

There was even a ZOO. We spent the afternoon at the zoo in Rome. What an opportunity! We saw many of the same things we see in American zoos, such as monkeys, elephants, giraffes, lions and tigers and bears...oh my! In one of the buildings at the zoo, there was a exhibit on water and how we need to conserve it. A few of the posters in the exhibit were done by kids, who not only had creative ways to conserve water, but also stressed the importance of water in our world. 

It was a REALLY long day! We never made it to the Trevi Fountain. By the time we left the zoo, we were in total diva status. We were in need of some good food....well, any food! Pizza was quick, easy and amazingly good as usual. Back in our room, we decided that we would get up at 5:30 AM and head to the Trevi Fountain to get some early morning pictures. 

Well...............those plans didn't work! Either the alarm didn't go off or we totally missed it. We didn't get up until 10. I guess we needed the sleep. Felt great to sleep in...although I do miss my bed, pillows and snoring moose! =) We did make it to the fountain and of course, we threw in our coins. Like so many other fountains we have seen in Rome, the sculptures are astounding. Perhaps, we'll make it back before nightfall. However, this afternoon, we had a thunderstorm roll through. 

On Monday, we journey to Florence. We will first spend the day at Castello Banfi winery,  which was the first winery in the world to be internationally recognized for exceptional environment, ethical and social responsibility. Dr. Tornabene says our tour will focus on safety and health in the workplace. 

I am leaving Rome with more questions than answers. The public safety/volunteer force within me is strong right now.
I want to know if they have volunteer fire departments or paid departments and what type of training these firefighter receive. This city has so many Smart cars. What types of training are available, especially when it comes to extricating people. 
 Also, with as much water as there is in this city, where are the sprinkler systems for buildings? My hotel has no sprinklers. 
What types of fire prevention are taught to kids? 
Is there a public safety division? What is included under the scope of public safety ( fire marshal, law enforcement, traffic safety)?
Do they have a program such as Juvenile Firesetters for kids who get caught starting fires? 
Are there laws here similar to the Ted Foss Move Over Law. Although, I'm not sure where the police would pull someone over at. The roads are so narrow, that stopping would surely cause an accident.
What about car seats for kids? I saw some 18-24 month old just riding in a car being held by an adult. I know they have car seats because when we left the zoo yesterday, I saw several car seats in vehicles. Also, do they offer car seat clinics to help people properly install their car seats? 
What is the seat belt law? Is there a fine for not wearing one?
What is the helmet law? 
What is the accident rate here? 
How many people die in house fires each year? 
And so much more....

I am excited to start week two of our trip.  Conversations about a summer internship for 2012 have been floating between Dr. Tornabene and me. We'll see what sort of information we can turn up first.