The Roman Holiday
June 2016 marked twenty years of our marriage. It was indeed a huge milestone for us; a journey which saw us start from immature, financially - unstable, young fiery tempered couple to mature settled adults. We both have seen a lot in our life and our business with our European clients has helped us achieve what we have now. Italy has played a key role in all this and what better way to celebrate our twentieth anniversary than by travelling to the romantic and historic city of Rome?
When Harish suggested the idea of a holiday to Rome in July, it was a culmination of many things. There had been a chance for me to travel to Europe when I was 19, but the embassy abroad wisely decided to not grant me a 'business-visa'. And by the time we decided to travel together to Italy, Harish had been there more than three dozen times and had passed on his love for this foreign land to our family, by sharing his experiences, photos and bringing home many local produce.
The last of this is the most important for travel to a foreign land. It is VERY important to love the local cuisine. We Indians have a very different + difficult palate which just loves our type of local food. I have heard / seen that Indians crave for dal-chawal and other spicy food. Thus travel agencies make a killing! If not with an agency, the typical Indian tourist (like my dad's business partners) would frequent Indian restaurants abroad which puts a huge strain on the purse and somehow limits the mobility as we usually end up looking at places to visit in the vicinity of the Indian restaurants.
Olive oil, Cheese, pasta, Pizza and other Italian dishes are a part of our home cooking and the dozen plus years of my cooking has made all 4 of us ardent Italian food lovers. Italian cuisine, unlike other European cuisine has many vegetarian dishes. They love their tomato, mushroom (fungi) and aubergine / brinjal (melanzzano). So if you love 'baingan bharta' minus the spice, Vegetarians (like me) have hope!!
I hope the idea of this travel was not sowed by me being a harasser (YIKES). But I have often stabbed Harish with the following remark - "He has been travelling to Italy since 1991 and even after so many years I have not seen Europe". And Harish being the level-headed person that he is, would just smile it away. So when in March, he suggested this trip over lunch, I was too surprised. I did not allow my hopes to soar, but when he mentioned that he would make an official trip in June and then prepare my papers for a July trip; a bud bloomed.
One thing Harish and I hate is to be herded around in large group with a strict time table, which takes us to just the touristy places and would never allow us to spend time (if we pleased) at a particular place or to just loiter around. We love to travel the way we want, not on someone-else's terms. THAT meant no travel agent. So we segregated our duties. Harish would be in charge of the visa, hotel booking, and all other ticket bookings. Plus, he would read up on restaurants. I would plan what we would do there and tell him which tickets of monuments need to be booked in advance. Basically make an itinerary.
But before we could go, there was an important factor. Our daughter had school and as she was not part of our 'honeymoon' trip she had to be taken care of. That was where my mom came in. What would we do without Mothers! But she herself was planning a trip to USA and our dates seemed to clash. But somehow things worked out and her trip got postponed to August end. So, our date was set - July 22 to August 1. YIPPPEEE!
Harish came home from his official trip and looked up for the earliest Visa application date and as luck would have there were 2 appointments available at the local VFS (Visa Facilitation Service) centre for the next day and after. Imagine the rush in which Harish prepared the documents. As we were travelling without an invitation from a local person, the Hotel rooms had to be booked and Flight tickets confirmed. Then the bank records needed to be updated and the signature of the Chartered Accountant had to be obtained on the latest Tax audit. Rush, rush, rush.
The amount of papers in the file was mind-bogging and remembering all the instructions (stern orders?) from Harish when walking in alone into the centre, made my hands cold. The A/C in there did not help either. But things proceeded smoothly and Harish proved to be better than any travel agent. I noticed that all the other people were carrying important papers without copies and/or signed affidavits. Some of them had not brought in some documents and were forced to abort mission. And me? I was so well prepared, I could help the VFS people with some glue for sticking another person's photo on to his application! Well done husband, well done.
Now the trip was SET. We were leaving home on July 22, Friday morning at around 10 am (not too early, so we could get enough of night's rest) and arriving Rome the same night. We would be in Rome till Wednesday morning, then we would leave for Florence by train. Two days in Florence and back in Rome on Friday afternoon. Flight back on July 31st and reach home on August 1st early morning. Total : 9 nights and 8 days.
One question many people asked us was why we were not visiting many more places like Venice, Amalfi Coast and/or Milan in Italy given the number of days we are spending there? Some even suggested Paris! But Harish and I like to SEE places, not BUZZ by. So only Rome and Florence for us on THIS trip. Florence as a break from Rome.
Now the onus was on me. I HAD to start my research. Thanks to the Internet things are so easy to do nowadays. So many people travel to Italy and the trick is to read their experience and make notes of those which interests you. Trip Advisor is a good starting point, as is the sites of various Travel Agents and Wikipedia is another to read up on specific ancient monuments. But "would we like to see THIS place?" - is the absolute clincher.
I think I was reading up to 3 hours a day on Rome for a week plus and was, in between asking Harish to book tickets of things I found interesting. There were things like Roma Pass vs Metro Ticket and Hop-on Hop-off bus tours which had to be decided.
I first read up on the Colosseum - THE icon of Rome. While reading I realized 2 things - Colosseum closes down when there is a strike and MUST be visited at the earliest and there was something called 'the underground' which is not really famous (given the strict number of visitors allowed inside per day) but worth a visit. When the Colosseum site online was visited (it's in Italian with poor English translation), it revealed that there was a guided tour of the underground available in English on July 23rd at 10.40am. Book, book, book. What a great way to start the trip! But the excitement caught up with us and we ended up not looking at 'print ticket from home' option. So that meant we had to reach the colosseum much earlier and take a ticket from the counter there. And there is ALWAYS a long queue in front of the Colosseum and with the security threats, the security check happens slowly.
We booked tickets to the English guided tour of the Borghese Gallery in Rome and Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Pantheon did not need tickets.
Vatican HAD to be visited. After reading up, I noticed that usually both the Vatican museum and the Sistine chapel are overcrowded. To quote a reviewer on Trip Advisor - "(at 11am)..already its heaving with visitors, very hot and the crush was uncomfortable. You tend to have to walk at the pace of everyone else. You will see everything but by the time you arrive in The Sistine Chapel it was standing room only". While going through the Vatican site I saw that both the Museum and Chapel is open in June- July on all Friday nights; but only for official guided tours. After July 28th, there were no more night tour for at least the next 3 months. Two slots of 7.30 pm English guided tour was available. Night time meant lesser crowds. We were real lucky to book this tour.
