The Dome of St. Peter's Basilica

Saturday, March 19, 2011 (Part 4)

Following our thorough tour through the basilica, we decided (well, Katherine really pushed for it) that we should climb St. Peter's dome. This was to be a 554 step hike, and we had to wait in a 30 minute line to get started. But it was worth the wait . . . and the climb.

I've done a lot of climbing in Europe, and this climb was a bit unique. There was no

consistency to the staircase segments that we

climbed. Some of them were in tight circles. Others were long straight staircases. Still others were in large square patterns and occasional small square patterns. It was strange, but it kind of took your mind off how many stairs we were actually climbing. Katherine started out counting the steps, but I made her stop. I didn't want to think about how many more steps lay ahead.

We had several stops along the way. Our first stop was at the base of the dome where we ended up on the roof of a portion of the church. This was a neat place because it allowed the best exterior view possible of the Sistine Chapel -- which really isn't much to look at from the outside. But we were able to spot the famous pipe from which the black and white smoke emerges as the

cardinals cast their ballots to elect a new pope. Also from the vantage point of the rooftop, we were able to get a closeup view of some of the statues that stand atop the front of the church and around St. Peter's Square. Their size, of course, is so much more impressive from this closeup perspective.

Our second stop (before the very top) was a catwalk along the inside of the dome itself. Along the walls were beautiful (huge) mosaics of angels and cherubs, and of course we were getting a very up-close-and-personal view of the ceiling of the dome. And for those who have a fear of heights, it is best not to look down. The people on the floor of the basilica look like ants -- literally.

Finally, we made the last portion of our climb and enjoyed some beautiful views of the City of Rome, including the Vatican Museum complex and the Vatican Gardens. On my next trip to Rome (because of course there will be a next trip to Rome), I want to take a tour of the Vatican Gardens. They

are not open to the general public and can only be seen on a guided tour. It was pretty crowded at the top of the dome so we did not stay for too long. We took our fill of pictures and then started the equally long walk down. Sometimes, the trip down is more stressful than the trip up!

Castel Sant' Angelo - The Castle of Popes

Saturday, March 19, 2011 (Part 6)

Our last tourist stop on this very long day (after spend some leisure time in St. Peter's Square) was to walk through Castel San' Angelo. The "castle" is almost as old as the Vatican and it has a very checkered past. It has been used for

many different purposes, including as a mausoleum (originally), a fort, and a residence for popes during times of unrest. It sits along the street that leads directly into Vatican City, and it is an interesting building from the

outside because of its circular shape.

Because of its varied past, however, the Castle (I think) suffers from a bit of an identity crisis. It's rather confusing inside, and it clearly hasn't attracted much attention as a site for serious preservation. This, perhaps, is very much reflective of its diverse uses over time. We saw what little there was to see, but against the splendor of Vatican City, it was hard to be impressed.

We wandered through the rooms and saw Emperor Hadrian's

mausoleum (which dates the construction of the building to 139 AD) and some of the rooms occupied by various Popes, which

still house some interesting frescoes on the walls.

Il Convivio - Our Four Star Dinner in Rome

Saturday, March 19, 2011 (Part 7)

When we were in Rome with Chris 18 months ago, we had a wonderful meal -- truly the best restaurant dining experience I have ever had -- at Il Convivio, a Michelin four-star restaurant located a few blocks north of the Piazza Navona. It was one of the highlights of our trip. So Dad and I decided that we had to return -- this time with Katherine. We were equally delighted and satisfied on this second visit.

It may have been a very long day, following a night of very little sleep, but knowing that a meal at Il Convivio lay at the end of the day was a beacon of encouragement for me. Since no one eats early in Europe, our reservation (the earliest of the evening) was at 8:00 p.m. We arrived promptly at 8:00 p.m. At the front door, we rang the bell (it's that kind of place), and the door was opened by no fewer than three young men who helped us with our coats and escorted us to our table.

