What is the importance of Rome in the short-story collection, Unaccustomed Earth?

Rome is the capital of the southern European country of Italy. It is a major center of art, culture, and history. It was the birthplace of the Roman Empire which defeated the previously dominant Etruscan empire that Hema studies in “Going Ashore.” Rome is where Hema and Kaushik encounter one another for the first time in more than twenty years. They have an unhappy affair in Rome, which leads to their parting ways. Hema returns to America to be married, while Kaushik heads to Thailand where he is killed in the December, 2004, tsunami.