Pantheon & Catacombs

On my second full day in Rome, I took my time getting up as I didn’t have anything scheduled until the afternoon.  My partner in crime again, Adelle, and I eventually headed out of the apartment to see some sights.  I had been wanting to see the Pantheon, so after checking out some of the shops close by, we headed to find the Pantheon.  Let me just say, signs and directions in Rome are more like suggestions.  Maps are basically coded treasure maps that if you’re either really smart, or just plain lucky, you might figure out the secret formula. We did eventually find our destination, and it felt like a victory.  Perhaps I should have climbed atop and planted a flag.  And it’s not that the sites are in hidden, out of the way places or miles from the city center – the streets are just such a maze that a satellite map and home beacon would be slightly helpful.

But I am not complaining really – I was in Rome after all!  One of the most ancient cities of the West.  So I look at it more as I was earning my stripes and playing an archeologist or anthropologist.

So we get to the Pantheon, which is open to the public, but is also a holy place.  It might have been an ancient Roman temple, but now it is basically a church and holy sanctuary.  Standing in the middle, looking up at the oculus and the amazing concrete work the Romans did, I was in awe.  It’s a big place.  I had to wonder what the Romans had done in there in pre-Christian days.  And even though it is incredibly old, it still felt as if it were a modern structure to me.  It has held up amazingly well.

 

After we walked around and checked it out, it was getting close to lunch time so we headed over to Piazza Navona, built on the site of a former Roman stadium (the piazza follows the original shape, more or less).  In the center is Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers) which is rather large and quite impressive.  We picked a restaurant right off the center of the piazza to park ourselves and enjoy a little nibble.  We of course had to have our obligatory glass of wine while we watched the people walk by.  It was a nice way to pass the afternoon.  The meal was fine, too, though nothing exciting.  I had a nice pasta with a cream sauce and bacon and Adelle had some bruschetta.

After lunch we walked around the piazza and checked out some of the shops, then headed back towards the shopping district to shop some more.  I found some lovely little gifts to bring home, then we headed back to the apartment to drop stuff off and rest a bit.  I wasn’t paying close enough attention to the time when I realized I needed to get to the meeting point for my tour for the day – and it was probably a kilometer away, so I had to hoof it.  Many tours meet in Piazza Barberini, near the metro stop, and in mid-afternoon it can be challenging to fight the crowds on the streets.  I did make it just in time though.

This was my tour of the old Christian Catacombs.  For some reason, I expected them to be inside the city walls (old Rome) – but we were being bussed out to the ‘burbs for these.  It made sense to me when they explained the customs of the time.  In ancient Rome, most Romans cremated their dead, but other cultures, like the Christians, buried their dead and it was against Roman law to bury bodies within the city walls.  Plus, back then, Christians were not exactly open about their religious orientation since it was frowned upon, so they chose to dig out caverns to bury their dead and hide their Christian symbols.

The catacombs are not far outside the city, but even today, they are located in areas designated as holy by the church, so again, no pictures allowed, nor are men in shorts permitted or women in anything other than covered knees and shoulders (heaven forbid you show a kneecap or shoulder!). 

 

 

Where the catacombs were found was apparently on someone’s farm as they had long been forgotten over the centuries.  A cow apparently disappeared into a hole and a farmer discovered where the hole led.  The catacombs cover miles and miles and miles under the city.  The ones we were taken to have been extensively excavated and preserved.  We went down several hundred feet at the lowest point we were allowed.  Interestingly, the oldest graves are the tunnels closed to the top of the grown.  The lower you go, the newer the graves.  This is because they obviously dug out the easiest parts first and over the centuries had to dig deeper.  There were even still some bones in some chambers.  It didn’t feel spooky to me though.

It was also fascinating to see the art work they left behind.  It was very rudimentary, since oxygen was scarce deep under the ground, so they painted or drew quickly and got out.  Of course, there was the issue of the smell too.  Imagine being surrounded by rotting corpses while you are trying to paint a fresco or something – not very pleasant.  There were, however, some lamps built into the walls that they could fill with perfumed oil to provide light and help squelch the stench.

