Postcards From Roma

• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  
  

  4/1
  Today was moving day, which meant carrying our two roll-aboard suitcases up to our sunny 4th floor apartment. J stands at the street (click pic) entrance; the front courtyard is behind her. (Marco our door man usually stands here; he knows no English; we know only 'buon giorno.') We have everything we need: A/C and Internet; the bonuses include a washing machine and TV. L stands in our micro-kitchen. But we don't need much. Our plan is to work our way through the 20' display of fresh pasta at the grocery.

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  
  

  4/2
  We and a zillion tourists visited the Spanish Steps. They were built by the French, but were named for the Spanish Embassy at the bottom. They built the steps to access their Church of Trinità Dei Monte at the top. Inside are two great paintings by Volterra; one shows his bearded teacher Michelangelo on the right in a pink robe. Later, we noticed in the train station's basement McDonalds part of the original city wall displayed for your dining pleasure.

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  

  4/3
  Trevi Fountain, a triumph of the Baroque Style, is one of Rome's most famous; if you toss in a coin you guarantee your return to Rome. The carabinieri keep people from jumping in à la Anita Ekberg in La Dolce Vita. Next to Trevi is Santi Vincenzo Ed Anastasio, a lovely little church that was formerly a papal residence. Mass had just ended when we arrived, so the air was fragrant with incense. Marble urns in the church contain the hearts and viscera of 22 popes. We are not sure why.

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  

  4/4
  Gelato! The frozen nectar of the Roman Gods. We haven't decided on our favorite flavors yet ... we'll have to keep testing. <<sigh>> We do most of our shopping at the open markets, where everything is available, including wine. Bring your own jug. The aged nectar of the Roman Gods. It's possible to do well at the local Super Marcato, too. Here is the cured meat display just at our local store.

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  

  4/5
  The Coliseum. Impressive! It was built in only 8 years (starting in 72 AD). The opening games lasted 100 days. Contrary to popular myth, no Christians were used as lion feed here, but gladiators died fighting. Two floors below the stage were locker rooms for the gladiators, cages for animals and scenery storage. The stage has been partially reconstructed as have some of the primo seats. Lovely marble, but probably not very comfortable.

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  

  4/6
  St. Peter's Square is immense with it's focal point St. Peter's Cathedral. The piazza isn't photogenic right now as it is filled with chairs, etc. for Easter events. The cathedral lends itself to LOTS of photos! The altar bespeaks of a golden, light-filled heaven, but it is the sweet cherubs that always make us smile. Making everyone smile are the Swiss guards in costumes they manage to carry-off with an amazing amount of aplomb.

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  
  

  4/7
  In the center of Rome is the Roman Center, the Forum. Caesar lived here. Everybody came and went here -- the place to see and be seen. The Forum was the home of the Vestal Virgins, keepers of the sacred fire, and important religious figures. They lived in lovely quarters with pools and gardens ... it was a good gig. Woe to her who "misplaced" her virginity, however. She was buried alive.

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  
  

  4/8
  Life in Rome....Woman parks in driveway. Man gets out and gets take-out pizza. He then eats the whole thing standing by the car, while the woman stands waiting and watching, arms crossed. We don't understand Italian, but she did not appear pleased. Maybe he should have offered her a piece.
  Instead of pizza, gladiators apparently eat panini for lunch.
  Secret revealed! We saw these guys at the Coliseum, and now we know how they built it in only 8 years!

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  
  

  4/9
  The Vatican Museum is known for the Sistine Chapel and its famous ceiling. It is awesome! No photos allowed in the S.C. That's OK, The rest of the museum is loaded with stunning art treasures that can be photographed. And the ceilings throughout are amazing. The two rooms of Rafael's paintings would be, by themselves, worth a trip to Rome. And what would a museum of religious art be without a stained glass window? Especially such a gorgeous one.

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  

  4/10
  Across Piazza Repubblica from us is Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e Dei Marteri built inside the ruins of the Baths of Diocletian. On the floor of the nave is a metal line marking the points in the change of the seasons based on a “pin hole” of light entering high on the wall. Notice that a slice was removed from the arched cornice to let the light in. About half the line is shown here and in the foreground of the photo is the line that marks the equinoxes. Surrounding it are beautiful marble zodiac signs.

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  

  4/11
  The National Roman Museum has some stunning mosaics. The pieces in some of these are tiny, the size of the "o" in Roman!

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  
  

  4/12
  The Tiber River (Fiume Tevere) wanders through Rome. There are many old stone bridges crossing it - they don't vibrate like steel bridges. In the middle of the river is Tiber Island connected by the pedestrian bridges of Ponte Cestio (left) and Ponte Fabrico. One of the lampposts on Ponte Cestio shows the newest Roman fad: to proclaim their love a couple locks a padlock to the post and tosses the key into the Tiber. Probably better than matching tattoos.

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  
  

  4/13
  Lots of people like Italian food, and we're among them! Fresh anchovies!! Local cheese!! Ripe tomatoes from Sicily!! Visiting the Roman antiquities is how we spend our time between anchovy meals. We've been trying as many different foods as possible. The fresh mozzarella is divine and even comes tied in a knot! (How do they do that?)

