A general apology to all those who want to see pictures; given the lack of operable computers in the places we stayed, we were unable to effectively post pictures during most of our trip. As I type this, I am busy wolfing down a plate of pasta to satiate whatever demon crawled in there in the last few days, while Jacqui and I stare at the tarmac at the int'l airprt. This means I will be home within two or so days, and will be able to post pictures then.
Until later,
Matt and Jacqui
Friday, June 18, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Florence
Florence... was monumentally underwhelming. I really have no other way of saying it. I don't know if we somehow angered Hermes, the Greek God of Travel and Commerce (amongst other things) by wearing around our Nikes, which are named for the Greek God of Victory, but we had a rather average experience in Florence.
Our stay began ominously. By relying on the gospel of Rick Steve that everything North of the river was in walking distance, we found that our Hotel was most certainly -not- a pleasant stroll from the train station. Following a 45 minute trek across Florence, our backs aching and feet screaming, we arrive at our B&B to find nobody was there. We called the number we had, and Fulvio, our very nice, very accomodating host informed us that he had sent Jacqui an email that had informed us of two very important things:
1. Someone only monitors the check-in desk until 6pm... it was now quarter past 8 o'clock incidentally.
2. There was an unforseen emergency, and someone had become extremely ill, and he did not have a room for us as a result. At this moment, visions of myself going Jack Nicholson and having a 'Here's Johnny!' type of moment were alarmingly close to bypassing my frontal lobe's better judgement. Fortunately, Fulvio was very quick to inform me that he had booked us a room at the hotel at the end of the block. This effectively placated both Jacqui and I from reaching through the fiber- optic cable and giving our host an impromptu traecheotomy.
Let me add a caveat; this is not supposed to be a swipe at Fulvio or Relais Modern (our B&B), he was a very, very accomodating, nice and gracious host to us, and our room was clean, quaint and recently renovated. This was simply a cruel joke played on us by the fates. Apparently there must be karmic balance between the absolute high we had in Monterosso and what we did next.
So... we moved down the street and checked into Hotel de la Pace, and proceeded to collapse into a comatose state for about 20 min until we decided that our need for food was now an imperative directive driving every fiber of our being. The concierge provided us with directions and a reservation to Ristorante Academia, a little family-run restaurant that provided two of the best meals we had in Italy. For as much as the crowds and museums were average in Florence, the three sit- down restaurants we ate at were outstanding... Ristorante Academia, Trottoria Tito and the random place across from the Duomo with the outdoor air-condotioning (which is a marvel in and of itself) were ABSOLUTELY Outstanding... and when I say outstanding, I mean so good the food melts in your mouth, that you think you've died and gone to heaven, that your mouth is sending signals of rapture to your brain in such magnitude that you have to remind your medulla oblongata to continue to send involuntary functionary signals to the rest of your body good. I swear, this is not hyperbole, the food was really THAT good.
Our first dinner in Florence started with a salad with pears, proscuitto, walnuts, goat cheese and honey. Fortunately (and unfortunately I guess on some level) Jacqui said to hell with her lactose intolerance, so we were free to enjoy all matter of Italian cuisine! Our next course was a gnocchi with calamari and cherry tomatoes, followed by sliced duck-breast with vegetables and a raspberry glaze. The piece de resistance was the steak that Jacqui ordered... absolutely incredible. Finish the meal off with a few simple Italian desserts, and we were in foodie heaven.
Following another day of museums, including the Duomo Museum (which to it's credit was super cool), and Michelangelo's David at Gallerie d'Academia, we returned to Ristorante Academia, and indulged ourselves once again. Yum!
On our last full day in Florence, we went to the Pitti Palace, which was really cool, and the Uffezi Gallery, outside of the Venus de Milo and one other piece was again slightly overrated. Oh well.
On to the food!
Our last night there, we went to Trottoria Tito, and again, wow, food was incredible! No four courses this time, but Jacqui's beef stew was dynamite - but I have to say our dessert, a panna cotta covered in molten Italian chocolate made the meal. The whole meal taken together was incredible. Better than incredible. Can I say foodgasm in a PG-13 blog? Fooooooooodgasm... nom nom nom.
And really, that's about it for Florence.
Actually, let me add a comment here... sure my take on Florence sounds somewhat negative, but look at our attitudes with a grain of salt. By the time we reached Florence, we were somewhat museumed out from Rome. As cool as Florence had the potential to be on it's own, we had driven the Porche of Italian museum towns, and now we were being shoehorned into a Volkswagen. Nothing at all wrong with it, but it's just not quite the same as a Porsche.
Again, the people in Florence were very nice, especially Fulvio and our server at Ristorante Academia, Ava, a girl from Poland who speaks fluent Italian, French, English and presumably Polish, and the market was neat, and the bell tower climb was neat, but hey, for whatever reason, just wasn't our favorite part of the trip.
C'est la vie, qu'est ce que tu vois me fais?
Signing off from Florence, and looking forward to some serious R&R in Tuscany!