Once we got up top again, we got back on the buses and headed to our next site:  Basilica San Clemente.  It isn’t terribly far from the Colosseum, but we had to hoof it in since they don’t let buses into that particular neighborhood.  What’s interesting about this Basilica is that it’s from about 12^th century, built on top of a basilica from the 4^th century, plus ruins from the 2^nd, and lastly, 1^st century Rome.  Kind of like a layer cake.  So as you go down, you are going back in time. 

In the 1800s, a priest started excavating below the present Basilica because he was being kept up at night hearing water drip. That water turns out to have been a stream running deep underground in the 1^st century layer.  And the Church tended to build on top of old churches and temples, so stuff like this can be found all over Rome.  The Tiber river flooded the city many times, building up the silt layers and burying ancient sites (thus also preserving them).  It was truly a breathtaking experience to be walked through the centuries to see what it was like then, all the way back to Ancient Rome.  The Basilica was basically built over a Roman city street and temple, with some businesses and homes all still there (contents gone obviously – but the walls and floors were there).

So after our trip through the way-back machine, so to speak, we then got on the bus again to our last stop: the Capuchin Monk Crypt.  It’s a crypt kept by the Capuchins to bury their dead, and they decorated the crypts with the bones of the monks.  This particular order believed the body was only a shell that the soul discards when you die, therefore they do not place importance on the remains.  While they did keep the dead, they used the bones to create these elaborate sculptures and decorations that adorn the crypts.  They basically created tableaus in each one.  It was fascinating, but also rather ghoulish.  It felt more eerie there than in the catacombs – for obvious reasons.

After the tour was over, I hoofed it back to the apartment to meet Adelle and Annie to go to dinner.  We  were going out to place called Eatly – kind of a huge food marketplace that has taken over an old train station.  The guy that started it first opened one in Bologna, and he licenses the idea to Mario Batali to open in NYC (other locations are being opened around the US, but not by Batali).  But before we went there, Annie had the cab driver take us to this neighborhood for me to see something.

We drove around this residential neighborhood until we pulled up to a building that looked a little like a library mixed with a fortress.  It was the Knights of Malta.  You go up to the main door, lean down to look through the keyhole, and see something pretty interesting.  I don’t want to ruin it for anyone who might want to see, but I will say that what you see if something that the Knights wanted to keep an eye on – or so the story goes.  And you get a clear shot of it, day or night.  It’s incredible.  Someone major engineering and thought went into this, at least I think.  It could have been a happy accident.  Who knows.  But if you get a chance, ask a cabbie to take you to the Knights of Malta place in Rome (it may take some convincing and a tip).

We eventually got to Eatly (again, nothing is easy to find in Rome).  We walked around a neighborhood since the cabbie couldn’t get us to the front of the place because of blocked streets.  Strange.  We walk in, and I was in Wonderland:  5 levels of food, wine and eating stalls.  The three of us shared a Piadina (think Italian style quesadilla with meats for fillings).  Annie is going to be making these in her Italian Deli/Market that she and her husband are opening in Kansas City next year.  It was incredibly delicious.  Of course, we washed it down with some lambrusco, then set about shopping for gourmet foods, wines, cheeses, etc.

We spent a couple of hours wandering the different levels of the store.  My basket was stuffed to the gills, and I could have kept going, but it was close to closing time, so we headed to check out.  I hope they open a location in L.A. as I think it’s a great idea.  And I hope they import a bunch of the stuff from Italy!

We went back home to crash as it had been a busy day.  Tomorrow – the Colosseum!

First Full Day of Rome - The Vatican!

As I awoke on Monday for my first full day in Rome, I got my first real look at daylight outside my window.  My room looked out towards the Forum, which was about a block away across a major street (Via dei Fori Imperiali).  It was rather breathtaking to realize I finally was in Rome (and not having to rush out again). 

Annie was getting ready to go to her classes, so after getting myself awake and dressed, I joined her on her walk across Rome.  Adelle wanted to sleep in after her flights, so I let her be as I would be back after the walk to go explore with her.  Annie took me to her favorite little café near the Trevi fountain to get a cappuccino.  I usually don’t drink cappuccinos as I prefer a strong cup of black coffee, but when in Rome….and they were delicious, every one I had.  It was also nice to see the fountain before all the crowds came too.  We had it to ourselves for a nice little period of contemplation. 

