Archive for the ‘Italy’ Category
You are currently browsing the archives for the Italy category.
13
Jun
2009
Rome Prints
As I’ve continued my trek through the archives (bless the down time), I’ve posted some more prints from Rome. If you want to see them all, check out my Italy Photo Prints.
Some Highlights:
The Pantheon - Rome, Italy
Before I went to Rome, it seemed like I had seen a dozen documentaries on ancient Rome that included information on the Pantheon, the ancient temple to all the Roman gods. This is actually the second Pantheon, built in AD 126. It’s amazing to stand before a building built nearly 2 millennia ago, a building which is still in use today no less! It was given to the Pope in AD 609 and has since then remained a Roman Catholic church, Santa Maria dei Martiri. It’s the fact it was converted into a church for the new religion that enabled it’s survival. Most of the other buildings of antiquity were abandoned and fell into ruin. The interior retains it’s original mammoth concrete dome roof and the niches for the pagan gods (minus the original statues). In addition it has become an honored burial place for noted Italians such as the painter, Raphael.
Piazza della Rotonda - Rome, Italy
This print is a view of the Piazza directly in front of the Pantehon (as viewed from the Pantheon portico). Rome is a collection of these piazza’s – outdoor plazas where the Italians and the tourists vacationing there eat, drink, shop, and socialize. This particular piazza is arguably the most central one in the Centro Storico (or historic district). This is where ancient Rome lay and although the buildings today are not 2,000 years old like the Pantheon, they clearly exude that old european feel complete with mediteranean colors. The recent rains also highlight the sampietrini, the traditional basalt cobbles that have been used in Rome since the 16th century. The sampietrini mimic the ancient cobbles of Rome but are smaller than their predecessors.
Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano - Rome, Italy
Finally, a street level view of the center of the Roman Catholic church, the Holy See, Saint Peter’s Basilica. Although often called a cathedral, this is technically incorrect since Cathedrals are the seat of a Bishop, as the church of the Pope, this is a papal basilica. There has been a church on this site since the 4th century AD, but the present day church was built in the 16th and 17th centuries. At the time of this visit, it was between Christmas and the Epiphany, a festive period in Italy. You’ll note in the photo that the piazza is decorated for the season. The moody skies in this photo make this a strong black and white photo.
10
Jan
2006
From Chasing Sunrise to Chasing Sunset
It occurred to me on the flight back today that the trips to Europe tend to be made overnight, i.e. in search of the sunrise, but the flights back are all chasing the sunset, such that it feels like I went through the longest day. I saw the sunrise at around 7:30am in Rome (six hours ahead of Eastern) and watched it descend over Atlanta as I left Hartsfield between 5pm and 6pm…. Weird!
You may have guessed, I’m back in the states. I could go into heaps of boring details, but by and large I’ll spare you. I went to bed early last night, such that I had literally prepared to put my head down when a new room-mate showed up. The most timid creature I think I’ve ever laid eyes on. I told him my name and barely got a peep of his, “Thomas,” and decided that I’d continue with the sleep process. Within seconds of head hitting pillow I was out. Got up shy of 6am this morning and was on a train about 7am to the airport. Brandy had reported that she barely made her gate by 15 minutes leaving when she did on Sunday. I don’t know if an hour made all that difference or if Sunday was a madhouse of people leaving or what, but I flew through all the gates she mentioned and sat waiting to board for over two hours.
The 11 hour flight was heinously long. Within four hours I’d exhausted what charge remained on my archos (hard drive and mp3 player) so resorted to the in flight music and finished the last of my books. All the while trying to keep some part of my seat from the rather rotund gentleman next to me who seemed oblivious to the amount of personal space he was using.
One of the in-flight channels was the entire Nevermind Album from Nirvana. We touched down to Smells like Teen Spirit, their break-through song. A bit creepy!
And in that angst ridden notion, a small essay I wrote the old-fashioned way at 39,000 feet.
Destinations And Places
An Essay on Life at 39,000 Feet
Outside the plane, there stretches a vast sea of clouds so white that they appear newly laundered. Tiny specks of ocean blue penetrate the carpet below but are almost too small to notice. The plane inhabits a place were the clouds grow thin as if only tenuously connected to their brethren below.
As I look up, the wisps dissolve into the deepest blue, and for just a moment, it all feels unreal. It seems as if the gentlest nudge could send the plane into the heavens. Is our connection as brief as the clouds? Are the jet engines holding us up or down? Here it seems to have no meaning.
