Ruins near the Colloseum

Choir in Sistine chapel

View from the top

Mosaic

Thursday

It has been a busy week.  Several of us went out to dinner at a small restaurant in Trastevere called Trattoria de "Gli Amici".  From what I know of Italian, gli amici, means friends.  My pronunciation is very, very bad but I am starting to understand Italian, but even if I memorized it at home no one could understand me here.  

Restaurants do not serve until after 7:30 at night and I just wonder when the Italians sleep, surely not all of them take a nap from 12 to 3 PM.  

Today Eija her husband and I walked up one of the seven roman hills here in Trastevere to the school of Finland, beautifully restored.  As is usual for most cities, the wealthy built higher up than the poor people.  The air is better but I suspect it was because of the Tiber overflowing and it was before plumbing.  It is the same in Montreal, Canada.  

We  ate at a cafe near the school and I had shrimp and radiccio with lemon.  Then off to school to learn the different types of articles in Italian.  My brain is having  trouble absorbing any more in my class, perhaps it is best that tomorrow is my last day.

Oh, my haircut experience.  The salon very small and the woman who did my hair massaged my head for a full ten minutes, then wrapped my head in a warm towel and put me under some sort of heat machine.  So relaxing and I thought she did a very good job.  It is more expensive over here, fifty euros.

I bought a week bus and tram pass, so I can zip around as fast as possible for the remainder of my stay.

St Peter's Rome

This picture was taken after I climbed at least 500 narrow steps up to the dome of St. Peter's. The handrails along the stairway felt as if they had never been cleaned and the rope for the spiral stairway was slick with I don't know what. I am not usually finicky about germs, but this experience had me holding my hands out like a surgeon before I got home to wash them. Toward the top, when the wall starts to go in, you have to lean against it to fit in. 

Walking outside the cupola was a panoramic view of Rome, it looks a little polluted from that height unfortunately. 

The view from above inside the cupola was unbelievable, the basilica is immense.  All along the wall, inside the dome, were mosaics that I could touch, study and photograph.  

In the basilica my pictures do not show the opulence of the place but I did try.  In order not to use a flash, I would have to be very still, so I finally sat on the floor and did not breathe - like when one gets an x-ray.  The guard looked with disapproval and asked me to stand as someone from the hierarchy was passing by.

Despite all the beauty, it is some of the best art work I've seen here,  I felt saddened by all the money that when into it when there was and is so much poverty.

I am getting my haircut tomorrow, let's see how the Roman's do it.   

After wandering around lost on Saturday, the Ponte Sisto bridge was such a welcome sight...

St. Clemente

On Saturday I set out for St. Clemente church to see three layers of history.  The top church above, the one under an earlier christian church and finally the Roman temple of Mithras.  My interest was in finding the Roman ruins.  Although dark and damp, which made it hard to imagine what it would have looked like in sunlight, I found it to be the most interesting of the three.  The rooms were very small and there was still a stream within for water.  The priest who began excavating in the 1940' or 50's was buried in the second level and his flat tombstone wobbled when I walked across it, a twilight zone sort of experience. Later, I had lunch next to a father and daughter traveling through Europe before the daughter begins her studies in Austria.  The daughter, Maria, has a blog which has more detail and insights about Rome. Maria's blog address is http://maria.thefortytwo.net.  Going and coming home, I got lost and anyone who has traveled understands that what seems like a simple jaunt, never is, in a strange city.

You know how we say IKEA , in Finland and probably Sweden it is pronounced  ick'ee ah.

I did go to the Vatican yesterday and I do have pictures but have to go to school.  Will try to post tonight.

WARNING!!!

IF YOU GO TO COMMENTS ON MY BLOG AND IT SAYS "LOOK HERE"  NEVER CLICK ON IT.

IT IS SOME SORT OF SCAM.

Friday outing to piazzo Navona

,....

class picture

It was the end of our first week of class.  Laura, one of our excellent teachers,   is in the middle. I could not have asked for a better group of people to work with.  These are great people from all over the world.  What a treat.

Basilica S. Andrea

While a beautiful church, the popes like to be buried here, I stumbled across this mummified tomb in a little niche on the side of the church.  Otherwise, I found this place to have some of the most impressive paintings on the ceiling.  One seemed to be a sculpture coming out of the wall.  It is not in the usual guide books, but well worth the effort to find it.

Shopping

Was I ever wrong about shopping.  One of my friends at class introduced me to shopping for leather here, it is very beautiful and very cheap, so will spend lots more time looking and buying. Tomorrow we go to see the underground of the church of St. Agnes, that has part of the old Roman city.  Will definitely shoot some pictures.

The Policeman

I need to get a full picture, next time.  

Time is running together and is speeding up for me so I don't know exact dates anymore.  I went to the old Jewish Ghetto and learned it is the first and oldest in Europe.  More than any of the churches I visited this was the most moving and well done.  I was not allowed to take pictures in it becauseof terrorist threats and violence that killed a ten-year old boy there not long ago.  If yo want to learn more of this history you can find a site by Rick Steves (I swear I walked past him yesterday on the Ponte Sisto).  The two pictures are of the old Ghetto, which had to be torn down because it was a cesspool as the river was always overflowing into it.

