Rome

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4/16/07
The reality of going to Rome has finally hit. Until Friday I’d been focused on tying things up at work and pulling this trip together. For having decided, only 5 weeks ago, on a trip to Rome sometime after Easter, everything has come together well. The last uncertainties were resolved, the last errands run on the way to the airport, and we arrived earlier than needed…t then I was finally excited about going to Rome. After a light dinner at the airport; love the new eating area in the new Sea-Tac wing, we shopped at the Ex Officio store. I bought the Excursion skirt, been looking at it for awhile but figured it would be handy for this trip.

Met Aya in the airport before take off, she’s returning home and meeting a friend while she’s laying over in London. She reminded both Chris and I of Jen; in looks and in outlook. Like Jen, she too is a world traveler. During the flight to London, I met and had a wonderful conversation with Alphaf, my seat companion on the other side of me. Chris is usually the chatty one, making friends wherever we go, but it was my turn this time. Very interesting man; I enjoyed our conversation and was inspired by his optimism, work ethic and love for his family. Our conversation made the flight seem much shorter.

4/17/07
Heathrow was interesting… our first trip into London. They have a system set up where you have to go thru security once you’re off the plane before you transfer to another terminal. We were stunned by how many people smoke in the UK. After walking past the enclosed smoking area I wanted to take a shower I felt so covered with smoke. All the cartons of cigarettes in the Duty Free shops had huge black on white “Smoking will kill you” signage, yes; it was that blunt, covering about half of the carton.

2 hours after touching down in London, we boarded our flight to Rome. Never did get the “authentic” fish and chips I dreamed about before we took off. I’m reading Rick Joiner’s The Final Quest as we travel. Just before landing in Rome one section on running into the battle before your ready really hit me hard and brought the Albania team to mind. As we were landing, I thought of the team, the retreat participants, us in general, this trip in particular, the necessity of “moving out” only when we’re fully prepared, not rushing in prematurely, keeping events in perspective and not being taken out by our egos or pride. Heady thoughts to begin our visit to Rome…

So, when you think of Italy, the Italian men and their appreciation of women comes to mind, maybe not the first, or the second thought, but it will be in your top 10. We’d been traveling for 15 hours, it was about 11pm local time, I’d slept in my comfy sweat suit, felt rumpled, tired, didn’t have a clue where we were going, and all I could think about was our bed and a fresh change of clothes… now. And yet for all that, I approached the Customs booth with excitement and anticipation for our time in Rome. Looking at the Agent, it was obvious he was about to make a complementary remark, then he came to a verbal screeching halt as Chris stepped up behind me. He completely backpedaled, apologized profusely saying “It’s the heat of the Italian blood” and prayed that Chris wouldn’t pound him into dust. I had to laugh, not at him, but at the situation. Chris told him it was OK to admire me as he felt the same way. Needless to say, we were quickly processed thru customs without a question being asked!

Chris checked with the money changers at the airport, found their service fee to convert to Euros’ was prohibitive and we moved on to the baggage area where we collected our luggage and then proceeded outside to find a taxi. Arriving that late, staying outside of Rome proper, and having “extra” bags, I knew we’d be hit with an expensive ride. We negotiated in US dollars for a ride out to the convent; we were in such an unusual area that they had to consult a street map to find the location, and after our driver circled the block several times, just before midnight we were dropped of at our new home. Checking in was an experience in itself. First of all, the desk was manned by a man, remember, we stayed in a convent, and he was watching some risqué TV. He spoke no English, and our Italian began and ended with “Ciao”, when he couldn’t find us on the list, he made a call then handed us a key with the number 326 stamped into the bass paperweight attached to it. He then ushered us to the 1 person elevator and left us to find our own room. When we found it, our room was a good size. It faced the street we’d just driven up, which turned out to be the East - my favorite direction for a bedroom. We’d booked a “double”, which in a convent, means you get 2 twin size beds, small twin size beds. So, we pushed the beds together, and denied the ability to spoon, held hands as we slept. The bathroom held it’s own mysteries - the tub was about ¾ the size of a US tub, with ½ of it raised for a seating area to facilitate a sponge bath assisted by a hand held showerhead.

4/18/07
We completely missed breakfast because we slept so late, if you call 9:15 late, but one of the Nun’s was kind enough to allow us to visit the continental buffet as they were clearing the dining room. I thought of Michelle’s explanation “Today… ok. Tomorrow… maybe no.” We’d run into that Italian philosophy on our first day. Somehow it was comforting.