With no land in sight, there is at once a feeling of smallness against the backdrop of infinity and a feeling of being connected suddenly to everything and everyone. I know land lies beyond my sight, but I imagine years before when men would steer their tiny boats across the blue sea that hides beneath those clouds. And they did not know what if anything lay beyond.
Would I have their courage? Will I ever sail toward the places not found on maps? Or will I, as so many of us, persist on Mr. Frost’s proverbial more traveled road? I search the heavens for answers but come away with none. And perhaps that is better. Maybe life is meant to be lived minute by minute never knowing what lies ahead or how we will react. I guess I’ll live with the mystery and the hope that’s attached to each new day.
And now time for a long soak and a good nights sleep!
9
Jan
2006
Last of the Roman Holidays
I went to bed reasonably early last night after finishing a book and recharging my phone (I’m a bit afraid to leave it plugged in while asleep on foreign currents). still, when I went to bed, my other two room-mates were not there. I could tell the one from the first night, Mel, was still there and another had popped in to Brandy’s former bed. The one IMMEDIATELY beside me was blessedly empty. I only got disturbed once by the snoring from that guy but according to Brandy he was a rip-roarer. It’s both a blessing and a curse to sleep as soundly as I do. In situations like a hostel, mostly a blessing. The room I have this stay is immediately over the bar, which seems to be a rather poor choice in planning the place, but again, I sleep like a rock. As soon as the sleep dust is in my eyes I’m gone, so no foul.Anyway, I slept fairly late. Woke up enough around 9am to realize that one roomie was in the shower – apparently Mel as she was the only one gone when I got up an hour later. I had my shower and tip-toed out around 10:30am. Had breakfast and scanned the guide for something to do. I’d pretty much missed a chance at Caracalla’s bath as it closes at 1pm and my history of negotiating the local metro on unknown routes isn’t so great. I also honestly just wasn’t that excited about it. I decided to verify that the literally across the street Diocletian bath was indeed closed. It was, but I walked around the fence and had my fill of ruins.
From there, I wandered up to one place that had been on my list since virtually day one. Not in the guide, but I had read about it before I left and I’m fairly convinced that I once saw the place on Ripley’s Believe it or not. The place being the crypt of the Capuchin monks in the church Santa Maria della Concezione near Barberini Square. In the 1600’s, the cemetery filled up and the decision was made to exhume the bones of the Capuchin Monks and move them to the crypt. Apparently they were inspired by similar places in Paris and used the bones to create works of art. The bones are stacked and used everywhere for decoration from rosettes, to lanterns to allegorical tales. The last crypt contains a skeleton that appears as the grim repear complete with wings and scythe, all from bones. There’s a sign that’s been translated into english as ‘As you are now, so once were we. As we are now, so you will be.’ – a reminder of our mortality. It was really worth the visit. No photography allowed, but I got a few postcards and made a donation to the church.
From there, it was time for some aimless wandering. I walked down to the Spanish steps. At the top, someone asked me, “American?” I ignored the first time as there was a crowd and pretended not to realize it was me. The second time he asked, no crowd…. So I said yes? Strange, the day before I was asked twice, “England?” Why today American? Anyway, he asked if I was from New York… I thought about my response and decided not to ask him how many Southern New Yorkers he’d met. I told him I was from Atlanta. “OH, Georgia, he replied. I nodded, then he asked if I spoke Italian. I told him not really. He said, “Oh, well, Happy New Year!” I nodded and said “gratzie” thinking the conversation over. Then he held out a little piece of string in a circle and asked me to put my finger in for good luck…. Okay, I have to say, I’ve had two people ask me to do this in the last few days. Is this some Italian custom that I’m unfamiliar with or as my more suspicious side demands, some sort of con or trick to grab my stuff and run while I’m trying to untie my fingers?! ? Whatever it was, I begged off as before. Both seemed a little too anxious for my taste.
From there on to Piazza Popolo. Probably quite something when the obelisk in the middle isn’t covered in tarps and scaffolding for repairs. Still, took the chance to just sit and take in the views for awhile. When I mentioned it was at the end of the street we were on (via Del Corso), Brandy said she thought this had once been an arena for races like the Circus Maximus.
From there, I wandered into the Borghese area. I thought for a moment that I had found a comic book shop as a store had the Silver Surfer painted above the door, but when I got there it turned out to be an arcade. False advertising!! Oh well, it would have been primarily if not all Italian anyway.