One day I stumbled on an review / article which talked about ancient roman houses underground which can be viewed through a multimedia tour. But I did not find more information and was wondering whether to book it or not. Harish would not help me decide and I was forced to say, 'book it'. Thus the tour of "Domus Romane" was also booked, but I was very skeptical and worried about losing nearly €27 on something not worthwhile.
The day of the trip arrived! We rushed to the temple and were off to the Airport! Woo Hoo!
Check-in two huge under-weight suitcases, passport control, security check and we were awaiting our Flight announcement. That was when I decided to top up my lipstick - Orangish-red. The young girl in the dressing area stared so hard and Harish did not have my expected reaction (wow! was what I expected). But who cared! Orange red lipstick with a smack of lip gloss it was for 3 days until my brother decided to 'educate' me on the probable cancer causing lead content in lipsticks and my mom send a video of a lip-stick obsessed Chinese girl topping her lipstick after each morsel of meal. Message received. Shift to nudes and browns and have lesser lipstick obsession.
Rome is 3.5 hrs behind India. We reached Rome by evening and Harish had found buses which ply from the Airport to the city centre / train station for as less as €4 per person, much less than the metro which was nearly triple. But unfortunately it had to be purchased at the counter. The bus trip was very nice. And my first impression of Rome was that the old heritage monuments are HUGE and the modern structures are maximum 6 storeys high. And the trees have no low branches. Almost like broccoli floret; long trunk and a wide thick head of branches and leaves.
After we got down at Termini (train station), we decided to use Google Maps to lead us to our hostel - Des Artistes on Via Villafranca. Google showed the way and since we have not used this app much we walked up and down a bit before we found out how the arrows are really guiding us!
The hostel room was small but very neat and very comfortable. Harish had booked this room as it fitted our requirement - close to Termini (650 mts) and they did not insist on payment on booking. Remember we had just 2 days to book the flight ticket and make hotel reservations before rushing to VFS.
The first night in Rome, we cleaned up and went in search of a restaurant. We had dinner at The Bramble Bar (near our place) and post this dinner I never ordered salad again. It was a huge bowl heaped with unsalted and undressed fresh cut vegetables, fruits and nuts!
I stared a lot at all the other women diners there. I noticed how the women carried themselves. Confident in really stylish, comfortable clothes. And I loved that NO one stared at anyone whatever they wore. Red baggy trousers, small pants, crop tops...Anything was acceptable.
Mushroom, Apple, Walnut salad with Parmesan
DAY 1: Saturday - July 23, 2016
The next morning we had booked to take the Colosseum tour of the underground and since I was still stuck on Indian time I got up quite early. But the sun was up before me. Summer in Italy meant sun rises at around 6 am and sets around 8.30 pm - 9.00 pm. Got dressed and we went in search of coffee and a tabacchi who would sell us a metro ticket.
Metro Tickets in Rome can be used for both the metro and the buses and there are 24hrs, 48 hrs, 72 hrs and a 7 day pass to choose from. Once you buy the ticket, it starts getting used ONLY after your first swipe through the ticket barrier which let's you enter the train station. At Metro Stations there are ticket barriers where you have to insert your ticket to enter and leave the Metro Station. If you use it first on the bus, you MUST get it printed / validated with the date and time at the yellow box placed near the entrance of the bus. After that it is valid for the time-period you have bought it for. No need to swipe again. I read that the ticket collectors are VERY strict and the fines are huge. It seems 'playing the innocent tourist' doesn't work!
Notice the small print which says 'scad.: 29/07/2016" etc.
That is what gets printed on to your ticket at the machine.
That is what gets printed on to your ticket at the machine.
We went to colosseo station from Termini and there just outside the station was THE COLOSSEUM!!
Then Harish explained that we were looking at the undergrounds of the Colosseum - the store area and the floor had probably given way. OK! Now I got it. There would have been a flat surface over the many (now seen) underground pillars.
After walking around, taking some snaps we reported to the designated tour start point and I had to use the loo. The queue to enter the toilet was LONG and just would not move fast enough. But trust the Indians / Pakistanis / Bangladeshis to find a way to cut the queue. One lady held up some squashed paper high above her head, as if to say she was just making her way forward to throw it away and when I walked in I saw her walking out of a loo door. Disgusting. Why are we like this?
Another woman had another trick, she was screaming some random name as if she was looking for someone in her group who might have come to pee. Then she went in, jumping the queue and did her business. Ladies, have some manners.
The tour of the underground took us through some locked grills into the floor level of the Colosseum. This is how the view would have been for the gladiators and slaves coming in to fight the beasts.
Imagine the screaming of the 65,000 roman men, women and royalty ready to see some blood-shed!
The original floor made of wood and covered with sand has been recreated in a small area and as has one of the many ingenious trap doors through which the beasts were released.
(Just imagine thousands cheering you from the gallery above while you stand waiting to kill or be killed. The adrenaline rush!)
Next we made our way to the undergrounds. This was the area where the slaves, animals, beasts, gladiators and various machinery were kept. Do you know that this Colosseum is not the only one in the world? And also not build by Romans? It's Flavian. It was called Flavian Amphitheatre. What is amphitheatre? Front half of two theatres constructed back to back. That is why the shape is oval.
Now the guide took us the subterranean level. This labyrinth was supposedly constructed later. In the beginning water used to be let into the Colosseum and naval battles used to take place here. Then they came with the idea of arena on top covering an elaborate underground structure called the hypogeum (literally meaning "underground")
Underground, we saw that the 'keystone' was held in place without any concrete!
(Imagine how dark it would have been here underground with light emanating only from fire holders. Imagine the smell of animals, sweat and the many sounds, growls etc. Eerie!)
(Look at how the keystone is held in place. A true architectural marvel by the Roman engineers and Jewish slaves)
(the long corridor leading from one end to the other, underneath the false fighting floor above)
Water had been diverted from the Tiber into the Colosseum and it still flows through the lead pipes.
(The construction of the hypogeum by Domitian put an end to the practise of flooding the Colosseum for naval battles.)
They have recreated the ancient pulley system which would transport beasts to the higher level and be released through the trap-doors on unsuspecting gladiators or slaves fighting. Just for fun and more element of surprise!!
(each winch used pulley system to rapidly transport animals, scenery and men. And 12-16 slaves worked hard to do this. There were more than 28 such hydraulic lifts.)
From here, we were taken through the various corridors of the royalty, senators, rich Romans, poor people, slaves and to the very top where women used to be seated away from all the 'drunk' (on wine and gore) men. Here some of the ancient bricks can be still seen and you get a sweeping view of the city.
(look at the steep stairs which lead to the top. Poor women!)