Our stay began ominously. By relying on the gospel of Rick Steve that everything North of the river was in walking distance, we found that our Hotel was most certainly -not- a pleasant stroll from the train station. Following a 45 minute trek across Florence, our backs aching and feet screaming, we arrive at our B&B to find nobody was there. We called the number we had, and Fulvio, our very nice, very accomodating host informed us that he had sent Jacqui an email that had informed us of two very important things:
1. Someone only monitors the check-in desk until 6pm... it was now quarter past 8 o'clock incidentally.
2. There was an unforseen emergency, and someone had become extremely ill, and he did not have a room for us as a result. At this moment, visions of myself going Jack Nicholson and having a 'Here's Johnny!' type of moment were alarmingly close to bypassing my frontal lobe's better judgement. Fortunately, Fulvio was very quick to inform me that he had booked us a room at the hotel at the end of the block. This effectively placated both Jacqui and I from reaching through the fiber- optic cable and giving our host an impromptu traecheotomy.
Let me add a caveat; this is not supposed to be a swipe at Fulvio or Relais Modern (our B&B), he was a very, very accomodating, nice and gracious host to us, and our room was clean, quaint and recently renovated. This was simply a cruel joke played on us by the fates. Apparently there must be karmic balance between the absolute high we had in Monterosso and what we did next.
So... we moved down the street and checked into Hotel de la Pace, and proceeded to collapse into a comatose state for about 20 min until we decided that our need for food was now an imperative directive driving every fiber of our being. The concierge provided us with directions and a reservation to Ristorante Academia, a little family-run restaurant that provided two of the best meals we had in Italy. For as much as the crowds and museums were average in Florence, the three sit- down restaurants we ate at were outstanding... Ristorante Academia, Trottoria Tito and the random place across from the Duomo with the outdoor air-condotioning (which is a marvel in and of itself) were ABSOLUTELY Outstanding... and when I say outstanding, I mean so good the food melts in your mouth, that you think you've died and gone to heaven, that your mouth is sending signals of rapture to your brain in such magnitude that you have to remind your medulla oblongata to continue to send involuntary functionary signals to the rest of your body good. I swear, this is not hyperbole, the food was really THAT good.
Our first dinner in Florence started with a salad with pears, proscuitto, walnuts, goat cheese and honey. Fortunately (and unfortunately I guess on some level) Jacqui said to hell with her lactose intolerance, so we were free to enjoy all matter of Italian cuisine! Our next course was a gnocchi with calamari and cherry tomatoes, followed by sliced duck-breast with vegetables and a raspberry glaze. The piece de resistance was the steak that Jacqui ordered... absolutely incredible. Finish the meal off with a few simple Italian desserts, and we were in foodie heaven.
Following another day of museums, including the Duomo Museum (which to it's credit was super cool), and Michelangelo's David at Gallerie d'Academia, we returned to Ristorante Academia, and indulged ourselves once again. Yum!
On our last full day in Florence, we went to the Pitti Palace, which was really cool, and the Uffezi Gallery, outside of the Venus de Milo and one other piece was again slightly overrated. Oh well.
On to the food!
Our last night there, we went to Trottoria Tito, and again, wow, food was incredible! No four courses this time, but Jacqui's beef stew was dynamite - but I have to say our dessert, a panna cotta covered in molten Italian chocolate made the meal. The whole meal taken together was incredible. Better than incredible. Can I say foodgasm in a PG-13 blog? Fooooooooodgasm... nom nom nom.
And really, that's about it for Florence.
Actually, let me add a comment here... sure my take on Florence sounds somewhat negative, but look at our attitudes with a grain of salt. By the time we reached Florence, we were somewhat museumed out from Rome. As cool as Florence had the potential to be on it's own, we had driven the Porche of Italian museum towns, and now we were being shoehorned into a Volkswagen. Nothing at all wrong with it, but it's just not quite the same as a Porsche.
Again, the people in Florence were very nice, especially Fulvio and our server at Ristorante Academia, Ava, a girl from Poland who speaks fluent Italian, French, English and presumably Polish, and the market was neat, and the bell tower climb was neat, but hey, for whatever reason, just wasn't our favorite part of the trip.
C'est la vie, qu'est ce que tu vois me fais?
Signing off from Florence, and looking forward to some serious R&R in Tuscany!
Cinque Terra
Cinque Terra
Well, well, well... where to begin? So after our train issues coming from Rome to Spezia, the train from Spezzia Central to Monterosso was surprisingly uneventful. Other than the usual drama of arguing over which platform we are supposed to be on to take the proper train, the ride went smoothly and quickly. Upon exiting the train station in the small seaside town, any stresses and anxieties we may have been carrying quickly melted away with the ocean breeze and the feel of a mythical Costa-del-sol type of atmosphere. If there is one perfect spot I have come across in all of my travels, even moreso than San Diego, it is Monterosso.
Perfect weather, beautiful and kind people and excellent hospitality highlight this seaside town with volcanic rock and shale beaches of perfectly blue waters; if Eden still existed, it would be in Monterosso.
