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La festa del ringraziamento

23 Nov

This is before we had the grappa.

I’m a little drunk right now (10:30pm). It might be because of the grappa the Swedes at the next table insisted we needed to try. We decided a few weeks ago that we could not recreate the usual American holiday spent with family and friends (you know who you are: Jonnie, Veronica, Barry, Derek, John, Susan, Debbie, Eddie), so we chucked it all and decided to embrace a different sort of Thanksgiving. We decided to continue our exploration of this marvelous city. Ric has to work tomorrow, and I committed to a couple of hours on Saturday, so leaving Rome was not an option.  We embarked on an urban hike up Monte Mario.It was a lovely fall day in Rome. We can see Monte Mario from our windows in Parioli and for

The green path up Monte Mario. Only 450 feet high!

the 6 months we have lived here have said, “We need to go see what’s up there.” So today was the day. Monte Mario is officially the highest peak in Rome at 450 feet. (Yes, Oregonians, it is a lightweight. Even Minnesota has a higher peak at Eagle Mountain. People here are always asking us how we manage the “hills” of Rome. To an Oregonian this is flatland.) Monte Mario was lovely! Rome is spread out at your feet, and the hoards are left far behind as only locals make the trek, often with their dogs. There is a magnificent vista from a cafe where we indulged in espresso and croissants. (Pictures from the top were less than stellar due to haze, but it was really quite stunning in person.) In 2 1/2 hours we covered Monte Mario and the Foro Italico (site of the 1960 Olympic Games and current soccer stadium). Great exercise. Va bene. In fact, this reminded us so much of our Portland “urban hikes” it was amazing!

We could be in Portland or in Rome, at this point.

So we explored a bit of Rome we had not seen before and worked off our dinner before we ate it.

We thought briefly about cooking a turkey. Very briefly. It’s a lot of work for only two people.  Once we discarded that idea of cooking, it was easy to decide what to do. This evening

Best melanzane al forno anywhere. If you come to visit I will take you here, blindfolded, I don’t want everyone going here.

we ventured to our favorite trattoria, where we were warmly greeted by the staff as we go here often (and have for two years now). With Australians on one side and Swedes on the other, we feasted on mussels, melanzane al forno (eggplant parmesan), and trippa. (Ric ate the trippa. I’m not having any part of that!) The mussels here are sweet and delicious. I could eat them all night. We also indulged in dessert and the Swedes insisted we needed to try the “good” grappa. My it was good! But it was also a good thing we weren’t driving! Every time we go to this restaurant we end up in conversation with wonderful people: Italians, Aussies, Swedes, French. (Not often Americans.) There were toasts to our American holiday, and reminiscing about favorite holidays in our respective countries. How lucky we are to have this experience in international living!Much love to you, our American friends and family. We’ll “do” turkey and all the trimmings with you again one day, but for 2012 this was our celebration. Hope yours was festive and that you were surrounded by love.

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Via Appia Antica

5 Nov

For the past few decades, there have been efforts by the State to preserve and protect the historic area, limiting construction, acquiring private property.

We’ve been wanting to take this trek for over a year. Missed it last December, and summer was too hot, so now that fall is here we took advantage of the Italian holiday (All Saints’ Day) on November 1 and ventured out.  I gave my “new” legs about an 8km (5 mile) test, the longest walk I had since prior to surgery. It felt great! It is difficult to believe this is so close to Rome: just a quick Metro + bus ride away.

Not much of a narrative this time, just some pictures to share.

Ruins of a famous villa and “circus” or chariot race track.

Very peaceful stretch of the Via Appia Antica. That’s Ric meandering in the distance.

A peek through the gates at a private estate.

We encountered many cyclists during our walk. We think the ancient stones would be a tough ride, but there are some dirt paths alongside the road.

Piece of a sarcophagus

Along the road one sees many artifacts such as this statue.

Tombs once lined the ancient road. There are some intact crypts to visit, and many crumbling structures such as this one.