We haven’t planned anything for the day but a dry run to St. Peters. We meet Rich (rome-day-tours.com) at 8:30 tomorrow so we want to make sure we get there on time, as well as figure out how to get there by bus. At the front desk we were able to buy a week long busMetroTram pass for 16 Euro each. This saved us a trip to the Tobacco shop and resolved our lack of Euro problem nicely.

We caught the 990 bus to St Peters right outside the gate; we were both stunned at the amount of traffic, the craziness of the drivers and the (small) size of the vehicles on the road. By far, most people drove scooters or motorcycles. The Mini Cooper, what is considered “small” or a “micro” in the States, was a mid-sized car in Rome. The two seater Smart car was by far the most popular car on the streets. And the drivers! It wasn’t unusual for the scooters or motorcycles to zip down a road between lanes of cars and buses, or even wind their way between cars and buses. With all that craziness we never saw an accident. We were both amazed at the bus driver’s ability to handle the bus on roads where the clearing distances on turns was measured in millimeters and not feet. Every time we took a turn around the round-about at the top of the 990 route, I thought of James driving for Metro. He would truly appreciate the skill of the drivers. We gained a whole new level of appreciation for the ability of the bus drivers. Our visits to Stephanie in NY really helped with the culture shock of using public transportation. When your primary mode of travel is to drive a car wherever you need to go, and work is 36 miles one way, the crowds on a bus, the rhythm needed to ride, and the whole juggling of different lines and their destinations can become overwhelming. And for all that, we never found a bus schedule… I finally bought another map that gave us route numbers, but no schedule.

Arriving by the Vatican, we got off at Piazza del Risogimento and had our first Italian pizza at Paridisio Pizza. Pizza in Italy is not like pizza in the States. First, it’s pre-made, you point to the type you want, they cut off a chunk and then heat it up for you. We sat at the sidewalk tables while we ate and did some people watching. Chris found a favorable exchange rate and service fee a few doors down and changed some Dollars to Euros.

Once we were fed, and had gained our bearings, we headed around the corner to St Peters to find where we were to meet Rich the following day. Thinking the restaurant was within the square; we walked into St Peters square, and were hit with the rolling mass of humanity. It was about noon and the line to enter was about half a mile long. They really have the directing of people down to a science, every bit as good as Disneyland - understand, I’m not saying the two places are the same, only that the number of people that visit both and the necessity to have some sense of order is similar. Looking across the square it was covered with tour groups, you could tell them apart by the standards the leader held aloft for their people to locate and follow. Over the week I looked for the character of the group that the markers symbolized; there were country flags, simple ribbons, a stuffed sunflower, a bouquet of artificial Calla Lilies (my favorite standard), a closed umbrella with red flowers sewn all around the edge, and the list went on. Some groups had matching hats and others had matching t-shirts or “scarves”. There were groups of children, teenagers, and people from all different countries. There were religious groups dressed in similar habits, and most every group wore a headset that connected them with their guide. Crowds usually don’t intimidate me, but this entire square covered with humanity made me pause a moment. I was able to ask a Vendor and he told me the address was outside the square, and I have to admit that I was relieved that we didn’t have to plunge into that crowd. Just outside the square we found the restaurant, and now that the purpose for the day was met, we decided to go exploring.

Heading back to the bus stop, we passed, Soprani, a religious souvenir store. I walked in and left without buying anything because of the crush of Clergy and Lay people inside. I don’t remember what bus we caught but inadvertently, by the end of the day we’d seen many of the sights that held interest for us; Piazza del Popolo, Via del Corso, the Fontana de Trevi, the Colosseum, walked through the Roman forum, the Jewish Ghetto, and many different neighborhoods. In the process, we gained a comfort level with the layout of the city, how to move thru it, the bus and Metro layout, and experienced touring Daniels way - by visiting gelato stands. Everywhere there were masses of people. The Fontana de Trevi was very cool, literally and figuratively. The heat of the day had begun to wear on us so sitting in the shade eating a gelato was restorative. As we moved on, we purchased some artwork from one of the many street Vendors. Heading home we got lost but soon figured it out and walked into the convent about 11pm.

4/19/07
We met Rich at 8:30. The change in the square was amazing; it wasn’t just that we weren’t there in the heat of the day, but the handful of people was a huge relief. Rich told us that the Pope’s birthday had been on Tuesday and that the Wednesday Mass wasn’t just the normal Pope led mass, but also his birthday Mass. The number of people that had attended was larger because of that. On Friday we ran into some people who said St Peters basilica was closed in the afternoon because of the Pope’s birthday party. I was just relieved we were early enough that we didn’t have to deal with the crush of people. Yesterday, on the way in, I’d seen a line for the Vatican museums that followed the wall down the street, around the corner and down several more blocks, I had no desire to spend several hours in line and in the heat.

