Last Day in Rome

Monday: Day 4

My last day in Rome! A chance to see the random quick stops (tourist traps) I haven't seen yet and buy gifts for friends.

I started the day with a bit of shopping, starting at the hostel's local grocery store. I love grocery stores in other countries - you never know what kind of crazy stuff, or crazily familiar stuff - you'll find. So after wandering the store for at least half an hour I came away with what I hope are some authentic staples: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, wine, pasta, pesto, etc. It's not homemade, but it was all made in Italy which makes it cool, right? ...right? no? ok then.

After wondering how everything would make it home in my luggage while lugging everything back to the hostel I made my way to the tomb of the unknown solider. I had walked by it a bunch of times in my lost wanderings, but this time I went in and took the elevator to the top. It is a HUGE building, close to the ruins, with thousands of intricate statues and carvings. It was really pretty and had a great view. It's interesting that Rome, like so many cities, doesn't have a skyline. The view is instead punctured by what must be hundreds of churches in every direction.

After leaving the temple I walked along the river to visit a few synagogs and have lunch in the Jewish ghetto. I knew, of course, about Italy's role in WWII, but to see damaged synagogs and hear about the ongoing hate crimes perpetrated against Jews and their buildings is raw and hard. One of the synagogues had a museum and at the other I took a tour. At that one I got yelled at for wearing a shirt with short sleeves (possibly a tank top, I forget, but it definitely was not revealing!) and had to wrap my scarf around my shoulders/arms for the tour. After the tours I ate a Nonna Betta, a highly reviewed Kosher restaurant in the ghetto. Delish.

After eating I strolled around the neighborhood. It looked like much of Rome, but everything was tight. There were allies instead of roads, and it made everything dark. The whole neighborhood was practically in a shadow of itself. I can't imagine how horrible it would have been to be overcrowded and confined there. Presently, though, it is charming with cute little businesses and families, and the tour guide said that the neighborhood is making a revival. Cool.

I then crossed the river to visit the Rome's oldest Catholic church. Just like every other church I saw in Rome it was old, intricate, ornate, and stunningly beautiful, decorated with tons of gold. It was very near to where I had gone for dinner with the other kids in the hostel, but never the less I got super lost trying to get back to the other side of the river. Apparently I wandered into a university area, because I found some American college kids who were pretty nice about sending me back on my way.

After making it back to the city proper I finally found the Baboon Statue, which I was pretty excited about. It's a fountain statue of a half man half goat, but I wanted to see it because it's one of Rome's "talking statues." Beginning in the 16th century some areas around statues were painted with political commentary in protest, and the tradition continues in some places. The graffiti is periodically painted over back to white, but the protests continue to be painted and, of course, change with the times. The Babuino statue is particularly known for Anti-American writings which I thought would be fun to see given our current military campaigns, but there was nothing there :(

Then I checked out the cats at Argentina (underwhelming) and squeezed in a quick tour of the Pantheon before they kicked everyone out for mass. Exhausted, I  had my last Roman meal and packed for Brindisi. I'm excited to see another city, but kinda bummed that my first private international vacation is over.

Saturday night

I thought about turning in early, but decided to stay out and make the most of my time instead. I walked to the Pathalon and Piazza Navano to see them at night. It somehow seems very somber, even with all the kids and tourists around. It just so old. I got a gelato at the Piazza and they brought the wrong thing and charged me 10E. I started to get annoyed, but I remembered my earlier thoughts of enjoying this adventure and just decided not to care, and I didn’t! Now I’m at Fountain Trevi and I think it’s my favorite thing so far. It’s just so beautiful, and free and open! There are lots of people, especially young people, hanging out and drinking and it looks like good fun. I hate that the US has open container laws. Its so nice, relaxing, fun, and harmless. Oh well for now, I guess.

Café musings

(Some of my random thoughts scribbled on scraps of paper)

To me, this trip is about being selfish. I have the luxury of time, money, and solitude. I can sit at restaurants as long as I want, go see what I want when I want, and can afford to do it the way I want. It’s pure luxury. Sometimes I see other tourists taking pictures together and I think it would be nice to have Dave or a friend here, but then I remind myself this is a wonderful, once in a lifetime opportunity. I will take this gift for myself, be present, and enjoy every second of it.