Our first day in paradise was as expected; lounging in the sun and then a wonderful Italian dinner at Tretoria del Oscar. As we were sitting at dinner, we had a surprise visitor, Tim Corley from Oracle Direct in Minneapolis walked up to Jacqui as we were getting our Tuna Carpaccio, tapped her on the shoulder and surprised the heck out of her! After a few minutes of conversation, we resumed our meal, eating calamari and a home-made ravioli with our wine. We then proceeded to upload a text version of Rome Part I from the cybercafe down the street, went for a quick walk and then managed to socialize over impromptu glasses of wine with a young couple from Indian Rocks Beach. This is noteworthy because IRB is a fairly small city where Jacqui has spent time many winters for the last 30 years! If you happen to see Jay and Jill at Crabby Bill's, send a pint their way and say the Patels send their best. A few glasses later, we turned in for the night, preparing for our big day in the sun.
The following morning, I rose at 6am (was kind of a theme this vacation, I don't think Jacqui has been up before me yet), and did some brief exploring before breakfast was served at 7. Breakfast in itself was an indulgence, a far cry from our Spartan accomodations in Rome; we had a bed and breakfast with luxury to match the scenery... A lofted suite with air conditioning and a view of a terraced garden was what we were waking to every morning. Not going to lie, it was really pretty impressive, even compared to American Luxury Hotels such as the W, The Four Seasons, the Grand Hotel, The Phister or even The Drake.
The couple that ran the B&B had been operating hotels in the Cinque Terra for several years, but consolidated operations and opened Locande il Maestrale in 2001. Done in a modern style with modern amenities, the B&B was accented with fine art on the ceilings, marble tile and fine wooden cabinetry and carpentry to preserve the feel of the old country while providing a modern, luxury hotel experience. Returning to the matter of breakfast, my plate was filled with fresh fruit, proscuitto, pastry and one medium-boiled egg... The first true 'gourmet' breakfast Jacqui and I had experienced since coming to Italy. Sitting on the hotel's elevated outdoor porch was a fantastic way to start the day, taking tea in the sunshine, while reading the Economist, Wall Street Journal or London papers.
Fantastico!
On day two we decided to spend some time on the beach before heading out for a nature hike. I purchased an original painting while we waited... Let me tell you, trying to conduct a business transaction when the other guy doesn't speak a word of English and you are trying to tell him you need the art packed so you can get on a plane can be quite challenging! Eventually we got business done; I purchased a small picture of a Monterossoan house by the seaside and mystery piece for my wife - I will put a picture up of it when I get back home for all to see.
So... our nature hike. It was quite beautiful, and also really challenging. We took the train from Monterosso to Corgnelia, and set out to conquer the paths that until the 20th century were the only terrestrian method to travel from town to town. The 'trail' was done in the style of a roman road, with stones laid down to mark the path and direction you should be heading. As I mentioned earlier, until the 20th century, these trails were the primary method of transport between towns. Merchants would trek with their goods strapped to their back, traversing 1 1/2' wide paths with stunning views, but precipitous drop offs on one side of the path, and sheer rock face on the other for a good portion of the trail. Semi-challenging with Nikes on, outright treacherous with 75lbs of olives strapped to your back!
The trail was long and windng, but an enjoyable hike. As we rounded what we thought was the last stretch, I decided that I hadn't had enouh exercise yet, so I decided to break into a run... silly me. It turned out the stretch that I though was a simple rise and a 100 meter run was an optical illusion, the path would continue to look like it was 25 meters from the hillcrest for a bit longer ... So I decided to keep running... 500 meters later and 50 or so meters higher, I finally reached the top! As my lungs burned and my legs were screaming for oxygen, I stopped and wiped the sweat from my brow to look at the other side, and the view was worth every step. In front of me was a small cafe roughly 50' below, carved into the cliffside. As I looked back towards the ocean from the direction whence we came, I was in awe of the beauty and power of nature... The ocean, perfectly blue, pounded surf against black rock beaches, as small tidepools swirled in coves surrounded by lush green vegetation... simply amazing.
Turning to face the other direction, the view of the town was equally impressive, cut into the hillside, with winding staircases, terracotta roofs and alabaster colored buildings. Bellissimo... C'est tout. Bellisimmo.
After our hike, we took the train back to Monterosso; as much of a wonderful experience as the trek was, I am not sure either of us would have been up for an even more challenging hike from Vernazza. Following a short, passionate debate on what to do for dinner, I made an executive decision to eat at L'anchora de Ristorante Tortuga, one of the top rated Oceanside restaurants in Italy. Unfortunately, when we arrived, we were told by a rather surly kid that outdoor seating was strictly reserved for reservations. As my wife grew angry with me for dragging her out to the point without a guarantee of a table, I asked her to be patient as I aksed for a table inside. The menu was among the best available in Monterosso, and I wasn't about to squander the opportunity to eat here! Fortune smiled upon us that night, as there was a table inside available. Once seated, another surprise was waiting for us, as Jacqui's coworker Tim had a table right next to ours. After a few moments of conversation, it was decided that we should all dine together - and dine we did, enjoying several bottles of wine to accompany our wonderful meal. Many thanks to Bob and Lisa, the parents of Tim's wife Melissa, for facilitating the evening!