Rich lead us into St Peters, giving us background and history on just about everything you could think of. I was glad that we’d ended up with a private tour, we were able to ask questions and move to areas that were of interest to us rather than spend time on what the guide deemed interesting. I saw too many people within groups that were board with their agenda. Four hours later we approached the alter canopy. It was hard to believe that we’d spent so much time and not even begun to scratch the surface of the Basilica. Standing under the main dome, trying to comprehend the size of the dome, scale takes on a whole new meaning here, Rich told us that the huge alter canopy (less 6’) could fit into the small dome stories above us. That was mind boggling, and we didn’t fully comprehend the size until we walked up the dome on Friday and looked down at the main floor from the base of the larger of the two domes that make up the roofline of St Peters. We were overwhelmed by the size, the grandeur, the workmanship, the history and by the humanity that filled the Basilica. Halfway to this point we’d come to Chapel of the Most Holy Sacrament. It was a chapel reserved for prayer; no talking, no photo taking, nothing but prayer. As I entered thru the thick velvet drapes, the smell of incense struck me, as well and the presence of the room. Talking at the alter canopy, we realized it was close to noon, and our reserved time with Rich was running out so we headed to the Vatican Museums.

Rich really has the Italian ways figured out, you’d think he was a native to Rome the way he moved thru the crowds and line. While we visited the toilets; it was a difficult concept for me to wrap my brain around that all the public bathrooms are in a restaurant or bar and you weren’t expected to purchase anything to use them, Rich got in line. We joined him and entered the museum. We’d agreed that most of our time would be spent at the Sistine chapel so we adopted a bruising pace thru the museum. At one point I looked out onto the Papal gardens and the peace that flowed from them was so inviting, I reluctantly turned from the window and rejoined the throngs moving through the museum. Both Chris and I found that we were completely overwhelmed with the history, the art, the relics and most of our visit was in a dazed state of mind.

Before entering the Sistine, we stopped at a little refreshment bar for pear juice and a light snack. Then we were ready, or so we thought. Entering the Sistine was kind of like diving into the throng we’d seen at St Peters the day before. The guards kept shushing the people, it’s supposed to be a quiet place but you can’t help but talk to your companions about what you’re seeing. They also kept telling people “No pictures”. Again we were overwhelmed. Rich covered the history of the room and answered our questions for about an hour and then we parted. We hadn’t even visited the Raphael rooms so Chris and I set off to see them on our own. On the way there we decided to stop for lunch in the cafeteria. It was a really good idea. We were able to process some of what we’d seen and how it affected us. Chris saw a group of French High school students blowing off steam having an arm wrestling contest. He went over and talked with them, giving one of the kids some tips how to best position his wrist. As I watched him talk with the one kid, I saw the whole group gather round to learn, very cool moment; Chris in his element, and language barriers completely erased.

We headed back to the Sistine chapel, but that meant we had to walk back thru the entire museum as its all one way. We finally arrived and were able to just sit and look and take it all in. We were able to move beyond the boiling mass of humanity and take in the beauty, appreciate the art and really look at and hear the message of the paintings and the room. An hour later we left, with the intent of seeing the Raphael rooms, but again were so overwhelmed that we walked right past them and it took me several days to realize that we’d missed them. I think the next time we visit I would separate St Peters and the museum, entering each at the beginning of the day.

Still in a daze, we took the Metro to the Spanish steps and ended up at the Fontana de Trevi where we had dinner at the place right around the corner that Michelle had recommended, and finished it with gelato eaten at the fountain. From there we headed home arriving about 10pm. The day had been a difficult one with all the physical walking, but the spiritual, mental, and emotional overload was far more draining.

4/20/07
We decided to ride the 990 bus to the end today. But first, we stopped at the Terma market for lunch fixings to have our lunch at the Colosseum. Catching the 990 again, ended up in Plaza Cavour, and learned a whole new Italian concept; everything is only 200 meters away, be it 50 yards or a half mile. Earlier in the week we’d noticed that every single clock, including the one we’d brought was off. So, two new Italian concepts were added to our understanding. Because of this distance thing, I did not like Plaza Cavour. We wandered around for over an hour trying to find the Metro station. I don’t even remember how we go out of there, but we enjoyed our lunch of sandwiches made with fresh bread, salami, baby lettuce, fresh tomatoes and Pecorino Rigiono cheese, and for me, fresh olives in the shade of the Colosseum. I’d packed zipfizz and mineral water packets (like Emergen-C but in a strawberry which Chris likes). Beverages are incredibly expensive, but the public water fountains were everywhere and the powders added flavor and replenished our energy levels. Bar far the best things we brought with us were those powders, our water bottles, hand sanitizer, hand wipes and pocket tissue. My favorite piece of clothing is my new Excursion skirt. I’ve nicknamed it “secret squirrel”. I love the hidden leg pocket and it means I don’t have to wear the money belt under my clothing.

