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Italy 2019

May 2019
Our trip to Rome and Sorrento May 2019 Read more
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  • TravelerItaly 2019
    Day 4

    Meet for Vatican tour

    May 9, 2019 in Italy ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    Purchased the Walks of Italy "Pristine Sistine" early entry small group tour. A bit of a tough start - alarm went off at 0630 hrs and we thought it was 0600 hrs so had to leave by taxi in a mad dash to get to the Vatican for our tour meeting start of 0700 hrs.

    Luckily the rain held off and we grabbed a cappuccino and croissant (€10 - yikes!) at the nearby tented patisserie. You see these all over serving coffee, sandwiches, cornettos, sometimes fruit, sometimes souvenirs.

    Very good tour guide Sabrina who would adeptly handle our group of 10, mostly Americans. Doug met a woman from London ON who was on a cruise and said a one day stop in Rome was not enough! Absolutely true - one needs really a four night stay to see the "main" Roman sites.    Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2019
    Day 4

    Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

    May 9, 2019 in Vatican City ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    We waited with the masses and were efficiently escorted to the Sistine Chapel for the early opening. Still quite a few people there and it was annoying they were not going with the signage and the guide's request for silence during the viewing. You get 20 min to look at this incredible set of paintings on the ceiling that took Mike M four years to paint. The rest of the tour was a bit of a blur, a walk with the crowds stopping momentarily for some highlights and then on. With 30,000 people a day going through they have to keep it moving! If I went back again, I would go later in the day and just spend time going through some of the amazing galleries and collections there. From 500 AD to 1800 the popes were both the religious and government head so had tremendous power and resources which they used to collect many precious arts, do interior decorating and sponsor great works of religiously themed art. They also saved a lot of treasures from being destroyed as they appreciated the value of antiquities.

    The Vatican Museums are within Vatican City and comprise several exhibitions housed within several museum galleries. The collection began with the purchase by Pope Julius II of the statue of Laocoon and his Sons in 1506.

    The Sistine Chapel is named after Pope Sixtus IV (pope from 1471 to 1484). Each surface of the chapel is covered with exquisite art, the Last Judgment is painted on the wall opposite the entrance; the story of Christ is featured on the North Wall and the stories of Moses on the South Wall. However the main painting which visitors come to see is the ceiling fresco by Michelangelo. Michelangelo was originally commissioned to paint 12 apostles and ornamental motifs however he was not too enamored with this idea and eventually was given a free hand to plan the ceiling painting as he pleased. He painted 9 important events from the Book of Genesis down the center of the ceiling, the most famous being God giving Adam life with the touching of their two finger tips.

    Offical site:
    http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivatica…    Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2019
    Day 4

    St. Peter's Basilica and Square

    May 9, 2019 in Vatican City ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    The Square is a very impressive sight and beautiful setting for the Basilica. One reflects how large and impressive this is and what it must have been like for those from the 16th century who were not accustomed to such grandeur in their day to day lives. Designed by Bernini with 13 meter columns topped by 10 foot statues. The obelisk was taken from Egypt by the Romans, placed at the centre of Nero's chariot race course which was there before the square and eventually topped with a cross to befit its new use.

    Inside the Basilica is amazing - the largest church in the world filled with so many things and stories. Interestingly, Christians mummified their important people - saints, popes and the ones that are especially loved are on the main floor. The chapel housing one of the recent popes (the "Polish Pope) had quite a few people in it who were praying.

    Article:
    https://romanchurches.fandom.com/wiki/St_Peter's

    Short article:
    http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/sanpietro.htm    Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2019
    Day 4

    Lunch at Be.Re

    May 9, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Via Vesppasiano, 2
    Trapizzino

    Italian fast food - a trapizzino is a bun cut on a triangle and filled with a warm filling. Nancy had chicken cacciatore (chicken, rosemary, garlic, vinegar and white wine - no tomatoes - very good) and Doug had a beef meatball. He splurged €6 on a filtered cofee (no refills!) and Nancy had a cappuccino. Adequate, food reasonable, drinks crazy expensive!Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2019
    Day 4

    Castel Sant' Angelo

    May 9, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    From the Vatican area we walked back home. We viewed Castel Sant'Angelo and did not go in here but it is an impressive sight. As usual, many Roman buildings were saved by Christians putting the structure to use for their own purposes and then things evolving as time went on.

