Michele and Drew's Excellent Spanish Adventure: Rome Jan 4-6

fountain in Piazza Pantheon

Rome Jan 4-6

Our time in Rome may have been short, but it was oh so sweet!

Rome has just bumped itself up on my “gotta go there” list of recommended destinations.

My first trip in 1988 did not leave me wanting more (I remember not wanting to throw a coin into the Trevi fountain because it is supposed to ensure a return to Rome).

My second trip in 1999 was better, but dirty air and tons of traffic just took away from the experience…plus everything church and basilica was shrouded in scaffolding getting ready for the millennium.

Now most of the traffic is gloriously rerouted away from the ancient sites. It feels cleaner and safer, and friendlier than I had remembered.

Fori Imperiali

We coordinated our visit to Rome with that of our friend’s from San Diego, an anatomy and physiology professor who was leading a group of students on a fascinating tour of Italy through the lens of anatomy and it’s expression in art.

Drew and Kevin grew up in Philly, worked and rock climbed in Yosemite together, and Drew stood up in Kev’s wedding. It was great sharing a meal family style with Kev and about 5 students. They sharing their backgrounds, hopes and aspirations, as they were setting out on their career path. We also joined their group on a tour of an ossuary shrine called the Capuchin Crypt. In it, thousands of bones are arranged into designs/patterns. Photos are not allowed. It was eerie. We had seen something like this in Paris with stacked bones, but this was much more elaborate than I remembered the other being (worth googling)

The humble pension we stayed in, up 5 flights of steps, was in a great location in a neighborhood nestled between the Coliseum and Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica. The friendly young man at the desk told us to get comfortable, then to come back and he’d give us a map and tips. We use the Trip Advisor City Guides App, and really like it, but I’m also very attached to paper maps that you can circle things on and make notes on.

Piazza Venezia

So I happily took him up on his offer; I told him I wanted him to circle the little secret places that only the local people know about. He adorably said, “Ah, you want to see the HIDDEN GEMS!” beaming a huge smile. So he proceeded to mark a few of them on the map. My little trick is to take a photo of it with my small tablet, and then at night when the light is low or if the street names are very small I can zoom in and see everything very easily.

Rome was still “dressed” for Christmas with decorations and wonderful lights that lit up some of the monuments. Classical music played while a spectrum of morphing, colorful lights shone, on the forum. It was magical.

That weekend evening we arrived, the streets were thick with people, out for a stroll. Sometimes it looked like a “river of black” as people, mostly dressed in black, flowed from the small streets (like tributaries) and merged together onto larger ones. Happily, it wasn’t always the case.

One of many mosaics in St. Praxedes

My favorite place to hang out was the square in front of the Pantheon at night. A cellist and guitarist played for tips in front of its colossal doors, while the crowd gathered to listen. A lit up fountain bubbled in the center of the square, while around the periphery couples enjoyed candlelit meals outdoors at tables covered with red and white checked table clothes.

On a nearby side street, we stumbled upon the absolute best gelato on the planet.

Pantheon

Well, Della Palma (via della Maddelena) with I50 flavors of fattening goodness, is certainly my favorite. It is clearly well known and loved…you pay the cashier first, and give your receipt to the ice cream scooper guy who patiently waits for you to make that near impossible decision. Luckily you can have more than one flavor per scoop. As long as we are talking "favorites"...my favorite souvenir I saw in the shops was the "Hot Priests" black and white calendar. Didn't buy it but couldn't resist taking a photo of it.

My favorite "hidden gem" (I know you have been wondering) is the Basilica of St. Praxedes.

It is covered in glittering mosaics that took my breath away, and literally brought tears to my eyes. I was in the tiny gift shop, trying to hide my tears and buy a postcard; the attendant, a man of about my age, clutched his hands to his heart and said something in Italian that let me know that he was touched by my reaction (obviously I wasn’t hiding my tears well), and handed me a stack of a dozen prayer cards from under the counter. Rarely does manmade beauty impact me like this cathedral. It was so plain and unpretentious on the outside, and so filled with unexpected beauty on the inside.

When you park a Smart car, anything goes

This time I would have definitely thrown a coin into the Trevi fountain to ensure our return visit to Rome, unfortunately IT was covered in scaffolding!