"Is this an elevator" "No it is my room"

Sorry for not blogging sooner.

Caroline arrived on Tuesday which has been great. The Acer computer has been acting up so between trying to charge 5 devices, sightseeing and problems, blogging has slowed down.

Rome is a walkable city. The caveat is that you have to be willing to walk five to ten miles a day. I am reminded that Chicago is also walkable. In Chicago, if you stay downtown, you can walk to Cubs Ballpark, Greek Town, Museums, Zoo etc. Los Angeles and, I presume Tokyo and London are not in the walkable cities category.

In walking Rome, I have decided that the Popes were graffiti artists at heart. If it did not move for an hour, one of the Popes put up a marble plate saying "I was here". Every fountain and other Roman monument has one side the Caesar and on the other a "pope was
here". The most active seems to have been Pope Pius VII.

I walked again to the Vatican area. It was a sunny day so I found my way to St. Peter Square (actually, it is an oval). It is immense. Mickey Mantle could not hit one out of this ballpark. It was Saturday so the crowds were large. The line to get into St. Peter circled the Square. The line did move so the crowd was quiet and expectant.

I am sure that I am not the first to comment about the juxtaposition of the Vatican to its surroundings. It is a metaphor to the issues facing Catholicism. The real world of human problems and existence comes right up to its walls. The walls are formidable - thick and 3 stories high with guards. The offices and residences look down on the streets from heights which make the street sounds as if white noise.

Within the Square, itself,  the human predicament persists. Tours, selfie poles and other souvenirs sellers apply their trades with the unspoken guidance "buyer beware". The big one is "tour the Vatican". I can see why. The size of the complex: a new language and crowds would make anyone seek the safety of a person saying "I will take care of you - for 80 euros (@ $100).

There is an isolation to St. Peter's. You are in awe but I was actually more impressed by the Colosseum as a work of man. I did not think of God as I walked around. I thought more about the history and the crowds of people.

And "Yes,"a Pope put his name and his family name on the door. It is interesting to me that the Pope who first envisioned the St Peter demolished stone from the Colosseum to begin construction.
I know that there are always discussions about the Papacy as the inheritor of the leadership of Catholicism (right now, I bet the American bishops are saying "that is the last Jesuit we ever vote for - could have told them). The conservatives point to the unbroken line of popes. They negate quickly the Avignon Captivity, multi Popes, the children born and a woman pope (more than one?).But when you are in Rome and see the churches etc. all referring not only the Pope but his family, y

ou realize that the papacy was part of the political intrigue of the ages. The papacy was owned not borrowed. I think we are moving away from that.

I got a haircut in  Rome. I needed one and I decided if anyone could cut my hair so that it looked like I had more hair it would be a Roman barber. Okay, no more hair. But, it is a great haircut. It is a true barbershop. When you walk in the door, there is a jovial greeter. There are four barbers. When it is your turn into the chair, Fernando puts the customary sheet around your neck and then puts cotton balls around your neck to be more comfortable. No razor or buzzer, it is all scissors and comb. Thirty minutes later he finishes. It is "thank you, Signor John". It is remarkable how much good nature and hand gestures can make a good conversation. Not inexpensive, thirty euro - about 35 dollars. But, in line with the service.

Yesterday, Saturday, we visited the Rome National Museum. The museum is located near the Piazza de Republica and the Temini train station. It is an excellent museum. Just well thought out. Three floors of statutes and floors and interiors of Roman villas dating from 300 BC to 300 AD.

The museum makes it interesting by explaining each exhibit in ways that you can relate to.. For example, the bust of romans are often dated by their hairs styles (Augustus wife was definitely the trend setter).. The discussion of periods of decorations are discussed in light of the history of Rome so you can see in the art the events of history.

