Rome: Arrival
Sad to say goodbye to Florence. After a rush job of packing, we hopped on a train to Rome. Of all the ways to travel, train is my favorite. Easy, fast, comfortable, and I love to just stare out the window. In this case, I was looking at vibrant green Tuscan farms and villas with brightly colored tile roofs.
We arrived in Rome around noon and took a cab to our place. The cab driver pointed out sites on the way. The city looks nothing like Florence or New York or Boston. Lots of buildings but no skyscrapers. Ancient ruins next to traditional looking buildings housing modern stores. Cobblestone streets that are so narrow it seems like no car could fit, but through which our taxi driver went careening down.
Our room was in a building nested in a maze of tiny streets. It’s a very small two bedroom apartment with a cute and efficient kitchenette. We couldn’t check in yet so we left our luggage and headed out to explore.
We took a short walk to the Pantheon, a former Roman temple which is now a Catholic Church. The beautiful, ornate marble floors and walls are topped by the worlds largest unreinforced concrete dome. Next to the ornateness of the floors and walls, the dome looks almost austere. At the center is a hole (oculus).
Pantheon dome
Ornate walls of the Pantheon
We stopped for lunch at a small cafe and escaped from the extreme heat. After a little energy boost, we walked to the famous Trevi fountain. Like many of the sights so far in Italy, the best way to describe it is “extra”. I found it a little overwhelming with the crowds and the heat so we didn’t stay long.
Trevi with all its “extra”-ness
Selfie at the Trevi.. it’s a thing
We had a little time to pick up some groceries and refresh at the apartment before taking a cab to the Borghese museum where we had a 6:30 reservation. The Borghese museum is home to some of the most famous Bernini marble sculptures. Photography is prohibited, but I’ll include some downloaded photos.
Hades and Persephone
David
The Bernini sculptures are stunning. My reaction was similar to seeing Michaelangelo’s David: beyond the craftsmanship and realism, the statues seem alive. Bernini not only captures the physical detail, but the expressions, postures, gestures, that make the figures seem human. Words and photos can’t quite do it justice. I’m so thankful to have had the fortune of seeing them in person. This is 100% due to my sister who not only introduced me to Bernini, but organized every part of the research and scheduling and ticket purchase to get there.
After the Borghese we walked to the university area and found a restaurant we had read about, Al Forno della Soffitta. I got fried rice balls (called suppli) and a hearty salad with artichoke hearts, olives, corn, etc.
We walked back to the apartment from there as we needed to get some sleep before our early morning breakfast at the Vatican the next day!
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