FromSwamptoSummit

We started our trip to Rome from Orvieto early the morning of November 11. From the Duomo we took the shuttle bus to the funicular, and then had quite a lengthy wait at the train station, but it was sunny and nice, so not too bad.

The train was fine, with only one stop, although we didn’t get seats together. We ate our sandwiches, arrived at the Roma Terminii, and walked to the Airbnb without issue. Very sunny and lots of people, a real contrast to Orvieto.

After we got settled, we ventured out to the Coliseum, which was only two blocks away. It was a total mob scene. Souvenir hawkers, etc. You walk along a very unprepossessing graffiti-embellished street and suddenly there it is. We didn’t stay long – on the way back to our Airbnb we saw police in riot gear barricading the street and could hear the 50,000 person opposition march about Gaza approaching. We retreated to the Monti area – our Airbnb was on Via del Boschetto – lots of cafes, restaurants, small shops and the St. Louis College of Music. And a furniture upholsterer.

We had an aperitif at a nearby spot and then managed to find a taxi at a taxi rank to visit my old high school friend and partner in crime, C, and her husband. They live right by the Vatican on the other side of the Tiber. The taxi driver had absolutely no idea where he was going and ultimately consulted a paper book of maps. Not sure when I last saw one of those. Finally we just got out and walked.

We arrived a little early – their apartment has a beautiful view of St. Peter’s. We enjoyed lovely Sicilian style pasta, courtesy of C’s husband, and I later managed to smuggle the marmalade made at their country property onto the plane.

Sunday was our “free” day. We slept in and then started to wander toward Vatican City. On the way we stopped at the Trevi Fountain – it was mobbed but you could still see the beautiful sea sculptures – then along the Via Argentina where multiple Roman ruins line the roads. Every time you dig, you find something.

We walked past the Bank of Italy – with lots of large green parrots in palm trees. And passed by the gaudy and over the top huge Vitore Emmanuel monument. I can only describe it as baroque gone bad.

We finally found a lunch place where we had a nice conversation with a young Canadian couple, possibly on their honeymoon. Their rings looked very new. We bought Italian ties as gifts from a small men’s clothing store.

And I almost forgot to mention the incredible Pantheon and the accompanying Rick Steves audio tour. (No, I am not receiving kickbacks for my continuous references to my friend Rick.) The Pantheon is still definitely not Christian, despite all the efforts to make it so. I loved the open oculus at the top of the dome, and kept wondering it would be like if it rained.

We finally made our way across the Tiber to St. Peter’s Square, by mid afternoon, where we did another Rick Steves audio tour. The basilica itself is enormous. Lots of priests, monks and nuns. Michelangelo’s Pieta (behind bullet proof glass), in contrast to most of the paintings and statues that you can almost touch. We stayed around for 5 p.m. Vespers. Priests in white and purple in the choir, Monsignors with pom pom hats, bishops in purple, officiants in green, and a sole cardinal in red. A sermon in Italian where an elderly bishop (who had to be helped out in and out of the stalls) definitely nodded off. I wonder if after they all retired to happy hour and dinner afterwards? Incense, green vestments spread wide like giant wings at the altar – we were at least all given a book of the service to follow. It’s interesting to put the Reformation in the context of all this.

A very brisk walk back. That night we ate at a simple restaurant near us that had already put up its Christmas decorations. Classic Roman pasta – Amatriciana sauce (J) and carbonara (me).

Much more to see and do, and only two days left.