After finishing our meal and heading our separate ways, we had another unplanned rodndez-vous with Tim and Melissa at a local watering hole called, of all things, Bar Americana. Nothing quite like drinking beer and listening to early 90's grunge rock like Soundgarden. Nirvana and Pearl Jam while you're in one of the most beautiful parts of a foreign country to drub any homesickness you may have out of your system.
Day Three was our last in our slice of Italian paradise. Needless to say, I didn't really want to go, but Jacqui assured me we had more interesting things coming up in our trip, like Florence and all the museums there. Reluctantly, after having a bit of lunch, we waved Aribadercci to sun, sand and surf, boarding the train back to La Spezzia station and on to Florence, or as the locals say, Firenze.
Well, well, well... where to begin? So after our train issues coming from Rome to Spezia, the train from Spezzia Central to Monterosso was surprisingly uneventful. Other than the usual drama of arguing over which platform we are supposed to be on to take the proper train, the ride went smoothly and quickly. Upon exiting the train station in the small seaside town, any stresses and anxieties we may have been carrying quickly melted away with the ocean breeze and the feel of a mythical Costa-del-sol type of atmosphere. If there is one perfect spot I have come across in all of my travels, even moreso than San Diego, it is Monterosso.
Perfect weather, beautiful and kind people and excellent hospitality highlight this seaside town with volcanic rock and shale beaches of perfectly blue waters; if Eden still existed, it would be in Monterosso.
Our first day in paradise was as expected; lounging in the sun and then a wonderful Italian dinner at Tretoria del Oscar. As we were sitting at dinner, we had a surprise visitor, Tim Corley from Oracle Direct in Minneapolis walked up to Jacqui as we were getting our Tuna Carpaccio, tapped her on the shoulder and surprised the heck out of her! After a few minutes of conversation, we resumed our meal, eating calamari and a home-made ravioli with our wine. We then proceeded to upload a text version of Rome Part I from the cybercafe down the street, went for a quick walk and then managed to socialize over impromptu glasses of wine with a young couple from Indian Rocks Beach. This is noteworthy because IRB is a fairly small city where Jacqui has spent time many winters for the last 30 years! If you happen to see Jay and Jill at Crabby Bill's, send a pint their way and say the Patels send their best. A few glasses later, we turned in for the night, preparing for our big day in the sun.
The following morning, I rose at 6am (was kind of a theme this vacation, I don't think Jacqui has been up before me yet), and did some brief exploring before breakfast was served at 7. Breakfast in itself was an indulgence, a far cry from our Spartan accomodations in Rome; we had a bed and breakfast with luxury to match the scenery... A lofted suite with air conditioning and a view of a terraced garden was what we were waking to every morning. Not going to lie, it was really pretty impressive, even compared to American Luxury Hotels such as the W, The Four Seasons, the Grand Hotel, The Phister or even The Drake.
The couple that ran the B&B had been operating hotels in the Cinque Terra for several years, but consolidated operations and opened Locande il Maestrale in 2001. Done in a modern style with modern amenities, the B&B was accented with fine art on the ceilings, marble tile and fine wooden cabinetry and carpentry to preserve the feel of the old country while providing a modern, luxury hotel experience. Returning to the matter of breakfast, my plate was filled with fresh fruit, proscuitto, pastry and one medium-boiled egg... The first true 'gourmet' breakfast Jacqui and I had experienced since coming to Italy. Sitting on the hotel's elevated outdoor porch was a fantastic way to start the day, taking tea in the sunshine, while reading the Economist, Wall Street Journal or London papers.
Fantastico!
On day two we decided to spend some time on the beach before heading out for a nature hike. I purchased an original painting while we waited... Let me tell you, trying to conduct a business transaction when the other guy doesn't speak a word of English and you are trying to tell him you need the art packed so you can get on a plane can be quite challenging! Eventually we got business done; I purchased a small picture of a Monterossoan house by the seaside and mystery piece for my wife - I will put a picture up of it when I get back home for all to see.
So... our nature hike. It was quite beautiful, and also really challenging. We took the train from Monterosso to Corgnelia, and set out to conquer the paths that until the 20th century were the only terrestrian method to travel from town to town. The 'trail' was done in the style of a roman road, with stones laid down to mark the path and direction you should be heading. As I mentioned earlier, until the 20th century, these trails were the primary method of transport between towns. Merchants would trek with their goods strapped to their back, traversing 1 1/2' wide paths with stunning views, but precipitous drop offs on one side of the path, and sheer rock face on the other for a good portion of the trail. Semi-challenging with Nikes on, outright treacherous with 75lbs of olives strapped to your back!
The trail was long and windng, but an enjoyable hike. As we rounded what we thought was the last stretch, I decided that I hadn't had enouh exercise yet, so I decided to break into a run... silly me. It turned out the stretch that I though was a simple rise and a 100 meter run was an optical illusion, the path would continue to look like it was 25 meters from the hillcrest for a bit longer ... So I decided to keep running... 500 meters later and 50 or so meters higher, I finally reached the top! As my lungs burned and my legs were screaming for oxygen, I stopped and wiped the sweat from my brow to look at the other side, and the view was worth every step. In front of me was a small cafe roughly 50' below, carved into the cliffside. As I looked back towards the ocean from the direction whence we came, I was in awe of the beauty and power of nature... The ocean, perfectly blue, pounded surf against black rock beaches, as small tidepools swirled in coves surrounded by lush green vegetation... simply amazing.