(The victory entrance)
From where we stood, we saw the Roman Forum and the place where the gigantic bronze Colossus of Nero stood. Now 2 olive trees stand there. This statue and others long melted to make other articles during Renaissance.
(look at the 2 small olive trees enclosed inside a barricade. This was where Nero's colossal statue stood. Hence the name of this place is Colosseum.)
(see the small holes on the wall? That was for the mast which used to cover the Colosseum if the temperature got too hot. It was operated by the roman sailors.)
(a modern artistic rendering of the Colosseum during the ancient times)
(And in each of these niches stood a statue of famous personalities like gladiators, senators, but NOT gods. Truly public entertainment place, not religious.)
Watch the 9 minute history channel episode to know more.
And if you wish to see some late night illegal daredevil Colosseum wall scaling watch what these Germans did! The view from the very top is excellent.
Oh! I nearly forgot. Saw a newly married couple making there way to the Colosseum for a photo shoot. It seemed to be marriage season, as we saw two more at two other places.
Time for lunch!! Since I was not used to the Italian sun, I was feeling a little drained and we made our way back to the room. Cleaned up and after a fresh change of clothes and a huge smear of sun-screen, on our way back we went to a 'Rustica Italia Pizzeria"
(Large slabs of pizza with different toppings and you can see the cook on your right)
(Pizza with tomato and mushroom, Melanzanne (brinjal) pizza and white sauce)
(Arancini)
The problem (even though it makes sense) with the Colosseum ticket is that it is the same ticket to go to Roman forum and Palatine hills. You don't need to buy another. But it has to be used on the same day or the very next day. Roman Forum is next door to Colosseum and it is easy to spend the whole day in the same area. We had planned initially to go to San Giovanni, but we were forced to go to Roman Forum the same day as Colosseum as the next day was Sunday and Rome on Sunday must not be spent inside ruins, but in the midst of people!!
Roman Forum is just ruins, ruins and more ruins. It would have been really interesting if we had an audio guide, but sadly we left our passports in the room. They need those as insurance to provide us with headsets. And anyway, I was not in much of a mood to 'see and imagine'. I think Colosseum drained me.
The museum on top of the Palatine hill was nice with many busts and relics, but the silence and cool confines made me very sleepy.
Other interesting stuff I saw included these ...
(is that a crow with some pigmentation issue?)
(Spring of Juturna.The shrine marks a place where Roman legend claims the divine twins Castor and Pollux stopped to water their horses after helping the Romans become victorious over the Latins. Dates to 6th century BC)
(Via Sacra was the main street of ancient Rome, leading from the top of the Capitoline Hill, through some of the most important religious sites of the Forum, to the Colosseum.)
(the Temple of Saturn, just the remains of the front portico stands)
(Temple of Caesar. Caesar was cremated here)
(Remember this from before? this is the view of the Temple of Venus and Rome from the Colosseum.)
(And this is the view of the Colosseum from Temple of Venus and Rome)
Now we had a lot of time in our hands and according to our itinerary we had to see the sun-set and the lights getting on all over Rome from the highest point inside the city. And my research directed us to Piazza Venezia to the 'Altare della patria" or the "altar of the fatherland". Google Maps took us on a ride. It was just 1 km away on a straight road. But we took a bus, then weaved through traffic and reached in 30 minutes.
And after reaching the bus stop, we were running around to find the lift which would take us to the top of the Altar.
We climbed a steep flight of steps first, but there was a church where a marriage had just gotten over. So we walked back down...
Then we climbed the below set of steps and ran around inside a piazza and found our way back into the before said church (where the wedding was). But we just got to see the beautiful ladies in beautiful gowns and really HIGH heels walking slowly down the stairs holding on to the railings or handsome men in suits post marriage. So we went down again.
Then we found the real "altar of Fatherland". Hopefully the lift is here somewhere!
The view from here to the piazza down is good...
And the guards look great, But we want to go to the TOP! Where is the lift?
We found the lift and ticket counter tucked away in the back.
After we paid for our ticket, the rain started...So Bye Bye sun set!! But look at the view of Rome from atop the Altar of Fatherland.
Can you see the Colosseum?
The Roman Forum is so near and looks so good from up above!
This sea bird was wondering why we were so excited!! And he happily stopped pruning himself and posed for us and with us!
We decided enough for the day and we walked into a local tavern and I had my first Aperol Spritz. My! Was it strong!! I chased a lady with 2 cute dogs and Harish promised to not buy me any more of this stuff, if I don't behave myself.
(photo courtesy: thekitchn.com)
We walked to Trevi Fountain. It looked lovely with the lights on. And it was crowded.
We saw this guy selling hot chestnuts....
And then we went to the oldest restaurant in Rome, La Campana to have Rome's local speciality - Fried Artichokes and Fried Zucchini flowers stuffed with cheese. The former was tough and chewy, but the zucchini flowers were excellent.
By the time we reached back......my calf muscles were so sore, and I was glad I had no shoe bites, thanks to my Luna sandals!
Day 2: Sunday - July 24, 2016
We had breakfast (uno croissant e uno cafe americana) at the Termini at the Chef Express (don't go there) and this old lady just walked up to me with a cup and asked me for coffee! The beggars here are well dressed and very bold!
We did not want to do much. Some walking through the streets, enjoying the touristy places on the way. Just take it easy and soak in the Italian life.
We took the metro from Termini to Spagna (pronounced -spania) and reached the Spanish steps (where my husband had thrown up many years ago after having his first Italian meal, thanks to the olive oil!). But sadly it was closed for renovation. So we walked to Piazza Popolo where the church has two Caravaggio paintings. But here Mass was going on and we were not allowed inside. So we walked across the piazza and went into another church - Santa Maria in Montesanto and I made use of the oppurtunity to thank God for this wonderful trip. Silent prayers in Sanskrit with beautiful Italian background music!
(Three roads lead to this piazza and there are 2 churches here which look exactly the same. We went to the one on the left, not the one with the Salvatore Ferragamo hoarding.)
Then we walked back across the piazza and the Mass was not over. We sat on the steps and while waiting I noticed so many Indian-looking people selling selfie-sticks and water and other knick-kancks. Seems that they are not Indians, but Bangladeshis.
When the Mass finished, we entered the beautifully adorned church and then I remembered you had to drop in €1 for the lights to illuminate the Caravaggio paintings. Someone dropped in a coin before we did and what lovely paintings! Worth the wait. The 2 paintings are - Crucification of St.Peter and Conversion on the way to Damascus. The way he has used a black background and colours as light just to illuminate what he wanted the viewer to see is ......like a photograph.