After lunch we walked over to Palatine Hill and purchased our ticket for Palatine and the Colosseum away from the crowd at the Colosseum ticket window. We knew the ticket was good for both sites, but we found out that you had 24 hours to visit each one once. So we walked Palatine in the heat of the day, enjoying the shady benches and lovely nature sounds in the midst of bustling Rome.

From there we began walking, I don’t even remember where, but hours later we ended up back by St Peters where we decided to walk to the top of the dome. The view of the city is amazing from here, and the size of St Peters and the Vatican begins to be comprehensible. The walk up is not for the faint of heart, laterally or figuratively. I’m proud of the fact that I can make the climb, stairs are still difficult for me and the thought of 300 plus stairs was a bit daunting considering that last year at this time I couldn’t walk 100 yards. As we looked out on to the square, I realize that the sun was setting. I’d wanted to see the sun set and come thru the stained glass above the Apse; the West Alter at the opposite end of the Basilica from where you enter, so we raced downstairs to catch the sun coming directly through the window. Again the size of the Basilica is overwhelming. I much prefer visiting when it isn’t crowded, so much easier to see and (attempt) to take everything in. Only on this visit did I really understand how dark it would be without the aid of electrical lighting, and how dark it was before electrical lighting came about.

Afterwards we shared dinner at a Restorante La Romanell on Via Borgo Pio, a side street around the corner from St Peters. As we were in Italy, Chris had to have pasta, and chose his favorite sauce; meat sauce. We ran into two couples that had just arrived from Chicago, we shared our experiences with them, as well as where we’d found to shop before continuing down the street for gelato. We leisurely headed home, Chris had the patience of a Saint as I kept stopping to take pictures or architecture, plants, and fountains. I understanding that the way I see things is changing. Chris likened it to his photography class where he learned to “frame a picture”. A very enjoyable way to finish the day.

4/21/07
We arrived at the Colosseum at 8:30. It was interesting being out that early and hitting the school and work traffic on both the bus and Metro. We had no problem walking right in and pretty much had the place all to ourselves. Like St Peters, square or Basilica take your pick, size was deceptive. You know that the Colosseum is huge, but you really can’t appreciate it until you have a comparison. Only as more people began to arrive were we able to see just how big it is. I sat in the sun for a bit while Chris continued to walk around. Even at 9 am it was warm and I soon had to move into the shade. The weather we’ve enjoyed has been amazing. High 70’s to low 80’s every day. We’ve begun to adopt the Italian way of resting in the heat of the day, even if it’s in the shade of a tree, sitting during the intense heat is so restful.

We’ve discovered, for us anyway, a new form of touring. We call it “to the ends of the earth”. We pick a bus and ride it till we decide to get off. Today this led us down by the Tiber Island on the Tiber river where we were resting in the shade of the wall during the heat of the day. There is a boat service from where we were North to the Olympic stadium, East of the convent where we stayed. We bought a ticket on board and rode the boat up the river. It was a wonderful, relaxing trip. Interesting way to see parts of the city we’d walked on foot and discover new parts.

Disembarking at the Olympic stadium, we caught a bus and got off in the Via Giuseppe Ferrari neighborhood where the architecture caught my eye. We wandered into a grocery store thinking we’d buy lunch fixings, nothing enticed us so we walked down a street where the neighborhood daily market was just rolling up for the day. The merchants weren’t interested in selling us anything so late in the day so we continued on. We passed several restaurants but ended up back on Via Giuseppe Ferrari at Ulisse across form the bus stop. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch of lemon chicken and pasta with a tomato sauce, fresh bread, a fresh artichoke heart and our first taste of Lemocello. Every time I’ve seen a fresh tomato or bite into one, John’s comment of “Rome, where a tomato tastes like a tomato” comes to mind. The freshness of this meal and the outdoor setting fit his sentiment perfectly.

Catching the bus again, we ended up back by the Tiber and walked up toward St Peters. The week, the walking and the heat has began to catch up with us so we caught he 990 bus, stopped at a little market by the children’s playground for sandwich fixings and headed home arriving about 7pm. We sat on the terrace and enjoyed a simple dinner overlooking the garden. A very peaceful and relaxing way to end the day.

