21 October 2014

Rome with Bonnie and Wendy, 19-21 October 2014

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday – 19-21 October 2014

Sunday

Leaving on this trip is complicated by a text message that a Lufthansa pilot strike has cancelled my flight from München to Roma.  Grief and disbelief followed.  I rushed from the choir concert at Saint Mark’s (which I regretted having to leave) in order to drop by the airport and make other arrangements.  Lufthansa is not there, so I go home, grab my bag, and Arthur takes me back.  Long and short: I am rerouted on United to London and then on Alitalia from Heathrow to Rome.  At Heathrow I have to get a boarding pass from Alitalia, which proves to be a minor problem (such disorganization) and has to be produced manually – but I am given a Business Class Seat.



Monday
I arrive at 8:05, Passport control is easy, no visa stamp, however.  My baggage, which is marked “Priority”, is the last piece out!  My driver is there, and getting to the apartment is a bit of an ordeal.  It sits a good three flights of stairs up from the street, but is lovely.  Bonnie and Wendy are already here, so we walk over to Navona for a bit, and have dinner at a place Louis and I enjoyed a couple of years ago.  Now we are all tired, so it’s back to the apartment, and I crash.



Tuesday
Breakfast at Navona, and the plaza is crowded – there’s no off-season here.  Bonnie and Wendy have Spaghetti Carbonara pizzas (who knew) and I have bruschetta pomodoro along with carciofi giudia.  Delicious!  We walk to the Pantheon coming at it from the far side of the piazza.  It is always overwhelming, and Wendy is beside herself with excitement.  She and Bonnie take photos while I stand in place and just absorb – it think it is the most wonderful sight and place in Rome.  We walk the perimeter to see the brick construction and how the building was once a part of a much larger complex of buildings, some of which is preserved at the rear.  Wendy is gracious as I mention my mounting misanthropy – “At least there here, looking at it, taking it in.” – a good comment.



We go by Barbiconi, a wonderful vestment shop, but I don’t go in.  Perhaps later I’ll see if there is anything that “I need”.  My intent is to take them to Campo di Fiori, but we get lost in the Jewish Quarter, and make our way over to the Capital, and then an overlook of the Forum right by the Arch of Septimus Servus.








Wendy is amazed at the extent of the ruins, and wants to go down right away.  I convince here that we will need a whole day, so we will go on Wednesday.  We walk along the edge, giving them both a taste of what is to come.  There is a huge excavation at the base of the Basilica of Maxentius where they are building Linea C of the Rome Metro.  The Colosseum looms beyond and both are anxious to visit there.  We are there in the evening and the light is just magic.  We talk about architectural details and the various stages of development of the arena.



We take time for a quick antipasto and drink across the street, first looking at the remains of the gladiatorial school.  Then it’s back up to the Trajan Forum, whose column is bathed in blue light and up the Trevi Fountain (which is being restored and not magic at all).  The Spanish Steps are disappointing as well with Trinita dei Monti all covered up for its restoration.  We go to Otello della Concordia for dinner (zucchini fritti with anchovies – really good, and Wendy and I have osso bucco with rice, and Bonnie a spaghetti dish).  Lots of memories here.

We walk down the street and end up by the Tomb of Augustus with its marvelous Mussolini buildings on the northern and eastern edges of the site.  I show them the Richard Meyer building with the Ara Pacis, and hope we can come back.  We walk back to Navona for tartufi at Tre Scaline.  Wonderful







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