Rome 8 Borghese

Galleria Borghese
The Galleria Borghese is an art gallery in Rome, Italy, housed in the former Villa Borghese Pinciana. It is a building that was originally integral with its gardens, nowadays considered quite separately by tourists as the Villa Borghese gardens. 
The museum is in a large park, formerly the estate grounds and complete with a zoo. The museum itself was beautiful and full of more wonderful and ancient artwork. We spent two hours immersed in the glory of the past.

In the very first room of the museum we saw the installation above. It is a depiction of the "Slaughter of the Innocents" and I assumed it was an early version of animation. We found out later it was a contemporary piece. 
Every five or ten minutes, the room would darken and the piece would start to rotate. Once the piece got up to speed, a strobe light would start and the figures would become animated. While fascinating, it was also disturbing. As the name indicates, babies were being slaughtered.

So, it was on to the next room. The gallery is in what was once a large mansion and every room is beautiful in it's own right. Besides being filled with paintings and sculptures, there were also beautiful frescos. In the center of the next room was the sculpture of "Apollo and Daphne" by Bernini. 

              

As the story goes, both Appollo and Daphne were shot by cupids arrow. The problem was that Apollo was shot by an arrow of love and Daphne by a love repelling arrow. When Apollo, overcome by love, finally catches Daphne who is overcome by the opposite emotion, she changes into a laural tree. If you look closely at the photos above, you can see her flesh becoming bark and branches.
Many analogies to modern life came to light, especially " no means no".
Room after room we were greeted with splendid art works from past centuries.

Unknown mother and child

             

David with his sling shot

We spent two hours immersed in the glory of the past.

As usual, it was time to eat. We set out down an adjacent boulevard in search of food. Now, in Rome, that should be an easy task. But, this part of the city was a bit different and more modern. To our surprise, even after walking for several blocks, we never did find that great little place that existed in our minds. We did see a Ferrari dealership and of all things a Harley Davidson dealer. I knew they were around, Harley's that is. We would see and more likely hear them from time to time in the city. Roman Harley riders, like American devotees, love to create a deafening roar as they blast through streets, loud and proud. 
So, after being unable to find lunch, we went back into the park grounds of the Villa Borghese. As we strolled along in the sunshine my feet and legs told me that they love and crave the softness of walking on the earth. I am constantly on hard surfaces at this point in my life and crave the soft carpet of grass for walking. 
The park was lovely and after passing several musicians and seeing a colorful parrot glide from tree to tree, we happened on a Roman food/gelato truck. These trucks seem to be made by the same factory since they all resemble each other very closely. They are colorful and when seen driving they are about the size of a small RV, perhaps on a 1 1/2 or 2 ton chassis.

Gelato Truck

When stopped by the side of the road, they seem to open in all directions and become a full service diner. At least, they have power and can heat panini and serve gelato. When you are very hungry, these trucks are a real pleasure, so we enjoyed our one and only food truck meal, on a park bench with pigeons waiting for the spoils.

As we wandered on in the sunshine, we came on a small orange grove, part of the estate in a fenced area near what looked to be a conservatory of some sort. A short distance further along we came to the zoo entrance but more importantly, the zoo cafe. As usual we were able to refresh ourselves with cappuccino for €1, this time sitting in the sunshine next to a banana tree.

Our day at the Borghese was during one of the more intense snowstorms the northeast U.S.A. had in January, so we were sure to get pictures of ourselves by the banana tree in the sunshine. With some sort of perverse pleasure, the pictures were sent out to the frozen northeast.  

Rome 7

We really can't explain our VRBO experience without reference to Uncle Franco. We had accomplished all the business arrangements via email and paypal.  We were to be met at the airport by a driver whom we would pay with cash. When we walked out of customs, there he was with a sign. All it took was a stop at an airport cash machine and we were on our way. The airport is on the Mediterranean, about 30 miles from Rome. As expected, the ride into Rome was full of curiosity and wonder, from the industrial outskirts to the city monuments. 
Once we arrived at the Via del Pellegrino, our driver showed us the door and rang the bell. Soon, a pleasant looking man of undetermined age opened the door---it was Uncle Franco.
The driver left and we entered the foyer of an old(not that old for Rome, only about 400 years) but lovely building. Uncle Franco showed us to our apartment and started to explain EVERYTHING. By this time we had traveled from Tavistock, starting off at 0800 hrs. Luckily for us Roger and Carlena drove us the 90 miles to the Bristol airport. Eventually, we boarded an EasyJet plane for the 3 hr flight to Rome. Lots of people were speaking Italian on the flight and it began to sink in that soon we'd be in Italy. The flight was smooth and everything went well, but traveling takes a toll and we were tired but more than that, hungry.
So, here we are with Uncle Franco in our flat. Let me describe Uncle Franco. He was about 5'4" and slightly portly, with an unmistakeable twinkle in his eye. His english was------interesting. He had a great habit of using the few heavily accented english words he knew and stringing them together or filling in the blanks with "bubada bubada bubada. So, a sentence might go like this.  "The coffee the sugar the pot----bubada bubada bubada--- espresso. You could get his meaning most of the time. He was very talkative so we got lots of bubada bubada. He even showed us the pants he just bought for a very good price. One very important thing he told us was when we get the wine, leave it open for at least 4 hours or else it's no good. So, after lots of bubada bubada in the apartment, he took us out in the neighborhood. We saw the closest espresso place, the local food co-op, another grocery, a drug store and where to get bread and meat. We were exhausted and hungry by time Uncle Franco finally bid us farewell. 
So, next step, EAT. Uncle Franco's tour ended up in the Campo di Fiori which is surrounded by restaurants, so eating was no problem. It was certainly not the finest meal we had in Rome but tasty and accompanied by a nice house red, we were satisfied.
I remember wondering whether we would see Uncle Franco again. We had his phone number in case we needed something, but never called him. Everything worked well and figuring out the neighborhood is part of the fun of traveling. Even though we didn't see him again we had many laughs and special bubada bubada bubada conversations between ourselves as we thought back to our first night our apartment.
Just writing this and reading it to Bonnie caused a snorking fit of laughter for both of us.
AH, Uncle Franco, we won't forget you. We never met the woman who we actually rented the place from. 

