A Lovely Day for a Stroll: Bill Clinton in His Element

NYT
By DAVID E. SANGER

Published: April 8, 2005


OME, April 7 - Flying into Rome as a guest passenger on what used to be his airplane, Air Force One, Bill Clinton had this to say about Pope John Paul II, even in death, "The man knows how to build a crowd."

At lunchtime on Thursday, at the foot of the famed Spanish steps about two miles from St. Peter's Basilica, Mr. Clinton proved that he still knows a bit about that art, too.

Clearly unwilling to spend a beautiful day in Rome cooped up in his hotel, he went for a midday stroll, stopping in at a few of the luxury shops on the narrow, cobblestone streets off the square, known for its fountain and familiar to film buffs as the backdrop for a scene in "Roman Holiday."

While Romans were unlikely to catch a glimpse of President Bush - he moved only in motorcades and appeared only at a few official events - Mr. Clinton was clearly reveling in the fact that shoppers, tourists having lunch at outdoor cafes and Italian business people walking to meetings all stopped to greet him.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/08/international/worldspecial2/08clinton.html