But I took the chance to wander into the nearby Villa Borghese park where several art galleries/museums are. Apparently all closed on Monday according to my guide. The only one I checked was the modern art gallery, but yes, it was closed. However, I found a street and section of the park named in honor of America’s founding father, George Washington. That was unexpected. And then I ambled upon this little lake with a temple in the middle of it. My guide book had only the name of it, Tempio di Esculapio. From what I can find on the web, it was built in the 19th century (in classical style) as a landscape feature. Still, quite beautiful. I got there and the light was hitting it just right so, I took copious pictures. The only other site there was a reproduction of Shakespeare’s Globe. It was pretty enough but even I could tell that it was not true to the original as the one in London is.
From there, more ambling, which eventually took me to the Pantheon one last time, the only day with strong sun that I’d gotten to go in. I wanted to see the oculus with bright daylight. I’d been impressed enough with it in the overcast day that I had seen, but I really wanted to see a strong light coming through it. I had my wish and a small matter of non-communication with one of the attendants. I was wearing a knit cap (as I saw plenty of people there, guys as well, doing – it’s not like the place is heated), and I thought she wanted me to remove it… It is a church. So, I took it off, but she shook her head. She then asked, “Italiano?” No… She sighed, and pointed to the alter and said, “Church?” I couldn’t figure out what she was asking… Do I know this is a church? A Service is starting. Do I attend the Catholic church? What? We tried for another minute before I finally just said, “Gratzie” and shrugged. She shrugged as well and the point of her conversation will remain a mystery.
Outside they were filming a commercial by the fountain in front of the Pantheon. I watched for a few minutes with a big crowd before getting bored since everything that was being said was in Italian and I had no clue what the ad was for. That’s not that different from the bulk of TV in which I remember clever ads but never seem to remember what they were advertising in specific.
From there, westward, through Piazza Navona. The festival from yesterday was being taken apart and the piazza had a much emptier feel. Holidays are over here and the kids went back to school today. Aftewards, one last round by St. Peter’s before I take my leave of Rome. Stood in the the piazza again and looked at the mass of people even on Monday after holidays in Rome are over. I was struck again by the number of beggars in all parts of the city, but I think I saw some of the worst off in this area. I can no longer claim to have never seen a leper at least… I’ve now seen two in as many days.
One last long walk from there down via Vittorio Emanuelle II until I hit via Del Corso. From there, meandered back up, did the last of my shopping for this trip and headed to the Spanish steps. No good reason except that I have one last metro ticket and I decided to use it to get back to Termini from somewhere. Seemed as good as any other. As I trudged up the Spanish steps to the Metro station I knew was at the top, I contemplated that what they really needed was a good Spanish Elevator or American Escalator. This was, after all, following a LOT of walking. At the top, popped into the Metro stop and started down an Elevator. At the bottom, I looked forward into the metro station and to my left at a little alley leading to the piazza at the bottom of the spanish steps… so nevermind that joke about the Spanish Elevator now…
I had one last meal – Pizza – in Termini and just sort of let the tired feeling leak out of my bones as I leisurely ate. Now a little web time before going back and figuring out how to best pack my bag for the flight tomorrow. The trip is over, but there’s still the little matter of an 11 hour flight in the morning, made longer by the need to get to the airport several hours before. According to Brandy the Rome airport has nice long lines in which to stand and use up all of the time you have. I hope to at least have time for a quick breakfast in the airport before leaving.
At any rate, farewell to Rome and farewell from Rome!
8
Jan
2006
Dead Feet Don’t Dance Or Something Like That
Long day. Up earlier than usual to see Brandy off to the train bound for the airport and her flight home. Two more days I’ll be doing the same trek myself.
Since I was up early, I decided that I would go check out the big market in Porta Portese Piazza in Trastavere. It’s held every Sunday and I expected something more along the lines of the markets I’d seen in London. To put this place in perspective, I have to explain that this one grew out of a black market following WWII. It didn’t look to me like much had changed. Oh, there were some items that interested me, but all too large to even contemplate purchasing and getting home. Most everything else was either junk or out of my interest. Then again, it IS a huge market. I couldn’t possibly see much of it and it was hard to convince myself to hang out and check anything out more than a second. They day started out miserably cold, but by noon had warmed up nicely. Mid-afternoon I was almost too hot in my jacket.
But I had long since left Trastavere by this point. You see, when I got off the bus, I realized that I was right by the Tiber and decided that a nice constitutional up the river walk was in order. So, when I finished the market, I ambled forth.