The day before we visited the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria. The last work begun by Michelangelo at 86. His design was serious modified by subsequent Popes. A very unassuming entry opens into an impressive Neo-Renaissance Church. A portion of the Baths of Diocletian were incorporated into the church. This particular building survived because it was one of the earliest churches of Rome and far enough from the center of ancient Rome to avoid the  various "Sackings of Rome".

The church only covers a small portion of the Baths area. Roman Baths were huge complexes with multiple buildings, gardens and libraries. This Bath covered an area with now includes the Piazza de Republica (google the Piazza to visualize the size) and beyond. The remains include parts of walls of the major structures which appear in the oddest places. One is now a public garage. We are eating lunch with Caroline and watching cars navigate a very narrow opening into the garage. Slowly, it becomes apparent that it is a ruin.

It must be difficult to decide what ruins to retain and what to demolish. It is only within the last 50 years that Rome has been protected. You realize this when you visit the Forum area and learn that most of what you see and experience is the result of work that began in late 20th century.

"They gave us such a great room"

Yesterday I went for a morning walk. I like to orient myself to the city. Looking a maps - particularly tourist maps - is never enough since they never give distances.

l followed the direction we had used to locate the Spanish Steps. Ahead I saw in the distance what I now recognized as the Victor Emmanual Monument. White marble with bronze horses on top, you can see the top easily from a mile away. As I walked the Via Nazionale, I began to realize that I was walking towards the Forum and Antique Rome. Down a flight of stairs, there is Trajan's column. There is Trajan Forum, Augustus' Forum and Imperial Forum. Then, I see the Colosseum in the distant.

There is no traffic just people walking and reading. As you get closer the crowds are larger, the Colosseum is huge. I read Rick Stevens' comment that the Colosseum is impressive only because of its engineering. He is wrong. If the Grand Canyon is impressive because it is a really large ditch dug by a river, then I will grant that the Colosseum is only a testament is Roman Concrete.

I wish Bill was here to explain this all to me. It is all that I have read and viewed on the History and Discovery Channel. When you see this ancient Rome, you understand more about the history of Rome. Why things were so immediate to these people. They walked. They did not have to wait for a cab.

Your first thought is that there must not be any clay left in Italy. Romans are famous for concrete and stone, but what you realize is that every building's core is red brick. Think about it, buildings over 6 stories high made from brick that has lasted over 2000 years. We do not make brick that solid today.
Your second thought is that the ancient Rome was much lower than present Rome. I am always interested in how things like weather and changes in topography affect history. We see the past through our lives and present environment. For example, at one time Rome was located far near its port city of Ostia.

Later in the afternoon, we went for a long walk through Embassy Row. Embassies are easily identified by the Italian soldiers parked at the gates.

Our destination was Hard Rock Café. After 6 weeks, I really wanted something American. We found out that the Hard Rock is very popular with everyone. I had pulled pork sandwich which was great. The Margarita was delicious.

The Hard Rock is in the Via V Vento area which is definitely up-scale. The area reminds you very much of Paris. A broad avenue lined with trees.

In Rome, you move centuries with a turn of the head.

Today - Sunday - was moved date. We are now in the apartment. What a great location.

"I rejoice to say I did not"

We are in Rome.

We arrived yesterday by train. Thanks to Caroline. We were aware of the transportation strike today - Friday - so we arrived without a problem. Strikes and demonstrations seem to be the norm in Rome judging from our first day here. But, they are orderly and good natured. The police are out in force. Helicopter churns above. A lot like Paris. Demonstrate in Siena, no coverage. Tie up traffic in Rome and it is news.

Not sure what the rules are because trains and buses seem to still run. Taxis are not at the stand but if you call they still are on the street. There are rules but I am not sure what they are. But, thanks to Caroline, I do not need to know.

Like Paris, protest marches are a penalty of living in the city.

Great hotel. Just off the Temini (major train station) and very nice. Again, we have an elevator out of  the "Bourne Identity" or "Third Man". This one is cooler than the others because it is a cage with double doors to open before the gate door. Gregory Peck looking at Audrey Hepburn comes to mind.
We have our first shower curtain. The joy is short lived with a shower head in a ridiculous position so you shower quickly.