Turning to face the other direction, the view of the town was equally impressive, cut into the hillside, with winding staircases, terracotta roofs and alabaster colored buildings. Bellissimo... C'est tout. Bellisimmo.
After our hike, we took the train back to Monterosso; as much of a wonderful experience as the trek was, I am not sure either of us would have been up for an even more challenging hike from Vernazza. Following a short, passionate debate on what to do for dinner, I made an executive decision to eat at L'anchora de Ristorante Tortuga, one of the top rated Oceanside restaurants in Italy. Unfortunately, when we arrived, we were told by a rather surly kid that outdoor seating was strictly reserved for reservations. As my wife grew angry with me for dragging her out to the point without a guarantee of a table, I asked her to be patient as I aksed for a table inside. The menu was among the best available in Monterosso, and I wasn't about to squander the opportunity to eat here! Fortune smiled upon us that night, as there was a table inside available. Once seated, another surprise was waiting for us, as Jacqui's coworker Tim had a table right next to ours. After a few moments of conversation, it was decided that we should all dine together - and dine we did, enjoying several bottles of wine to accompany our wonderful meal. Many thanks to Bob and Lisa, the parents of Tim's wife Melissa, for facilitating the evening!
After finishing our meal and heading our separate ways, we had another unplanned rodndez-vous with Tim and Melissa at a local watering hole called, of all things, Bar Americana. Nothing quite like drinking beer and listening to early 90's grunge rock like Soundgarden. Nirvana and Pearl Jam while you're in one of the most beautiful parts of a foreign country to drub any homesickness you may have out of your system.
Day Three was our last in our slice of Italian paradise. Needless to say, I didn't really want to go, but Jacqui assured me we had more interesting things coming up in our trip, like Florence and all the museums there. Reluctantly, after having a bit of lunch, we waved Aribadercci to sun, sand and surf, boarding the train back to La Spezzia station and on to Florence, or as the locals say, Firenze.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Train to La Spezzia Central
One thing that rings true across cultures, a certain standard of low quality, low expectation always seems to be associated with government work and accompanying institutions. This is also true for Italian trains, which are owned and operated for the most part by the Italian government.
This is not to say we did not have an excellent experience on the train, which we did, but only in spite of what seemed to be the gov't's best effort to produce a different result.
After the harrowing attempt to try to figure out the automated ticketing system and thinking that we had been pickocketed by a gentleman who was helping foreigners operate the machines quickly, we FINALLY boarded our train from platform number 24. We figured out that it was platform number 24 and not number 2 by a stroke of dumb luck in coming across an English speaking gentleman who explained the ticketing and scheduling chart and that we were looking for a train whose final destination was Genoa, not La Spezzia.
Much ado over platform numbers and the such, we eventually ended up on the right train, in the right car and in the proper seats.
Little did we know that was the easy part of getting to Spezzia.
Apparently, in Italy, goverment run trains have certain standard delays built into them. 30 minutes at the station to repair the A/C, which didn't end up working anyways. Another 15 min because (supposedly) the train engineer left. Then, there were the delays because we were delayed, so we had to let other trains pass. Fortunately, we had the company of another English speaking businessman named Ricardo. He was quite loquatious, and very entertaining. Ricardo was not only entertaining, but quite helpful and willing to bear through us practicig some broken and bastardized Italian with him.
With Ricardo helping us pass the time, the six hour trek to La Spezzia, which is normally four, felt as though it took no time at all.
Once we arrived in La Spezzia, Montorosso and the rest of Cinqe Terra were only a short train ride away!
This is not to say we did not have an excellent experience on the train, which we did, but only in spite of what seemed to be the gov't's best effort to produce a different result.
After the harrowing attempt to try to figure out the automated ticketing system and thinking that we had been pickocketed by a gentleman who was helping foreigners operate the machines quickly, we FINALLY boarded our train from platform number 24. We figured out that it was platform number 24 and not number 2 by a stroke of dumb luck in coming across an English speaking gentleman who explained the ticketing and scheduling chart and that we were looking for a train whose final destination was Genoa, not La Spezzia.
Much ado over platform numbers and the such, we eventually ended up on the right train, in the right car and in the proper seats.
Little did we know that was the easy part of getting to Spezzia.
Apparently, in Italy, goverment run trains have certain standard delays built into them. 30 minutes at the station to repair the A/C, which didn't end up working anyways. Another 15 min because (supposedly) the train engineer left. Then, there were the delays because we were delayed, so we had to let other trains pass. Fortunately, we had the company of another English speaking businessman named Ricardo. He was quite loquatious, and very entertaining. Ricardo was not only entertaining, but quite helpful and willing to bear through us practicig some broken and bastardized Italian with him.