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  
  

  4/14
  The National Roman Museum has a room of famous Romans. Busts of all the Romans you've ever heard of are there. They were done during their lives and show the unique features of each face. These storied people suddenly look very human. Here are Augustus Caesar (left) with his toga over his head because he is performing an official function. And Brutus (upper right) and Hadrian (lower right).

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  
  

  4/15
  Today is April 15, 2011. The National Roman Museum exhibits a calendar from a year between 6-10 AD. Is it 12 pages long showing bucolic scenes along the Apian Way? No. It was carved in stone and displayed in the piazza for everyone to read. Parts of 4 months survive: January, March, April and December. The curators point out the "Ides of April", that is April 15th. The fragment shown was being read by Romans this day, 2005 years ago!

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  
  

  4/16
  Piazza Navona has three large fountains, which are a joy to visit on a lovely spring day. The Fountain of Neptune, our favorite, shows mythological characters battling terrible sea creatures. Neptune is poised to win against the octopus, but the cherub may be out-classed by the grinning fish. Bernini designed the other two fountains, which get more votes from the pigeons.

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  4/17
  St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City is visible all over Rome. It is imposing, conveying both dominance and permanence. Our camera is too wimpy to capture it from the crowd's view, but the Pope's view (readied for Easter) gives the idea. (The big white squares will be for media display during services.) Bernini designed St. Peter's Square (its nearly a circle) with double columns around the two sides -- stand in the right spot and they perfectly align.

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  4/18
  Ostia is where the Tiber meets the sea. It was the main port for ancient Rome. Now it is 32 acres of exposed ruins that rival Pompeii in detail and fascination. L is standing by the city gate. Click to see apartments, a theater that could seat 4000; and a cafe with picture menu painted on the wall (cheese, olives, insalata misto, drink--the full meal deal); pull up your stool at the high counter or recline elsewhere. There's no wine today ... the pithoi are filled with grass, not Pinot Grigio.

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  4/19
  Many of Ostia's treasures were carried off long before it became a historic monument. Still, mosaics, frescoes, carvings and other art survive. The front of the cafe (see previous card) has a mosaic and fresco remaining. The large mosaic was part of a bath. The reclining man statue was originally placed by a column, which he appeared to lean against. In the bas relief, notice Romulus and Remus in the lower left with their mother, the wolf.

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  
  

  4/23
  "All roads lead to Rome" as the saying goes, and the most important was Via Appia, the Apian Way. Built in 312 B.C. by Appius Claudius Caecus, it was surfaced with large stones and compacted gravel. A segment remains and is still in use. Walls line the road, and much of the area around it is a park, providing an escape from the stone of Rome. But Rome is close; in fact it is possible to see the dome of St. Peter's Basilica.

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  4/24
  It is Easter, perhaps the biggest day in Christianity. For a week we've followed the preparations (and enjoyed chocolate eggs with our espresso). After visiting St. Peter's and analyzing what we would see, we stayed home and watched the Mass on Vatican TV (with the other Romans). Then we walked up to the Janiculum, a battle site from 1849, but now a park with beautiful views of Rome ... count the domes, find the chariots on Vittorio Emanuele II Memorial! Then, we had a bit of lunch -- ricotta wrapped in potato threads and deep fried.

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  4/25
  There are at least four characteristics of Rome that a newcomer immediately notices, but which quickly become "normal": sculpture, Roman brick, umbrella pines (P. pinea), and S.P.Q.R. The letters, written on everything from manhole covers to coins, stand for the Latin phrase "Senatus PopulusQue Romanus", the "Senate and People of Rome." It refers to the government of ancient Rome, but it is retained as both the slogan and the icon of modern Rome. Here they are in 1 photo!

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  4/26
  Today was fun! We wandered all over Rome looking for "high water mark" plaques on the sides of buildings from the Christmas Day flood of 1598. It's the greatest recorded flood of the Tiber River, and the citizens carefully noted how high the water got. (Twenty-one plaques are known to have existed.) At left is the marker on S. Maria sopra Minerva Church. (There are markers from four other floods below it.) The flood wasn't just high -- it was so strong it took out most of the original Palatino Bridge. Only a single arch remains.

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  4/27
  This coming Sunday, the late Pope John Paul II will be beatified, a step in the process of becoming a saint. The event will make last week's Easter crowd seem like a normal Sunday. The city is packed. Polish TV is everywhere doing "color" stories. The lines to visit St. Peter's Basilica stretch around St. Peter's Square! We went there today but not to wait in line. On a tip from our friend , we were looking for the street sign: One Way to Heaven!

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  4/29
  On day one, we planned to eat our way through all of the Italian pasta varieties. Ha. By day two we had gotten distracted, and realized our goal was unattainable anyway. Faced with a menu it is hard to pass up the misti di mare. And there are also great dishes like tuna encrusted with poppy seeds and dressed with vintage Balsamic vinegar. But we didn't give up on pasta. We tried. Cannelloni! The Roman version of carbonara! And, now, when it is too late to have it more than once, cacio e pepe!

  
  
  
• Inviato Aprile 2011
  
  

  
  

  4/30
  Arrivederci, Roma, ci sarà di nuovo!