Feeling Green, Tamara Hodak : ALL OVER ROME, PARROTS FOUND A HOME

Admiring at Roman beauties can be quite exhausting. All over a huge city, which happens to be worlds` historical center, there is a lot to see, a lot to hear, a lot to learn. It requires a lot of planning, walking and eating throughout all day. Even night. So, what to do to get rest while not wasting a day?
There is a perfect solution in the middle of the city. It is called Villa Borghese – the biggest park in Rome. You can relax there doing many activities: walking, running, riding a bike or Segway, have a picnic, a drink, enjoy the views, visit a zoo, theatre or row a boat.
Walking around the park is very relaxing, especially because you will be out of the city crowd and noise surrounded by nature and animals. Speaking of animals, which I love so much, I was surprised to see a lot of parrots. I started wondering how did the center of Rome become their natural habitat. Did they escape from their owners and ended up multiplying? How did they manage to survive? On the other hand, having 20+ year old nimfa, as a pet, who is not really a fan of flying or warm weather and preferres spending his time with dogs, I can understand that bird can adapt to different surroundings.
Doing research about the fact that Afro-Asian and South American parrots live in Rome, I found a theory which says that in the 70s and 80s owners released their pet birds or they simply escaped. Rose-ringed and monk parakeet birds established breeding colonies and adapted to the climate. They do not migrate. Through the years, they also started mutating resulting in having light blue feathers without neck ring instead of recognizable green feathers with black neck ring.
Furthermore, there is a Biopark Zoo as a part of the Villa where you can find over 1000 different animals. It is perfect for the kids or simply to do something different. Price range is from 10 to 16 €.

Entering the park through a different entrance, you can reach the Villa Borghese Gallery where you can find a lot of Bernini’s, Caravaggio’s and Raphael’s artwork. Only 300 people are allowed to enter at a time which prevents the creation of the crowd. Good thing for always-busy Rome.
If you are an opera lover, you will be astonished. The Globe Theatre is located in the park and there are performances a few times a year. Ticket price goes from 10 to 30 €.
If you actually prefer watching movies, there is something more. An open-air cinema during the summer months gives you a variety of choice and it is a great place to meet people while enjoying summer nights in Rome. It is free of charge.
The best for the end – the sunset. Just above Piazza del Popolo, there is a sightseeing point called Pincio from where you can see a stunning Roman sunset and have a view over the city. One of the best spots in historically rich Rome to observe natural beauty.