 

I wound up exploring a little bit after Annie departed and then headed back to the apartment to pick up Adelle and really get the day going.  We had several hours before I had a tour scheduled at the Vatican.  We went back to the Trevi Fountain for lunch, since Annie recommended a pizza place right on the piazza.  I don’t have the name (they had scaffolding up to work on the building and I didn’t look for a business card) but if you are looking at the fountain straight on, it’s on your left in that row of shops.  And the pizza was delicious!  I had a slice that had burrata and prosciutto – the cheese was more like butter or cream cheese; and a slice that was basically a form of bruschetta – all fresh tomatoes and basil, with a little mozzarella.  Both slices were incredibly flavorful and melted in my mouth!  It was probably the best pizza I had in Italy.

After sitting at the fountain and eating my pizza, we made our way over to the metro stop a few blocks away (which was a chore to find with all the windy streets), and hopped on a train across town towards the Vatican.  While the metro won’t take you directly there, it does take you close by and you just have to walk several blocks.

When you walk into the square in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, it really is stunning.  The center contains the obelisk, and there were chairs set out in the front of the basilica for a mass (All Saint’s Day was coming at the end of the week).  You’ll be glad to hear, I didn’t burst into flames when I set foot onto the Vatican’s grounds….not even a burning sensation! (HA!)  We walked around the square and Adelle snapped a few photos of me.  We even visited the post office to enquire if we could get our passports stamped (it is a separate country, after all).  They knew before we even asked…and promptly, but politely told us no.

 

Adelle had to run to meet Annie, so she left me to wander around for about an hour before I met my tour group.  I stopped at a little café across from the entrance to the Vatican museum (it’s around the side from the main entrance to the public square) and had a little nibble and some prosecco while I waited.  It wasn’t anything special, so I didn’t really take note of the restaurant or the food; it was just a place to rest up.

Oh, did I mention how humid it was in Italy.  The temperature was average, maybe in the 70s, low 80s, but the humidity was awful.  I sweat under my jeans the minute I walked about the door.  And walking up and down the hills and hustling around town made it worse.  It really was shorts weather, but unfortunately you can’t enter any “holy” place in Rome in shorts, which is basically any building.  So I sweat a LOT!

Eventually my tour time came around, so I joined the group.  I had booked a very small, private tour of the Vatican through Viator.  The provider was actually Dark Rome (www.darkrome.com), and I can highly recommend them for tours in the city.  The tour I had booked gave us access to rooms at the museum and the Vatican that the general public just doesn’t get to see, plus we got the Sistine Chapel all to ourselves at the end of the tour for about 20-30 minutes.  Just the 10 of us, no one else (other than the guide and security). 

We started the tour off at the museum, which is the old Vatican palace.  It’s a huge museum.  It would take months to see everything in the collection available to the public.  Our guide, Rachel, was an Irish ex-pat who moved to Rome.  She had a very broad knowledge of the Vatican and the art the museum contained.  Because I was part of a small group, private tour, we had access to rooms that were not available to the general public.  Sadly, you are not allowed to use flash photography, and cannot take any pictures in the basilicas or chapels.

In the old Papal Palace that now serves as the museum, there is a huge courtyard where there are some statues, as well as a modern art sculpture.  It’s just so weird to imagine that for hundreds of years, Popes and Cardinals roamed around this place.

Our guide took us up the Bramante staircase – or more accurately, ramp.  It was an add-on on one side of the palace that the papal architect, Bramante, designed and built to move art and sculptures in and out of the palace.  From the top, you get some amazing views of Rome.  It was never really finished as it seems to end short at the top, but it served a good purpose.

 

From then on, we were rushed around various galleries and rooms, many of which the public doesn’t see, with our museum tour ending in Raphael’s rooms.  These were the rooms that were painted by Raphael’s students, or himself, for the Pope, and were used as meeting rooms for dignitaries, dining rooms, and even a library.  Just beyond one of Raphael’s rooms we were taken into an antechamber that adjoins the apartments currently occupied by Cardinals.  Interesting, the new Pope, Francis, refused rooms in the papal apartments and instead occupies a more mundane setup across the Vatican at a building built by John Paul II for visiting clergy – kind of like a Holiday Inn Express, so to speak.  This antechamber had been used by popes to meet dignitaries, etc., and was a relatively important one – but now because it is so old, it is kept locked up most of the time since too many people could destabilize the floor (thus the small group allowed).