I've already spoken about the location of our VRBO, but this is another example of how well located it was. 
When planning this trip, we spent time looking at maps of Rome and reading about the various attractions. Bonnie had been there already, so she had a better idea of the locations of the various sights. I didn't have a clue.
So, the day comes that we decide to see the Piazza Navona. From looking at the map, we knew it was close, but even Bonnie had no idea how close.
Let me say this. It was so close, we were there before we even started looking. It was 3 blocks(if blocks existed)at most. As I remember, we were suddenly in a huge Piazza with three large fountains. 
It is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in 1st century AD, and follows the form of the open space of the stadium. The ancient Romans came there to watch the agones ("games"), and hence it was known as "Circus Agonalis" ("competition arena"). It is believed that over time the name changed to in avone to navone and eventually to navona. 
It features important sculptural and architectural creations: in the center stands the famous Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or Fountain of the Four Rivers (1651) by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, topped by the Obelisk of Domitian, brought here in pieces from the Circus of Maxentius.

Piazza Navona Panorama

Piazza Navona has two additional fountains: at the southern end is the Fontana del Moro with a basin and four Tritons sculpted by Giacomo della Porta (1575) to which, in 1673, Bernini added a statue of a Moor, or African, wrestling with a dolphin, and at the northern end is the Fountain of Neptune (1574) created by Giacomo della Porta. The statue of Neptune in the northern fountain, the work of Antonio Della Bitta, was added in 1878 to make that fountain more symmetrical with La Fontana del Moro in the south.

Piazza Navona

Rome 6

In Rome, churches are everywhere. Mostly, as I said earlier, they are relatively simple on the outside and stunningly opulent on the inside. One thing was true for all that we entered. SILENCE. No matter what the sound level of the street you step in from, the churches were silent. It is something that surprised me every time I stepped into one and brought to mind one word---sanctuary. The churches were often empty and sometimes had an attendant of some sort. They all had places to leave monetary offerings.

Speaking of offerings, of the few beggars we saw on the street, there was one group of individuals that stand out, the penitents. I'm not sure what the "official" term for them is, but it was clear that they were seeking penance for some sin, either personal or on behalf of the rest of us.

They were always dressed in black and on their knees but otherwise in submission,prostrate, face on the ground with arms outstretched as if praying. They said nothing and did not move. There would be a cup by their side. I remember seeing one with the lower half of her body in the street, between two parked cars. It struck me as yet another part of the parking problems in Rome.
One day, after ending up at the Vatican by chance, we started standing in line to enter. The line was very long due to security checks and extended for perhap 1/4 mile, making a half circle around the vatican courtyard, known as St. Peter's Square(it's actually an oval). This is the place where people wait for the puff of smoke when a new pope is selected and on occasion listen to the pope address the people.

We had tickets for the museum and Sistine Chapel, for the following day so after standing in line for awhile we decided to abandon the Vatican for that day. 

The Vatican

It was a good choice because it led to another chance to "get lost in Rome". 

The interior of the 142' diameter Pantheon dome

As I said before, Rome is constantly circling back on itself, and our stumbling led us gradually through high end shopping areas to The Pantheon. As usual, we followed small streets which opened into yet another piazza. But, this one held the Pantheon. Needing a little refreshment after our wandering, we sat in one of the many open air cafes' facing the Pantheon. These cafes' are the conduit through which the life blood of Rome flows. Yes, they have wifi and bathrooms. Yes, they usually cost a bit more than out of the way places, and YES, they are a very welcome sight. As we sat down and unwound with Bonnie's favorite, a Spritz and a beer for me, I checked my email. I had been communicating with my good friend Leslie Ross since being in Rome. Leslie is married to Paolo and they met in Rome, so she was a wonderful source for stories of romantic Rome. So, we are sitting there, facing the Pantheon and I open my email. It is from Leslie and she is telling me that we must see the Pantheon and why. Being an architect, Leslie quickly filled me in on facts about it's history and construction. Of course, due to the marvels of modern technology, I snapped a shot of the Pantheon from the perspective under the cafe canopy and emailed it to her on the spot. 