Now we walked back towards Spanish Steps through a road suggested by many TripAdvisors - via Condotti. This is THE road with the all the high end shops - Gucci, Prada, Hermes, Mont Blanc, Bvlgari, Cartier. Great for window shopping or if you can afford, why not?
Our friend had mentioned about a gelateria in the vicinity of Spanish Steps called Quetzalcoatl Chocolatier. He had loved their Pistachio gelato and had suggested we go there too. But sadly when we we reached there, it was closed.
And Harish had researched on a restaurant across Tiber river - Orto. So we decided we would walk again through Via Condotti till Piazza Cavour, where the restaurant was and the walk would get us hungry! On our way we saw a Magnum store. Here the basic stick icecream can be coated and topped the way you want it!
One thing amazing about Rome is the water. They have taps which are perpetually spilling water and this water is potable, unless otherwise mentioned. So you can refill your bottles from these taps. And the water is ice-cold. It seems this water is from streams and the pipes were laid centuries ago!
Italians pronounce the alphabet 'J' as 'Y'. So sYrup, becomes sJrup!
Piazza Cavour is a very beautiful place and there is a magnificient structure there, but I have no idea what that is!
And guess what? Orto was closed. So we went to another restaurant nearby - Camillo B and the food was YUMMY. They also offer special 10% discount to people who arrive by cycle!
Mushroom Croquettes
Grilled Vegetables (which I ordered and he graciously ate)
Pasta in tomato sauce (which he ordered, but I ate!)
Dessert was missing and we decided to try our luck at the chocolatier again. After a long walk back, the cool pistachio and the beautiful setting with chocolates everywhere was worth it!
Pistacchio gelato at Quetzalcoatl Chocolatier
Now that we had calories to burn we thought of walking to Trevi fountain. True, we had seen it last night, but the atmosphere during the day is very different and exceptional. And on our way we met 2 artists selling some incredible watercolour paintings. We promised to return in a weeks time to buy from them.
Trevi by day is more crowded than night!
There is a Crossing of Via delle Quattro Fontane and Via del Quirinale which is supposed to look very beautiful with 4 sculptures on all 4 sides of the road. They are really water spouts with good sculpture.
The way is a trek up , but the sight of various fruit stalls, shops selling Italian food - Limoncello, pasta, olive oil, cheese cutting boards, etc.. and many restaurants, bakery made it easy.
Cherry!
Inside Coop Italia bakery section
These are the 4 images at the Crossing of Via delle Quattro Fontane and Via del Quirinale .
Image source: http://media3.trover.com/T/51c55f2926c48d4cd40000f2/fixedw_large_2x.jpg
From here we went to Piazza Quirinale where the Presidential palace is. This is so huge that White House is just 1/20th of it's size. There were guards everywhere and while we rested our sore feet, we saw the change of guards (5pm) and more (tall, built, handsome, Italian) guards came in from the Marine Military and the Official band of the airforce.
From here we walked 'via venti settembre' to see the 'Ecstacy of St.Teresa' in Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vittoria. The Indian Embassy is on the way and my hair stood up when I saw the Indian flag.
This "Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vittoria" is a very small church and it's only point of interest for the tourist is a marble sculpture by Bernini called the Ecstacy of St.Teresa. A smiling cupid is seen pulling out an arrow from inside St.Teresa and her face seems to have been captured at a heightened state of 'ecstacy'. Some call this picture 'sexually charged'. Quoting Wikipedia - "The statues depict a moment described by Saint Teresa of Avila in her autobiography, where she had the vivid vision of a seraph piercing her heart with a golden shaft, causing her both immense joy and pain. The flowing robes and contorted posture abandon classical restraint and repose to depict a more passionate, almost voluptuous trance."
The way the marble has been sculptured and moulded is beautiful. You wonder if it is indeed marble or something more malleable like wax. And the lighting + the golden beams...Wow!
Now we walked back to our hostel and Harish could not believe I described this day as light. We had walked nearly 10 kms!
We saw many of these trees on the way. Are these oranges? If yes, then why is the fruit just left to rot?
After we had a nice bath, we decided we will go to a new place near by for dinner. But we got lost and saw a very depressing side of Rome near the Termini where most of the immigrants are trying to find a place to sleep. These people walk around with rucksacks filled with 1/2 drunk coca-cola bottles, Croissants and other personal stuff. The poor in India don't look so miserable, eventhough they are worse dressed and are definitely poorer. Is it because they are in their own country? One poor black fellow was seen sleeping on the window sill of 'Coop Italia' and the guy inside the shop was getting worked up as Italy respects 'human-rights' and everyone has a right. But this homeless fellow is bad for his business.
We ended up choosing a very (bad) local place near the Termini - Cafe Trombetta. I ordered a Ravioli with ricotta and basil in Tomato sauce. My ravioli was thick and tough.
Look at the design on the plate!
Day 3: Monday - July 25, 2016
Our morning breakfast is usually had at the Train station Termini just before we start our touring. It is usually Croissant with different fillings and 'cafe Americano' with more milk for me. I realized early on that 'uno' croissant is not enough for me - a person who loves her breakfast and needs to keep up with Harish and his high speed walking! I need 'deux'. So Harish eats one and I eat two. Always. Everyday. And post trip, I still refuse to get on top of the weighing scale.
We had breakfast at the Vyta Bakery from the third day onwards. Their Croissants are so crisp and flaky. My mouth still waters thinking of it. Maybe this is what I miss the most from Italy!!
Now we took the bus and went to Campo de Fiori, a local market. Here stands a statue of Giordano Bruno who was burnt alive for heresy. Now he is an national matyr to Freedom of Thought! But this place seemed just like an Indian market minus the waste, smell and screaming people. Why? All the stalls were managed by Bangladeshis! And when I asked a malayalee shopper there, if the products here were expensive, she asked me to not buy anything as everything was cut-throat tourist prices. Supermarkets were better and no haggling.
Beautiful flowers!
Don't look at the colour, the market is covered (like a large tent), so there is no natural sunlight which would have made the colors pop in the photos!
Vegetables! Tomatoes....so many varieties.
There was madras powder too!
Grappa, limoncello, wine
Cured meats (since 1890)
Giordano Bruno stands defiantly looking at the Vatican
Next stop was a beautiful church. SOOOOO Beautiful. Called "Sant Andrea Della valle". The ceiling is THE best I have seen. The yellow just pops when the light hits it. And they have placed 2 mirrors on the ground for us to look through, so as to not strain our necks!
The picture does no justice!
This is not a sculpture, but a painting! Amazing 3D effect!
Looking through the mirror!
If only, I could capture the true colours! This is on the ceiling.