I saw so much, it’s hard to recall it all, but it all impressed me greatly.  It also reminded me how much the church has used the money it collected from the public over the years for what, in my mind, would be frivolous things.  Granted, much incredible art and documents have been kept and conserved by the Vatican for posterity, but the wealth that moved through the hands of so few for the benefit of even fewer (until more modern times) just galls me.

Anyway, today I benefit (albeit at an expense still to myself) from prior generations dipping into their pocket for the church and the papacy.  Which brings me to the end of our tour:  the Sistine Chapel.  Our group had the benefit of having the chapel all to ourselves, for nearly a half hour.  The security shooed out everyone (it was time to close the chapel to the general public), then we were allowed in to have it alone.  Our guide explained, in detail, each of the amazing panels overhead that Michelangelo painted so very long ago.  The detail in the restored frescoes is amazing.  Even though they are high overhead, you could see clearly the detail, the lines on the faces, etc.  And you could see Michelangelo’s progression through the years.  As you walk in the front of the chapel, you really start with the end of the Genesis story, and end with creation above the altar – it’s all about perspective:  a priest (pope) from the altar would see it in the correct progression. 

The last judgment is behind the altar.  It’s a sight to behold.  Michelangelo apparently started at the end as well when he started painting.  His first frescoes, you can see that he was still learning the technique, as well as figuring out perspective, since he basically painted a panel within a panel, making it appear smallish when you compare it to later frescoes.  He finally figured out he should use the whole panel and make it larger. 

And you can see what he thought of people by his use of various cardinals and contemporary people (as well as historical figures) that he painted into the Last Judgment.  He had a wicked sense of humor, and his patron pope seemed to agree with him, though he thought he probably went too far at points. 

Just standing there, observing, I was just in complete awe.  I wanted to lie down on the floor and stare at it all, but we were running out of time, and something inside me felt it might be too sacrilegious, even for me.  But then our time came to an end, and we were rushed out as the museum was closing.

After that experience, I was left feeling – I don’t know, maybe incredulous? It’s hard to put into words.  But it’s an experience I am glad I had.

It was late now, and I was supposed to meet Annie and Adelle for dinner.  I tried to make my way towards where they were, in a piazza on the other side of the river.  I made a beeline down the street that was supposed to take me to the bridges and away from the Vatican, and I saw towers that were supposed to be to Castel next to the river and the bridges, but as I got close, I realized I was back at the front of the Vatican again and had turned in the wrong direction at some point and wasted about 15 minutes.  Argggg!  Plus I was sweating profusely from the humidity, even at this time of the evening.  Eventually I managed to get myself out of the maze of streets and on the right path and met up with them.

Annie took us took us to a restaurant in the Jewish quarter of Rome (not far from the apartment) to enjoy some good Roman cuisine with a Jewish twist.  Ristorante Il Giordino (http://www.ilgiardinoromano.it/web/) is in an alley way off the beaten path.  They are known for their deep fried artichokes.  I am not a big fan of artichokes, but these were delicious.  Of course, deep frying just about anything can make it tasty!  For my main dish I had a lovely pasta.  Of course, I don’t remember exactly everything we had, but I do know the meal was worth the hoofing it across town to meet up with the ladies, and I can recommend trying to artichokes.  We also kept cracking up the wait staff with our comments.

Lucca, Florence (briefly), then back to Rome

This morning we got up relatively early since we had to drive on to Lucca.  Annie needed to get the car turned in to Hertz before noon in Lucca, else we’d have to drive it into Florence, and she really didn’t want to do that.  So we got up early, enjoyed a breakfast at our hotel (which by the way I can highly recommend – Grand Hotel de la Ville [www.grandhoteldelaville.it] – it’s right by the central core of Parma and easy walking to move everything), and made our way out of town.  Another thing we learned:  Hertz NeverLost GPS SUCKS.  It doesn’t help that the roads in Italy are full of roundabouts, confusing signs and general mayhem.  We did finally find our way to the Autostrada and were on our merry way.

