Gionicolo

Today was an introspective day, so bear with me while I ruminate. I began the day by climbing many steps to reach Gionicolo hill, which is a spectacular hill within comfortable walking distance from my apartment. The hill overlooks Trastevere and ancient Rome with breathtaking views. The hill is green and lush with a variety of parks, walkways, and benches. As I stood there pondering the beauty of Rome many thoughts came into mind. You may not realize it, but, based on our Florida/fantasy world standards, Rome is quite dirty. There is litter around and graffiti everywhere. The city is old and you can always find scaffolding beside buildings. I realize that this is what I love about Rome - what Rome teaches me about myself and about God. I touched on this in an August blog post about why I feel drawn to Rome. It sort of expanded today. I had thought that there was value in finding beauty amidst the ruins and that it paralleled God's ability to find beauty in the ruins we sometimes create. That God looks beyond the ruin and sees beauty. I think that was wrong. I now feel that the ruins ARE the beauty. That, when one (be it person or city) lives - truly lives - there is ruin, messiness, and constant need for repair. When you open your arms to life.... to people.... you will most certainly get gritty and make mistakes. It's similar to gray hair or lines on the face as we age. Why try and erase the past? One doesn't tear down the past, one must work within the history to reinforce it. The history is what makes it beautiful.

What do you think? Do I make any sense at all? To me, Rome is real... it is so alive that it makes me feel more alive. Someone recently asked me if I get lonely here. Sure, I do. But I get lonely at home, too. Being alone has its challenges just like sharing your life does. I refuse to stop living because I must do it alone.

After I had my fill of Gionicolo, I listened to another podcast and took a walk through the Jewish Ghetto. I so enjoy these little walks that I downloaded from Rick Steve's website. They are informative, interesting, and encourage me to explore areas that I would otherwise overlook. The history of the jewish people in Rome is a testament to the tenacity of these people. Amazing and beautiful. This photo below is of the main synagogue in this area. I didn't realize that the synagogue has a square dome rather than a round one to differentiate it from a church. I thoroughly enjoyed my time listening to the podcast while walking through this area of Rome.

One of my silly favorite things in Rome are the water fountains. They flow freely all of the time and the water is refreshing and fine for drinking. Okay, here's the trick. Look closely at the picture below and notice that the spout looks sort of like a big nose. Right? Well how does one drink from it without kneeling down? If you stick your finger across the bottom where the water is coming out, it stops the water flow and forces the water out of a hole where the "nose" bends and you get a stream of water shooting up and out like our water fountains. If you look real closely, you can see the hole. I always make a mess, but love drinking this way.

So, that's it for today. There is a 20% chance of rain tomorrow and it goes up to 40% or 60% for the few days after that. Tomorrow I will stay in Rome, but then I plan to spend a few days chasing the sun by taking some day trips. I hope to see Naples and/or Capri (where the weather is supposed to reach the high 70's... uggghh) as well as just hopping the train and heading south and getting off where it looks interesting. Ciao!

Rome in 7 Hours

There were not very many pictures to choose from today. I had an unexpected surprise last night and found out that a friend would be in Rome today for one day. Julie and her friend Jennifer arrived from the states this morning and have to leave first thing tomorrow morning to catch a train to Florence. They didn't want to rest, but decided to see as much of Rome as they could in one day. That's a pretty big task. I served as their guide -- which is pretty scary as we all know how lost I get. My motto...... I'm lost, but I'm in Rome, so what's the problem? So, fasten your seatbelts and come along for a whirlwind.
We met up sometime between 11 and 11:30 at St. Peter's Basillica. As far as I could tell it was the closest main attraction to their hotel. We were all excited to actually be able to find eachother in the crowds. We decided to see the Basillica since we were there and skip the Vatican because the line there was, as usual, very long.


I just love the church. It is huge inside and there is beauty all around. It doesn't seem to matter how many people crowd in, it doesn't feel claustrophobic to me. I took the first picture of the outside of the church while waiting for the girls. We all entered together and spent time oohing and aahing over everything. Jennifer was thrilled to see things she have only studied and dreamed about before. This picture is the center area and, of course, the crowds of people.