Rome and the Vatican

Saturday: Day 2

I realized when I went to bed last night that I forgot an alarm clock. Luckily, the old ladies I was sharing my hostel room with get up nice an early. Recharged and ready to look for the Spanish Steps again, I head out. Again, I get lost almost immediately. This time, though, I’d had some rest and really start to appreciate the beauty of the Roman streets. Everything is just so old. The buildings are largely plaster but they’re different colors, which were probably once bright but are now very faded. There are lots of cute little iron balconies with flowers, and the intricate molding over the windows and doors are beautiful. I took so many pictures of the streets I worried my battery might die before I got to an actual destination.

After walking along the southern edge of Villa Borghese and finding the Piazza Trinita dei Monti I again missed the Steps, and instead ended up at Piazza del Popolo. It’s a very large square with the northern gate of the ancient city wall on one edge, fountains on opposing ends, and a large Egyptian obelisk in the center. I have to say, of all the Roman sights it was the least impressive. It was obviously a tourist stop, with busses going by every few minutes and those people dressed up like statues that move when you give them money (including a blue statue of liberty??). I stopped and had a cappuccino and croissant at a café on one of the edges so I could plan my next move. 

I decided to stop wasting time looking for the steps and took a metro to Vatican City, where I had a reservation to visit the museum. I spent about two hours inside, assisted by an audio guide and all the English tours I was able to overhear. There’s an incredible wealth of art of all kinds, including works by some of Italy’s most famous artisans. I went through the Sistine Chapel on the tour, and it was overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time. Overwhelming because there were SO MANY PEOPLE smooshed in one room, everyone talking and taking pictures even though they weren’t supposed to, etc. and underwhelming because the painting and carvings around the ceiling were beautiful, but there were just so many I didn’t know how to process it. Plus the ceiling is really freakin high, so it’s kind of hard to see everything. Also I didn’t know much about the chapel before I went, so I don’t think I was fully able to appreciate it as I stood there. 

 

After the museum I grabbed a sandwich (prosciutto and cheese) from a street vendor before moving on to St. Peter’s Square and the Basilica. I had overheard a guard tell another tourist to just follow the wall to the left and it would be just a few minutes walk. So, off to the left I went. After about 10 minutes of walking, I thought I may have gone the wrong way – but I was walking along the wall, how lost could I be?! So I kept going. After the sidewalk stopped I got a little frustrated. How do I get lost walking from one thing to another when they’re right next to each other?! 

Anyway, about 20 minutes later I had walked around the entire perimeter of the Vatican and finally made it to St. Peter’s Square. It was really, really huge. Luckily it was getting pretty late so I didn’t have to wait too long to get into the Basilica, and DAMN. I walked in and my mouth fell, releasing a mix between “wow” and a gasp. It’s huge. It’s ornate. It’s gold. It was honestly so overwhelming I didn’t even know where to look, where to start. Luckily I had an audio guide so I didn’t stand dumbfounded in the doorway for too long. 

 

While inside I had an ongoing debate with myself; I couldn’t decide what to think. I went back and forth between awe and amazement at how beautiful everything was, and total disgust that the church would maintain such a place. There is so much poverty and suffering, how could the church claim to care while holding on to something so beautiful? It helped that they didn’t charge an admission fee – if they had I probably would have been infuriated. I ended up resolving my debate by thinking that the building was a historical monument and a cultural icon, and that it offers something to society so the church can’t just disassemble, but it still makes me mad. 

I couldn’t go to the crypts (I was 10 minutes to late) or to the top of the dome (it was too full), so I left. I stumbled upon a street market and got some gifts, before taking the metro. I decided to take it to the Steps, so I couldn’t miss them no matter what. Of course, when I got there I saw that it was just a huge staircase, but it was cool to see it myself. There were lots of people sitting there, meeting with friends and just hanging out. I didn’t stay long because I was starving, so I wandered off and found a restaurant with outside seating on a tiny dead-end street. I had a pizza (yes, a whole pizza) and some wine, both of which were fresh and delicious. Full and buzzed, I meandered back to my hostel, enjoying the sights and sounds of Rome at night.