We saw a little of Roma today.

Rome is different than the other Italian cities we visited. More of a big city to feel to it. The cars are bigger and more limo drivers. Mercedes dealership in Rome is making out alright.

All I have ever heard is about Italian drivers, particularly Rome, is that they are crazy. My opinion is the same comment I made in other cities - they know where they are going. You do not. The streets here confusing And, just like New York, Chicago or LA, they do not suffer hesitation easily. Just like driving and walking in the Loop before Daley took the sport away.

The Spanish Steps

For example, they have crosswalks in Rome. Step off the curb and the drivers will stop. But, it is the same faith in the certainty of life that a matador exhibits which each pass of the cape. ""It should work. The bull will keep his head down and will not hook with his horn". Step off the curb and enjoy your own "Afternoon in the Sun".

We walked to the Spanish Steps in the morning - about 30 minutes. I cannot image what summer crowds must be like in Rome. Every tourist we have met begins or ends in Rome. We have met people who have toured Rome in two days. It would be hard. Sistine in the morning and Colosseum at night. Can be done but why. "Always leave something undone in life so that you don't know when the journey ends". Now there is a quote to look up.

Rome is taller than I thought with more curved buildings to go with curved streets.  Florence and Milan do feel like small cities next to Rome. Every building is a monument. In Florence, the buildings are 600-800 years old. In Rome, they really are ancient. They are everywhere. In some cases, they do not even try to name them.

We saw the Victor Emanuel Monument by accident. It is huge. It is excessive by any imagination but some how it fits into the city.

Victor Emmanuel Monument

View from the top of the Spanish Steps

From the top of Spanish steps the view is panoramic. The steps themselves are a little of a bust. Only 138 steps, it is a jog to the top. The people watching is excellent. The city changes at the Steps. It becomes more urbane and more tourist. The big hotels begin at the Steps.

We quickly visited the "Trevi Fountain". Unfortunately, it is being repaired. Watching the work being done, I understand why. The workers are carefully removing water scales from the fountain stones. The fountain is the façade of a building - honest. Can you imagine how it must look. It is in a very small piazza. I have no idea why the fountain exists. It is formidable in size. I think part of the attraction is that it is a surprise. You turn a corner on narrow "via" and there it is.

You can still throw a coin in the fountain for your wish. We did.

We have meant a lot of interesting people. In Siena we met a lady from New Mexico by way of Seattle who was traveling Italy by herself. Her husband decided to stay home.

Today, we met a couple from Jackson, Mississippi. They had toured Venice and Florence before Rome and saw more than we did in those cities.

What is interesting is everyone does it differently. Some are "check list" tourist. Some are interested in the adventure. Some for the history. I think we are the adventurers. We want to learn about the people and places.

"Why can't they all be California girls"

We are still in Siena. Tomorrow if all goes well, we will be going to Rome. The weather has been wet for the last few days. There is flooding in Genoa, Carara, Florence and Pisa. Rome has had some flooding, but not terrible.

Caroline let us know that there is a National Transportation Strike scheduled for the 14th. We should be in Rome by that time. We will be walking a lot that day.

Elevators in Italy are small. Now that I think about it every elevator in Europe has been small. I think the reason is that the buildings are 200 years or more in age with walls 3 feet thick. When you redo this type of building, there is not a lot of room for elevators.

European electrical outlets are interesting. Europe is 220 watts as opposed to US 110. When you go shopping for a European trip you buy an adaptor, you also need to purchase a convertor. In this communication age continually charging with one convertor is a pain in the ... .  The electrical wiring makes it a little tougher. In Europe, they do not put outlets on outside walls. The hotels do not have a surplus of outlets to begin with. And, they have two types of outlets - flat and fitted. Convertor only works with flat. So when you arrive the search is on.

