Rome Diary Friday July 8
Our pattern is set with Mr. Lay-about in charge! No, seriously, the poor guy's legs are walked off, and he sleeps forever! I enjoy my time alone though, and write our travel-log and scan the’ net for interesting Rome facts, read the Rome guidebook and prepare for the day’s adventures. So it’s all good!
The breakfast is as it would be at home, or at an inexpensive road-side hotel in the US, and that is just fine. As previously mentioned, the espresso machine is primo, so what else would I need?! Danny loves using it too, and bringing me my cup, so cute! We head down to the metro around 12:30, and exit at Spagna, emerging into the sunny crowed Piazza di Spagna. The first thing we see is the beautiful boat shaped Barcaccia fountain with water spouting out of the stem and stern. You can drink and fill you water bottles right from I and we do! The fountain contains the now famous to us Barcaccia bees, and they say symbolizes either the church, under attack, never sinking, or the fact that they used to flood the area to have mock naval battles there. Take your pick! The place is loaded with tourists, viewing the fountain and the Spanish steps, shopping in all the boutiques surrounding the square(I detour into Benetton for old times sake) all with large signs reading SALDE! which means sale! We head up the Spanish Steps, which in contrast to what we climbed daily in Greece are basically nothing! And are filled with knock-off purse and sunglasses men. Not really romantic or historical, such is the world now I guess. At the top of the steps we admire the view, and visit the beautiful Chiesa della Trinita dei Monti which has breathtaking side chapels and an altar that is also very beautiful. As always we pray, it is our custom now to visit the Blessed Mother altars and kneel and say a Hail Mary aloud together, and I love this. We head down a side street looking for The House of Monsters which is mentioned in our Kids/Rome guidebook, but it is gone, undergoing a facelift, covered with scaffolding, no monsters in site. Things come and go, we learn! Down another street in this posh area and we visit the Anglo-American Bookshop just or fun. Danny spends a good bit of time reading a comic book version of the history of Rome, and I’m sure is gaining as much, if not more from that than he would from any of the guidebooks! Two secret service type bodyguards are outside the door, and one is inside, so I’m hoping to see Suri Cruise or Angelina and her brood shopping for books, but no such luck. Just an unidentifiable non-descript business man type, though obviously he is “someone”! On we go, no stopping at a great bar as they are called, for a quick stand-up cappachuno and gelato. YUM! Danny has two scoops, vanilla and nutella, and reports that is wonderful! We are on the trail toTrevi Fountain, but wander through many Piazza’s and stop to take in an exhibit of Catholic frescos from Serbia on a traveling display in a beautiful peaceful courtyard. When we enter spontaneously from the blazing sunshine it is cool and peaceful and we are only two of four people visiting. Aaahh, off the beaten trail can be lovely and the frescos are magnificent. We also happen into the Pontifical University, where a Doctoral professor stops us and explains the purpose of the university, shows us the 15th century courtyard area with statues and the building across the square which houses the oldest most prestigious language institute in the world, minimum 7 languages to enter, and the Egyptian department communicates exclusively in hieroglyphs! Also the street to the left where they filmed the scooter scene in Roman Holiday(a must view when we get home!) So when you think you are lost, you usually end up in the most interesting spots, perhaps the best life lesson for both a ten year old boy and a forty-nine year old gal to take from this trip.
And then we emerge from an ally into the startling piazza with the Trevi Fountain. Though mobbed, the fountain is so enormous it doesn’t even feel crowed. The
Fontana di Trevi was designed by Nicola Salvi in 1732 and depicts Neptune’s chariot being led by Tritons with sea horses, one wild and one docile-representing the various moods of the sea. Danny is eager to find The Ace of Cups and sets off to explore. He is soo excited when he finds it, and gleefully drinks water right from it, and then has me do it too! The Trevi is the start from which all the other fountains get their water and it is strong and freezing! The story behind this spout is cute: the builders had a nosy barber in the neighborhood who kept on them all day about everything they were doing. One night they constructed this big spout area so that in the morning, the barber’s view was completely blocked!! We head off to find the Pantheon, but as we wander down a side street we find a restaurant with a food happy hour(jerry-take note!)! Pasta for $5eu! So Danny tries the classic Rome specialty buccelli ala ammarsomething and I have the potato gnocchi and he tries a lot of that too! Funny, we ask for tap water and they don’t serve it! “No water, NO! “ says the waiter. Okay…I turn the wine glasses over, pull out our canteen and fill ‘em up! We refill our bottle in the bathroom and have a second round! Too funny! After that 20 minute café stop, we decide to head to the Vatican, because we need to be there 30 minutes early for our tour. We consult the map, which we are starting to get a handle on, and decide to walk it. We find a fabulous bakery along the way and buy some pistachio cookies for Danny and some raisin ones for me for a treat later tonight. We wander across the river on a different bridge and end up in a neat riverside street market! I accidentally buy another purse, got down from 25eu to 12, so what could I do? I didn’t even know I wanted it!! I hope to return for a sundress, that skirt that you see in every photo is my only one, as the second went home with Molly after the embassy party. Note to European travelers in the summer..dresses and skirts are MUCH COOLER than shorts, and you never feel bad going into the churches. We arrive at the Vatican to find that rather than needing to get there at 6:30, the doors will open at 7 and we are lined up in a blazing hot area to wait the half hour. We end up with an unfolded map over our heads for shade, with Danny fanning us with our paper ticket receipt. It seems to take forever, but eventually we hear noises behind the 20 foot high bronze doors, and they are unlocked, releasing a blast of air-conditioning that truly feels like heaven! We are the third ones in, breeze through security, Danny checks the bag, I get the tickets and we are in. We realize as we start up the ramp with interesting boats from many lands displayed along it’s spiraling path, that we haven’t grabbed our guidebooks. In a way it is freeing though, and we decide to see what we see, read what is signed in English and just enjoy! Of course the visit is magnificent. The crowds are half what they are in the daytime, open courtyard reas are filled with lighted candles making it feel like you are bake in the 1500’s or earlier. The Sistine chapel is breathtaking, and is the crown jewel, but there really is so much more, every room has a ceiling to study, floor mosaics, and frescoed moldings, and then there is what is on display in it. Too much to take in, but wonderful. We took the short visit route to the Sistine Chapel, then went back and start again and did the long route. This turned out to be great, because the 8pm time slot folks were bustling along to the Sistine as were all the tour groups, that is where they end, whereas we had time to stop all along and see whatever we wanted to. We ended up in the Borgia apartments with the contemporary art(Klee,Dali,etc.) alone, just taking it in and chatting. It was amazing. We emerged at 10:30, the closing time, and began our hike up-hill towards home. It is a solid. Brisk 20 minute walk, and we arrived home basically having been on our feet walking for 9 ½ hours! Needless to say tomorrow will not be our early day! We wash our feet-oh heaven, and have our cookies and milk/coffee and read a bit and lights out at 12:30. Another stunning, perfect day!
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