The Pantheon

After finishing our drinks, we made our way(me on slightly shaky beer legs) to this marvelous structure. The Pantheon dome is still today the largest brick dome ever built, made possible by the wonder of "Roman Concrete" and engineering. The interior of the dome appears to be concrete. (photo above)

The Piazza della Rotonda is the site of the Pantheon and of course it is a major tourist spot. As with many tourist attractions in Rome, the air was full of rock and roll. There would be a solo or two musicians with a "band in a box" set up. So, you would hear a full rock band endlessly playing familiar music.

I'm getting hungry---oh, to be in Rome and pop in somewhere for bread, wine and cheese. Perhaps a cappuccino would go well too. I guess I have culture shock. 

Florence

FLORENCE

We decided to go to Florence for a day trip. Both of us wanted to go, but since we were so set up in Rome, a day trip made the most sense. We went on a Saturday so Angela of Padua could meet us for the day. Angela and Bonnie are old friends from both the states and Italy so this was a good reunion for them. Angela is open and friendly, so we meshed easily.

After a smooth and comfortable 1.5 hr train ride, we disembarked to find Angela waiting for us on the platform. The modern security procedures in airports have done away with this type of arrival and departure, but the train still offers such simple pleasures.

First order of the day was lunch. After a quick consultation Angela led us to a place near the train station. In true Italian style, we enjoyed a leisurely 2 hour lunch. Both wine and conversation flowed freely and we enjoyed not only Angela's company but also a loud and loving table near ours, with grandparents, parents and babies.

Florence is the seat of the Renaissance and known worldwide for it's architecture and overall ambience. Even though we only had a few hours, we gulped as much Florentine flavor as we could. After lunch, the first stop was the "duomo". The photo below left is the "duomo". The photo below that is the inside of the dome. The photo below right is one of the doors.

every inch of the church is ornate

inside the dome

Angela of Padua and Bonnie of Louisville

The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore is the main church of Florence, Italy. Il Duomo di Firenze, as it is ordinarily called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style to the design of Arnolfo di Cambio ...

 

The first of the 463 steps to the top of the Dome

Yet another beautiful church, but much more than that. Beside the fact that the pink and green marble is breathtakingly beautiful, the dome is an architectural wonder, not only of the time but still a mystery today.  

After a contest was held to find a builder back in the 13th century, a goldsmith who had NEVER BUILT ANYTHING was chosen to take on the project.

Filippo Brunelleschi was chosen and the work started in 1418 and it took until 1434 to complete. Brunelleschi started in 1420.

Even today the 149' dome is a mystery of construction. The dome has certainly withstood the test of time but one must wonder what "demons of doubt" this inexperienced builder must have faced.

Beside the fact that collapse was a possibility at all times and that the craftsmen were working hundreds of feet in the air, when they finally got to the top everything had to meet perfectly.

The other night, here in Louisville, we watched a documentary on the dome and an Italian architect named Massimo Ricci who is currently trying to reproduce the dome on a much smaller scale.

  

From the inside of the dome, one can easily forget about construction techniques and be overtaken by it's beauty. If one desires, you can take the very long and narrow stairway passage which spirals around the inside walls of the dome to the very top. We did not do it. One could write a whole book on the "duomo"and I'm sure many exist. 

But, with only one afternoon to spend, we missed much more than we saw. That said, what we saw was stunning. After quite awhile at the duomo and it's surrounding environs, we moved on toward the River Arno. Yes, we walked right past the famous Uffizi Gallery. Next time. 

Looking through the arch in front of Uffizi Gallery and across the Arno River

We arrived at the river just as the light of the day was fading into the night. As the lights of the streets and buildings at the rivers edge flicked on, the river became a jewel of reflection. To our right we saw the famous Ponte Vecchio.

The Arno River with Ponte Vecchio to the right

The Ponte Vecchio is so charming and fanciful it easily ignites ones imagination. The bridge itself is lined with shops cantilevered off the edges. One building just at the end of the bridge caught my attention more than the others. On the top was one of those sweet rooftop gardens that can only make one imagine sitting in the sunshine of a spring day, eating bread, olives, cheese and wine while breathing in the sweet river breeze from below. Yes, we will most definitely return to Florence.

Cantilevered shops on the Ponte Vecchio

Rooftop garden that ignited my imagination

After our lovely day we walked back to the train station for some refreshment, a few minutes more with Angela of Padua, and an emotional farewell between the two dear friends. Once again, the train platform provided the stage for hello's and goodbyes. Not long afterward, our train arrived and we boarded for a warm and sleepy return to our little haven on Via del Pelligrino.

We only used cabs a few times in Rome and the return trip from Florence was one of them. Sometimes, that little extra layer of luxury can make all the difference.