After school I made the ambitious decision to walk to the Pantheon. If you would like to google my address so you can see where I am, have a reference point, or see how far I walked it is:
Via delle Mura Latine 38 Roma Italia.
First I walked to the colosseo and forum area. Then I continued and walked past the Vittorio Emanuele the 2nd monument. I walked through the Pizza Venezia then I stopped in a the Chiesa da San Ignazio. It was beautiful. Pictures below are the ceiling!
I continued my walk through very crowded streets, it was about 5 and the perfect time for everyone's evening passagiata. I was on a mission though, so I did not stroll leisurely. The churches provided a good refuge as well as a place to rest my legs. I thought of Aunt Jan and Uncle Robert and their "year of churches" in Venice. You guys were on to something! Next I went to Chiesa da San Luigi dei Francesi. All of my art cousins and sister will appreciate what I saw there. I was just finishing admiring the gorgeous French gilded ceiling, when I wondered on to three Caravaggio's. They depicted The Calling of St Matthew, the Inspiration of St. Matthew, and the Martyrdom of St. Matthew. I will admit that I am not a great art appreciator, I like the Impressionists like everyone else, and while I like art, few paintings have ever made me linger or contemplate how the artist created the work. These did all of the above. My books tell me that Caravaggio shocked critics (back in 1600) by the realism he portrayed alongside holy scenes. I thought the paintings were beautiful. You have to pay to turn on the light for the paintings, but I enjoyed them almost as much when the lights went out. It looked like the figures were lit from within, almost glowing but surrounded by darkness. I am no art critic, but I really liked those paintings.
Finally, I stumbled on the Pantheon. I stumbled because I hadn't check my map and was walking so determinedly, the only reason I stopped was because of the crowds. In my defense, it was almost completely covered in scaffolding. I walked in figuring it would be another nice stop only to be completely STUNNED that I was looking up into the famous dome. It was a great surprise, and took me completely off guard. I found a spot, listened to my Rick Steves' tour, and enjoyed the view. The dome was the inspiration for all the famous domes you can think of, the one in Florence and even the Washington D.C. Capitol dome.
I completed my walk by going to the Piazza Novena, in the picture below with a ton of people standing around. It was jam packed with people, artists, bambini, and ice cream. I had some gelato, stracciatella my favorite, and walked around people watching. At this point I headed 'home' and had a nice long talk with Kate (kate the pics below are of my walk when we talked, the one with the tree lined walk way when you asked what it looked like and the other of the death defying walk+wall+crazy motorist walk!).
I then had a lively dinner with my host family. They are so much fun and SO italian! The mom and I talked in the kitchen while she made an AMAZING meal in one little oven. It was a typical family dinner, the little boy kept teasing his dad, the mom and dad lectured the teenage son on why he should do his homework and few other things I didn't catch, the mom over fed me as usual, and the dad taught me how to cheer for Rome's soccer (futbol) team and to boo Lazio. I have a feeling I will be a soccer fan yet. All in all a fabulous day!
4 comments:
Hey! It's great to see your pictures and that you're having fun in Rome :D
I loved all of Italy when I went last year. You should go see Ostia, you can get there by underground. It's about 20 minutes from downtown Rome and rivals Pompei. Speaking of, if you're wanting to go somewhere for the weekend, Pompei was truly amazing. There is a hostel, called Fabric in Portici: http://www.fabrichostel.com/
They have private rooms with ensuite private baths so you don't have to do the Tonya version of traveling, which is probably not to your liking :P
Anyway, the neighborhood is safe, the hostel is clean, new and nice, reasonably priced, and it's in a good location to see Pompei, Herculaneum and/or Sorrento. You can actually walk to Herculaneum from the hostel if you're so inclined. If you decide to go and want directions, just write me ;)
When I try to picture myself in your place I feel so anxious! I am in awe of you and your traveling skills. The photos are amazing; they remind me of all the beautiful photos your mother took around italy. The cascading greens over the stone wall looks like something from a dream. Its so very romantic. It's so very "Liz."
Haha, you weren't kidding about that street! It looks like the perfect spot for an opening scene in a Giallo movie. Don't get hit by a car! I love your pictures, you're doing a great job of showing the many facets of Rome. Love you!
Tonya you must have read my mind! I am planning a trip to Pompei this very weekend. I am really excited about it and thank you for all the tips. I am trying to figure out how exactly I want to do the weekend. I also want to see a part of the Amalfi Coast, maybe spend a day walking around the coast? Still in the planning works. Also thanks for reminding me about Ostia, I have heard wonderful things about it too! I will let you know where I end up! Thanks!
Tay- Thanks thanks and thanks!! Im really surprised how smoothly things are going so far, I am afraid to jinx myself! I totally stopped and gasped when I saw that wall, it has wisteria on it too. :)
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