They speak of the French Paradox. Trust me, there is an Italian Paradox. The Italian eats a breakfast of "un caffe"and a brioche or bread with lunch meat and cheese (local). Lunch can be a quick panino which is heavy on the bread (delicious) with local cheese, light touch of local cold cut and slices of tomato or a pizza about 12 in in diameter. Commonly, lunch includes a glass of wine or beer. Or, it can be a bowl of pasta. Salads can be hard to find. Lunch time is roughly from noon to 2 PM.
There is a gelato at @ 4PM. Dinner is no earlier than 7PM. Dinner includes wine and includes antipasto and one pasta dish. And, there is always bread - good bread and you are expected to eat it - you want to eat it.

Wine is relatively inexpensive. House wines are great and come by the glass, 1/2 liter or one liter.
Italians walk a lot - I mean a lot. Italians do not snack between meals. The portion are controlled. At dinner, everything is "la carte" which keeps the portions controlled.

In the 5 weeks we have been Italy, it is obvious that there is no obesity epidemic.

Another observation which was confirmed yesterday when I bought a sweater. The sales woman mentioned that I would need a large, large size because, as she put it, Italian men are narrow in the shoulders chest and hips. I am none of the above. This explains why Italian men just dress well. Style is made for them. It also explains why present men's fashion looks bad on American men. They can wear those suits and jackets and actually button them.

I always thought that places like Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Dallas had beautiful women. But, Italy has them all beat. I thought it was "the big city" thing. We have been to Parma, Como and Siena and I am impressed.

Now the bad news. Italians, of all ages, smoke a lot. You see a lot of "roll your own" among the college age kids. Italians do not smoke inside, but do just about any other place.

Yesterday, we took our first real tour. We took a tour of the S
iena side of the Tuscan wine (Chanti) country. I do not completely understand but because of centuries of conflict Tuscan area is split between Florence influence and the Siena influence.

Although it was overcast, the views were spectacular. I was interested in the area because  the Paso Robles area of California has been called "Tuscany with Cowboys".

There are definitely similarities with rolling hills with olive trees and vines. The area we saw resembled the Vineyard/Las Tablas area. Vegetation is more diverse. So similar, but different.
We saw two Chanti Classico registered wineries. I am truly impressed with the wine of the first winery. Short lesson on "Chanti Classico", true Classico will have a "black rooster" emblem wrapper on the neck of the bottle. Chanti Classico has to be, at least, 80% Sangiovese.

There is also a growing popularity for "Super Tuscany Reds".  These wines are a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabrenet Sauvignon. Both wineries do both wines - personally, I preferred the Chanti Classico.  There are grades of Chanti - Chanti, Chanti Classico,  Chanti Classico Reserve and Chanti Classico Grande.

I definitely want to learn more about Italian wines. I am impressed.

"Horse Races in Siena"

We are in Siena, Italy.

It is a beautiful city. A medieval city built on a very high hill. We arrived in rain on Tuesday from Florence. The Italian train system is efficient and easy-to-use. It is so easy to use that you get nervous that you did it right. We used the Regional train to get to Siena.

We had a chance to see the Tuscan countryside. The topography does resemble the Paso Robles - hills and valleys. The vegetation is much different. The difference is that it rains. The vegetation, at least, in the Siena area reminds me more of Michigan.

Also, we did not see great many vineyards from the train. But, they must be there. We have had local wines several times.

We picked up a bottle for dinner the first night and it was delicious. We went for dinner last night and the house wine was great. We have found that in Italy you can order the house wine by the glass, 1/2 liter and full liter.

Betty had spaghetti. I had a steak. I know you think "steak in Italy". Tuscany is famous for their beef - "bistecca". It was one of the best steaks I have ever had. They do not ask how you want it. There is only one way - rare. It is aged steak and it is grilled.

