Day 10--Di nuovo a casa

And home again... As I stepped out of the car last night, I noticed the good old Minnesota humidity--and then the green, the green that had burst from the rains while I was gone. My greeting party of Pete and Gracie welcomed me, and I fell into bed, sort of amazed I was back in familiar territory. The last time I'd lain down, it had been in Anne's sunny apartment in Aventino.

I think we luxuriate in familiar surroundings, especially when they're surroundings filled with love and acceptance.  I loved sliding into my Garnet Hill sateen sheets and feeling the comfy mattress.  I loved that my clothes were in my drawers and not my suitcase, I loved that I knew I had the luxury the next day of transitioning back after a rich life adventure.

And that's what I'm doing today--transitioning.  My compression socks did their duty and my ankles are pretty much back to normal.  Despite the miles of walking, the gelato and wino must've taken their toll, since I might've dropped only a pound or two, but at least I didn't gain.

So today I'll be doing the wash, cuddling with my sweethearts (that includes Mojo and Gracie), and strolling the garden to see what joys await me.  I can see the bleeding heart is blooming in its glory and the peonies are nearly ready to pop.  And I can feel that my life is richer, my intellect is keener, and my emotions sharper, all due to one sister who moved to Rome and opened the door...Grazie, Anne!

Day Nine--The way, way back!

Day Nine -- The way, way back After a 6:30 wakeup call, Katherine and I finished packing, sipped our last Roman espresso, and set off for the airport via the Ostiense train station--a 20 minute walk. We dragged our bags over cobblestone walks, hoisted them over curbs, pulled them across tram rails and finally arrived a bit heated at platform number 12.  Because we'd bought the tickets earlier, all we needed to do was validate them in the machine before climbing the steps to the platform itself, something that required lots of muscle and the help of a generous gentleman who took it upon himself to lend a hand with the bags.  Grazie!  The train was waiting, and we climbed inside the first car after hugging Anne far too quickly, but the doors were closing--closing on a fantastic whirlwind visit.

The airport was the last stop on this line, and we emerged 30 minutes later but hadn't walked far until we were confronted with five (count them...five!) terminals to choose from.  We were at the crossroads and needed to choose one. Which did we need?  Nothing on our tickets mentioned a terminal, but we saw from the departure tables that all flights to the US seemed to originate in either Terminal 3 or Terminal 5.  The two of them were off in the same direction, so we hauled the suitcases that way.

After confirming that Terminal 5 was our baby, we learned we had to hop a shuttle to get there, which we did without incident.  Once at Terminal 5, I checked my bag at USAir and we went through security.  But alas, another shuttle had to take us to our gate, Gate G, so we boarded another bus until we finally were able to relax a bit at Gate G5.  We were plenty early and eventually took  advantage of the loungers we found there.  I nearly fell asleep before our flight was announced.

We'd taken the USAir ticket agent's advice and secured seats in the middle of a 2-4-2 seat configuration.  Katherine was on one end of the four middle seats, and I was on the other end. Final result: no one in between, so yippee! Four seats for the two of us.

After a lunch of curried Thai chicken, I enjoyed watching McFarland, USA and then napped a bit. Very interesting how we had sun the entire journey, and those with window seats closed their shades to allow for more restful sleeping . Then I enjoyed Still Alice and Julianna Moore as an actress--something I hadn't appreciated before. We arrived in Philly on time, zipped through customs, enjoyed a beer and hopped the plane to Minneapolis--smooth sailing.  I could tell I was nearly home when my seat mate opened a copy of "Turkey Hunter's Handbook."  A bit of light reading.

After landing, luggage arrived without incident, and Katherine's hubby Joe met us at the airport to chauffeur us home. I have a travel-worn bag, two pairs of shoes that served me well (the Toms are nearly threadbare) and pictures of Rome that dance through my head--scenes of the city and the landscape and the food.  I also carry with me the warmth of Anne's hospitality and the treasure of the wonderful opportunity to discover Rome and environs while living in a regular apartment there in a quiet neighborhood.  Not veni, vidi, vici, but rather...we came, we discovered, we enjoyed. Celebrating life at its finest...

