It was important to me to become day-to-day fluent and functional in another language, and about 10 years ago, I went to Rome for the first time and felt an instant gut connection and wanted to get to know the city.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I like to be in a European city where I can speak my language.
When I last went to Italy, over two years ago, I had a lot more trouble understanding the language than I used to when I lived there for a year. I used to speak very little but I could understand very well.
One week after moving to Rome, I started writing in my diary in Italian.
I have lived most of my life in Paris, but I have a connection with Rome that I have with no other place. I'm attached by invisible strings.
Due to these various circumstances, when I entered the Catholic University of Louvain in 1934, I had already travelled in a number of European countries and spoke four languages fairly fluently. This turned out to be a valuable asset in my subsequent career as a scientist.
I thought I knew everything when I came to Rome, but I soon found I had everything to learn.
The thing I love about Rome is that is has so many layers. In it, you can follow anything that interests you: town planning, architecture, churches or culture. It's a city rich in antiquity and early Christian treasures, and just endlessly fascinating. There's nowhere else like it.
I was very adept at acquiring languages.
We later moved to Rome, where I am presently living.
Rome is a city I love very much. I have lived there since I was a child.