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Rome - Still the Eternal City August, 2008
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Before boarding the overnight
train from Vienna to Rome, we were able to spend most of the day
wandering around this Austrian capital, with its Rome is indisputably one of the
grandest cities in the world, a destination everyone should visit once
in their lives. The greatest memorials to Of course, one of the highlights is St. Peter’s Basilica, the immensity of it taking your breath away when you first enter, the cut marble and sculptures everywhere, the extreme reverence of the place, the many paintings adorning the walls. There’s simply nothing like it in the world. Marge and her mom did take advantage of an opportunity to attend a Mass here which run throughout the day at the various chapels and altars that seem to be everywhere. Next door is the Vatican Museum, which you can cover in about 2-3 hours, gazing at the many treasures collected by the church over the years, a room of Rafael’s, a room of Ruben’s, the Sistine Chapel, all very elegant. I climbed to the top of the dome one late afternoon, a treat in itself, as it’s many steps wind around on the way up, almost dizzying myself as I ascended. We also had a tour of the underground crypts, a network of excavations being worked on beneath St. Peter’s, where years ago a former church was built, later covered over and used as the new foundation for the present Basilica. Here lie the bones of St. Peter, which you can see stashed away in an alcove tucked beneath the main altar of St. Peter’s, all rather interesting.
We were visually stunned at the Villa Borghese, a centuries old estate containing sculptures collected by a wealthy patrician family over the years. Of particular note were the five or six marble sculptures created by the masterful Bernini. How someone could take an 8 foot tall block of solid marble, chip away at it for years, and end up with something so beautiful is just so astounding. Young David, with his furrowed brow and laser eyes, his body wound like a spring, ready to launch a rock from his slingshot at the mighty Goliath. Or, the couple in love, she escaping from his clutches and metamorphasizing into a tree, the leaves so delicately carved, his fingers pressing into her thighs and creating a subtle indentation, the energy of their bodies so eloquently expressed, simply amazing. This Bernini guy has marble sculptures all around town and I tried to see them all – he is a very special talent. From Rome, we all took a two
hour train to Florence where we spent another 3 nights at a great hotel
that has been converted from an old It’s best to head out early in Rome before the heat has gained a foothold and the tourists clog the ancient alleyways. Surprisingly, in the confusing and endearing manner of the Italians, many of the sites are closed at 2:00 PM for a couple of hours, so don’t be too disappointed if that church you had to see is closed when you arrive – just wait around until 4:00 PM. Our method for wandering the side streets is very effective – follow the shadows wherever they lead and stop at every church – it doesn’t matter which direction you go in Rome, there’s something that will charm you wherever you turn.
I loved Rome, the sights, the sounds, the smells, the people watching, the history, the culture, the endearing personalities of the natives with their embellished motions accompanying every emotion they emit, the way they wear passions on their sleeve, the overwhelming friendliness and their love of life – I’ll say it now, it’s the best big city in the world – when the moon hits the sky like a big pizza pie, that’s amore…..
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4000
mummified Capuchin monks, skeletized and propped up with ropes in a
centuries old monastery, secreted sculptures by Bernini and Michelangelo
surprising you in hidden churches, ancient ruins littering the landscape
wherever you turn, the majestic and incomparable St Peter’s Basilica
with the bones of the founder reverently cached in a crypt beneath the
main altar, artistic fountains fed by spring water routed through 1000
year old aqueducts, the historic artwork at the Vatican and the
inspiring sculptures at the Villa Borghese, cobble stone streets trodden
for centuries, the majestic and soaring Coliseum with the adjoining
Forum, the hard to believe its still standing Pantheon, all the tombs of
the martyrs, the old paintings, the old buildings, the old churches -
yes, Rome is the Eternal City and certainly stands as the most dramatic
and interesting city to visit in the world today. 
many attractive buildings, weighing in for lunch at a very popular
sausage festival. Arriving in Rome, we met up with Marge’s mom Cathy and
sister Donna, and spent six nights in a well located upstairs apartment
a few blocks from Trevi Fountain. We hit the main sites during the day
and sampled a different restaurant each evening under balmy Roman skies.
Being the end of August, the temperatures did get into the low nineties
during the afternoon, a perfect opportunity to retreat to the air
conditioned and shaded apartment for an afternoon siesta. Marge’s mom
had never ventured outside of America before, so it was nice to watch
her appreciation for Rome and its unique culture. Marge took the family
on one of those tour buses that drives around town and shows you the
sights, since there’s a lot to see, and this gives a good overview of
all the sights and easy for mom to do.
ancient civilizations lie throughout the splendid city, where you could
easily keep yourself occupied for a week. After the Vatican, St. Peter’s
Basilica and the Coliseum, choose from the many other churches and ruins
that proliferate throughout town. Or just wander through town and marvel
at the many piazzas, fountains or curbside cafes. The amazing aspect of
Rome is the variety of sights around every corner, the inscriptions in
Latin that are emblazoned everywhere, the beautiful women and the
handsome men dressed in their stylish attire, the many high quality
museums scattered throughout town, or simply dropping in on every church
that crosses your path, as they seem to be on every block. And did I
mention the food - you could spend the week here and sample hundreds of
pizza joints, or stuff a Panini like the locals, or sit down and enjoy
homemade pasta. Marge’s mom was always so amazed that we ended up eating
in the streets, as most of the cafes share the road with autos and
motorbikes. 
The
Pantheon is most amazing, built over 2000 years ago, and still standing
so majestically in Piazza Della Rotunda. Formerly a pagan temple, it now
houses the tomb of the noted painter Rafael, along with other martyred
Saints. How they built this temple to last this long is the most
incredible feat, with its large dome suspended and supported by its own
weight, and the oval opening at the top, shining brightly unto the
marble floor below. A block further on is Trevi fountain, a popular
gathering spot for pictures and cafes, as recessed alleyways recede and
radiate down every direction, lined with places to eat. 
monastery. Marge and I had been to Florence a few years ago, so we had
seen the main sites, but Marge’s mom and sister thrilled in the small
town atmosphere of the city. Personally, I think Florence is worth a day
trip from Rome, but no more, since you can get through the sites in one
day, and Rome itself is so much grander and interesting to spend your
time. Yet, people rave over Florence, I’m just not sure why, although
Marge did like it more than me. The Duomo doesn’t compare to St.
Peter’s, or for that matter a handful of other churches in Rome, the
Uffizi is nice, but the Vatican collection is better, and the town
itself is really overrun with tourists during the day, exaggerated
because of its compact area where most major sites are clumped rather
close together. 
Cathy
and Donna had a great time and Marge and I both enjoyed meeting up with
our family in such a special location. From here we’re headed up to the
Netherlands for a week, scoring big with two $29 air fares on budget
Ryanair – ok, it started at $29, then there’s the boarding fee, and the
taxes, and the fuel surcharge, and the baggage fee, and the online fees,
and the check-in fee, and the pilot fees, so it really came to $117
each, still not so bad. So we cheated a little on our overland route,
but it was very expensive to get to Rome from Northern Europe and even
more expensive to go from Rome back to Northern Europe, with train fares
running upwards of $500 for the two of us (not to mention the 18 hours
of travel time). So despite my reluctance to fly, I sucked it up and
saved a lot of money and time. We’ll be staying in Utrecht for a few
days before moving to Haarlem just outside of Amsterdam. 