Day Eight--final delightful day in Rome

Day Eight--Final delightful day in Rome I awoke early to the cooing of doves--opened my window so I could enjoy.  We hadn't yet gotten into St. Peter's Cathedral and wanted to avoid the line, so we set out before 8 am.  We walked in the morning coolness along the east side of the Tiber and after 45 minutes, the Cathedral lay before us.  We approached the entrance and after screening, were allowed into the complex--took a total of 5 minutes, and I was so thrilled we'd come early.

Arriving before the crowd was beneficial inside, too. We were quite alone in the nave and could enjoy the magnitude of the church without tour groups swarming around us. Built over the tomb of St. Peter, the church can hold 60,000 standing worshippers. It's huge. We weren't able to get too close to the altar and couldn't touch the toe of St. Peter as he sat on his throne to the right of the altar, but we found a little known door and scooted down into the tombs of the former popes.  Very cool.       Without question, Michelangelo's Pieta is breathtaking. It's remarkable that he completed this at the age of 25, and the sculpture's grace and tenderness are treasures to the soul.

It looked as if the Pope were going to give an audience outside today (chairs were set up throughout the square) and we noticed helicopters hovering and a stepped-up police presence.  Everything seemed on high alert. After enjoying St. Peters, we made our way back across the river and into the historic section filled with great shops. One of the highlights was the fantastic fabric shop on the Largo di Torre Argentina.  Katherine and I both bought linen for tablecloths or runners.  Beautiful!

And then because we could, we again visited the Pantheon to see the floor drains.  Anne asked if we'd seen them, so we needed to take a gander.  Turns our some of the marble tiles immediately under the open roof have areas for drainage.  Cool.  Also had our daily gelato--Katherine's favorite flavor is tiramisu.

We wandered through the side streets and eventually made our way to the Capuchin Crypt--very unusual!  The crypt itself is lined with decoratively placed bones of Capuchin monks and is pretty darn eerie.

From the crypt we headed toward home.  The temp was rising and we wanted to cool off--shower and maybe even take a bit of a nap.  We stopped at the Santa Maria Cosmedin Church to test the Mouth of Truth.  Katherine put her hand in and it wasn't chomped, so I guess she passed the test---she's no liar!

Around 7 Anne, Katherine and I trekked up to the Orange Garden and enjoyed a bottle of wine while saying good-bye to Rome.  We ate at one of Anne's neighborhood restaurants (wonderful!) and trudged home to pack, settle up bills, and prepare for the trip home in the morning. Such a wonderful escape for me--a joyous reunion with Anne and a chance to really become acquainted with Rome.  Still some wonderful sites to see on the next trip...always another adventure around the corner, and that's what I like--adventure.  Today's steps numbered fewer than yesterday's 33,000.  Today it was only 26,800.  Oh well...life is good.  Arrivederci!

Day Seven--Forum, Palatine Hill, and the Colosseum

Day Seven--The Forum, Palatine Hill, and the Colosseum  Another glorious day!  We'd decided to wait to visit these popular sites for a day when Anne would be working, so we scheduled tickets today for this venue.  By now Katherine and I know our way around this area quite well and we're pretty adept at staring down traffic as we cross the street at the pedestrian-striped crosswalks.  We definitely have the right of way, but if you just wait until the coast is clear, you'll be there forever. So the trick is to step out into the street, giving traffic enough time to slow and stop for you.  It takes guts sometimes, but crossing with determination is a learned skill.

We began at Palatine Hill, exchanging our voucher for tickets and selecting a 4 pm Colosseum entrance time.  We strolled Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills of Rome, and saw the area transform before our eyes from ancient (primitive) time through its thriving era via a video in the museum there.  At one time the place housed emperors in a 150,000 foot palace--in fact the word palace comes from this hill.  Only a few remnants remain, but the hill is an integral part of the history of Rome.      The Palatine opens up into the Roman Forum, so we wandered down there after completing the hill tour.  We were delighted the morning sun wasn't hotter and couldn't imagine what that area would be like in the midst of summer.  Nearly unbearable, we imagined. We followed a Rick Steves' audio and felt he did an adequate job of directing us here and there and explaining things. I loved seeing the very spot where Julius Caesar was said to have died and remembered how often I'd taught his supposed last words: Et tu, Brute? Then fall Caesar. 