 

The drive over the mountains from Parma to Lucca was beautiful.  We drove through a light fog which just added to the beauty.  It’s about a two hour drive.  Once you get over the mountains, you are close to the coast, and you drive through the area famous for Carrera marble.  Lots and lots of marble yards with huge blocks of it along the autostrada.  Eventually you head up the hills again and just as you pass Pisa (and no, we didn’t stop unfortunately, time was running out) you hit the outskirts of Lucca.  The old city it a citadel surrounded by a wall and earthen berm.  We actually drove into the citadel through the original gates, but driving there was, to say the least, scary.  Streets are very, very narrow, many unpassable, and throngs of people walking willy-nilly.  Eventually we double parked and I sat in the car while Annie ran to the hotel to find out where Hertz was located (the directions we had received at a gas station were, again, useless).  Then we had to find our way out of the citadel! 

Eventually we got out, drove around the perimeter, and found the Hertz location and dropped off the car.  We then drug our bags back to the hotel to check in and dump our stuff so we could get some lunch. 

  

As we headed out, all the shops we closing up for siesta.  Ug!  But the restaurants were open, so we stopped at a café a few blocks from the hotel in one of the piazza’s and had a glass of prosecco and a bite to eat.  I had this “sandwich” of mozzarella and prosciutto.  It was kind of like a quesadilla, only thicker, more like a pita folded over.  It was actually very tasty.  Then we set off to do some shopping with what stores were open.

After getting a bite, we roamed around town, checked out what shops were open to see what we wanted to go back to, then Annie decided to go to a beauty shop to get a wash and blow dry – so I set out to check out some of the side streets.  I found this quaint little shop that was open that had foodstuffs (mostly for tourists) and bought a few things to bring back for my friends.  I wandered down the back alleys until I came upon one of the piazzas lined with trees, and they had tents set up for some big event.  It wasn’t until later that I found out it was for a huge European comics convention going on next weekend. 

 

 

Finally I got a text from Annie, so we met up and started shopping.  We went into this shop selling original art from local artists – and let me tell you, Annie is dangerous – I wound up buying two (small) pieces of art.  It’s the most money I’ve spent on an item on vacation that didn’t have a purpose other than be aesthetically pleasing.  Annie bought several painting though.  It was her anniversary present to herself (it was she and her husband’s 22^nd). 

 

I took her by a couple of the shops I had seen while roaming around on my own, and looked in a few new ones, and then we rushed across the squares to meet up with a friend of hers living in Lucca – Isabelle.  Isabelle is a very sweet woman, who came to Lucca on vacation from Germany about 8 years ago and then went back to Germany, packed up, and moved to Lucca.  We stopped in a Bar to have a glass of prosecco and some nibbles.  Then Isabelle took us on a little tour of the town.  We walked down the piazza towards the wall that surrounds the city.  At different points, there are embankments you can walk up (essentially a ramp) and they have turned the top of the wall into a parkade.  Apparently, cars at one time were allowed to drive along the top.  You get a good view of the city from the wall too, so you can check out a few of the more stately home’s enclosed gardens, etc. 

We then walked back down into town and Isabelle took up to this wine shop where she knows the owner.  He let us go down into the wine cellar, which was lined with rows and rows of bottles, some of them dating back 50 years (covered in dust).  It was so amazing.  I had never been into an authentic wine cellar/cave.  I was able to snap a few pictures that turned out okay.

 

Isabelle had to run to a party and left Annie and I, so we continued our shopping.  We stopped in a ceramic shop and were in awe of all the pottery.  It was all done locally, too, so we both picked up some very small items as gifts.  The shop lady wrapped them up good for us without even asking. 

We headed back to the hotel to drop off our bags after our shopping “kill”.  Isabelle had kindly made up reservations at one of the best restaurants (at least that’s what we were told, and it was a fair assessment) in Lucca; Buca S’Antonio (http://www.bucadisantantonio.it/LENG/Z2/C11959-1/hhcm-Home.html). 