I had to laugh. We were seated in the same room (out of three available) and at the exact same table where we sat before! And we recognized our waiter immediately. He was the same waiter we had 18 months ago. He claimed to recognize us, too, but he may just have been saying that to be gracious. Nonetheless, he made us feel like we were visiting old friends. It was so nice.

We all ordered the "tasting menu." Dad got the 6-course tasting menu while

Katherine and I restrained ourselves and went with the slightly smaller 4-course tasting menu. This turned out to be the perfect way to sample the greatest number of dishes being offered. Each portion was a bit on the small side, but they were more than filling in combination. Everything was beautifully prepared and delicious. We enjoyed several varieties of fish, and the "main" course was a thinly sliced filet. Dessert was great too, and we enjoyed two different wines during the meal -- a proseco to start and a red wine with dinner. Magnifico!

It was outrageously expensive, but I would go back again.

Vatican City on a Saturday Afternoon

Saturday, March 19, 2011 (Part 3)

On Saturday afternoon, after a pizza lunch at a cafe just north of the Piazza Navona, Katherine and I parted company with Dad and headed for Vatican City. We entered St. Peter's Square and took our bearings. The security line to enter the Basilica was very long, so we decided to go to the Vatican Museum first.

And so we made the long trek around the walls of the Museum to the north entrance. We were almost there, and we were approaching our final left turn at a street corner when we came upon several tour guides (or hustlers for tour guides) who told us that the Museum was closed! Apparently, the Vatican had closed the Museum in recognition of St. Joseph's Day. We hadn't even heard of St. Joseph's Day! What a disappointment. Katherine was unable to see the Sistine Chapel and I missed seeing (again) the Raphael Rooms. Ah well,I suppose this just means that we will have to visit this great city again some time in the future.

We pretended not to be disappointed and headed back to St. Peter's Square. We found the end of the very long security line. Security was a non-event and,within about 20 minutes, we were entering the Basilica. And since we now had all afternoon at our disposal, we took our time.

Although I was here just 18 months ago, I was still in awe. And we spent a lot more time searching out every corner and reading the wonderful details provided by our guidebooks. We are using two guidebooks in our tour of Rome: (1) DK Eyewitness Travel's "Rome," and (2) Rick Steves' "Rome 2011." They are similar but different, and they compliment each other very well. DK is strong on maps, diagrams and photos. Rick Steves' is strong on walking tours and details.

Some of the highlights within the Basilica include (i) Michaelangelo's Pieta (behind glass), (ii) the bronze statue of St. Peter, (iii) the Dome of St. Peter's, and (iv) Baldacchino's gilded bronze canopy over

the altar.

An Oft Overlooked Section of Ancient Rome

Saturday, March 19, 2010 (Part 2)

Also within the Campi di Fiori section of Rome, you will find the Jewish Ghetto of Rome and some interesting sections of the ancient Roman ruins that, I think, are probably ignored by most tourists. We walked from the market, down Via dei Giubbonari and through the Piazza Cairoli, to the Portico Octavio and the Teatro di Marcellus.

The Jewish Ghetto is not very distinct. The only signs that we were in a Jewish section of the city was an occasional Star of David on a building or the word "kosher" on a store sign. We did

not spent much time searching out areas of interest in the Jewish Ghetto and so the area was a bit of a disappointment. Our primary goal, however, was to get to the Roman ruins in this area.

Our first sight of interest, and delight, was the Portico of Octavia. The portico and surrounding columns and walls are the remains of a rectangular portico to a massive 1st century AD piazza that housed markets and temples. Although a mere shell of the entryway is still standing, it gives a good indication of the massive scale of the complex of buildings that once stood here. What is more amazing is the way in which other buildings have been built arou

nd the remaining ancient walls. The Romans obviously believed in recycling. They were environmentalists long before their time!