With Ricardo helping us pass the time, the six hour trek to La Spezzia, which is normally four, felt as though it took no time at all.
Once we arrived in La Spezzia, Montorosso and the rest of Cinqe Terra were only a short train ride away!
Rome Part II
====
Day three took my wife and I into what I consider the coolest part of Rome, the Collesium, Arch de Constantine, and the Roman Forum. If you are a history buff, a fan of the HBO series Rome, enjoy archaeological sites, anthropology, or any combination of the above, this is THE stop to hit in the Rome tour. A quick trip on the metro to the Collesia stop (really, what other stop would you hop off on? Certainly not Spagna) and we popped out within site of the Great Collesieum of Rome. Yes, it's a tourist trap on some level, filled with peddlers, Romans posing as Gladiators for photo opportunities for varying amounts of Euros, and the occasional pickpocket/fence duo hanging about with the other riffraff, but once past the security gates the sense of history and marvel is immense. From the Emperor's Box, to the seat of the Vestial Virgins and even the cheap seats, the views are stunning, inside and out. Imagine walking into the Rose Bowl, and having panormic views of the surrounding hillsides through gaps in the crowd. Amazing. Even though the site has been ravages by the sands of time, the structure, views and engineering remain as impressive as the day the structure was first visualized.
After spending a good bit of time, we headed off for a little lunch, and returned to the Southwest side of the Collesieum to spend a bit more time admiring the structure itself, and then turned our attention to the massive Arch de Constantine. Commissoned by the Emperor Constantine to comemorate his victory over rivals, it is dwarfed when viewed from a distance by the Collesieum, but when viewed up close, it too is massive in it's own right. Standing almost 60' high, it is adorned with marble reliefs taken from the spoils of sacking other buildings, differentiating it from the other triumphal arches constructed in Roman conquests. 
From here, we continued on up the hill into the Roman Forum, where the greatest collection of history we had seen to point was located. We saw the ruins of Nero's palace, the remains of The Great Basillica of Constantine, the original bronze door to the Temple of Romulus, and even stood on the Senate floor. We even saw the remains of Julius Caesar's private residence and stood in the remains of the Temple of the Julioi, within arms length of the very spot of Julius Caesar's funeral pyre (yes, I grabbed a handful of dirt, much to Jacqui's chagrin).
As exhausted as we were, Jac and I decided to soldier on and make the 150' vertical climb up the stairs to the Museo Capitoline for even more sculpture and Roman monuments to their own greatness. In the plaza between the two halves of the museum is the famous statue of Marcus Aurelius on horseback.
Michelangelo's original work now sits indoors in the 'right' museum as exposure to the elements placed too great a strain on the work; what we see now outside overlooking Piazza Venezia and Via D'ara Coeli is a replica created in the 20th century.
We finally jumped into a taxiand headed back to our hotel; after giving the first taxi a well deserved middle finger, we hopped in a cab driven by a rather stylish young Italian guy who wanted to talk about the similarities of New York and Rome, while also listening to Puffy on his MP3 player. After a quick shower, we headed off to our best meal yet.
Ristorante La Pentolaccia was a foodie's dream come true. The restaurant itself was reminiscent of a elegant dining hall, with white linen table cloths and all the accoutrements one would expect in such a place. The servers mercifully spoke enough French and English so that they wouldn't have to turn their nose up at my shoddy Italian! In terms of the meal itself, we each had first courses of pasta, and then shared a second course of roasted lamb with potato medallions. Overall an incredible meal!
On day four, our final day in Rome, we took a taxi from our hotel to Museo Bhorghese, named for Cardinal Bhorghese who was an avid collector of ancient sculpture, Bernini and Carvaggio, and other Renaissance works. Foremost in his collection are the sculptures of Apollo and Daphne, Bernini's David, as well as The Rape of Persephone. There are many other works of non-biblical, aka 'heathen' sculpture, which is very atypical for a religious collector. One of the best features of this collection however, is the brevity with which it is displayed. In all the museums prior, and on some level, there is almost too much to take in during a short visit; here, all you need to view the entire collection is about 90 minutes. While the museum tour structure is such that one may spend 120 minutes maximum inside the gallery, you only need about half of that to see the sculpture level, and about 30 min in the picture gallery.
After the Bhorghese Museum, we returned to Piazza Republica, took the metro to Termini Station, and said 'Aribaderci' to Rome as we boarded a train to La Spezzia, and began our trek to Cinque Terra!
Day three took my wife and I into what I consider the coolest part of Rome, the Collesium, Arch de Constantine, and the Roman Forum. If you are a history buff, a fan of the HBO series Rome, enjoy archaeological sites, anthropology, or any combination of the above, this is THE stop to hit in the Rome tour. A quick trip on the metro to the Collesia stop (really, what other stop would you hop off on? Certainly not Spagna) and we popped out within site of the Great Collesieum of Rome. Yes, it's a tourist trap on some level, filled with peddlers, Romans posing as Gladiators for photo opportunities for varying amounts of Euros, and the occasional pickpocket/fence duo hanging about with the other riffraff, but once past the security gates the sense of history and marvel is immense. From the Emperor's Box, to the seat of the Vestial Virgins and even the cheap seats, the views are stunning, inside and out. Imagine walking into the Rose Bowl, and having panormic views of the surrounding hillsides through gaps in the crowd. Amazing. Even though the site has been ravages by the sands of time, the structure, views and engineering remain as impressive as the day the structure was first visualized.