Next stop was at an old Italian friend's office. We spent around an hour there and I was impressed at the decor at her place. Almost like that which is seen in Interior Design magazines! Ofcourse, I took no pictures in there!
Now we went to see the Pantheon. The ancient temple, built around 10 BC for all the Roman (Pagan) gods. But now it has been exorcised and the last of the seven 'devils' threw out a pinecone (now housed in Vatican) at the cardinals. It has astronomical, musical and architectural significance other than the obvious religious. It is amazing to see the dome constructed so far back with a hole of 9m diameter at the very top.
There is a myth that rain water does not come in inspite of this hole on top. Really it does enter but in the olden times they used to light so many candles that the air inside used to be super heated and while the hot air rises for escaping, it would take away all the water vapour. And since the floor is slightly concave with 22 drain holes, water never stays inside.
It seems that there was lots of gold and brass used in it's decoration and this was never removed by anyone until a Pope (Barberini) decided to use those for the St.Peter's chapel. Thus the Roman proverb -"What the barbarians did not do, Barberini will do".
Inside the Pantheon there are many chapels and many beautiful paintings. It is now the final resting place of many important people.
Pantheon. This same structure has been here in this form since before Christ!
Light streams in through the hole on top.
One of the many beautiful paintings inside. This is a Caravaggio called 'The inspiration of St.Matthew'.
The chapel inside pantheon
A short walk away is Piazza Navona. You turn a corner of a small street and an expansive view awaits you! This sight never failed to surprise me all through the trip. You never know what is around a corner. Probably a beautiful Piazza! And many of the houses facing the Piazza have beautiful balconies. As usual there were artists, musicians and a lot of buzz around this place. Pretty crowded.
Piazza Navona
Will the heroine come out now and stretch / wave?
The other side of the fountain
The obelisk at the centre
The artists at the piazza. Look at the dark clouds.
It was lunch time and we decided to eat at a restaurant away from the crowd. But looks like many others thought the same! We had a horrible lunch at an Irish Pub - Bibamus. Yuck.
Bread with tomatoes, assorded fried vegetables which had more french fries.
When we walked back into the piazza, we met an Indian couple - Nagpals, settled in USA. Rajesh is a scientist in NASA and Ritu is part of AMWAY (e-commerce site). They were celebrating their 25th anniversary with their 2 boys in Italy.
From here we walked up to Castel Sant Angelo. It had started raining by then and I had to attend to nature's call. I walked into a pub and the bar-tender jovially told me €100 to use the loo! I wish I had spent some more time here. But since we had a dinner appointment at 8.30 pm, we were in a rush. Via Dei Coronari is lined with antique and art shops. They all looked so beautiful from the outside! When the rain started pouring, we took refuge under one of the umbrellas of 'Antico Caffe de Marte".
Castel Sant Angelo is not so great. Just look at it from the outside. We paid a lot to enter the castel, but the only thing we enjoyed was the view from the cafe on top to St.Peter's Cathedral.
Castel Sant Angelo
Ponte Sant' Angelo
View of St.Peter's Cathedral from the cafe upstairs
St.Peter's Cathedral from the road leading to bus stop. Beautiful!
From here it was a rush to make it for dinner. We had to go back to our room, clean up, change, take back the metro and reach RistoArte Margutta by 8pm! This place was chosen by our friends because it was vegetarian.
They brought along a beautiful (but heavy) gift....A coffee-table book on Rome with a beautiful handwritten note inside from them.
The meal was very different. I had a zucchini spaghetti and then asparagus mousse with Potato mash.
After spending a wonderful 2 hours with them, and they dropped us back, I was really happy removing my heels. How do women walk on these cobbled stones in these? I love you, luna sandals!!
Day 4: Tuesday - July 26, 2016
There was a strike on Metro Line B. I could not believe my ears! The line was shut till evening 5pm!!
The buses were so crowded! And there was this lady travelling with a HUGE heavy bag and a big Labrador. I have not seen such a beautiful / handsome, obedient dog. He too boarded the bus and inspite of the crowd kept quiet and just raised his eyes to see if the master was around.
Today we were going to Borghese Gallery. We had booked the English guided tour of this gallery and at the end of the tour we were very glad we did! Once you enter, you can spend only 2 hours inside and every nook and corner is covered with interesting art - sculpture or drawing and having a knowlegable person guiding actually helps (given the time frame).
Galleria Borghese
We saw some amazing works by Caravaggio and Bernini. Borghese is the surname of a family of Italian noble and papal background. Following the election of Camillo from this family as Pope Paul V in 1605 the family rose in power and wealth. His sister's son - Scipione, was made Cardinal and he was a major patron of the arts, and the family art collection burgeoned under his guardianship. Borghese used the immense wealth that he acquired as Cardinal Nephew to assemble one of the largest and most impressive art collections in Europe. What could be comissioned, was comissioned. What could be bought, was bought. What had to be forced, was forced. What couldn't be forced or bought was stolen! But one thing must be admitted- this guy had taste!
This is THE guy - Cardinal Borghese
I will post some of the MOST amazing works we saw there and try to explain as well as the guide did.
God. Painted on the ceiling.
Recovered floor tiles from a nobleman's house, recreated here. It is made up of many small tiles depicting the battles in the Colosseum. Notice the circle with the line in the centre against a name. That means that particular person lost (got killed).
Caravaggio. Boy with a basket of fruit. Take a special look at the grapes and leaves.
Caravaggio's Madonna and Child with St. Anne. The church was always at loggerheads with Caravaggio. They would not accept this painting as it depicted Jesus as a 6 year old and Mary's bosom was seen. Also St.Anne looks too 'common' (read poor).
Caravaggio's self portrait after an illness - Young Sick Bacchus. Notice the yellow tone of skin. He is seen holding grapes as they are supposed to mean new life.
Aeneas, Anchises, and Ascanius. One of Bernini's first sculptures. See how he has created the illusion of the 3 generations by wrinkling the skin on the old man and making the young child clinging on the legs of his dad look cherubic.
The Rape of Proserpina. Look the emotions depicted! Try to look at her thighs where his hand is pressing her flesh. Remember this is marble, not wax! What detailing!
Bernini's genius can be seen in this one sculpture - Apollo and Daphne. It is the story of a boy, chasing a nymph who on his touch, turns into a tree. From each angle the story develops. The whole story in one piece of marble.
You can see someone (Apollo) running, when you see the statue from behind.
Now you see him chasing a girl (Daphne).
From the front, you notice she has been touched and she is changing into a tree.
From this side you can see only a tree.