After exploring St. Peter's we headed into the center of town. We stopped for gelato and to buy a bus ticket for each of them. We found a majorly -- I mean majorly -- crowded bus to take us closer to the town center. I'm going to tattle here. When you buy a bus ticket, it's good for any time. You validate it by sticking it in a machine that's located on the bus. The first bus we got on was soooo crowded that there was no way to get near the machine or even pass the ticket through the crowd to allow someone else to do it. SO..... they stole a bus ride. I have a month pass, so mine didn't need validated. I didn't steal, just they did. I'm joking. There truly was no way to validate their ticket. No one checked for tickets, so it wasn't a problem. Although they DID check for tickets on our next bus ride.
On with the day. As we headed toward Trevi Fountain (thanks to a beautiful elderly italian woman who walked with us and explained the directions to me until she was sure we couldn't get lost) we decided to stop for lunch. We shared our own little buffet at a very nice restaurant with helpful waiters. We shared bruchetta, pizza, and proscuitto with melon. Yum! It was difficult to get up and keep moving. But, we had to keep going. We went to the Trevi and took pictures of both ladies tossing their coins to ensure their return. I was frustrated when I couldn't find those pictures tonight, then remembered I took them on Julie's camera. You'll have to trust me. Then we headed to the Pantheon, whose outside is being restored. We went in and looked around for a bit. And,

because I am such a good photographer, this last photo is of a bread shop across the piazza from the Pantheon. I forgot to take a picture of the actual building! Then we headed over to the Piazza Navona, which I made them do since we were so close. They enjoyed it and were glad I encouraged them to experience it. I stopped taking pictures here because there was too much to keep up with.

After Navona, we hopped a bus and headed to the Roman Forum and Colosseum (they're across the street from one another). We basically waved as we went past -- actually got out of the bus so they could photograph them -- then headed off to the main terminal so they could buy their train tickets form tomorrow's trip to Florence. They bought the tickets and we made sure we understood where they had to be in the morning. Then we took the metropolitana (subway). It was my first time on the metro. We got off at the Piazza Barberini where they were to meet the shuttle for the hotel. 6pm was the last shuttle for the night and we got there about 10 minutes until 6. We saw the shuttle pull in, we all ran across the street (not as easy in Rome as it sounds), gave quick hugs, and they were gone. How's that for a full day???

Orvieto

Welcome back to sharing my adventures in Italy. I took the train outside of Rome for the first time today and am pleased to announce that I didn't get lost even once. No problem. Walk 15 minutes to bus #8. Take the bus to Trastevere train station. Take train to Tiburtina train station. Get on train to Orvieto. Take train 1 hour and 10 minutes. Exit train, cross the street, buy ticket and board the funicolor (sort of like a cable car) for the ride up to Orvieto. Voila - two and a half hours after leaving the apartment............ Welcome to Orvieto. The trainitalia trains are very nice -- clean and quiet riding. It was quite relaxing. I had visited Orvieto last year by car and, entering this year via funicolor took me in the opposite side of the city so I was pleasantly surprised at seeing part of the city I didn't see last year. As always, it wasn't easy choosing which pictures to share with you. For some reason I really love laundry and stair shots, so you have to be exposed to them. The town is primarily medieval in style. I brought my guidebook from last year and used it to guide me through the town once again. It is peaceful and beautiful.
The roads are very narrow and it seems strange to realize that people live here and go about their jobs, school, and lives in the midst of this beauty. There are plants and flowers lining every stairway and pouring from window boxes throughout the city. The main contrast from this city and Rome and Capena (where I stayed last year) is the total absence of graffiti. Italians are very expressive and like to express themselves with spray cans wherever there is an opportunity to

do so. On trains, walls, doors, sidewalks, etc. I actually use the graffiti to help me find my way sometimes! But in Orvieto, there is none. Possibly because they are supported by tourism.

I really like this picture of an alleyway - a vicolo; which means small street. The stone of the walls and slate roofs surrounded by all the plants speaks to me. I enjoy the rooftops in these small cities. These type places always make me think of what Florida and its attractions make copies of to attract tourists. And yet, here is the original medieval city. I know I'm prattling on, but I really enjoy visiting this city.


