The travelogue below is the first entry in my account of honeymooning in Rome. Re-reading it brings up some wonderful, if bittersweet memories. I hope it gives some sense of the flavor of the Eternal City.
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8/17/06
Day two in Rome. We arrived yesterday morning after a too-long plane trip and quickly found our home during our honeymoon, Hotel Raganelli, a charming little hotel on Via Aurelia. We napped until early evening, then set out to explore this wonderful city, simultaneously old and moderns, familiar and foreign, strange but wonderful, and absolutely charming.
I've never spoken Italian before, but I've learned a few phrases that have been quite useful in getting around. During last night's explorations, we walked from our hotel down to near the Vatican, to get a feel for the city and its people. We had a lovely time, stopping for dinner at an hosteria, Ristorante da Vittorio il Ciociaro on Via Barletta. Our first real Italian meal comprised of a lovely bottle of Italian shiraz, along with a plate of prosciutto and mozzarella di bufala. It was followed with my spaghetti alla vongole and Debbie's dish, a heavy but excellent dish of penne with sausage and guanciale in a cheese and cream sauce. We followed this with a light salad and some tiny cookies, then returned to the hotel.
Our plan for today was to first see the Colosseum and then find Bernini's Ecstasy of Saint Theresa of Avila. With some help from our hotel's concierge, Sandro, we figured out the basics of getting around by bus and metro, and off we went. We took the bus to the end of the line at Piazza Venezia, right by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, an impressive monument by anyone's standards. Near the tomb, we encountered the ruins of the Foro di Nerva and continued on toward the Colosseum.
I'd wanted to see the Colosseum since I was a little boy, and I wasn't disappointed. The exterior is just like every picture I've ever seen, but to see it first-hand and up-close was incredible. To think that it was build almost 2000 years ago, by hand and with non-machined tools, is amazing. Even more amazing is that is regularly hosted capacity crows of about 50,000 people, whose admission to these events was comped by the Empire. Being modern tourists, however, Debbie and I paid €11 each for admission.
Inside, as out, the building is in various stages of, hmm, what's a better word than "decay?" To walk the same stones trod by Emperor and commoner alike was an experience not soon to be forgotten, and the views from every angle, looking both inwards and out, were quite stunning.
From the Colosseum we took the metro up to Termini Station and had a brief lunch before setting out to find St. Theresa. To get our bearings, we set out to find Piazza della Repubblica, which had a stunning fountain and a beautiful backdrop of buildings. It's also worth noting that we passed by Diocletian's baths, but chose not to go in after taking some great photo opportunities, instead.
P. della Repubblica was also home to Santa Maria degli Angeli, a basilica with an entry so impressive that I was struck breathless on walking in. It opens on a huge dome, lit on top by windows that cast rainbows of light around the entry. As pretty as the "standard" marble inlays on the floor were, Debbie was struck by the astronomical calendar and astrological signs also inlaid there. The basilica also hosts the largest pipe organ I've ever seen. After exploring for a bit, we exited via the sacristy, which is on the other side of Dicoletian's baths, and began to search for St. Theresa's home, Santa Maria della Vittoria.
S. Maria d. Vittoria was hard to find, since our directions to it were sketchy at best, and it wasn't on our map. When we did finally find the place, it was very small, but with decorations inside absolutely deserving of the term "baroque." There were putti and angels everywhere, along with paintings and carvings galore. I'd been wanting to see St. Theresa since I first learned of it, and when it finally came into view, I was surprised at how small it seemed, but also immediately awed by its beauty and workmanship. Before now, I had never noticed the roughly carve, cloud-like stone that St. Theresa laid upon.
After admiring the art for a good time, I joined Debbie in the small gift shop, presided over by an old Carmelite(?) monk. Somehow I was able to convey to him that we had just been married, and he gifted us with a rosary that he blessed for us. Thanking him profusely, we took our leave and first made our way to Il Fontina del Tritone, then happened to chance upon Via delle Quattro Fontane. On the way, we also chanced upon Palazzo Barberini, but chose not to enter due to the fact that the would soon be closing. I do very much hope to return to this museum during our trip, as our guidebook describes an outstanding collection of art.
As amazing as these fountains were, we were determined to make it to the Trevi Fountain. We did a little shopping along the way, picking up a few bottles of absinthe and some delicious fruit (grapes and strawberries, whose bag, later soaked through at Trevi, split open and ruined Debbie's clothes, much to her chagrin), and looking at Murano glass. There was a glass chess set that amused us to no end - delicate and amusing figures, with the sides being represented by "Ashkenaziditi" and "Sefarditi."
The Trevi Fountan was just amazingly gorgeous, and we arrived just moments before they lit it for the night. Debbie'd been accosted by a high-pressure rose salesman, but I was able to talk him down to €1 for a single rose. We hung out at the fountain for a while before throwing coins in, hoping for a return to Rome at some point. The atmosphere there was incredible, tourists and Roman s alike out for the evening and in high spirits, enjoying both the beauty of the fountain and the jovial moods of all present.
As we moved on, we stumbled upon the Piazza del Sant'Ignacio, whose construction was again touched by Bernini, and then the HQ of the Carabinieri, where we were able to see some recovered artifacts. At this point we chose to go home, and made it back to where we started, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, lit beautifully for the night.
Coming back to V. Aurelia, we wanted dinner, but we sat at a restaurant for 30+ minutes, having receive nothing but menus. We went elsewhere, and were served almost immediately. Returning to the hotel, we were exhausted after an amazing day. Tomorrow we hope to see the Vatican, if we have the energy.
Oh, also: Nocciolo (hazelnut) gelato = SO GOOD!
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