A different interpretation of the Last Supper
Raphael's Deposition. Stolen and displayed! Pope Paul V willingly assisted his nephew's efforts to obtain the art works that aroused his interest. Through the influence of his uncle, Borghese secured the cooperation of the parish priest in arranging to have Raphael's famous Deposition stolen from the Baglioni family chapel in San Francesco, Perugia.
Venus Victix. Napolean's sister's head (airbrushed and made 'prettier') for sure. Is that her body? That is the big question. But when she was asked how she could do such a scandalous thing, she replied , "So what? It was anyway so hot inside the artist's workshop"!! The base is wooden. Notice the wrinkled pillow too!
The gardens coutside the gallery is huge, but we did not walk around it. Instead we spent around half an hour lounging on the bench under the shaded tree until an old man decided to sit near us and smoke. Smoking is a HUGE problem in Italy. Everyone seems to smoke.
We had lunch at a local place - Al Forno della Soffitta at via piave and it was rush hour and the waiters were literally running! Post lunch we waited at the bus stop for what seems to be hours! From here we went to St.Clemente.
St.Clemente is an old church but beneath it lies the wonders! It was the site of clandestine Christian worship in the 1st century. And beneath this the home of a Roman nobleman had been built on the foundations of republican era villa and warehouse that had been destroyed in the Great Fire of 64 AD. Archaeological wonder! Worth the €10 per head. The air down is moist because of the stream which provided 'running water' to the houses. Think! An underground stream!!
From here we walked uphill (huff puff) to Basilica de San Giovanni in Laterno. This was until the late 14th century the Pope’s main place of worship. The insides look beautiful. This is a place of worship and women are expected to cover their knees and shoulders. See the inside of the church. It was the first Christian basilica built in the city of Rome.
Just opposite this is another church which is said to hold the 'sacred steps' - Scala Sancta, brought here from Jerusalem. Jesus is said to have climbed these stairs himself and therefore the devotees mount the steps on knees.
Devotees climbing the steps on knees
After we finished this Church, for the first time we did not finish our itinerary for the day. We wanted to visit another church but with the metro strike and time nearing 4.45pm, we dropped the idea and went in search of a aperitivo place. (We did see this church on the last day.)
While we were going to the bus stop we saw an accident! And I was a little sad that unlike in movies the ambulance and police did not rush in. But I was surprised that there was no shouting match and no crowd formed. Everyone looked if the biker needed help, and just walked by! It took the ambulance nearly 15-20 minutes to come (the time we spent at the bus stop waiting for the bus).
The bike hit a car?
Spritz Aperol served with olives, potato chips and hors d'oeuvres
The view of Piazza Popolo as the sun sets.
Kids magnet - Bubbles!
Dinner at Babette was ok. The dessert was eggy. We reached back to our room and packed our bags. We were going to Florence!
Day 5: Wednesday - July 27, 2016
We arrived at the railway station - Termini and had breakfast again at Vyte and spent a good amount of time staring up at the display board to know the platform in which our train to Florence would arrive. I had the audacity to call the train a 'dirty bug' (azhukku muttai) as the outside needed a wash. But the insides were excellent and the service was on par a flight! The train touched nearly 250 km/hr and the scenery (which reminded me of Kerala minus coconut trees) whizzed by.
Florence is beautiful with narrow streets.
How does the bus fit?
Narrow streets and lots of Romanian gypsies and Bangladeshi street side sellers were replaced by Blacks.
We were staying on the other side of the river in a part called Oltrarno. Our hotel (San Frediano Mansion Bed & Breakfast,
Via Borgo San Frediano) was once a huge house and each room has been converted into guest rooms. The ceiling is nearly 12 ft high and there was a beautiful fresco on the ceiling. The view outside was amazing.
Frescoed ceiling 12 ft above. View from the bed!
View outside. Arno flows by.
I had not researched much on Florence and we decided to simply walk around Florence. We walked towards Uffizi. A walk with no objective. On our way we passed by an amazing street selling branded things and LOTS of leather goods. Jackets, boots, gloves, handbags. And all were on sale! But the one shop which got my attention was a confectionery shop. Look at the window display!!
Inside the cool confines we asked the lady to suggest us a restaurant for lunch, a place where she would go with her family. She said ,"OK, not too costly, not too cheap.. But I go with family to Da Lino".
We had THE BEST minestrone soup with riso here. The pasta was also good. Dessert - Torte de Nonna was homely and very tasty.
The lady at Migone wrote down this for us. So sweet of her!
Minestrone with rice. Yummy yum.
Typical mama papa restaurant. You just might miss it from the outside. So small.
Pasta looked unappetising and tasted ok.
Torte de nonna
We walked till Piazza Del Signoria and saw the 'fake' David and some more statues.
The hot sun made it too tough for us and we decided to head back. I had a Lemon gelato on the way and it tasted like heaven.
Duomo!
Gelato -coconut and musk melon
Pineapple Gelato
Ponte Vecchio
From here we went back to our room and waited for the sun to stop shining so bright!
After a brief rest, by evening we decided to walk to Piazzale Michaelangelo to see the sun set. The view was amazing, but to get here was very tough! It is quite a climb and the shops on top do a brisk business selling drinks and chips!
Ponte Vecchio, far away.
Sun setting over Florence.
See the duomo at the right? And the sun has almost set!
Florence is known for it's goldsmiths,ceramics, fragnance, soap and paper
Beautiful ceramics. But very fragile.
We had pizza for dinner at some restaurant and we walked back to our room. The first day in Florence was very tiring!!
Word of advice: Do not skimp on the sun-screen.
Day 6: Thursday - 28 July 2016
Uffizi Gallery had been booked for today.
The Uffizi is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Florence. Prepare to spend at least 5-6 hours roaming the halls and enjoying the works displayed. I really cannot do a good job explaining the magnitude of work on display here. There are 2 long corridors with rooms on the side. The narrow long corridor has frescoed ceiling and art sculptures on both sides - 1 full marble figure followed by 2 busts and there are paintings displayed on top of these statues. Inside the rooms, they have kept works of specific artists / type / year on display. By the end of the tour your head will spin with paintings and sculptures. That night I dreamt of being lost in the huge corridor! Such is the impact. There are rooms dedicated to specific artists like Botticelli, but we found just one painting of Leonardo Da Vinci and 3 works of Caravaggio. This museum enlightened us of the various other artists and various other materials / mediums - wood, stone, copper which can be used as a base or moulded into art.
LONG corridors with frescoed ceiling and sculptures
Travelling altar. Both the sides can be folded for easy transportation.
Coronation of the Virgin, Saints and angels, the redeemer, the annunciation, the nativity, the adoration of magi and the stories of St.Benedict - all in one high altar! Made in February 1414.