     We strolled on back to the apartment, donned lighter clothing as it was getting warm, and texted Anne we were ready to meet her for lunch.  Going back to Eataly was on the agenda, since the Cat Bistro she was hoping to take us to was closed for the day.  Seeing Eataly this time around wasn't as overwhelming and we all tried pasta.  Then Anne zipped back to work, and Katherine and I couldn't resist grabbing beer and wine for later.

     We dropped our purchases back at the apartment and set off for the Colosseum.  The day had warmed and I was as scantily clad as possible--skirt and tank top.  I imagined tons of people, being overcome by heat, fainting, etc. etc.  Well, instead it was a delightful tour.  The line moved quickly, Rick Steves was on my phone, and he gave us another look at the shell that used to be the Colosseum.  One thing that stuck with me is that after it was completed in 80 AD, a 100-day celebration was held and 2000 people were killed while fighting.  That's one person being killed every 5 minutes.  Also the "shows" were free to everyone, and the rich and "in-charge" intentionally kept it that way to placate the masses.

    Decided to visit our favorite part of Rome, Trastevere, and have dinner.  Delicious. Each of us had four courses and wine.  Total bill: 56 Euros.  Not bad!      

Day Five--Firenze (aka Florence!)

Well, only 21,211 steps today--so I guess that's about 10 miles, but hey...we were on the train for a total of nearly 4 hours to and from Florence AND we strolled the Uffizi for almost another 4.  So all in all, our output wasn't that bad for the day. Around 9 am we walked ten minutes to the Ostiense train station by the Pyramid metro stop and boarded a comfy car for the fast train to Florence.  Trains have certainly changed since I took them last (that was 14 years ago)--this one was equipped with wifi, reclining seats, and a well-designed potty. (By the way, you push the yellow "I" to enter and the door slides open.  I struggled to pull it open until the understanding  agent took pity on me. Then you push the "I" inside to lock the door or else someone else might just slide the door open on you). We zipped through the Italian countryside smoothly, landing at Florence's station, eager to explore.  I'd downloaded Rick Steves' app and had copied directions from the station to the Uffizi, so it was a no-brainer finding our way.  

What we didn't expect (and what I hadn't remembered from my only visit to Florence in 1973) was the magnificence of the cathedral (Il Duomo).   We rounded the corner and stoop gaping, not only at the size, but at the color and ornate, intricate design of the marble and adnorning statues.  My pictures don't do it justice, as it was a bit cloudy when I snapped the photos, but do go online and check it out.  Breathtaking. Il Duomo

   The Uffizi tickets I'd booked specified we were to enter the museum at 2:30, so I exchanged the voucher for tickets and we marveled at the Arno and the Ponte Vecchio until our assigned time, and you were NOT allowed to enter until your assigned time.  Again, tour groups drove us crazy, as they clogged the doorways and surrounded works of art en masse, snapping photos (often rudely stepping in front of you).  I saw only one group that cleverly used headsets and listened to their guide who wore a microphone (as on our Israel tour in January).  Otherwise the guide simply spoke aloud and the group had to try to catch all the info while clustering around.      My favorite works are still Botticelli's, and I loved seeing both his and Titian's Venus paintings.  Titian certainly was more sensual and evoked a far different response than Botticelli's.  I was so hoping to see something from Artemisia Gentileschi, and they did have her Judith Slaying Holofernes --so graphic.  I hadn't known anything about her until reading Vreeland's Passion of Artemisia years ago.  Her story has always stuck with me and it was such a privilege to see one of her works.

The museum's special exhibit of Gerrit van Honthorst was a delight ( Gherardo delle Notti: Bizzare Painings and Merry Suppers).  His use of light and his subject matter (The Tooth Puller--oh my!) were fascinating.

   

We ended our tour with a glass of wine at the Uffizi's rooftop cafe. The sun had come out and the pinot grigio was light and refreshing.

Then we wandered the tiny streets, stopped in now and then to check out the leather goods, had a gelato, and eventually made our way back to the station for our 8:30 return to Rome.  Again, the ride was incredibly fast and comfortable. Being able to connect online was a treat.

