Roma Part II
Oct 16th, 2013 by willmarks
They study history in school, you prepare them for the trip ahead of time at home, Michelangelo and Cesar Augustus are finally becoming familiar, they see the wonderful sights, and what really makes it all worthwhile and memorable? A few guys carrying toilets down a street in Rome.
Rome is a difficult city to navigate and even the cab drivers really don’t have the system down; so, we were dropped off about a mile away from Gladiator School on day 2 in Roma, and we made our way up the Appian Way, perhaps as a warm up to prepare for battle. Our large and fearless instructor, Ulfhgar, who claimed to have had some related movie roles, offered gladiator history, explained the weapons, and taught us offensive and defensive moves, after which we were tested in the ring.
Not sure if the Spanish Steps are a must, but we felt it would be a good stop after surviving Gladiator School with no cuts or bruises. Ascending isn’t easy on a hot day and then Maggie insisted on descending for a traditional “Where’s Maggie” photo. Can you find her? (I can’t.)
Fontana della Barcaccia (Pietro and Gian Lorenzo Bernini), Piazza di Spagna, below the Spanish Steps
Villa Gregoriana above Spanish Steps
Back on top again, we were all rewarded with an unexpected pleasure nearby. Villa Borghese Gardens is 3 square miles of trails for walkers, bikers, scooters, and pedal carts. We’ve all observed pedal carts, and when you see people riding in them, you generally think to yourself or out loud, who are these people that actually rent pedal carts? And why? Why? Because after an hour in a pedal cart, your kids will want to keep going, and going. What happens after an hour in a museum? We all know the answer. Cruising through Villa Borghese Gardens in a pedal cart is a must on your trip to Rome, and it is a nice way to connect your journey from the Spanish Steps to the Piazza del Popolo.
As often happens, our final dinner was the most highly recommended, but the least appealing. Actually, the food was pretty good, but it was difficult to make ourselves believe this when there were only 10 other people in the restaurant, Le Volte, which seats about 100. Still, Stanley Tucci was our waiter (wish I had a photo) and we were able to enjoy pleasant weather on the terrace. I had an urge to see the Pantheon again, and it was nearby; so, we found gelato there, and then headed for more live art performances in Piazza Navona for the girls.
On day 3, we met Giancarlo in front of the Sistine Chapel, thus avoiding what looked to be a 2 hour line; this was the second time we saved significant time and stress due to our guide, the first being at the Colosseum. Giancarlo gave us a 20 minute pep talk to prepare us for the ceiling, painted between 1508 and 1512, explaining Michelangelo’s various scenes including God’s creation of Adam and the relatively recent finding that God is positioned inside a brain, implying that he is passing on intelligence to Adam. Giancarlo also informed us of a Cardinal Carafa who objected to all of the nudity in Michelangelo’s Last Judgment, and asked for the artwork’s removal, with no success. For payback, Michelangelo decided to paint the cardinal’s likeness into the form of a judge of the underworld, not pleasing this cardinal. Still, the Last Judgment was indeed altered after Michelangelo’s death, and you can see that the genitalia are painted over with drapery.
Upon entering St. Peter’s, it is impossible not to think about the size of this church, and it brags of this by showing the lengths of other churches worldwide, none even close, on the floor. Inside, Giancarlo spent a fair amount of time in front of Michelangelo’s Pietà; I would have taken a glance with little interest if not for our guide’s passion for this work. It was pretty simple and powerful—he wanted us to think about the great emotion that the Pietà expresses, of a mother holding her dead child, Jesus. 30 minutes in St. Peter’s and a final pizza lunch at a restaurant not worth mentioning, and we were on our way to the airport. Ciao!