Along the way, I stopped at Isola Tiberina, a small island in the middle of the Tiber river. There are mythological explanations of its reason for being there, but it’s a small wedge of land that houses a church and a major hospital. If you walk to the bottom end of it, you can get a good view of Ponte Roto (Rotten Bridge), the remains of Rome’s oldest remaining (barely) bridge which was built around 179 AD and was used (and refurbished many times) into the middle ages before it finally collapsed and was left behind. Also got a peak at the remains of where ancient Rome’s sewer system would have once dumped into the Tiber.
After that sojourn, I continued up to the Vatican area and checked out the much less crowded market there. Enjoyed that for a bit before crossing back over the Tiber. Totally by accident found myself in Piazza Navona (which Mari had recommended). It was beautiful and still decked out for a holiday carnival complete with Merry-go-round. Saw tons of Christmas and Epiphany stuff. Brandy will be jealous that I got to see tons of La Befana stuff, with one booth dedicated totally to her merchandise. La Befana, we learned, was a good witch who did not help the wise men when they asked for help finding the baby messiah. Later she felt guilty and set about trying to find the messiah. She’s become a legend here that surpasses Santa Claus. In fact, it sounds like some of our traditions may come from her. On Jan. 6th, Italian children wake up for candy and presents from La Befana. Good children get candy, etc. Bad children get a lump of coal! These days the coal is candy shaped as coal, however.
Wandering on from there, I walked up to the Colosseum, since it was such a bright and sunny day, I wanted to see if I got any better shots today. Tons of people with much the same idea in mind. It really was fantastically sunny and fairly warm (nothing that people from Florida would write home about, however).
From there, up to the Capitoline Hill to explore the beautiful structure that Michaelangelo designed. Really fantastic views both of the structure and of a sunny Rome day from the top. After I’d exhausted myself climbing all those stairs, I went back down and around to visit the museum. Even though there were some exhibits with no explanation for English speakers (and not much more for the Italians), it’s still a really worthwhile museum to visit. However, somewhere in the Tabularium, my interest in 2,000 year old statues, tablets, etc. began to wane a bit. There’s also a portrait section with comparably newer works of art, but given over mostly to religious art (well, the whole collection began as donations from the Pope before the Vatican Museum existed, so that makes sense).
From there, a meandering trek back to Termini and dinner in the usual spot (now that my dinner date is gone). While there was paging through the guide book to see what else there was that I could do tomorrow. Noticed to my utter dismay that I’ve been staying a couple of blocks from the baths of Diocletian… oops… of course, closed on Monday, so I’ll just have to kick myself for missing something so close for a few days. But I may take a bus out and see Caracalla’s baths or maybe just find an art museum or something. I really am getting kind of done with artifacts from 2,000 years ago. I didn’t even know that was possible, but it is!
Otherwise, I can tell the trip is winding down mentally as well as calendrically. I’ve been very introspective and in an incredible loner mood today. This was my first experience traveling overseas with someone else. There were plenty of moments that, I think, both of us had to make concessions to the other. But all in all, I wouldn’t have changed a thing (well, a room with actual heat would have been nice). It was great fun having someone to see the sites with and to battle the forces that sometimes seemed pitted against our common trip running smoothly. Our running jokes were greatly missed today.
As for Rome, beautiful place, no doubt, but also a bit on the dirty side I have to say. I am glad I came but I don’t see a return trip to this city in the immediate future. I would like to still see Venice some day and still think a return trip to Capri would be awesome though both are fairly expensive places to visit as I understand it. I suspect that very predictably my next Euro trips will be back to the UK or Ireland. There’s still so much there that I have an intense desire to see. Mainland Europe has less, at this point, appeal to me. That’s subject to change but right now that’s where I am. However, if I had to place bets on the next trip, it’s probably Mexico again (I’ve missed two Roger Clyne shows down there now and I wanna go back!) and maybe this time a little extra time to see some of the American Southwest.
That’s it for tonight. Time to go finish the book I’ve been reading and maybe catch up on a bit of sleep. Aren’t I a thrill a minute?
7
Jan
2006
National Lampoons European Vacation or Return to Roma
Brandy and I got up this morning. The room still wasn’t what either of us would call hot but far warmer than anything we’d experienced to date in Sorrento. We briefly saw the night clerk last night when we got in. It appears she quit. She told us after settling the bill and telling us about Brandy’s luggage that she was fini. Too little money for sitting around. Same woman who several nights before shrugged at us when we asked about someone checking on the heat. This morning, her keys were on the desk and she was gone.
