Sgt Pepper's Band

Tonight after attempting to lure tourists into the Pantheon with Roisin (an endeavor that is receiving stranger and stranger responses, such as: "WHY?!" Well, I am actually asking you if you want a free tour because here at the Pantheon, that means, "would you like to buy some drugs for your children?" Sheesh.), we went for a wander in the area, intending to get some gelato. As we were walking past the newly unveiled Temple to Hadrian, I noticed a great fuss happening in the piazza. At first, I thought that the mass of Polizia meant that something big was happening, but then I realized that there were no Carabinieri present, which there certainly would be if there were any sort of real crime (as opposed to chasing the illegal handbag/sunglasses merchants, which seems to be the sole provenance of the Polizia Municipale).

As it turns out, the Polizia milling about were actually members of the Polizia Band, preparing to play a concert.
I have no idea what their theme was, as they covered everything from Offenbach's Can Can to the theme from Austen Powers. The performance itself, however, was fantastic, because the whole piazza was filled with people just standing and watching them play. Even these two guys in the building behind the band stopped to lean out the window and listen:


At the end, they all stood up and put on their fantastic hat/helmets to play the Italian national anthem:


I mouthed nonsense words, since I have no idea what the Italian national anthem is, but it was fun to participate...