I don’t quite recall Annie’s starter, but I had the chicken liver pate and she grimaced at me.  Not a fan.  I found it quite delicious though.  For my entrée, I ordered the Ravioli Zucca – basically what Annie had the night before and I had developed a taste for.  It’s hard to get good pumpkin ravioli in the States.  These were a little sweet, a little savory, and hit the spot for me. We also had a bottle of wine, so we were feeling no pain by the end of dinner.

 

 

We made our way back to the hotel and crashed.  I found the BBC news channel and just zoned out after a hot shower.  Did I mention the humidity in Italy right now?  I am constantly sweating and soaked, even after a little walk.  Neither one of us were expecting it to be like this.  Annie’s been here a month, and the humidity apparently got worse just before I flew in.  Lovely.

The next morning, we had to catch the train to Florence to meet up with Annie’s sister, Adriana.  Breakfast was included with our hotel night, and what a spread they had.  It was better than the one we had in Parma (and that was a good breakfast).  I found out form Isabelle the night before that most celebrities stay at our particular hotel in Lucca, the Hotel Noblesse (http://www.hotelnoblesse.it/en).  The rates are apparently pretty good, and it’s an excellent little hotel, just off the main shopping strip.  The manager, Ellis, told us to get the best rates to call or email. 

After breakfast, we hopped in a taxi and got to the train station.  The trains that run regionally in this area of Italy all seem to be double decker, newer models, at least those for the high traffic routes.  We did see a few of the old diesel cars at the station for the more local routes to the smaller cities.  It took us about an hour and a half to get to Florence.  Then we had to find Andrina.  Typical of Italian trains, they didn’t post the platform we were arriving at until the very last minute, and even then, I think they got it wrong.  Eventually we found each other though, and Andrina took us through the packed streets to the Duomo and main square to meet her husband.  We sat for some drinks while Annie and her sister got caught up (Drina is staying in Florence for several months and hadn’t seen Annie since before they all left for Italy).  Then she took me to get some gelato (mmmmmmmm) and we found a spot to grab a slice of pizza.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t the best pizza in Florence, but better than I usually get back home.  We also stopped into a couple of shops.  Drina pushed me to buy a man-purse since my jacket was so unnecessary for my trip here with the weather being what it is right now (and I need pockets!). One shop we went into had fancy leather satchels and bags, but for a basic man-purse, they wanted over 100 euros…..NOT!  I’m sorry, I am just not going to spend than on a basic small bag to haul crap around while I play tourist.  We wound up finding a street vendor near the train station that had canvas bags for a tiny fraction.  Hello!

Andrina put us back on the train, and Annie and I headed back to Rome, where her friend Adelle was going to be meeting us after flying in from the States.  This trip for me, so far, is….can you say whirlwind?  But it’s fun and I am enjoying it.

When we got to Rome, oddly on time, Adelle was waiting on the steps of the apartment.  She hadn’t waited too long though.  Annie made a little plate of cheese and prosciutto and opened a bottle of wine while Adelle got unpacked and I took a few moments to reorient.  We sat and chatted for a while, then Annie took us down the street for dinner.  The restaurant she wanted to take us to was closed for Sunday unfortunately, so we walked on and checked out a few other places.  We settled on a place that smelled wonderful and had lots of tables full – Urbana 47.  It was rather hip – part industrial, part farm house. 

We ordered a bottle of wine, a starter of Stracchino (a cheese that they fry up) over swiss chard, and a variation of eggplant parmesan.  Both were delicious.  Annie and Adelle shared a dish of pasta with sardines for their main, and I had Ravioli filled with a lamb ragu that had pine nuts in it.  It was a handmade pasta too.  Very, very savory.  I enjoyed every little meat filled pillow.  MMmmmmmm.  I knew I’d love the food in Italy.

After dinner we walked past the Coloseo (Colloseum) and stopped for a drink at a café that overlooks it.  We had a beautiful vantage point.  I was in awe.  It is beautiful all lit up at night.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a good picture.  So we just sat and enjoyed a cocktail and chatted.

By the time we got back to the apartment, it was 11, so we said our goodnights and hit the sack.

Arrival and Parma

I got some decent sleep last night, but my dogs are still barking from all the walking.  Okay, so let me get you caught up.

