Final Roman Days
We have "done" the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica all of which almost "did" us in but each is, of course, a splendid one-in-a-lifetime vision and we were grateful to see them. The place was lousy with tourists and I cannot fathom what summer must be like for at least we have temperate weather in October. I did not even bring a coat to Italy. As William Beckford (1760-1844) wrote we spent today "prating from fragment to fragment" with a visit to the beautiful Etruscan Museum Giulia in the Village Borghese park to see the dreamy
smiling bridge and groom on their sarcophagus and oodles of red-figured urns as well as drop-dead jewelry but none to purchase. We then dropped in to the Pantheon, the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world, where the loudspeaker serially in Italian, English, German, Spanish and a few other languages exhorted the jam of people to be silent because it is a "holy place, a church." M reminded no one in particular that is was not a church, it was the Pantheon.
St. Ignatius Church was lovely and made more so by a young organist practicing Bach. A quick turn at the Trevi Fountain assured our return although I had to throw my coin over so many heads, I was afraid I'd miss my one shot. Lunch at Maccheroni's ranked in our top five, jammed with locals, they serve heavenly tonnarelli pasta with cheese and black pepper (cacio e pepe).
And we continued feasting with almost our last dinner in Rome at Sora Lella on an island in the Tiber River. The long confusing walk home hopefully ate some of those calories.
Contrary to expectations, I hardly shopped at all in Rome and our last day was Sunday when the shops actually are closed. I did get the short boots I saw in the window of wonder-of-wonders Louis' Big Shoes and M found a giant kitchen knife to bring home.
While we look forward to seeing Leo and hearth and home, our coins will bring us back to Rome, hopefully soon.
Arrivederci
We have "done" the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica all of which almost "did" us in but each is, of course, a splendid one-in-a-lifetime vision and we were grateful to see them. The place was lousy with tourists and I cannot fathom what summer must be like for at least we have temperate weather in October. I did not even bring a coat to Italy. As William Beckford (1760-1844) wrote we spent today "prating from fragment to fragment" with a visit to the beautiful Etruscan Museum Giulia in the Village Borghese park to see the dreamy
smiling bridge and groom on their sarcophagus and oodles of red-figured urns as well as drop-dead jewelry but none to purchase. We then dropped in to the Pantheon, the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world, where the loudspeaker serially in Italian, English, German, Spanish and a few other languages exhorted the jam of people to be silent because it is a "holy place, a church." M reminded no one in particular that is was not a church, it was the Pantheon.
St. Ignatius Church was lovely and made more so by a young organist practicing Bach. A quick turn at the Trevi Fountain assured our return although I had to throw my coin over so many heads, I was afraid I'd miss my one shot. Lunch at Maccheroni's ranked in our top five, jammed with locals, they serve heavenly tonnarelli pasta with cheese and black pepper (cacio e pepe).
And we continued feasting with almost our last dinner in Rome at Sora Lella on an island in the Tiber River. The long confusing walk home hopefully ate some of those calories.
Contrary to expectations, I hardly shopped at all in Rome and our last day was Sunday when the shops actually are closed. I did get the short boots I saw in the window of wonder-of-wonders Louis' Big Shoes and M found a giant kitchen knife to bring home.
While we look forward to seeing Leo and hearth and home, our coins will bring us back to Rome, hopefully soon.
Arrivederci