After spending a good bit of time, we headed off for a little lunch, and returned to the Southwest side of the Collesieum to spend a bit more time admiring the structure itself, and then turned our attention to the massive Arch de Constantine. Commissoned by the Emperor Constantine to comemorate his victory over rivals, it is dwarfed when viewed from a distance by the Collesieum, but when viewed up close, it too is massive in it's own right. Standing almost 60' high, it is adorned with marble reliefs taken from the spoils of sacking other buildings, differentiating it from the other triumphal arches constructed in Roman conquests. 
From here, we continued on up the hill into the Roman Forum, where the greatest collection of history we had seen to point was located. We saw the ruins of Nero's palace, the remains of The Great Basillica of Constantine, the original bronze door to the Temple of Romulus, and even stood on the Senate floor. We even saw the remains of Julius Caesar's private residence and stood in the remains of the Temple of the Julioi, within arms length of the very spot of Julius Caesar's funeral pyre (yes, I grabbed a handful of dirt, much to Jacqui's chagrin).
As exhausted as we were, Jac and I decided to soldier on and make the 150' vertical climb up the stairs to the Museo Capitoline for even more sculpture and Roman monuments to their own greatness. In the plaza between the two halves of the museum is the famous statue of Marcus Aurelius on horseback.
Michelangelo's original work now sits indoors in the 'right' museum as exposure to the elements placed too great a strain on the work; what we see now outside overlooking Piazza Venezia and Via D'ara Coeli is a replica created in the 20th century.
We finally jumped into a taxiand headed back to our hotel; after giving the first taxi a well deserved middle finger, we hopped in a cab driven by a rather stylish young Italian guy who wanted to talk about the similarities of New York and Rome, while also listening to Puffy on his MP3 player. After a quick shower, we headed off to our best meal yet.
Ristorante La Pentolaccia was a foodie's dream come true. The restaurant itself was reminiscent of a elegant dining hall, with white linen table cloths and all the accoutrements one would expect in such a place. The servers mercifully spoke enough French and English so that they wouldn't have to turn their nose up at my shoddy Italian! In terms of the meal itself, we each had first courses of pasta, and then shared a second course of roasted lamb with potato medallions. Overall an incredible meal!
On day four, our final day in Rome, we took a taxi from our hotel to Museo Bhorghese, named for Cardinal Bhorghese who was an avid collector of ancient sculpture, Bernini and Carvaggio, and other Renaissance works. Foremost in his collection are the sculptures of Apollo and Daphne, Bernini's David, as well as The Rape of Persephone. There are many other works of non-biblical, aka 'heathen' sculpture, which is very atypical for a religious collector. One of the best features of this collection however, is the brevity with which it is displayed. In all the museums prior, and on some level, there is almost too much to take in during a short visit; here, all you need to view the entire collection is about 90 minutes. While the museum tour structure is such that one may spend 120 minutes maximum inside the gallery, you only need about half of that to see the sculpture level, and about 30 min in the picture gallery.
After the Bhorghese Museum, we returned to Piazza Republica, took the metro to Termini Station, and said 'Aribaderci' to Rome as we boarded a train to La Spezzia, and began our trek to Cinque Terra!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Rome Part I
----
We arrived in Rome at 10:30am on Sunday, after a flight where we were surrounded by screaming children and the ambient temperature was about 84 degrees. After dissuading Jacqui from seeking out duct tape, we proceeded to get about two hours of sleep before heading out to take in the sights of Rome!
The first place we set out upon was the National Museum of Rome, taking in 2,000 year old sculpture and a bevy of other ancient treausures.
We gained free admission to the museum by using our Roma Passes, which are quite possibly the best spent 20,00€ ever. We gained FREE admission to not only the National Museum but most other public attractions also, as well as free transport on the Metro. Seriously, if you plan on spending any time whatsoever in Rome, buy this pass. Do not question it's value, do not pass go, do not collect200,00€ (ok, do collect 200,00€, as that's a lot of free money), just buy the damn thing. After a day filled with ancient sculture, we headed to dinner at Pizzaria on Via Nazionale. A delicious pizza and a pre-1972 Coca-cola later (one of the perks of overseas travel is no FDA oversight), we decided to turn in for the night.
Day two took us to Vatican City, as well as all the Catholic grandeur and overspending that entails. We began with the Vatican Museum, with more ancient sculpture as well as several wings of Renaissance and Baroque period, religiously themed paintings and tapestries. Although most of the works were religiously, spiritually or biblically themed, there was one painting which conspicuously stood out; at the end of one hall, with it's own full panel explanation, it's own official audio tour info-blurb, and it's own Rick Steve's audioblurb, was a portrait of King George IV of England. Now, Georgie is neither Catholic nor affiliated with the Pontifus Maximus, which begs the question as to why there is a portrait of him with full chivalric valor and honors in the world's preeminent Catholic Museum. If anyone can come up with a reason beyond England's participation in the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte, please email me, I would love to know.