The cathedral is breath-taking and it constantly frustrates me that there is no place to stand and get a picture of the entire building in one shot. It's simply too big. The colors on the front actually gleam in the sun. There are paintings upon paintings inside and I focused on a set of paintings in a "small" (compared to the main cathedral) chapel on the right side of the front of the cathedral. There are a series of paintings on the walls by Luca Signorelli that follow his vision of the end times. Preaching of the Antichrist; End of the World; Resurrection of the Flesh; The Damned are taken to Hell; The Elect Being led to Paradise by Angels. The images are captivating. Regardless of your beliefs, it's difficult not to be drawn into the scenes. They almost come alive. I didn't notice them before, so it was a new experience for me.





This last picture was in a different church and I loved the way I could see the rays of the sun pouring into the window.

After taking the previously mentioned means of transportation home again, I relaxed for a bit, got dressed up (yep, stocking, dress, heels - the whole thing) and took myself out to dinner at a restaurant around the corner from my apartment. It was fine, but sad. At home it doesn't bother me to go out alone, but it just seems wrong to eat alone in Italy. I think I'll save my solo eating for lunch when there are tons of people milling around and cook dinner for myself at home. I did learn a new word today...... when you have on narrow heels and walk along the cobblestones they become........wait for it.......... HOBBLESTONES! (I made that up) As much as I tried walking on the balls of my feet, my heels would slip between the cobblestones and I would sort of hobble. So, from now on, cobblestones will forever in my mind be hobblestones.

Success!

Good evening. It's the end of a beautiful, sunny, warm day in Rome. Today was much more successful than yesterday. I spent an amazing two hours with Franco for our lessons. It turned out to be more of a private tour for me. I certainly can't complain. Franco and Federica are both multi-generational Romans. They love their city and he seemed to enjoy showing me little special treats. We both worked through the language barrier --- his english is actually quite good. He only had to use the dictionary for a few words. We looked at lots of paintings while he told me about the artist and the meaning behind the painting. I wish I had a tape recorder because I enjoyed all of it, but remember very little.

I do remember the story behind this part of the "Four Fountains" sculpture by Bernini which is above. Notice the hand raised up. Right beside this fountain is a church designed by Barberini. He and Bernini were, to say the least, not on friendly terms. Franco used the word "hate". The raised hand on this sculpture is Bernini protecting his work from the church when it collapses. It was quite an insult to Barberini.

Above is a photo of the Trevi Fountain at night. It was totally crowded during the day and only moderately so at night. I always have difficulty finding it, but as you near it, you can hear it before you actually round the corner to see it.

A night shot of Victor Emmanuel Monument is above. It houses the tomb of the unknown solder. For some reason, my camera colors things yellow at night. I'm sure it's a simple adjustment and, if Nathan were here, he would fix it for me. I did set it to night snapshot, but.... oh, well. You get the picture.

As I was walking home from the tram stop, I shot this picture of nightlife in Trastevere. It was about 9pm on Wednesday. The streets stay busy later than I stay up. One nearby bar was advertising blues music tonight beginning at 10pm. I would like to have gone, but have that problem of not liking either beer or wine. I feel like a mooch. Perhaps I should just order and nurse one glass without actually drinking it.

Tomorrow I'm planning on heading to Orvieto. I loved it last year and want to return. It's also an informal way of me trying to figure out the train system out of the city. New adventures await.

Campo De Fiori by day, Lost by night

This first picture is of my street. Trastevere is a bit like a maze because it consists of narrow streets with tall buildings on either side. It can be difficult to get your bearings.

I headed out this morning to shop for produce. Here are a couple of pictures of the stands at Campo de Fiori. It was very nice and not too busy. After getting some yummy, colorful produce, I found a supermarket and got milk, eggs, jam, and bread. Of course, I could have gotten the produce at the supermarket, but it's too fun to find outdoor markets.