I got into Rome a few nights ago.  It was 10pm.  First off, when our plane landed, we taxi’d for a long time.  They have a lot of taxi-ways torn up, so you wind up sitting and waiting for other planes to move around.  Then we finally get to the gate and disembark – but wait, it’s not that easy.  Once we get down the jetway, they made us walk down stairs onto the tarmac to some waiting buses, which then bus us to another terminal on the other side of the airport.  They dump you off and you go into the building to go through passport control.  Since I am a U.S. citizen, I had to go through the non-EU line, which was actually faster.  The woman barely glanced at my passport and stamped it, sending me onward to baggage claim.

Rome’s main airport is an old, tired facility.  It really needs a facelift badly.  I walked was seemed like a kilometer or two to baggage claim, where I then had to find the right carousel.  It reminded me of something out of the 70s (which is probably when that terminal was built…early 70s).  I waited again for a good 20 minutes, and finally my bag arrived.  Then I went to go through customs, which was just a bunch of guys in military-like garb standing around, and they didn’t even look at me, so I went through to meet my driver in Arrivals. 

My driver spoke very little English, but he did understand me, and what limited Italian I know.  We get in the car (a Mercedes minivan  - you won’t see those in the States!) and wind our way out of the airport.  Fiumicino seems like a long way from Central Rome (it really isn’t), but we were on the autostrada for a good while.  Once we hit surface streets, everywhere you look (even though it was dark) are ancient Roman structures, mixed with everything up to the modern era.  Very surreal!  When stopped at a light, I noticed a “working girl” standing on her corner.  All I could do was laugh; the world’s oldest profession can be found everywhere!

The driver gave me a little tour as we drove through the streets towards where I was staying.  He pointed out different structures and buildings, which was very nice to get a mini-tour.  Once we got to the area where Annie’s apartment is, we drove around these narrow streets in circles looking for it.  We could not find 11 Piazza de Grillo to save our lives.  He called his dispatch, and they were no help.  He called a few other people, again, not help.  We drove around for over a half hour and I finally texted Annie, who quickly called me.  Turns out the house number was wrong on the sheet given to me, and the driver.  It was off by a digit.  Finally we pull up to the correct place, and it’s nearly midnight in Rome (and I haven’t really slept in about 24 hours).  Annie meets us downstairs and we thank the driver (I tipped him extra for the aggravation).

Annie’s apartment is in this older building on the top floor that is near the Forum.  It’s been completely remodeled.  I will post some pictures when I get back to Rome, but it’s a quaint apartment.  My bedroom faces towards the Forum.  She gave me the nickel tour and I took a quick shower and crashed.

The next morning, Friday (yesterday), I woke up before the alarm and got repacked in my carry-on for the weekend.  Annie and I grabbed a taxi down the street and headed over to the train station (Termini) to wait for our train.  Apparently, all over Europe, they have this habit of posting terminals, gates and platforms at the last minute, so we had to keep watching the board to know where we needed to go.  We grabbed some coffee and croissants at a café and talked, and people-watched.  It’s always fascinating to see the people coming and going through a station.

Finally we found out which platform and headed over.  We were on the high speed line to Bologna, making only stops in Florence and one other place.  We finally pull into Bologna (late by 20 minutes) and try to find the car rental place.  A security officer politely pointed out the way.  We get the car and start to drive out of town.  We used some Google directions, which were a bit confusing and wound up taking a wrong term.  I finally got the GPS fired up, and got us headed in the right direction. 

Italian drivers make Angelenos seem sane!  But, strangely, it works.  Haven’t seen an accident yet.  We eventually get to the A1 Autostrada and made our way out of Bologna.  The countryside you pass through is beautiful.  It’s very reminiscent of the Central Valley in California, only greener. MUCH greener.

At one point, we accidently took an exit we didn’t intend to (exit lanes come very quick with little warning), so we tried to U-turn when we got off the ramp.  This rental Annie got is a standard.  She couldn’t quite make the full turn, and tried to put it in reverse.  She and I both tried!  We followed the pattern, to no avail.  Finally this older gentleman who saw us struggling as traffic was building up came over to help us.  He got it into reverse for us (and I thought I understood what he did).  So we got on our merry way again.