Buongiorno!

Friday: Day 1

I arrived in Rome on time. I took the express train from the airport to the center of town (14E!!!) with my directions to the hostel and city map in hand. I felt good. The directions basically said ‘walk straight til you get here.’ I got lost immediately. The roads here are so short and windy, with no street signs! I checked my map every five minutes, and each time I expected to be one place and found I was actually way over in never-never land.  After about a half hour of exasperation from being lost on windy skinny cobble stone streets with two rolling suitcases, I caved. I paid 10 EUROS for a cab to take me about five blocks. I had been close all along, dang it.

A deep breath, and I am undeterred. I’m in Italy! There’s no room for self pity! I check into my hotel which is a little.. different than I had expected. It got the second highest ratings of any hostel in Rome, but my suite was on a different floor from the rest of the hostel, and it wasn’t finished being built yet. Despite this, my mattress already had period blood all over it. On both sides. Slightly disgusted, I made my bed and tried not to think about it. I give myself a few minutes to settle in and freshen up, and then off I go!

I figure I’ll start with the classics. The Trevi Fountain is about a 15 minute walk away, and from there its an easy walk to basically everything else. I thought. First, crossing the roads in Rome looks basically suicidal. There are some crosswalks, but cars don’t stop. After many (many, many) false starts, I watched how other people did it. They just walked. Into traffic. Without looking! I remind myself of the streets in New York and off I go. It turns out, if you’re walking in front of a car they really will stop. 

I follow my map in the direction of the fountain, checking it at nearly every intersection. I wander around quite a bit, but I finally make it. It’s really beautiful. Exquisite, even. The fountain is humongous – it takes up what could easily be the side of a two story building. According to Wikipedia the theme of the fountain is “taming of the waters,” and it features the god of water, Neptune, in the center standing over two titans wrestling sea creatures. I think what I like most about it is how it conveys motion. You feel the struggle in the titans, and is you lose yourself in the image you feel like you’re actually watching a battle in action. It’s really cool. There are stone risers around the fountain filled with gelato-eating tourists and some local teenagers. Lots of people are taking pictures throwing in their coins in hopes of a return or love. I sit for a while, but eventually leave in search of dinner. 

I settle for a place nearby with tables outside and order a caprise salad. Now, I’m not Italian, but I’m pretty sure caprise salad comprises of tomato, mozzarella, and basil. What I got was some unripe tomatoes, mozzarella, and iceburg. Fail. Well, the cheese and wine were good. No complaints! 

I move on, looking for the Spanish Steps. They’re super close, according to the map, but after about another hour of wandering, I’m getting frustrated. Just as I’m thinking of giving up and turning in for the night, I hear “Madeline?” I look up and who do I see but Mike Palliola, a buddy I met in Tanzaina! We had planned to meet for dinner the next night (he was in town to visit family and run the marathon) but fate felt that Friday was more convenient. I met his dad and his dad’s uncle and his wife who were gracious enough to lead our little pack of tourists around. They were in their 90’s and walking around on uneven streets through packs of tourists like nobodys business. They only spoke Italian, but luckily Mike was able to translate for his dad and me. They took us to the fountain (again) where we threw in coins of our own and took some pictures, before heading to Piazza Novana. Then they invited us back to their apartment for a home cooked meal. 

The uncle’s wife went into the kitchen and about 20 minutes later, voila! A traditional (and DELICIOUS) three course Italian meal. We started with pasta with egg and bacon (Incredible. Amazing. Delicious.), then chicken cutlets (from a chicken she butchered herself the day before), followed by salad and dessert. Of course, we had several bottles of water and seltzer to go with everything. It was really lovely. 

After dinner Mike, his dad and I took a cab back to the city, ate a disgustingly sour orange from a tree growing at the US embassy, and I went to bed (by then it was probably 2 or 3 in the morning, my time). A wonderful first day in Rome.

A phobia

(from the Greek: φόβος, Phóbos, meaning "fear" or "morbid fear") is, when used in the context of clinical psychology, a type of anxiety disorder, usually defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual danger posed, often being recognized as irrational. In the event the phobia cannot be avoided entirely the sufferer will endure the situation or object with marked distress and significant interference in social or occupational activities.