This is my new best friend Barbara Tintisona.

I hired her to do some research for me in Rome (highly recommended, inquire for details) and met her on Sunday. We were together for 3 hours, and I’m pretty certain we talked for 2 hrs and 59 minutes of the time.

After coffee, she says, what are you plans today, may I show you my favorite Roman attraction? Me: sure!

We get in the car and drive a bit, then up a big hill that has 4 churches on it. She says “oh the line’s not bad, you don’t mind a line, right?” I say “no,” because…non-stop talking who cares where we do it.

So we get in line in front of this building. Knights of Malta something or other. Line doesn’t move. Me: Are we waiting for it to open? Barbara: Sort of, but I don’t want to tell you, you will be surprised.

More yacking. Line moves slowly but doors don’t actually open. What is this?

Front of line: people patiently and graciously take turns peeping through a keyhole in a door.

My first thought, of course, is gutter-worthy: Is it like the Duchamp “sculpture” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art? (Start Googling, people.) Nah, people walking away don’t look alarmed, and 4 churches….

I will tell you the name of the site and the first person to post the correct reply wins lunch on me and a souvenir from Italy (of my choosing, well maybe I’ll take suggestions).

The Aventine Keyhole.

Go!

Are you not in love with this woman now, too? (Thank you, Fred Gardaphe, for the introduction to Barbara!)