Rome - Trois

Up and out early this morning, checking out of the room and storing my bags at the hotel. I have both cameras fully powered and ready to go, and the goal is the Colosseum.  Caught the 85 bus at Vittorio Cavour next to the Hotel Diplomatic and was back to the Emmanuel II monument in twenty-five minutes.

I stopped here to catch a couple of pictures I wanted yesterday but didn't take. This sort of demonstrates the controversy over the monument and it's "fitting" in with the other sights in the area.

This is the upstart "newcomer" monument

This old Christian church piazza is immediately adjacent.

And this, even older, site is immediately adjacent to that.

I don't think any "go together" aesthetically, but what in the world do they expect?  There can easily be a thousand or more years between them.  And I sort of like the display of "how much" had been here for "how long."

I took another shot of this scene because I really like it.

And, just down the street...probably the most recognizable profile in Rome.

A little closer.












Up close and personal

Okay...so, enough of culture.  A little potpourri of my visit.

A couple of blocks from the hotel (Via Muzio Clementi 81), I believe on Via Federico Cesi was the La Cupola Ristorante.  I had an absolutely great Italian dinner there Friday night, starting with lightly smoked swordfish in a garlic and oil sauce, followed by the best minestrone I've ever eaten, that followed with nice grilled lamb chops, all accompanied with a nice little white wine.
There is a restaurant of the same name in Litchfield, CT where my friends Bob and Karen live.  It, too, is excellent fare.


And finally, the miserable end of the story.  Who knows, perhaps in punishment for thinking of coffee table books, as I was headed to the airport to return home my wallet was lifted on the Rome metro at the central termini.  I sort of have to hand it to them (I didn't), they were slick and professional.  At its most crowded at this terminal three young women each carrying babies maneuvered to get past me.  I thought they were moving to get out at the next stop (with me) so I tried to make room by squeezing back against the door of the car.  They were quite attractive in a dark and sultry sort of way, with the first one breast feeding what appeared to be a two-or-three month old infant that was in no danger of going hungry, if you get my point.

As they pressed closer I noticed the middle one could really use a bath and a little deodorant.  After a moment or two of this I was ready for the door opposite to open and deposit us on the platform, but that didn't happen, they continued to move slowly past me as the train stopped and the door opened.  I had, meanwhile, helped them by reaching down to get my carry bag from the floor, protecting the wrong things (dirty underwear vs. drivers license and credit cards, you dummy!).  I never felt a thing until about four steps latter as I exited the car.  I knew something was wrong and felt for the wallet only to discover it gone.  I knew what had happened immediately, and turned to re-enter the car and confront them when the door closed and the train was gone.  On thinking about it, you have to believe that they have a protector or two running around with a couple of knives, or whatever, so I'm sort of glad my hasty idea of returning wasn't possible.

I turned a corner and there stood two police officers, a man and a woman.  I told them my wallet had just been picked by three young women nursing infants and the lady cop said, "ah, the gypsies."  Since they knew so much one would think they would do something, but their idea of protect and serve was to direct me up one floor to report the loss.  On reaching that floor another officer's idea of the same concept was to direct me up another floor to another office.  Upon reaching that floor an officer up there told me to go to the police station in the terminal at which point I said, "to hell with you and your pickpockets, I've got a plane to catch," so I went to the ticket office and purchased my ticket for the airport where, within an hour I had canceled the credit cards and moved on.

My major problem now is, what about my license?  I'm supposed to take off on a big motorcycle trip in 30 days.  This morning I sent via FedEx a package to my buddy WT asking him to put the obligatory money order ($11) into the enclosed envelope and send it to the Texas Dept. of Safety for a replacement license.  Their web site says it can take up to 45 days (and they aren't, usually being asked to send them to France).  Oh, woe is me...woe is me.  Another saga in France.  Saga, obviously, to be continued...

Rome - Deux

Slept in this morning.  Didn't get up until 7:00am.  Pulled together the pictures and comments for Day 1 and filed them away.  I have to prepare them off-line.  My one complaint about this hotel is their predatory internet pricing.  I have to believe they just don't want much to do with it.  They only have wireless in the lobby and for the privilege of hauling your computer downstairs they hit you for 5€ for thiry (30) minutes.  For crying out loud,I just wanted to use it; I didn't want to buy it.


Anyway...up and off.  To Vatican City

Beneath the columns

Statue on the right

Statue on the left

I don't know about you, but, to me, that sure looks a lot like a Corona in his right hand.










This got my attention.  These are the two clocks at the corners of St. Peters, taken no more than thirty seconds apart.

The one on the left

The one on the right

Sort of fits, huh?...leaning towards the past (at least in this case it's one that actually existed.)

But it does bring up the musical question: "Does anyone really know what time it is, does anyone really care."  (Okay about 95% of you should know the group and name of the song with that lyric.)

Another nice fountain, in St. Peter's Square.  But,
that fat guy is back.

I would have loved to see the Sistine Chapel, and Michelangelo's David, but check these out.
Walking into St. Peter's Square looking right toward the church.  That is the line to get in.

But...we're not through.  Looking to the left,  this is the same line.



There were "tour" operators outside promising that for 45€ they would take us inside on a 2 1/2 hour tour and we would miss the line.  I suspect that's true, but they seemed too shady for me, scrouging around furtively talking to every one:  "Hey, have I got a deal for you."  I asked a young man with the church if they had any official standing and he said, "No."  So, I wasn't going to hang around for yet another hour to pay 45€ to save 1 1/2 hour.  I'm an ex-G.I.; we've stood in all the lines we want to.  Don't get me wrong.  I would definitely stand in line for two and one-half hour to talk to Jesus.  But to see an inanimate object?  Nah.  Ain't gonna happen.