A small walk from the Portico of Octavia is the Theater of Marcellus. Remeniscient of the Colosseum, the remaining walls are and curved and contain numerous, large archs. This building, building between 27 BC and 47 AD, was a huge amphitheater. As we had also seen with the Portico of Octavia, the ruined walls of the Theater of Marcellus have been used by subsequent generations of Romans as support walls for additional, "new" structures. These old walls are incorporated into other buildings, some of which are still in use today. It is an odd, but very interesting, complex.

Our First Morning in Rome

Saturday, March 19, 2011 (Part 1)

What a day! We landed at the Rome Airport at 6:40 a.m. (a few minutes early). We met up surprisingly easily with my Dad. But then it took an inexplicably long time for our luggage to come off the baggage carousel. Perhaps the delay was a tiny reminder that we are, after all, in Italy. Once our bags arrived, we then sought out the taxi driver Dad had arranged in advance. How nicely that worked out! It was very nice to have a ride waiting for us and for a fair price that had been agreed to in advance.

Additionally, he knew exactly where we were going so we didn't have to worry about effectively communicating directions to him. He was a very nice man, and Dad enjoyed speaking with him (in Italian) about his family.

We arrived at our hotel, the Fontanella Borghese, fairly quickly. It is located in the Rotunda quarter of Rome not too far from the Spanish Steps (due east) and the Pantheon (due south). I chose this hotel because it is the sister hotel to the Hotel Due Torri where we stayed in September 2009, and I liked its location. Unfortunately, we arrived so early in the day that our rooms were not yet ready for us. So we had to leave our bags in the lobby and "hit the streets." It was still early -- only about 8:30 a.m. -- so we sought out a cafe where we could get a light breakfast and we used the time over breakfast to regroup and develop a plan.

We decided to head towards the Campi di Fiori, which means "field of flowers." The Campo di Fiori is the site of a farmers' market most mornings of the week, and today was no exception. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we enjoyed moving through the stalls and admiring the flowers, fruits and vegetables, including lemons the size of grapefruit, and many other strange but wonderful produce I could not even name. Also on display were olive oils, vinegars,

spices, dried fruits, pastas, olives, and much, much more. It was a lively, fun place.

Italy Revisited!

Friday, March 18, 2011

How blessed I am! I am returning to Italy for another visit, and we are on our way. We (me, Katherine and Dad) all started out from different cities this morning, and we all experienced delays. It was particularly stressful for my Dad, who had a 5 hour delay in Sarasota and then had his flight there cancelled entirely. Happily, he was able to get on another flight, and he made his connecting flight to Rome in Atlanta. He is now in the air!

Meanwhile, Katherine flew from Raleigh-Durham and I flew from Pittsburgh, and we met in Newark. We are now sitting together

on our plane to Rome, and it is 15 minutes to take-off.

I had a lot of plans for getting ready for this trip. Most of them fell through. I was going to listen to Italian language CDs in the car and try to improve on my Italian speaking skills. I got through one CD. I was going to listen to and watch the Rosetta Stone Italian language DVDs. The DVD drive on my computer broke. [How convenient.] I was going to listen to a 48-CD lecture series on Ancient Rome. And I did! At least that, I was able to do -- although I only got up to lecture 40 That's ok. I learned a great deal, and I'll finish them up when I get home. I am enjoying them alot.

And so, now it is time to settle in for our long flight. We are, of course, flying through the night. Unfortunately, I do not sleep well on planes. So we shall see what kind of flight this turns out to be.

Included here is a miscellaneous set of photos -- just to get started. The first one is a picture of me and Katherine standing in front of the Fountain of the Four Rivers in the center of the Piazza Navona. The second photo is in front of another fountain, this time in the Piazza della Rotunda which is where the Pantheon is located. The Pantheon was closed for a religious service when we first stopped by, so we returned there the next day. The third picture here was taken inside the church Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. It shows a beautiful fresco by Filippino Lippo depicting scenes in the life of St. Thomas Aquinas. This church has a lot of wonderful art work, including a Michaelangelo statue of Christ Bearing the Cross.

Buona notte.