ROME — Although it was midwinter, streets in Rome were crowded, and historic sites were surprisingly well-populated with visitors. Christmas decorations stubbornly remained in place, appearing, from my perch above the graceful drape of the Spanish Steps, like campfires burning in the early lowering night. On the Piazza di Spagna, 135 Roman travertine steps below, the Dior shop stood canopied by an enveloping holiday display of butterflies in luminescent silver and gold. I was back in Rome after a long absence. This time, following years of struggling to learn Italian, I had arrived with my ski…