4/22/07
We slept in and then caught a bus to head to Porta Puenta Sunday market. We arrived about 10am - far too late in the day to avoid the crowds. I’d read that this was the ultimate in flea markets, and that wasn’t an exaggeration at all. We spent an hour wandering up and down only 4 aisles before we were done with crowds and then headed back across the river. We ended up by the Ghetto and stopped in a market for lunch fixings, eating beside the road overlooking the river, Chris was tired and his back was hurting from all the walking.

After lunch, we caught a bus, ending up down by the Pyramid, then took the Metro back to where we could catch the 213 bus home. After waiting for an hour, we decided the unusual delay, according to the locals, meant it wasn’t time to head home so we took the Metro to Piazza del Popolo so that we could go to Villa Borghese.

Before entering the park, we headed into the Piazza so that we could fill our water bottles and spent an hour watching a spray paint artist create his surreal art. Standing there was like an art lesson being downloaded. We finally tore ourselves away and caught a bus into the park.

We spent several hours in the park, it was a beautiful day and all the dogs had taken their owners out for a walk. We road the train that toured the park, and then rented an electrical assist carriage to tour on our own. Chris turned in to Mario Andreddi as he peddled us thru the park. I almost began to regret taking him to Vegas in Jan to drive a race car, but he was having so much fun I couldn’t get mad. He commented that his left brain was turning on for the first time in Rome; until that time I’d had the map and done the navigating, but once he got behind the wheel, his sense of direction came back. It was a beautiful day to enjoy the park, I wished we’d picked up lunch fixings to extend our visit there, but our empty stomachs lead us out of the park and back to Piazza del Popolo.

Walking back into the Piazza, we stopped to see what progress the artist had made, then entered the Piazza. I have to say, for as crazy as the motor traffic is, everyone is very pedestrian conscious and most cars stop for people. We walked down Via del Corso, stopped at Il Brillo Parlante for the bathroom, and finding they didn’t open till 7pm, went in search of dinner. We passed several restaurants and found another grocery store but nothing was as enticing as the first restaurant. We walked through several alleys, me taking pictures the whole time, and then returned to the restaurant where we got a table on the street. Our meal there, I had lamb chops and Chris had, you guessed it, pasta with meat sauce, tied (in my mind) with the lemon chicken meal for the best meal we’d had in Rome. We enjoyed our dinner conversing with a couple from Dublin, then headed home after 9pm. Arriving at the Metro stop, we found that the Metro closes at 9pm, not a good thing when your across town from home. And then we found that the busses have limited service on Sundays, which explained why we couldn’t catch a bus earlier in the day. Eventually, an hour and a half later, we made it home. We’d gotten so accustomed to the easy access of the Public transportation system that I’d left the address of the convent at home, and couldn’t remember what our bus stop was called. The next day I took a photo of the address on the street and our bus stop so we wouldn’t run into that problem again. I learned my lesson that night and the next time we travel one of the first pictures I take will be the building, the address and our bus stop!

4/23/07
Today is a relaxed day, we’ve seen and done everything we desired to see and do. Nothing pressing is on our agenda. I want to pick up religious souvenirs at Soprani, Rich told me that’s also where he shops as the pricing is reasonable. We got a late start on the day and ended up at Soprani after 10am. It was already crowded with Clergy and Lay people and Chris waited patiently outside in the shade while I shop. From there we hit a market for lunch fixings then headed home for lunch on the terrace. We read a little, I did some painting then took a nap while Chris explored our neighborhood.

Afterwards we decided to head back to St Peters, we want to return to the Chapel of the Most Holy Sacrament. The line into St Peters is already long, but we implement Rich’s “queuing” techniques and soon pass thru security. We both spent time in the chapel, then Chris left to explore the Basilica more. Meeting up, we headed out and caught a bus to Plaza Cavour.

Now that we know our way around the Plaza, I don’t dislike it as I did on our first visit. At the stop where the bus ends, there is a gelato shop where we found the friendliest people yet, and some of the best gelato we’d had. From there, we walked with our cones toward the Spanish steps, then returned along some high fashion shopping and antique street vendors. Again we headed home early, eating dinner on the terrace and talking about all we’d see and done today and the past week.

This was our last day in Rome. Somewhere along the way we’ve both fallen in love with Rome. The last several nights I’ve been dreaming in Italian, and forgotten what Spanish I know in favor of Italian. We’ve adopted the rhythm and patterns of Rome; when to shop, when to rest, how to travel, what to eat… Our time here is over, we hate to leave… both of us are planning our return.

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