Emerging from the train in Rome, we simply rounded the corner into another world--that of Eataly.  This gastronomical showcase has been around here since 2012.  Even at 10:30 pm it was hopping with shoppers, families, couples.  Think Trader Joes, Crate and Barrel, Ikea and a touch of Nordstrom sprinkled on top.  Three floors.  A feast for the senses and even after a full day in Florence, Anne had to tear us away, reminding us that we still had to sleep for the trip to Ostia Antica tomorrow.  The website will give you an idea of this playground: Eataly

   We did buy a bit of cheese, some wine and coffee for the weekend, finally making it back to the apartment around midnight.  One would think I'd be exhausted, but I had to force myself to shut off the light after reading a bit. Can't tell you how thankful I am for the energy and joie de vivre I'm feeling here.  Wish you all could feel it, too. The entire trip is a salve for my soul.  

Day Three--Rome

Day Three--amazing to awaken in Rome--an espresso from Anne's machine with breakfast was invigorating.  Then Anne buzzed off to work and Katherine and I began our day's 28,000 step journey (that's 14 miles) to the Vatican and then to the "historic city's" main attractions. The wisteria outside Anne's apartment smelled sweet and we walked through a neighboring rose garden, across the Tiber, through the artsy Travestere district to the Vatican. Weather...absolutely the best.  Sunny, slight cooling breeze in the shade, dazzling warming glow in the sun.  We fell in love with the narrow streets, learned to hear the approaching scooters (to scoot out of the way) and trusted our sense of direction when the street names changed in the middle of the block.

The Vatican in late morning was naturally filled with tourists.  To say a late April visit is beating the crowds is a misnomer.  It was packed with people of all nationalities, and it took us a good 20 minutes to find our way to the Vatican museum and the Sistine Chapel entrance.  Thank God for online tickets!  We were ushered into a queue that led right to the counter where we exchanged our voucher for the actual ticket.  But we had passed at least half a mile of others who were waiting in the regular line. Purchasing online was only an extra 4 Euros, so...why wait in line for hours if you can just zip to the agent for what turns out to be about 5 bucks?  It's a mystery to me!

We were never without a swarm of others around us as we wound our way through one fantastic gallery to another.  Some areas become congested with tour groups and we became pretty adept at making our way around the slower ones--eventually ending up entering the Sistine Chapel through a tiny door.  Tones were hushed, and school children were shushed. And then...there before us and above us was the magic of Michelangelo, now in full color, some figures appearing nearly 3-D with intensity.  We stood in the middle and took in each amazing fresco, each story, each creation.  Wonderment. Afterwards, we trekked on to discover Rome's historical district--did Rick Steves' "historic Rome" walk.  From Campo de' Fiori, we marveled at Piazza Navona, then on to the Pantheon, Piazza Capranica, then the Trevi Fountain (under reconstruction--what a bummer!) and then to the glitz of the spring flowers on the Spanish steps.  When our walking tour ended, we realized we needed to find our way back to Anne's Aventino district, so we started walking...eventually spotting the Colosseum (Colosseo) and reaching home around 5:30, realizing we'd been walking 8 hours!

Eventually Anne arrived home from work and we took the opportunity to hit the Rome Beer Company, where a beverage and tapas for 8 Euros fed us well.  Great brushette.

  

Now we're winding down, planning our day tomorrow, as it's a holiday (May 1) and we hope to visit Ostia Antica, said to be as memorable as Pompei, but without the crowds.  Will try to go by train tomorrow.

As of right now, 31,531 steps.  What a day...!

Day Two--Italy

Day Two--Well, it's 1 am Minnesota time, but 8 am Rome time.  We're still flying, but have just breakfasted on yogurt and a bit of a muffin. Have an hour or so until arrival.  Smooth flight--Katherine and I sat apart, allowing for us to lie down, or at least lounge a bit using more than one seat.  This is the first flight I can remember being on that had enough empty seats so passengers could actually lie across them.  I snagged a pair of seats, and though I sat on the aisle, had the seat by the window to allow me more comfort than usual. One would think I could sleep then, but the ol' gal was just too excited to snooze, I guess.  What I did do was relax.  I breathed deeply and just vegged out.  The evening sunset out the window and the eventual sunrise just hours later were magnificent!

