Tuesday, July 13, 2010

La Casa di Rosy, Roma
0740 EET

In retrospect, looking at one of our maps, I think Basilica di San Clemente was the church recommended by the archaeologist at the Oriental museum for some of the first artwork depicting Hell so I am sorry that I did not realise that during our visit and made more of an effort to look at the 12th-century church in detail. But I suppose my interest was lost at the sight of the gilded roof that was lowered to cut off the head of Jesus in the nave scene. Also forgot to note last night: that when passing a military guard on Via San Nicola while splitting my attention between Mom’s discussion with Rachel about the origins of basilica (the Roman law courts was the architectural template of the first churches) and Jeremiah’s discussion about how the Italian military are not permitted to have a clip in the magazine although they do carry it on their person. And something I must remember to tell Femke was during our second departure from the post office was saw two military officers in cameo BDUs with two gold stars on their shoulder epaulets—which means if they are anything like American and Canadian ranks, those two men were major generals. Now I’m going to do what I did when I spotted them—squee!

Packing for Firenze.

Roma Termini, Roma
1235 EET

Roma Termini, on our platform that will take us to Firenze.

We just boarded the train to Firenze, but during the wait at the platform after our 400-metre walk to our departure platform, I finished up my second batch of postcards for Mac, Amber, Chris, Leslie, Laura, Shanna, and Femke about the Catacombe di San Callisto. This morning however after eating breakfast, packing up, checking out, and leaving our luggage at Casa di Rosy, we went to the Museo Nazionale Romano for its 0900 opening. We were a bit early so we practised t’ai chi until the museum opened and then we entered. Two tickets and one audio guide was €18.00 [$23.6584] but the ticket was for four museums all together. Mom and I toured the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, of the four, which housed on the main floor, primarily busts but also had the world-renowned bronzes the Pugile [Boxer of Quirinal] and the Principe ellenistico. On the second floor was fantastic statues primarily, such as Discobolus di Myron [the discus thrower] which is even more famous than the bronzes, a wonderfully sculpted Ermafrodito dormiente, and an absolutely awe inspiring third century sarcophagus, with such amazing expressions and details. I was required by a time concerned Mom to breeze through the third floor of frescos, stuccos, and mosaics that are beautiful and often displayed in the case of the frescos and stuccos as the “rooms” they adorned. Departing the museum, and finally getting our hands on a brochure, bade both of us realise we missed the basement level with its promised numismatics and goldsmith work such as coins and jewellery.

From the museum we went back for luggage and passing Pizza House, we went into the bakery next to it to purchase lunch; the sandwiches were €3.00 [$3.9431] each and the extravagant chocolate rum ball desserts were €2.00 [$2.6287] each. Mine was a bun with lettuce, ham, and a thick slice of what I believe was some type of cheese. Mom after eating her rum ball remarked that it was a good think we hadn’t entered the bakery the one other time we’d noticed the open. Speaking of food, supper last night was €16.09 [$21.148] at Panella, where we ate lunch on our second day in Roma, and this time we had some battered and friend zucchini and some shredded potato with ham and cheese.

Pizza House and bakery on far left.

Back to Roma Termini, Mom after finding our platform ran back for a map of Italia and also purchased on Firenze. The later map we are using to track the train’s progress but so far, no luck finding the last station, Orti.

Italia countryside from train. You would not believe how many telephone
and power poles I took pictures of trying to get good scenery shots.

Hotel Bellettini, Firenze
2033 EET

Well, I located Orti on the map when we passed through Attigliano and then proceeded to keep myself occupied during the ride from 1245 to 1637 by marking off stations we passed or stopped at. What also kept me occupied was constructing three sentences in Italiano that I am going to say to Nichola when we meet up with the family in Levanto. I changed the second sentence about three times and still wasn’t able to write it out fully because of the brevity of our phrase book with dictionary. One thing I may have discovered in the book is a grammar error with zio/a = aunt/uncle as I am almost certain that o is masculine and a is feminine. (What is this world coming too? I am not only finding errors in English novels but Italiano ones? I’m the one with a spelling disability, I shouldn’t be finding these!)