Finally we arrived in Parma.  I figured it would be this quaint, tiny town.  Umm…NO.  It’s not a huge city, but it’s bigger and more developed than I imagined.  And more modern.  Oh, and with lots, and lots of traffic circles (ug!).  After dicking around with the map and the GPS, I finally saw a sign pointing to our hotel (the confirmation gave one the name, no address).  It was right on the edge of the central core.  We got checked in, dumped our bags, and headed out as we were starving.

Parma, while an old city, feels very contemporary.  The central core of town is all the older buildings.  As we walked around and checked things out, I was struck by the architecture; tightly packed buildings of older apartments and retail space next to ones built during the Renaissance.  The cobblestone streets were beautiful, but not fun to walk on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We found the Duomo (old cathedtral), which was just reopening after siesta, and stepped inside.  Wow!  It was amazing!  The ceiling was covered in frescos, the walls were very ornate, the woodwork sublime.  It was dark in there, and the flash didn’t work well, but I was able to grab a few photos that turned out okay, and they turned the lights on briefly so I was able to get some of the frescos.  I was just stunned at the fact that I was standing in the middle of a church built over 500 years ago.

 

 

 

 

 

Annie and I walked on.  Most of the shops were still closed for siesta.  We wanted to look in the Salumerias, but we would have to wait.  We walked down one narrow path and found a small bar/café open and walked in.  The workers were very friendly and this young man working the counter introduced himself: Felip.  He was 19 (just a baby!) and graduating high school.  He served us some lambrusco (red sparkling wine) as we chatted.  I don’t know if any of you have had lambrusco before, but the stuff we get in States is crap! This stuff was so good.  It was from a small local vitner who refilled the bottles for the café.  Felip made us some small sandwiches on this lovely brown bread with prosciutto (the area’s claim to fame).  It was just so incredibly delicious (and simple!).  For the two of us, the wine and sandwiches were less than 10 euros.  It was a steal!  We tried to go back later, but we couldn’t find it since we lost track of the many little streets we had walked down.

We continued on, looking into stores that were open and checking out the town.  We made our way down to the Piazza de Garibaldi, where the streets in the surrounding area were very high end.  After checking out the area, we stopped at another café on the Piazza for some more lambrusco and snack.  The waitress brought us some potato chips, olives and peanuts – apparently the norm in the parts.  We sat and talked and people watched, enjoyed our lambrusco and rested up.  We then walked down to the river that runs through the town.  Unlike in the states, the rivers here in Italy aren’t overly developed.  They keep them pretty natural.

 

We then started our journey to the now open salumerias  We also wanted to find that café again with Felip to maybe think about dinner there.  We stopped in one shop that had the local hams and cheeses.  Annie bought a big wedge of parmesan and a few other things, and I bought a lovely blue cheese – very creamy.  We hit a few more shops and found a little more high end salumeria, but still with good prices, and picked up a few more snacks and a couple of bottles of really good balsamic vinegar (also from the area).

After shopping all over town, and unable to find that little café we wanted to, we headed back to the hotel to drop stuff off and get some recommendations.  The hotel gave us a couple of recommendations and a map.  We set up down Strada della Republica and couldn’t find the place to save our lives.  We kept looking and looking.  Mind you, I can’t remember the name of the place today and haven’t had a chance to ask Annie, but it was a well regarded restaurant.  Eventually, we stopped a taxi and ask him to take us there.  We never would have found it.  Annie and I have discovered that asking people for direction in Italy is often useless.  They might think they’re telling you the correct way, but it always seems to turn into a bust and we have to struggle.

We did eventually get there and were able to have a nice dinner.  I had ordered a parmesan flan as my starter.  It was so incredibly rich, and parmesan is this region’s specialty.  It was definitely the right choice.  For my primi, I ordered a handmade pasta filled with beef and cheese, and served in a broth.  It was absolutely sublime.  Very subtle, but very flavorful.  Between that and the flan, I was filled up.  If I get the name of the restaurant, I will try to post it here. 

 

 

 

We went back to the hotel to crash.  It was a long day, but a very good one.