  

The movie I watched was Wild, something we'd read in book club and I have to say I sort of liked the movie better than the book.  I could better grasp the journey, or journeys, Cheryl was on during her trek along the trail--how the present and the past meshed.  One thing I have to ask the girls about, though, is the shooting of the horse.  I remember the incident from the book, but can't for the life of me recall its profound significance to Cheryl herself.  And I must've been too bleery-eyed to grasp it watching the film.

Later--wow, after an on-time arrival and taxi ride to Anne's, we enjoyed some neighborhood gelato before trekking to the Colosseum, just down the street.  So many crazies trying to sell junk to tourists!  But we walked, gawking at the ancient/new and began to feel the magic.  Katherine and I grabbed a needed two hour nap and then we set off with Anne to explore--the three-hour walk ending in pasta and wine here at the apartment.  Delicious!  Divine!   

Day One--on the road again!

OK--underway on our adventure...Have to say the weather was so gorgeous in MN that I had a pang of regret that I was leaving on such a nice day.  Could've dug in the garden with gusto, I think.  But that type of thinking will get me nowhere! Katherine's husband was dear enough to take us up to the airport, and I'm happy to say I was ready and waiting at 7:30 this morning.  The sun shone and the birds sang as my new red bag was tossed into the Honda and Joe zoomed us to the airport.  

The night before hadn't been so sweet--found myself in the kitchen near midnight making Pete even more food, compensating, I guess, for my leaving him.  But hey, he DOES have many options all prepared and waiting on his personal shelf in the freezer.  

Once we arrived at MSP airport, we found USAir/American Airlines (they're merging, you know) waiting for us. Still had to use the USAir kiosk for our boarding passes though.  When I tried the American kiosk, it didn't recognize my reservation and I panicked a bit--but only for a second before a super agent (Neal, I think) helped us through the process of checking in and even got us our seats to and FROM Rome.  So...all set!  The staff was about the friendliest and the experience of check-in one of the quickest and most pleasant I've had.

Going through security was equally as easy, as both Katherine and I were pre-checked, so we didn't have to remove shoes, etc. and just zipped on through.  Then after a filling breakfast of eggs benedict (hey, we're going big time here...), we found our gate, and before long boarded and left 15 minutes early.  With a tail wind, we're scheduled to arrive 40 minutes early.  Captain just announced we have 31 minutes to touchdown.  woohoo!  

Only glitch so far is my being unaware that the three audiobooks I downloaded from SELCO onto my phone to listen to on the flight require an online connection, and of course while flying I don't have that.  Duh.  What a dunce.  Never thought to bring my ipod instead, so I'll be reading the paperback I tossed in.  

So far...could this all be any better?  Sunshine on my shoulder makes me happy!  John Denver, you know it!

Now in Philly, enjoying a winebar and sandwich.  Here's to our adventure!

  

Preparations and an invitation!

OK, all!  Planning to visit my sister in Rome and am thinking it will be fun to share this adventure with you.  Come along via this blog if you like!   I'm hoping to share daily, but we'll see how it goes.  Will be using the old ipad and my iphone for photos, and am hoping I won't have too many glitches, like losing complete posts as I did when in Israel.

Preparation for this trip is different, since my friend Katherine and I are traveling via the seat of our pants...that is, without anyone else arranging travel, as when we went to Israel.  And I think that'll be part of the adventure--just winging this, seeing what adventures are great, and which are "learning experiences," if you get my drift.

But first, tackling the usual preparations, like arranging caregiving for my charges, is underway.  A HUGE thank you to Ronda, Carole, and Camilla for agreeing to help out. Pete, you're a darling for encouraging me to go, and Mom, Anne and I wish we'd had this opportunity 20 years ago and you would be with us!

So how did this adventure materialize?  Well, you just need one super sister who's working with the FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN) headquartered in Rome.  And she needs to be there for the summer and has to have secured an apartment close to the FAO, which happens to be minutes from the Colosseum.  Combine this with my retirement, redeeming air miles, and a supportive husband and...viola!  a trip to Rome.

So we'll be getting underway on Tuesday, the 28th--flying via Philly to Rome.  Stop in and see if I've navigated my way and if Katherine is still putting up with me.  She's leaving the Czech Inn in good hands, I'm sure.  Thanks, Joe!  Here we gooooo....!