Plunk. My solitary one cent Euro coin hits the water of the Trevi Fountain. A tiny plunk lost amidst the metallic clangs of coins fired from all sides at the Trevi. Those around me throw two or three coins, hoping to strengthen their wishes.

Some wish for health. Some for happiness. Most wish for love. Two coins thrown specifically quantifies your wish, placing the wisher in a group with other wishers hoping to fall in love in Roma. You can get more for your money by throwing three coins. Then, you will get married in Rome.

I stick with the single coin that guarantees me a return trip to the beautiful city that is Rome. A timeless beauty surrounded by centuries of history and the latest fashions and shopping trends.

Roma intrigues. The hustle and bustle, the present moment, the ancient history. Towering monuments of victory and artistic expressions of beauty are sprinkled throughout the city of Rome.

Cagli, however, is where my heart lies. Here love flows through the narrow cobblestone streets and medieval archways. Piazza Matteoti, the heart of the city. The simple fountain bubbling in the center. A happy tranquility.

Rome's Trevi Fountain is ornate and beautiful, however, Cagli has a stronger hold on my heart.

Sweat mixes with the black smudges on my arm. Damn gnats. They find me wherever I go--even in Rome. Scorching sun. Unbearable heat. I am dripping--possibly even melting into the ground beneath the ruins. I shouldn't be complaining. This is Rome. When in Rome, act as the Romans do. The question is: how do they deal with this weather?

Which way was it again? Look left. Look right. Via Teodoro does not provide an answer. I fish for my trusty, plastic map, compass included. Walk right.

A cool breeze grazes my face. The Tiber River is near. Through the trees I can see Ponte Fabricio--my entrance to Isola Tiberina. The greenish water flows steadily below. Within minutes I am across the tiny island, continuing onward over Ponte Cestio. On the right there are smooth, flat steps speckled with people taking shelter from the sun. When in Rome...these steps become my destination. Scoping out a spot, I head down the stairs. All staircases here lead right to the Tiber, but I decide to settle in a few steps from the fast flowing river.

I inhale the air of Rome. Slap. Another black smudge, this time on my leg. So much has been accomplished in these past two weeks--contemplation is definitely necessary. The soothing sounds of the Tiber are conducive to meditation. I write. Exhale the air of Rome. The past creeps into the foreground of my mind. Twenty-five years ago my father was here. Moments remaining imprinted in his mind-- standing in awe at the base of the Colosseum, throwing coins in the Trevi Fountain. Another journal entry.

Now, the sun's shadow has shifted to fully cover the river. People have scattered. It's almost dinner time. I pause in the center of Ponte Fabricio and raise my camera, seizing one more photo op. Strolling along the cobblestone streets to Hotel Casa Kolbe, a butterfly lands on my elbow. My hand is raised, prepared to add another black smudge to the collection. In that instant the black spotted beauty is gone. Fluttering to a new destination.