I headed home to put away my purchases and picked up my mp3 player and a map of trastevere and took a guided tour (via podcast I downloaded at home) through the streets of Trastevere. It worked very well and was easy to follow. I learned lots of information about the history of many things I would normally just walk past. I stopped off to pick up a Donar Kabob to go for lunch at home. I discovered Donar Kabobs on my last visit and they are beyond good. Hard to describe, though, because I don't know what type of meat it is. It's roasted on a big spinning skewer (like our Gyro meat, but not the same type meat) and served with lettuce, cucumbers, cabbage, tomato, onion, some white sauce and a little hot sauce. You can get it on foccacia bread, on a plate, or wrap. I saved half the meat (they are huge) and am eating it now at 10pm while I post this.

So... that brings us to tonight. I was planning on heading across the river to central Rome and grab a few night pictures of popular sites -- maybe Trevi Fountain, Coloseum, etc. Well, I decided to walk in the opposite direction for awhile (this began about 5:30) because it was just about fully dark and I wanted very dark. As I walked, things became unfamiliar and sparse. I kept thinking there would be crowded streets and shops just around the corner. I ended up totally lost for 2 hours. Like really lost. Not one shop or restaurant in sight. There was lots of traffic, but nothing to tell me where I was. I ended up on some highway with exit ramps and everything. Not on my map at all. I was beyond relieved when I saw a bus that said "Termini" (the main terminal in central Rome). I hopped on and, even though termini is the opposite direction from home, I knew I could find my way from there. I got on the bus about 7:45. It took until 9:30 to get home. Needless to say, no pictures for you tonight. We'll try it again another night.
Tomorrow I meet at Campo de Fiori with Franco for my italian lesson and his english lesson. I want him to explain what some of the produce I was unfamiliar with. According to the weather forecast, the next 4 or 5 days are to be sunny and warm. Should get some nice pictures with clear weather. I will head off to Orvieto by train probably Thursday.

Rainy day 1 Rome 2010

I arrived safely in Rome on a rainy day. It is about 7:30pm and it has been raining since I arrived 12 hours ago. I was able to find the right bus from the airport to Trastevere and then very easily found Federica and Franco's apartment. They are the owners of the apartment that I have rented. I dropped my luggage with them and explored the rainy streets of Trastevere for a couple of hours until my apartment was ready.

The apartment is lovely. It is quite clean and has everything I will need for my stay. I posted a couple of pictures to give you just an idea of what it's like. The bed is unmade, but you get the idea. I took a 30 minute nap before venturing out.

I walked to Santa Maria di Trastevere where there was a church service going on. Today is All Saints Day. I am only guessing that that's why there was service on Monday. There were also many beggers, umbrella salesmen, and tourists. As is true of most churches I've visited in Rome, it was ornate from floor to ceiling. Between services (which is when I took some inside photos) there was a children's choir singing. Their voices were very beautiful.

It began getting dark today at about 4:30 and was completely dark before 6pm. Their time changed just a couple of days ago, but it feels strange to be dark so early. It will be fine with me, though, because it has been a long 2 days of travel and orientation, so I'm happy for an excuse to turn in early.

Tomorrow I plan to go to Campo di Fiori where there is an outdoor market each weekday to stock up on some fresh fruits and vegetables. Because today is a holiday, the markets were closed so I've had one day of only airplane food and one day of italian "fast food" which mainly consists of pizza and panini. I'm looking forward to fruit for breakfast and salad for lunch.

In case you didn't know, the characters on an italian keyboard are organized differently than ours, so you would be amazed at how much I've had to backspace to fix my many mistakes.
I feel like I'm just learning to type.

I'll fill you in on what I find tomorrow. Hopefully there will be some sun - things look so much prettier in the sun, don't they?

Sharing photos

I'm trying to learn how to upload a slideshow from Picasaweb. This is trial. I hope to attach photos from last year's trip to Civita di Bagnoregio. My brother Michael and I went there last November. It's a really cool place where no cars are allowed. It was a long uphill walk into the city, but well worth it. After we spent the day there, we drove to the coast and bought some fresh fish which we took home and cooked for dinner. I think (I hope) if you click the following link, it will open up a photo set.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=RosannDHS&target=ALBUM&id=5408915822566367009&authkey=Gv1sRgCOe0we3_mraeBg&feat=email

I just checked it and it worked. Yep! I did it. So now I can upload photo sets for those who are interested when I go next month.