After admiring the Italian countryside, the fields of sunflowers, corn, grapes, and what we think are olive groves, as all we are certain of is that the trees were cultivated and to the east, mountainous hills with some of them picturesquely capped by Italian towns and medieval fortresses. After arriving at Firenze’s Stazione di Santa Maria Novella, we progressed the short distance to Via del Conti for our hotel, discovered the road was under construction and smelling appealingly of sewage, but all together located Hotel Bellenttini much easier and sooner than Casa di Rosy. Checking in we were shown to room twenty-four, which overlooks a private patio on the ground level, and given to the keys to the room and unattached bathroom a short (very short) distance outside our room. Once again desiring to locate our tour meeting places before the tours, we departed the hotel in search of them. A moment back to locating our hotel, Casa di Rosy was invaluable for teaching us to examine everything at the address and look up.

Firenze after crossing the street in front of Stazione di Santa Maria Novella.

Hotel Bellenttini, Room 24.

View straight out from Room 24 window.

We progressed down Via de’ Cerretani into the Piazza San Giovanni and found—THE TOURISTS. Throngs and droves of them! Mom figured it was Roma where we would find the crowds but apparently we had avoided them by scheduling our full day of ancient Roma on a Sunday, and our afternoon catacomb tour on Monday was to more tourist unknown locations. Also in the piazza with the tourists with the stunningly decorated green, white, and red stone exterior of the Cattedrald di Santa Maria del Fiore. Mom said that she’d read the cathedral is reputably the most beautiful church in Italia. We continued on our way down the Via Roma which opened onto the Pizaa della Repubblica that became via Calimala which became Via Por Santa Maria that leads onto the Ponte Veechio [Old Bridge].

THE TOURISTS.

Front building, the baptistery. Back, the Cattedrald di Santa Maria del Fiore.

Baptistery, Cattedrald di Santa Maria del Fiore, belfry.

 Along the way, we purchased our gelato of the day, and shared a €2.00 [$2.6287] bowl as the shop we ordered from didn’t have lesser-valued cones. We found the bust of Benuenuta Cellini half way across the Ponte Veechio on the west side and on the bridge were overwhelmed by the jeweller shops that line it. Moving down Lungarno Achibusieri we entered the Galleria degli Uffizi from the rear and found the statue of Galileo Galilei immediately on our left. Proceeding up the gallery, past the multitude of artists offering portraits and other statues, we found Leonardo da Vinci. I made certain to say salve as requested by Andrew and took a photo of the statue as well. From the galleria we emerged onto Piazza della Signoria where there is a multitude of larger than life statues such as Michelangelo’s David (replica), the Rape of the Sabines, Hercules fighting a centaur, and a bronze of Perseus with Medusa’s head in hand standing with one foot on her body.

Entering Galleria degli Uffizi from the River Arno.

Turning around in the Galleria degli Uffizi to look to the River Arno. Spot Mom! 

Replica of Michelangelo’s David.

Loggia with statuary. Spot Mom!

Supper, at La Martinicco on Via del Sole which was recommended by our hotel clerk Elton, was very nice. The size of the appetizer surprised us: zucchini salad for Mom and a plat with thinly sliced meat, oil, and spinach on parmesan for me, went very well with the smaller serving of rotini pasta. Five large stuffed rotini for each, mine was a mushroom and Mom’s was lemon. As delightful as the meal was, I really enjoyed sampling Mom’s to have the bite of lemon overcome the saltiness. In total the meal was €34.00 [$44.6881] which Mom felt was worth it compared to the Monte Arci linguine in Roma (for me the reverse stands true). After our meal, while still in the restaurant we began discussing her and Dad’s trip text near and after declaring Dad would never be able to do a full day tour and would be best with just morning half day tours, that if we wrote up what we learned from the various tours, Mom could guide Dad through the Colosseo and Foro Romano area herself if we wrote up everything together. So at Zia Michaela’s we are going to work on writing everything we recall down.

Via del Sole is on the far right.

La Martinicco on Via del Sole.