I was in the bathroom preparing to get ready when Brandy got off the phone with the airport… in Naples… I had this fear when the woman said the night before “the airport called” – first thing that I thought was “which one?” So, yes, instead of Brandy’s luggage being in Rome where we were heading, it was in Naples where we only intended to pass through… Great… Worse? Rome didn’t send the appropriate paperwork and they needed a release from Brandy to open the luggage sent to them in 10 minutes or they couldn’t send it to the B&B… Of course… The other option was for us to travel to Naples Airport on our way – not vaguely a good thing…
We tried the fax machine at the desk, which was hard given everything being in another language but harder still when we discovered it was not plugged in… bella…
I quickly changed from PJ’s and we ran down the street hunting a place with a fax service. Finally found one and faxed the authorization. They told Brandy after they got it, “okay, will be there at 3pm…” erm… we have to checkout and noon and we are heading for Rome… great… Brandy explained and the woman said she’d see what she could do – call back in 3 minutes… We were next to the cafe that serves breakfast for our B&B, so we went in for that. Halfway through, Brandy called and they compromised with getting it to us at 1pm… okay… best case we could get. We were not delayed tons and we didn’t have to deal with more of Napoli than necessary….
Noon we left and went and sat by the gate waiting for the airport guy… tick… tock… at least it was a sunny and comparably warm day.
He showed up 20 minutes early and we were off to the races. Hopped the train to Naples and both collapsed. I kept nodding off on the way but when we got to Napoli… yuck… Much harder train station than Roma Termini. We found a ticket machine and found out that the train we wanted out only had first class seats left… of course.. 20 euro more for a bit more comfortable seats and a biscuit and water… wow… I can see what it costs so much! Still, we were happy to be on our way out of there. The funny thing is we were doling cash into the machine and a pile of change came gushing out (all we had was bills). And Mr. Panhandler was johnny-on-the-spot as if a slot machine had just paid off… We went and watched the board.. but no train numbers and nothing said Roma… okay… So, to the information desk where we’re told track 16… hrm… Arrive there… Milan!?!?! We ask one of the conducters and he confirms the train goes to Roma. I GUESS that it continues to Milan. That or Napoli’s train station is even worse than I think.
Long ride to Rome. Two guys tried to disposess us of our seats claiming that we were in their seats (by the window). I’m convinced they were wrong. I selected the window seats when I was getting the tickets, but they said never mind anyway…
Read and occasionally watched the scenery until Roma Termini arrived outside the window. So, we got checked in at the hostel. Briefly met our room-mate, Mel, who sounds as if she’s from Australia. We are only on first floor this time (one flight up)! Yaayyy!! Much easier with Brandy’s big bag which we’ve rolled up far more than enough stairs at this point.
We meandered about this evening since there wasn’t much time left for Rome. Brandy wanted to do her coins in the Trevi Fountain again. I figured that maybe going to Sorrento counted as this being another visit so did mine as well again. We wandered over to the Pantheon and I showed Brandy some of the stores I found last week. I also paid… gasp… 16 euro for three pairs of athletic white socks because that’s what I need to keep from doing any laundry before I leave.. gasp… the laundry might have almost been a better option… I was in sticker shock, but at least I found plain socks. Everything else we would consider dress socks. I asked in one shop for white socks and the woman suddenly went very cold and replied, “no white socks, bye now!” Okay, I’m American and apparently don’t know how to dress, cut me some slack but I’m wearing freaking hiking boots!
Also saw Spanish steps and hiked back to Trevi looking for somewhere to eat. Found a little cafe that seemed warm at first but after sitting awhile… brrrrr… I don’t think half the places in Italy have the concept of a door aside from when they close at night. Still, had a great lasagna followed by a tort a limone. I love lemon neck in neck with strawberry! And the Italians seem to love lemon as well, especially down in the Sorrento area where there are citrus groves every ten feet.
Well, that’s about that from Roma today. Brandy departs in the morning after breakfast. I figure on running over to Trastavere for a market that’s on Sunday mornings. Then maybe the Capitoline museum. Monday’s a blank slate at the moment but my last day in Rome. Then back to the US.
Always at a bit of a loss when trips wind down. I’m ready to see home, friends, and family again (although its been a nice change of pace to have a great friend along for a change) and to sleep in my own bed with control of my own heat! However, I feel like I’ve only turned a few pages of this place. Especially this time as I’m only just cultivating enough of a vocabulary to have a rudimentary if childish conversation with someone (tho it’s been hard to find people who don’t know some English here). And we connected with people along the way like the little old man who sneaked us into Villa Jovis yesterday. Even our hated night clerk who shrugged at our misfortune several nights ago was telling us yesterday she didn’t like her job. Lots of little moments that along with the sites made the experience more than moving from place to place. I’ll miss it but I’m sure before long the next trip will materialize.
