There And Back Again, IV

Much to the chagrin of the reading public, I have been remiss in keeping up on the tale of my European travels.  The story picks up with a quick trip to Rome.  There are plenty of discount airlines in Great Britain, and if you don't mind being packed in like cattle, having obnoxious limits on carry-on luggage, and the fact that you have to pay for any food (including water), it is a very inexpensive way to get on the continent. 

We stayed in a kind of bed and breakfast near St. Peter's.  In actuality it was an apartment that a couple lets out to tourists.  The nice thing is we had our own kitchen, a great location, and it was actually a bit cheaper than most of the hotels. 

Rome is dirty and wonderful, kind of like its people.  Never have I seen so much graffiti in a city, most of it clearly political and Communist.  Some of the graffiti is in English, clearly trying to influence tourists.  Anti-Israel/Pro-Palestinian posters and graffiti abound.   Indeed, once upon a time I posted here about the sign to the left (I cannot find my post).  Well, I saw this image on an anti-Israel poster in Rome.  How savvy. 

St. Peter's Basilica is beautiful times ten.  It is home to amazing art, including Michaelangelo's Pieta.  One gets the feeling of grandeur of Renaissance times and the dedication to beauty so indicative of that age.  One also gets a lot of statues of dead popes, which is cool if you are into that kind of thing.  The Sunday we were in Rome featured a canonization mass said by Pope Benedict.  In packing for Rome I had insisted that jackets were unnecessary, as it surely would be in the 80s everyday.  Well, it was about 50 and down pouring for the Mass.  Mrs. Right-wing Wacko was not happy with me.  So we left the mass, bought some gaudy clothes from a local vendor, and went back for more.  Despite the rain and cold, it was a beautiful and memorable experience.  The next day we climbed to the top of St. Peter's dome, which is quite a trek.  A trek of 322 steps, to be exact ( I wasn't counting; they tell you this).  A beautiful view of Rome.  The picture here is from the dome, and you can clearly see that St. Peter's Square is not a square.   The walk up to the dome reminded me of my old office in Seymour Hall at NSU.  It is hot, sweaty, narrow, and lots of stairs, but well worth the wait.  This walk, I add, is not for the claustrophobic.  But the conclusion is spectacular, even for those like me with vertigo issues. 

Later that day, after drying off, we went to the ancient Roman sites, namely the Coliseum, the Forum, and Palatine Hill.   These are all right next to each other, therefore and easy walk once you get there. Warning: the Forum has an uneven stone floor.  Wear good shoes or you will be in pain.I suggest educating yourself before going to these sites.  I read The Classical World by Robin Lane Fox, which is a fine overview of ancient Greece and Rome (although a little heavier in social history than I usually like).  I also cannot recommend Rick Steves Rome highly enough. By the end of our stay in Rome we were saying, "Forget Caesar. Hail Rick Steves!"  He gives amazing tips that come in extremely handy.  He also gives you guided tours of most of Romes sites.  This is especially helpful for the Forum and Palatine Hill, since unless you are an expert in ancient Roman architecture, you won't really know what you are looking at without some sort of guide.  Rick Steves is excellent. 

The Vatican Museum is quite the experience.  It is hot, sweaty and magnificent.  The Sistine Chapel is a kind of mediated experience of God.  The museum is horribly crowded and it is hard to take your time to take in all you are seeing.  I would suggest hurrying through the stoneware and getting to the tapestries and Raphael frescoes.  Included here is the fresco of the philosophers, which Prof. Blanchard will appreciate.

We also went to the Mouth of Truth, as seen in Roman Holiday.  I still have both of my hands. 

We ate in a couple times in Rome, as we had the apartment.  We did eat at a fine restaurant, Ristorante la Carbonara, in the Campo de Fiori.  I had a fine cannelloni and a plate full of Mediterranean fish. They still had their heads attached, which was off-putting, but they were tasty.  A bit annoying were the street performers and vendors who felt comfortable entering the outside seating area of the restaurant and asking us for money.  Especially annoying was the saxophonist.  If Frank Sinatra was alive, it would have killed him to hear what this guy did to his music.  And I still have nightmares over the butchered Dave Brubeck.  Like a banshee it was!  I did have a fine hot mushroom, chicken and cheese sandwich served on a kind of kaiser roll at a place near the Vatican. And yes, they make fine gellato (it's just ice cream people) in Rome.

Anyone who thinks America has vulgar pop culture has never turned on Italian television.  I have no idea what they were saying, but it all looked like low budget 1970s television to me.  And when a guy with long black hair, a powder blue leisure suit, and a pained expression sings a heartfelt song with gaudy strings in the background, you know you have hit cultural bottom. It makes Lawrence Welk look hip.

I am sorry we did not make to Trevi Fountain or the Spanish Steps.  Reason to go back, one supposes.  But Rome is a fine city that I can recommend.  And get the Rick Steves book.