Military Madness

I had the luck of being in Rome for the National Day of the Republic. The Romans celebrate this holiday by parading any and every arm of their military around the Colosseum and past the Forum to show everyone how well dressed they are. It ends in a "freccia di tre colori" put on by the finest pilots in Italy. It's quite a sight, and includes also armies from other nations and NATO. Here are some of my favorite snippets:

Look closely, and notice the firemen repelling off of the Colosseum. Yes, this really happened, no there was probably no really good reason for this other than to protect the colored fabric hanging from the sides of it...


Roommate (Elizabeth), Italian friend (Nicole) and me:


Napolitano and Prodi:


The Greek military:


The Italians. Yes, they're as short as they seem.


French military:


The special "skiers" of the Alpine Army. Carrying their skis. Classic.


Wow. Not sure who these guys are, but they're quite intimidating!


...and last but not least, the gem of the parade: a Lamborghini police car. Only in Italy.