Leaving St. Peter's I went back to the hotel, rested up, and took off again.

Excavations on the Via dei Fori Imperiali near the Colosseum.

Boy...as they say in LA (lower Alabama) this place is ruint!

Leaving up Fori Imperiali toward Piazza Venezia

Augustus

Below, the controversial Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of a unified Italy.  I don't know about you, but I find that kind of an interesting viewpoint.  Seems the Roman Empire pretty much unified Italy (and a heck of a lot of the known world) for about 800 years or so.

A lot of the controversy over this thing is about what I like about it.  It's large, beautiful white marble, filled with magnificent statuary, all impressively done.  However, as stated, I think Italy "got together" before Vittorio managed it.
 

Rome about 800 BC.

The beginnings of empire.  About 146 BC
Caesar (100BC - 44 BC)

 The Empire ~ 14 AD
 (Shortly before the birth of Jesus)

 At zenith - 117 BC








Appears to me as if Italy, at least as we geographically know it, was pretty well unified about two thousand years before Vittorio Emanuele II came along.

A little further up the road, yet another obelisk celebrating a major victory.

 Check the detail here.  You can see the troops massing and fighting in battle.  Pretty neat stuff.

 This one was in celebration of Caesar's victory over Eqypt












 Later I returned to the Piazza Navona.

I had a great Corona with a bowl of olives looking out at one of the fountains.
I expect the overhead for such a location is frightful...but $15 for a Corona and a bowl of olives???  Robbery on someone's part.  But the beer was excellent.  And the ambiance sublime.

Discovered this beautiful hotel just off the Piazza.  Next trip to Roma, I think I'll check this one out.









Just as in France, you can leave the main streets and find yourself in another world entirely.

A short walk later and I'm near the hotel.

A nice condominium just down the street from the hotel.  Wonder what these babies go for?




Okay...if you were paying attention earlier you'll have noticed that I had some shots taken "near the Colosseum."   So the natural question is, "Where's the pictures of the Colosseum?" And the answer is, beats the heck outta me.  I took them.  Probably eight or nine, including some of the surrounding grounds.  One was a great picture of two newly-wed couples up on the hill overlooking the Colosseum...the possibilities for wise cracks obviously huge.  But, when I got back to the hotel they were gone.  Pictures from before and after were there, but these were gone.  I have no idea what happened other than there is a feature on my big camera where I can display nine pictures on the display screen and I remember using it while there.  I must have hit a series of buttons which said "delete these," but I don't know how.  But, as my accounting friends say, it's sunk cost now...I don't have them.  What to do?  Answer, obviously, go back in the morning.

Rome

Caught a 7:30am flight from Nantes connecting through Nice to Rome.  Landed in Rome about 12:30pm.  Now that's convenient.  Since I have a Carte de Sejour (Frence resident's permit) I have all the rights of a European Union citizen.  Among the responsibility to pay taxes is the open borders aspect of that union.  So, thinking I'm something special I followed the signs that said "this way" if you had flown in from an EU country and had nothing to declare.  This put me outside security, ready to catch my train to the city in just minutes.  Unfortunately, it didn't put me next to  the bag I'd checked, so, after going back through security I found my bag and the train to central Rome (14€).

The central train station is huge, but I managed get a ticket (11€ for 48hrs) to find the 'A' train and got off at the Lepanto stop.  The weather is nice and warm (about 82 degrees F.) making my eleven block walk to the hotel very nice.  Checked into the Hotel de Mellini about 3:00pm, threw the bags in the room, saddled up Shank's Mare and off I went.

Central Rome where many of the tourist attractions are located is not all that large, probably two to two-and-a-half square miles.  This hotel is located practically in the middle of it making most places within walking distance.  Even I, bad leg and all, managed to see a lot in the afternoon and early evening left to me upon arriving.

The Tiber
About two blocks from the hotel.

 Access down to the river.

Some church (as is to be expected, it seems there's one about every other block).  Didn't get who the statue was

But...you've heard of the "Roman nose?"

Here I am, modeling in the window of Gucci.  This particular street has every famous designer in the world on it.

"I loved you on the Spanish steps the day you said goodbye."  (Okay Texas music fans, what is the song, and who is the writer?)

Every where you look there's an monument or statue.

I stopped in this nice open-air restaurant for a very relaxing cold beer and sandwich.  Both were excellent, and, by this time, I needed to give the feet a rest.  A lady, obviously, shopping sat down next to me and proceeded to "hang her purse" using this neat little device.  I'm sure all the ladies out there have seen them, but this is my first experience.  Good idea.









As you're walking around here there are all kinds of little porticos and entranceways going back into the buildings.  Many lead to very nice apartment/home areas.

As you can see, some have paintings and icons within them, this one rating a candle and blessing, I guess.

Saw this great little building with a CiCi's pizza on the bottom floor.

Which, obviously led to:

The Leaning Tower of Pizza

After leaving the Spanish Steps I meandered back over toward the Tiber to the Piazza de Tribunali.

The top

Tour boat on the river below

Moving along the river you spot these little places.  I don't know what was being recognized in this marker, but here it was, complete with flowing water

A little further down the Castel Sant' Angelo

Paris is the city of light.  Venice is the city of water.  Rome is the city of fountains.

These are at the Piazza Navona, a now-favorite place of mine.

The Piazza has lots of action within.

.


Here, a hand puppet artist has enthralled these two children.

And, a little further on I run into this musician playing a very old Ovation.  Made me feel inadequte, my Ovation is only 30 years old, a veritable baby.






More fountains.

In this case, the fountain was sort of anti-climatic compared to the area getting up to it.

The Trevi Fountain

More tomorrow!