Deep within the Vatican Museum is the Sistene Chapel; I have never before been so deeply awed in observing scriptural artwork before. Words simply cannot describe the emotions that become associated with viewing the chapel.
Continuing on our journey through Vatican City, we next went to St. Peter's square, and took a jaunt inside St. Peter's basilica. The two taken together are an unbelievable feat of artwork, architecture and engineering.
The sheer scale and skill involved hammer home the idea of how small one human life is, yet how awesome that same life can become; St. Peter, Michelangelo, and Bernini were just men; yet on another level, they were so much more. Again, no words can properly reify the raw emotion and human energy one experiences when looking upon the square and basilica together.
After a brief respite, Jac and I resumed our adventure de Roma by catching a cab to Campo DiFiori. Filling our stomachs at a quaint restaurant named for Bacchus, the Greek God of wine and revelry, we began what is known as the 'Night Walk of Rome.' On our nocturnal journey we passed landmarks like Four Rivers Fountain, The Pantheon of Rome, Trivi Fountain and The Spanish Steps.
Following a brief misadventure into a closed Metro Station (note to fellow travellers, the blinds being drawn on the ticket booth is generally a pretty good indication that the Metro is closed!), we caught a cab home - what a day!
We'll post more about day 3 when we have a reliable computer and Internet connection that doesn't eat posts that took 30 minutes to write.
Ciao! Matt & Jacqui
PS - In Cinque Terra currently at an internet cafe that has non-failing computers - will post the rest of Rome and our (mis)adventures and pictures of everything soon!
We arrived in Rome at 10:30am on Sunday, after a flight where we were surrounded by screaming children and the ambient temperature was about 84 degrees. After dissuading Jacqui from seeking out duct tape, we proceeded to get about two hours of sleep before heading out to take in the sights of Rome!
The first place we set out upon was the National Museum of Rome, taking in 2,000 year old sculpture and a bevy of other ancient treausures.
We gained free admission to the museum by using our Roma Passes, which are quite possibly the best spent 20,00€ ever. We gained FREE admission to not only the National Museum but most other public attractions also, as well as free transport on the Metro. Seriously, if you plan on spending any time whatsoever in Rome, buy this pass. Do not question it's value, do not pass go, do not collect200,00€ (ok, do collect 200,00€, as that's a lot of free money), just buy the damn thing. After a day filled with ancient sculture, we headed to dinner at Pizzaria on Via Nazionale. A delicious pizza and a pre-1972 Coca-cola later (one of the perks of overseas travel is no FDA oversight), we decided to turn in for the night.
Day two took us to Vatican City, as well as all the Catholic grandeur and overspending that entails. We began with the Vatican Museum, with more ancient sculpture as well as several wings of Renaissance and Baroque period, religiously themed paintings and tapestries. Although most of the works were religiously, spiritually or biblically themed, there was one painting which conspicuously stood out; at the end of one hall, with it's own full panel explanation, it's own official audio tour info-blurb, and it's own Rick Steve's audioblurb, was a portrait of King George IV of England. Now, Georgie is neither Catholic nor affiliated with the Pontifus Maximus, which begs the question as to why there is a portrait of him with full chivalric valor and honors in the world's preeminent Catholic Museum. If anyone can come up with a reason beyond England's participation in the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte, please email me, I would love to know.
Deep within the Vatican Museum is the Sistene Chapel; I have never before been so deeply awed in observing scriptural artwork before. Words simply cannot describe the emotions that become associated with viewing the chapel.
Continuing on our journey through Vatican City, we next went to St. Peter's square, and took a jaunt inside St. Peter's basilica. The two taken together are an unbelievable feat of artwork, architecture and engineering.
The sheer scale and skill involved hammer home the idea of how small one human life is, yet how awesome that same life can become; St. Peter, Michelangelo, and Bernini were just men; yet on another level, they were so much more. Again, no words can properly reify the raw emotion and human energy one experiences when looking upon the square and basilica together.
After a brief respite, Jac and I resumed our adventure de Roma by catching a cab to Campo DiFiori. Filling our stomachs at a quaint restaurant named for Bacchus, the Greek God of wine and revelry, we began what is known as the 'Night Walk of Rome.' On our nocturnal journey we passed landmarks like Four Rivers Fountain, The Pantheon of Rome, Trivi Fountain and The Spanish Steps.
Following a brief misadventure into a closed Metro Station (note to fellow travellers, the blinds being drawn on the ticket booth is generally a pretty good indication that the Metro is closed!), we caught a cab home - what a day!
We'll post more about day 3 when we have a reliable computer and Internet connection that doesn't eat posts that took 30 minutes to write.
Ciao! Matt & Jacqui
PS - In Cinque Terra currently at an internet cafe that has non-failing computers - will post the rest of Rome and our (mis)adventures and pictures of everything soon!
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