A castle and a palazzo

6 Aug

We had a busy and fun weekend. While some would cower in air-conditioned comfort, we headed out to experience more of Rome. The key is to go early, come home by noon-ish, then back out at night. There’s too much to do in Rome in the summer! You can’t curl up under the covers like LibbyJean!

Saturday we always go to Campo dei Fiori, a busy busy market almost any day of the week. We love the bustle and hustle, and access to the best salumi in all of Rome: Antica Norcineria Viola. Unfortunately now closed for ferie, so we have to make do with our stockpile until he returns in September.

Beautiful vegetables and the best salumi in Rome.

We also had our usual cappucino and pastry, this time con mele e crema, near Santa Maria della Pace.

Saturday night, after dinner at our favorite little trattoria, we ventured to Castel Sant’Angelo for Notti d’Estate (Summer Nights), and a special tour including the Passetto di Borgo (secret passage allowing the Pope to escape if the Vatican was sacked — and it was), prisons, and the bathroom of Clement VII.

Castel Sant’Angelo aglow, beckoning.

The English tour, for which we had reservations, was at 22:45. We were there by 22:00, looked around a bit, and then waited for our tour to be called. At 22:50 I asked “When will the English tour start?” Madam it has already left! We never heard or saw anyone claiming to be an English tour guide…. So we joined an Italian tour and vowed to return later this summer and pick up an English version so as to get all the details. Lucky for us, tours continue into September. And with the lovely nights we have in Rome, it will be a good excuse to stay out late once again.

We were able to climb to the ramparts and look down on the Tiber River, the crowd in front of the castle, and the gorgeous moon over Rome.

Playing with water: fun for kids of all ages. There are “nasone” and other little drinking fountains like this all over Rome. Ric demonstrates his technique. Block the flow with your finger creating a stream to drink from.

It really was a gorgeous night. The river was still and Rome glowed like it was lit by torches. That’s St. Peter’s Basilica on the right in the picture.

Bridge reflected in the Tiber; Basilica San Petro on the right.

Sunday we ventured out early to see a photo exhibit at the Museo di Roma in Palazzo Braschi. While the photos were great (Italian movie stars of the 40s, 50s and 60s), the star real was Palazzo Braschi

The art is interesting, but Palazzo Braschi is the star.

Featuring many scenes of Rome as painted during the Renaissance, it is fun to see how things looked to the artists of the time. Palazzo Braschi was the perfect stage for its collection.

The massive staircase was like an Escher painting.

This captivating capital crowns one of the many red granite pillars and is typical of the amazing detail in Palazzo Braschi.

Fabulous detail throughout, this captivating capital is typical.

Residents of Rome get a reduced price, and those residents over 65 with a Carta d’Identia get in free. (There are reductions  for residents at many attractions.) We had the place almost to ourselves. Once you have seen the Vatican Museums, the Capitoline, and the Borghese, it’s nice to avoid the huge crowds and escape to one of Rome’s many lesser-known sites.

You never know who you’ll see in a museum. We thought this papal bust looked like Vincent Price.

Palazzo Braschi exits right onto Piazza Navona.

Sunday afternoon we spent at home, and after sunset, a gelato outing capped the weekend. Perfect!

Have a great week everyone!

Laurel & Ric on vacation: Part I – Verona

24 Jul

I hear you cynics out there: You took a vacation, and you live in Rome? Yes friends, we had to get away and see more of this amazing country. Plus we needed to cool off!

First stop, Verona. You know, Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet, and Two Gentlemen of Verona. While we made the obligatory stop at “Juliet’s Balcony,” the motivation was to experience this town we’ve heard much about, and to attend an opera in the Arena, a 2000 year old structure much like Rome’s famous Colosseo. It was quite a production.

“Aida” is a huge and fascinating work. Staged in the ancient Arena in Verona, the stage was elaborate and took full advantage of the venue.