Tribuna. You cannot enter this room, but can view it from all three sides through doors. Look at the rich look - red walls, guilded frames for paintings...and the ceiling was amazing.
Our Lady of Sorrows by Flemish artist Hans Memling c 1500
Filippo Lippi's Madonna and Child with two angels. c 1460-1465
View outside from a window. You can see the Duomo.
Scuola Fiorentina (Florentine School)- Allegory of Fortune. A painting with deep meaning.
Botticelli's Madonna of the Magnificient. c 1483
Leonardo Da Vinci's Annunciation c 1472
Caravaggio's Medusa
Gherardo delle notti - Good Fortune c 1617-1619
Matthias Stomer - Annunciation c 1635-1640
We spent four and half hours in here; from 10.30 am - 3pm. I have not seen so much art work in my life!
We needed food and water. But we did not want to eat anywhere near the Uffizi as it would not be authentic Italian, just touristy. We walked the bylanes farther away from Uffizi and were lucky that the chef cum owner standing outside his place said "ok, lunch" at 4 pm!
Presenting - Arà : è Sicilia, Via degli Alfani, 127, 50122 Firenze, Italy.
Caponata
Rigattoni alla Norma
Ricotta Cannolo - THE BEST!
Now we were full and needed to rest. We walked around and landed up in Piazza Republica. We spent nearly an hour soaking in the atmosphere. Dogs with their masters. Kids running behind bubbles. Cyclists moving around. Carousel going round and round. Musicians playing their instruments. Slow and easy life. I can enjoy this for a long time!
Art seems to be everywhere in Florence. Look at what they have done to a simple 'No Entry' sign.
And look at this guy - Blub, who loves drawing graffitti with scuba eye wear!
It was almost an adventure for me and Harish to find these!
Now we decided we would do something very 'different' - we would eat our favourite dinner courses at various restaurants.
First course - we went back for Minestrone at Da lino
Main course - Ravioli with Ricotto and sage in burnt butter sauce at Terra Terra
Dessert - we repeated Ricotto Cannolo at Ara e Sicilia
And were not the only mad people. At 10.30 pm we saw a huge line of people standing outside a shop, much like the ones we find in front of the breweries corporation outlets in Kerala. They were there for Gelato!
Day 7: Friday - July 29, 2016
We took the train back to Rome and we had a problem. Our train was reaching at 12.40 pm. We had booked tickets for a guided tour at 1.30 pm. And we had luggage with us. We decided we would leave our Suitcase at the 'left luggage' counter in Termini and hopefully make it in time to Piazza Valentini. Here we were to have a multimedia tour of an ancient Roman excavations beneath a 16th-century building.
We reached by 1.10pm and there was nobody else there! I did get worried about making Harish book the tour but then people trickled in. The tour was exceptional. We got to see the reconstruction of two ancient 'domus' as well as the original ruins under the glass floors.
The tour also explained the story behind the Trajan's Column. We had seen the pillar outside, but since Rome is filled with so many archeological treasures, we had not given this much importance. Once you know the story behind this colossal carved pillar, you appreciate it better!
The original steps leading to the 'domus' excavated and covered with glass.
Look at the carvings! It tells the story of the battle of Trajan's two victorious military campaigns against the Dacians
View from outside with all the pillars which surrounded the column
We went satisfied back to Termini to collect our bag and from there to our room.
We had to get 'dressed' for the Vatican museum and Sistine Chapel tour by night. Shoulders must be covered and no knees must be seen.
But first we had to see St.Peter's Cathedral.
The sun shines through.
Amazing dome on top
Pieta by Michaelangelo. May 21, 1972 is a day of reckoning for this amazing statue.
Swiss Guards! Handsome in 'colorful uniform' - it is among the oldest uniforms in continuous use. The tunics are striped in the colours of the Medici family: red, dark blue, and yellow. And Michaelangelo did not design this.
We walked / ran 1.5 kms to reach the Vatican Museum.
Vatican Museum
The tour started at 7.30pm and the guide explained to us about the Sistine Chapel. She talked to us about the main painting on the Altar - The Last Judgement and the paintings from the old testament and new testament painted on either side walls. The frescoes by Michaelangelo on the ceilings and where he got his inspirations especially God's head and God's body. She said that inside the Chapel she could never explain so much as - one it is a chapel, religious place and two, it would be too crowded.
The tour started outside the walls of Vatican museums and we got to see an amazing view of St.Peter's Cathedral from here.
The tour started outside the walls of Vatican museums and we got to see an amazing view of St.Peter's Cathedral from here.
From here we went inside and we were blown away with the amount of work on display. Art from every corner of earth and in different mediums. There were rooms dedicated for each type.
Where uffizi was tiring, here each room was a new experience. And we cannot emphasise on the luck we had in taking the night tour as the major crowd had left for the day. Still it was crowded!
The Last Judgement is seen last in the tour, but since I am trying to explain the inspiration of Michaelangelo (as done by the guide), I post this picture here, first.
No photos are allowed inside the Sistine Chapel. But everyone was taking pics. We did not. This photo has been downloaded from : By Michelangelo - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=499397
Note the picture of the young God in the middle. On his right side is Mary. On his left are some figures and there is one person who seems to be melting and just his skin remains, held on by St.Bartholomew. This is supposed to be Michaelangelo himself on the day of judgement. Why? He had depicted naked figures. Many said that it was disgraceful that in such a sacred place there should not have been depicted all those nude figures, exposing themselves so shamefully. But Michaelangelo won; as the Pope said that his jurisdiction did not extend to hell, so the portrait would have to remain! And the artist did something against his main Tormentor - Biagio da Cesena. Michelangelo drew Mino's, judge of the underworld to resemble da Cesena! You will find his figure on the lower right corner of the painting of Last Judgement.
Image Courtesy : By Michelangelo - Image:Rome Sistine Chapel 01.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=809295
The main attraction on the ceiling is obviously ' The Creation Of Adam'.
But this forms such a small part of the whole ceiling!
Image source : https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/46/Sistine_chapel.jpg
Take a look at the picture of 'Creation of Adam' again. Do you see God in a Red oval. What do you think that is? It is the cross section of the Human Brain!!!!
Michaelangelo was given access to work with human corpses in Florence and he used to dissect these bodies to know more about muscle movement, shape and other features as he considered himself to be a sculptor and not an artist.
Quoting Wikipedia (and the guide!) - "Michelangelo was commissioned by Pope Julius II in 1508 to repaint the vault, or ceiling, of the Chapel. It was originally painted as golden stars on a blue sky. Michelangelo was intimidated by the scale of the commission, and made it known from the outset of Julius II's approach that he would prefer to decline. He felt he was more of a sculptor than a painter. For Michelangelo, the project was a distraction from the major marble sculpture that had preoccupied him for the previous few years."