In Italy, there is antipasto; then primo piatto (first plate): secondo piatto and then dessert. But, in today's world, this is very fluid. Order and split the antipasto, share the primo piatto and then share the secondo piatto.

It is sacred in Tuscany. Dinner is never served before 7:00 PM or 7:30 PM. It is every restaurant. So early dinner. Even pizza is difficult to find. Gelato or tavern around 5 PM works since the check never comes. Sit and wait. Eight PM is ideal.

My "Parisian" umbrella is holding up well. Want to not loss your umbrella, have one that does not work. But, I can tell as I walk by others that they are envious. I look so cool with my left hand holding the umbrella open in a driving rain storm.

I now have my second adventure. We were given a glass horse in Venice about 9 inches high. I volunteered to try to get the glass horse home in one piece. I am now in my third week and it is still in one piece.
Siena is home of one of the "wide world of sports" events - like the running of the bulls in Pamplona.
In Siena, each local district enters a horse and rider in a race around the El Campo (city piazza). I have seen on TV and thought it was colorful.

Now, that I have seen the course. These guys are both crazy and very brave. They ride bareback. The course is impossible. It is narrow with right angle turns and it is up hill and then down. They do in 8 times.

We are staying in a great apartment in Siena. It has been raining. Rain off and on is forecasted for the next 8-10 days. Rainy days are not bad. Towns change into villages of umbrellas. Everyone has an umbrella. I think you notice because people walk. In the U.S., we run between the mall and the car.
Tomorrow, the weather will improve for the weekend so we may go on a tour to see other towns in Tuscany.

Florence and Leather

We have been in Florence for six days. I have met a young lady from Albania. Now, that is not as easy as it may seem. I ask you "have you met someone from Albania". There are a lot of students in Florence. Apparently, James Madison University, and I am sure other Universities, have student abroad programs in Florence.

Impressions of Florence are numerous. First is the motorbikes. They are somewhere between motor scooters and motorcycles. At intersections, they sound like a motor cross race has begun. Driving a car in Florence is not easy because of the streets. They are not streets. They are hints of alleys and change names constantly. These passages are often 20 feet across or less. In that space, there are parked cars on one side and tour buses passing on the other. In short, top speed for a car is 10 mph. Moreover, streets are not straight and often end with a choice - right or left. Both choices lead to streets were auto traffic is prohibited. So, tourist driving is not recommended. There is no room to pass. Driving a car in Florence is an invitation to wait for a procession.

Enter the Italian motorbike. The drivers are the rulers of Florence. Laws and civilizations do not apply to them. Lords of the Flies with horsepower. They rule. They roar down the street passing through gears. They are actually seem to racing. Their brothers on the LA freeway are in more danger but the Florentian brothers are enjoying the ride.

The second thing you see and hear are the buses. What are tour buses doing on these streets? But, they do it. They turn right corners and left corners. There are all sizes of buses - tour buses, commuter buses and small commuter buses. They deal with parked cars, motorbikes and foot soldier tourists.
It feels Michigan Ave and Randolph Street in the 60's when walking and driving the loop was a sport.
On Sunday, we saw the grandmother of all traffic jams in Florence. Nothing was moving. There is justice for the pedestrian.

We visited the Uffici on Saturday. We have visited the two greatest museums of Pre-Renaissance and Renaissance art in the world - The Louvre and The Uffici. I now have a hint of how much I do not know. Simple things are evident. First, art changed radically from 1480 to 1530. It was a revolution. You can see it with the viewing of a single painter, Botticelli. His early paintings are the flat, lacking perspective of the late middle age. Within 20 years, his work and subject matter is earthy, sensual and Renaissance.

The food of Florence is great. We have stopped eating pizza. Pizza is great. But, there is so much great pasta.

Breakfast of strong coffee. Lunch with a glass of Prosecco. A caffe for the walk to the hotel. And a glass of Classico Chanti with dinner. Maybe, a grappa for after dinner.
It is a great life.