Remember I told you about the old buildings under the city, well I think these will show you what I mean.

Also, I promised that picture of the policeman.  What do yo think?

Ponte Sisto bridge

February 14th Rome

Most of you know I am a late sleeper, so most of the time I don’t get out until noon when the shops close. So for a couple of hours I wonder about looking the architecture and learn how to navigate Rome. I also take the time to sit in a café and have coffee and lunch.
After three I go to my Internet café, meet with the locals and talk to friends on skype, which has turned out to be better than my regular cel phone. My computer camera shows the surroundings for all to see and I love hearing from friends.
After this I return to my apartment for some dinner and relax. Real adventures start after six or seven when everyone is out and about. Last night I found the posh area around the Vatican and Rome is quite safe at night. If the picture downloads, it is of the street I was shopping in near the Vatican…something, something Riene. The big department store is called COIN, which means the same in English. Clothing is much the same as in US but the building has a beautiful interior. Also, shopping does not hold much of an allure for me.
The policemen have very sexy uniforms, I need to take a picture of them for all of you to enjoy. I must take an earlier comment about men in baggy pants back. I was wrong, Roman men do not wear baggy pants.
Italian language classes start on Monday!

Fast food for Italians

paver man

Laundry outside my apartment

Rome February 11th

Never wear rubber soles in Rome as it is paved in little pavers made out of some black slate like stone. My little red boots are serving me well and my rubber-soled shoes risk a twisted ankle. One of the pictures is of a workman cutting and setting these stones. I thought perhaps stones were from some ancient age, and I should have known that most of the ruins I’ve seen have been some 7 feet under the main streets of today.

Another picture is taken from the window of my apartment, dryers are not used and I like seeing the normalcy of everyday life. Everything holds my interest, even the basement of the grocery store is filled with archways and I can’t help but wonder what these cellars were originally.

The other picture is of lady that gave me the pizza recipe, since my Italian is so non-existent, I have found that a thumbs up works very well. She gave me some free bread as I left, which I just finished with a nice glass of wine. The address of “Da Bruno” is Corsco Vittorio Emanuelle, 273 a Roma. Tomorrow I try the sandwiches.
Pictures are being difficult. Tomorrow.

Pictures I think

Rome February 11th

Who would have thought potato pizza could be so very good. Today, I ate where the Italians eat fast food style. I am having trouble uploading my pictures still. The woman explained how it was made, with great pride. It seemed to taste of butter and when I asked her she said "no no, no only extra virgin olio and fresca" I do not know the recipe for the dough although she mentioned "farina" which translates the same way in english.
Very thinly sliced potatoes are put on the dough with a lot of olive oil and a little rosemary. The potatoes are translucent when done then the mozzarella is put on top and melted. The mozzarella is a lot different over here...it does not bounce and is delicious.
Unhappily, the Italian young men have adopted the baggy pants syndrome, very disappointing as I was looking forward to seeing some nice bottoms over here. Oh dear, the US has a whole lot to answer for. Perhaps they figured out that women enjoy looking and they prefer not to be sexualized. Anybody got a good theory? Would love to hear it.
Saw the Parthenon and was surprised it is a church now. All those glorious vain popes and gilt have detracted from it, in my opinion. The ceiling is astounding and original, perfect proportions and very grand. I did not take a picture as it seemed too postcardy and anyone can get a picture. More tomorrow.

Sunday in Rome

It must be very hot in Italy during the summer because there are the same indoor shutters I encountered in Spain. They completely black out all light, so I never know how late I am sleeping in. Even in Rome many of the shops are closed for along lunch and reopen at 3:30 PM.
Now I am in my Internet café with a few pictures to post. Everything takes a long time for me and I am sure it is because I am not quite grounded. There don’t seem to be any main roads in Travestere, all just little alleys and very charming. I visited the church of Santa Maria this afternoon, after wondering around a lot, and I know this sounds so much like my mother but you see one church, you’ve seen them all…sacrilege eh? I did take of picture of some saint with all these prayers written on paper and stuffed all over the poor guy.
The other pictures are of people outside the Internet cafe and down the alley where I live. Yes, it is warm and sunny enough to have coffee outside.

Roma

What in interesting place. Rome has something to see around every corner. I could not get an internet connection in my apartment, so I work in a little cafe across the street. Since this is my first day, I have little to report, as most of my day was spent finding markets, sim card and internet access. Tomorrow I intend to take my camera around and try to get pics of interesting people as most of the architecture in on the net, it's the people that are very interesting. Right now I am eating a glorious pizza and a cappuccino . If you can call on skype leave a message and I time. There is a six hour difference, but my computer has the time for both Rome and US. I am usually at the internet cafe between 3-4 or so, Rome time.