Now coming back to the Vatican Museum. We start here.
Remember the pine cone thrown by the 'pagan' Demons (?!) when the Pantheon was 'exorcised'. This is the said Pine cone!
The museum houses not just ancient but modern sculptures too. And that is our guide in black tee.
The marble zoo
This is the only surviving bronze statue from the Roman ages,. After this statue was completed there was flooding / lightning and this statue was considered bad luck. So it was buried in a coffin with a detailed inscription. Thanks to the bad luck, it still exists or it would have been melted too like all the others during renaissance.
Apoxyomenos.
It represents an athlete, caught in the familiar act of scraping sweat and dust from his body with the small curved instrument.
One of the first sculptures with 'movement' vs standing straight / posing, giving depth and space to the image AND he is seen performing a 'private' act. Therefore not classical, but very inspirational for future artists.
(Image source : By English: Copy after Lysippos - Marie-Lan Nguyen (2009), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1302732)
Apollo Del Belvedere. Inspiration for God's youthful face in 'The Last Judgement'
Laocoon. Inspiration for the emotions seen in 'The Last Judgement'. Two huge sea serpents kill Laocoon and his two sons and he can do nothing about it.
The Belvedere Torso. Inspiration for the body structure of God in 'The Last Judgement'.
Look at the recreated floor tiles
The view from inside of the park
From the Egyptian section. Did not catch the name.
Look at the colours against the black and white background
Another one
From inside the tapestry room. A carpet made with the painting of 'Massacre of the innocents'. The original is in the Uffizi
The original painting
Another HUGE tapestry
Can you stop staring at the ceiling?
Inside the Papal chambers
Look at the paintings by Raphael!
Image source:By Lure - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8534727
Raphael is staring straight at us at the extreme right
Michaelangelo is staring at the floor as Raphael thinks he is NOT his contemperory. Both of them were working at the same time inside the Vatican.
Even the floor looks lovely!
From here we walked towards the Chapel and on the way were displayed many art works done by modern day artists given to the museum. The guide left us outside the Sistine Chapel and the cacophany inside with the guards repeatedly saying 'shhh' and the art work surrounding you....Amazing. We did not know where to look. We sat around for sometime and left only because we started to feel hungry.
Sistine Chapel Ceiling.
Image Source : https://theromanguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/sistine_chapel.jpg
The Last Judgement.
Image Source: https://ka-perseus-images.s3.amazonaws.com/2ef31cff9ecaa193b7512b05f62c4e01d3b2e6bc.jpg
When we walked out, we went down these beautiul spiral staircase!
Spiral stairs of the Vatican Museums, designed by Giuseppe Momo in 1932.
Dinner we had outside the Vatican and I had to try the deep-fried Artichoke again. The one we had at La Campana on the first day had not lived up to my expectations. How can so many people like something and I not like it?
Deep Fried Artichoke. Classic dish of Rome.
Fettuccine with mushroom
What car is that?
We were so tired at the end of the day and next day was our last in Italy. Depressing and Tiring!!
Day 8: Saturday - 30, July 2016
Last day in Italy. We had to shop for souvenirs. But first I wanted to visit a non-touristy market (Campa De Fiori was a let down) and Harish zeroed in on a market which is open only on Saturday and Sunday. The produce for sale here follow the 0 km rule - Mercato Campagna Amica near Circus Maximus.
Here we found some amazing produce and I could buy only a few.
Fresh flowers
Fresh vegetables. Look at the various types of Melanzzano (brinjal / aubergine)
Varieties of Tomatoes
Vegetables in olive oil
Cheese - plain and flavored
Flavored Bread sticks
We bought some cheese and bread sticks. And as we walked by Circus Maximus - the ancient Roman Chariot racing Stadium, Harish saw a man running in the hot sun. Inspiration!
In Rome and Florence, I noticed that people are always engaged in some physical activity post office hours and on holidays - either running (even at 9pm!) or cycling or skating. No wonder they look so good!
Circus Maximus
Man running under the hot sun in Circus Maximus
Now we made our way to Coop Italia and bought some more things and dumped everything in our room.
Remember we had promised the artist near Trevi Fountain, last sunday, that we would come back to buy is painting. So we went there and bought two water colours. We bargained and after settling on a price paid €5 extra.
Harish with the artist and his art which we bought
Harish has a classmate who studied with him from standard 1 to 10 (10 years) settled in Rome. We had made an appointment to meet him. Tony aka Antony Francis came with his wife Johnsy and son Troy to meet us. And since he is in the tourism business he took us around Rome to see some very interesting sights we had not seen. Many of these places had not figured on my list as they were way off the beaten path and we do need to keep some for our next visit, right?
That's Harish and his friend Tony near the only pyramid in Rome, built by a noble-man who was deeply influenced by Egyptian civilization.
Me looking through the Aventine Keyhole to see St.Peter's cathedral
We had missed this church - "Basilica of St.Peter's outside the walls" on day 5. We made it here! Yippee! It is said to contain the sacrophagus of St.Paul. There is a white sacrophagus made of marble under the altar and the chains which were used to bind him.
Beneath these grounds lie many ancient Romans! The Catacombs. It was closed by the time we reached there.
Appia Antica. The OLDEST highway of the world. Connects Rome with Southern Italy and it is still pliable. Notice the footpaths on both the sides.
The ancient roman walls. We were outside these.
They treated us to 3 gelatos on a cone. I have never had so much icecream EVER!
Scoop each of Chocolate, Vanilla and Pistacchio on a single cone!
Giuseppina established 1880
From here they drove us to their home which was near the Fiumicino Airport, but not before we went to see the beach! It looked so clean and the waves lashed mildly near the shore line!
By the time they dropped us back it was well past 1.30am and on the way to our room they showed us Rome by night. Beautiful, but sadly I do not remember the names of these beautiful locations.
We were expected to take the bus to Fiumicino from Termini at 7.15 am and I had not packed. And we had bought so much stuff. Such a rush at 1.30am and we hardly got any sleep.
The nearly empty suitcases now weighed a whopping 25kgs each!
Sunday we landed in Dubai...
And Monday morning - August 1 - at Cochin, Kerala, India. Just in time to see our child off to school.
My mother kindly prepared lunch for us before saying 'ciao'!
It took nearly a week to fall into routine and get our sleep schedule right, but I missed Italian food so much that on the day we landed, for dinner I made pasta and enjoyed it!
That is our Italy trip for you.....
Through a peep hole!
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