I wanted to see Aida, which is four (4!) hours long, starting at 21:15 (very late for Americans), after sundown, when the day starts to be tolerable. Ric almost threw me over the stands when I told him I thought it was three hours long. (Of course I waited to tell him until we were seated with our rather expensive tickets long since paid for.) It turned to be four hours because there are 4 acts and 3 long intermissions, totaling at least an hour, to facilitate changing the elaborate sets. There were dozens of supernumeraries but only about 5 main singing roles. The “supers” filled the stage, climbed to the highest ledges with lighted torches, and generally added to the “really big show.”  It was so riveting, even in Italian with no translation (ah, Portland Opera, you spoiled us!) that Ric stayed awake for almost all of it. (OK, I rested my eyes during some of he particularly long arias too. Just a little. During the really long ones.)

The Arena in Verona used to be twice as tall. Amazing to be able to attend an opera in a 2000-year-old structure!

The Arena begins to fill with opera-goers as the sun fades away and night descends.

In honor of Verdi and the 100th performance of “Aida” many years ago, opera goers are provided candles to simulate a time when there was no light and the opera fans provided it with candles. (Long story; Google it.)

Verona is a very nice little city settled by the Romans in the crook of a river, the Adige. Anchored by beautiful Piazza Bra (nothing to do with women’s lingerie), Verona requires nothing more of one than to stroll, savoring the architecture, the ambience, the food.

Not quite like the Willamette River, the Adige runs fast through Verona, but there are a lot of bridges, green hillsides, and charming architecture. Many bicycles, too. More than we’ve seen since Amsterdam.

In Verona you are still clearly in Italy. But move a little further north, and it’s not so clear. More to come…

Rome at night

30 Jun

It has been brutally hot in Rome for 15 days; there is no end in sight (well maybe it will be in only the upper 80’s by Tuesday). AccuWeather.com varies the forecast with catchy phrases like “plenty of sunshine” and “blazing sunshine.” The low here tonight is higher than Portland’s forecast high for the day.

Il Colosseo at night, glows as if lit by torches.

But night time is magical and soft. Last Saturday (we are repeating the pattern today) we did our morning shopping, then holed up in air conditioned comfort from Noon until 7:30PM, when we hit the streets. For those who know us, this is aberrant behavior. We were usually on our way home from dinner by 7:30PM in Portland.

Rome comes alive about 8:00PM. We headed to a riverside “event” called Lungo il Tevere. This is a street market that runs along the Tiber (Tevere) River for about a mile. It’s a seasonal, semi-permanent installation that occurs every single night until September 2. Some nights the focus is on jazz, on others comedy or the creative arts. So one can return over and over and find something a little different in terms of entertainment.

The Tiber is >30 feet below the city, thanks to flood-control walls built in the 1870s. The broad riverside walkway is perfect for the tents, booths and cafes that line it for the summer season.

Lungo il Tevere (along the Tiber) summer market, cafe, entertainment venue.

Lamplight makes the river walk more romantic.

Young and old, singles and families, strolled from booth to booth, café to café, enjoying the night and freedom from being cooped up in apartments. We declined to eat at Lungo il Tevere this time, preferring the Largo di Torre Argentina area and a little place we found last December. But on our way out, we paused on the bridge to savor a lovely sunset and the dome of St. Peter’s.

Sunset and the Basilica San Pietro

A summer night out in Rome would not be complete without a stop at the neighborhood gelateria. This is the scene a couple of blocks from our apartment at 23:15. And it is like this every night of the week (at least in summer). There seem to be two peak times: around 18:00 for pre-dinner aperitivo and about 23:00. Bar Gelateria Duse has a melon gelato that is to die for! So intense is the fruit that it is practically healthy.

This is our go-to place for gelato. Open late!

Another night, we ventured out as dusk descended with guests to see the monuments along Via dei Fori Imperiali, which leads from the Coliseum past the Roman Forum. There we so few people compared to daytime, you’d have thought you were in downtown Omaha except more scenic. (No offense to Nebraskans, but you know what it’s like.)

Monuments at night: serene, peaceful, lovely.

Even our neighborhood is bathed in gold at night!

Goodnight Moon! Parioli – view from our window.

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