All Roads Lead to Rome

Amy and I landed in Rome late in the afternoon and headed to our apartment on the Via Dei Coronari. I found this great loft on a web site that I've used extensively in my travels for booking accommodations...for those of you plannning to travel in the future, I highly recommend it. It is http://www.venere.com/. It was on a quiet street near the Piazza Navona...the only thing is that it was on the top floor of the building - up about 10 flights of stairs. I think a few of you saw my suitcase before I left....and well, it was as heavy as it was big...so carrying it up the stairs was a 2 person job (thanks Amy). The thing I learned about my particular suitcase, is that it being a little bit of an older style, it's not made from one of these light materials...it is actually heavy...even when it's empty. I realized this could be a problem during two months of travel, so I dediced to keep my eyes open for a lighter version.


When we arrrived at our apartment, we got in touch our friend Mona, also an ex-SCLA comrade, that left in February to come live in Rome (do you see a pattern here?). Mona's been living in Rome for the last 5 months and LOVES it. Seeing her was great - she looked happy and helathy and in her element. By the time we hooked up it was close to 9, so we wandered over to the Trastevere (literally meaning "over the Tevere") and found a little outdoor cafe for dinner. Trastevere is the area where more of the locals hang out - vs. Pantheon or Piazza de Spagna - which is where I've spent more of my tine in past visits to Rome. It was nice to be a little more entrenched with the locals and see how they live.


Our next day, Amy and I really didn't have a plan, so we got up a little on the late side, did a great 5 mile run on the Tevere, and then set out to just wander the streets of Rome. And wander we did...and wander, and wander....for literally hours. I think we say every inch of Rome - or at least it felt like it when we collapsed in our apartment at 7:00. After a quick power nap we headed down to the Campo Di Fiore - endearingly referred to as "the Campo", and had a long and yummy dinner. The campo also seems to be a hot bed of activity after dark. Although with the average age of the "harger outers" in the square beinbg about 16, Amy and I felt like the chaperones. Still - GREAT people watching.


On Thursday, after another ambitious run, Amy and I met up with Mona again, and we headed over to Vatican City to see the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica. I'd never seen the Vastican Museum before, and I have to say - for me it was just OK. The first 20 or so rooms were all about pagan Roman art and Egyptian art, which frankly to me have little to do with Christian art which is what I was there to see. Had I gone to the Met to see and Egyptian art exhibit it would have been a different story, but I just expected something different in the Vatican. That being said, as we got closer and closer to the Sistine Chapel, the art became more interesting and relevant...and I began to enjoy it more. When we fianlly got to the Sistine Chapel, the room was literally packed with people. It is supposed to be a "sacred" sight, and the guards in the room kept trying to keep people silent, but it seemed really to be a lost cause. A bit of a a shame really. But the are was very beautiful and told a very intersting story of the history of God and Christianity.


But for all the beauty of the Sistine Chapel, to me, nothing compares to the sheer awesomeness of St. Peter's Basilica. I've been there several times before, but each time I am moved by it's beauty. There's also a little prayer cahpel there that is strictly kept quiet and for prayer only, so that was a nice break from all the tourists. This is, for me, alwasy a highlight of my visits to Rome.


Thursday evening, Shery and her friend Micah from San Francisco got into Rome, so we met up with them yet again in Trastevere. We had a fantastic dinner at a place called Le Mani in Pasta..and proceeded to get very drunk...well at least I did...funny how youl always think everyone else is drunk when you are. But the great thing about Rome is that you walk around so much, that by the time we got home around 2 I wa completely fine. It was totally great to see Sherry who has been on the road travling for the past 9 months. The last time I saw her I met up with her in Australia back in November. Since then she's traveled all over southeast asia, croatia, greece and then spend a month in sorrento taking italian language and cooking school. It's crazy, I've only been on the road about 3 weeks and I feel like I've been gone for so long, I can't even imagine having been traveling for 9 months. That being said, I feel like I could do this forever..at least at this point I feel that way. I love it. I'm so happy and carefree and stress free. It's like, well if we miss our bus or ferry or train, there will be another one coming along soon...so just sit back and relax. Anyway, I'm digressing...



Our last day in Rome was spent much like the first. Running in the morning, and walkeing all afternoon. the big highlight purchase of the day was a new lightweight dufflebag/suitcase, which will now take me through the rest of my trip. I felt a little bad about leaving my last suitcase...but I knew I had a long time to go...and it was just going to get heavier. Made me ahppy that the housekeper at the apartment was trhilled to know she would be a the new owner of a good quality (albeit heavy) red suitcase...



Friday evening we went up to the American Academy, where Mona has been hanging out since she's been in Rome. Her boyfriend got a position a a chef at the Academy, which houses artisitcally brilliant Americans as they study and become inspired to do great things by being in Rome. Composers, artists, historians...all get shcolarships to come and study...and its apparently a big feather in their cap back to the 'real' world. It's a beautful building in Trastevere with an insane view of Rome. I can see why Mona loves it. Sadly she will be retuning to SF at the beginning of July, but I guess all good things must come to an end...including our time in Rome. Saturday we departed for our next chapter...the villa in Siena awaits!