    The Castel Sant'Angelo, also known as The Hadrian Mausoleum, was constructed 130AD-139AD on the edge of the River Tiber by Emperor Hadrian for himself, his family and his successors' internment. The mausoleum has a cylindrical colonnaded drum, 64 meters in diameter, on top of an 89 meter wide square base which was covered with lush planted gardens and trees.

    Over the years the function and appearance of the Castel Sant'Angelo changed. In the middle Ages additional towers and fortified walls were constructed. It became an impenetrable defensive bastion and was incorporated into the city walls (270-275AD). For the protection of the papal community a secret, fortified passage way, Passetto di Borgo, was constructed (14th century), connecting to the Vatican.

    Article:
    http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/castelsantang…    Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2019
    Day 4

    Via Giulia walk

    May 9, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Interesting Renaissance area street (1500s-1700s) which had less traffic. Not many shops or things of interest on it for Nancy but Doug enjoyed taking pictures and the architecture. Mostly architectural firms, design studios, a prison guarded by machine gun carrying young men, a lot of churches for people visiting from other countries. In that time churches were built for those travelling (eg Henry VIII so an English Church, Church of Spain, Florence etc; one to three on a block).

    Designed by Bramante in 1508 as part of an urban development program ordered by Pope Julius II, Via Giulia is one of Rome's most charming streets, an elegant, largely car-free strip of churches, colourful Renaissance palazzi and discreet fashion boutiques. At its southern end, the 17th-century Fontana del Mascherone features the face of a man seemingly surprised by water spewing from his mouth. Just beyond it, and spanning the road, is the Arco Farnese, an overhead arch designed by Michelangelo as part of an unfinished project to connect Palazzo Farnese with Villa Farnesina on the opposite side of the Tiber. Down Via di Sant’Eligio, is the lovely Raphael-designed Chiesa di Sant’Eligio degli Orefici.

    Article:
    http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/viagiulia.htm    Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2019
    Day 4

    Dinner at Papa Re

    May 9, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Papa Re is a trattoria (definition of a trattoria is that which serves local/ Italian foods vs a Ristorante which also serves international food, (our foodie guide Riche told us that Rome is not known to do international well but does Italian VERY well so try to stick with that). It is a just a few steps from our apartment and is open all day - many places close at 3 pm and open again about 7:30 which is the very latest that we'd want to start a meal. Good prices and average to above average meal. Doug started with gnocchi followed by pan fried veal scallopini and Nancy had a Roman salad (chicory slices, a bit of anchovy, garlic oil and vinegar - very good!) followed by spaghetti cacio e pepe (spaghetti with pecorino and pepper (this is a sheep cheese - no don't order Parmigiano in Roma! how much of a tourist are you?) - a well known Italian dish. Back to the apartment for hazelnut and almond cookies from the bakery Innocente and some reading to prepare for tomorrow.Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2019
    Day 4

    Day 4 Travels

    May 9, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Today's theme was Vatican City.

    Took a taxi to Vatican at 07:00 and walked back. Home around 18:00.

    Distance: 17.061 steps 11.8 km. Another active day.

    Weather: Threatening when we went into the museum and some sprinkles as we left St. Peter's, but cleared and ended up 21 degrees.

    Live map:
    https://drive.google.com/open?id=1c2KQjqRkuO6fL…    Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2019
    Day 5

    Breakfast and a Walk in the Ghetto

    May 10, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    As we did not have breakfast supplies we took off to find breakfast in the Jewish part of town across the river. We found the Jewish bakery visited by Rick Steves in his video and recommended on trip advisor so bought two of the cheesecakes. These actuallly are pastry filled with ricotta and either a fruit jam or chocolate. We ate one and Nancy packed the other around all day and we had it for dessert. It was better warmed up. We had it with another Nespresso in a paper cup on a bench in the square where the sparrows were quite aggressive trying to get crumbs before they hit the ground, or even snatching from your fingers. Doug got quite annoyed at the pigeons and birds wanting his breakfast - not the most relaxing time but memorable. 🤨
    The area included the very impressive ruins around the Marcellus Theatre and Portico d'Ottavia near the Tiber up to the pretty Turtle Fountain and lovely Piazza Margana.

    More at:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Ghetto    Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2019
    Day 5

    Largo Argentina

    May 10, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Stopped here - it is right in the middle of the city. Paused to think what it must have looked like and muse that this is where Caesar met his end.

    Today, Largo del Torre Argentina is largely known as the piazza where you frequently have to change buses, but set into its middle is an excavated zone sporting a trio of ancient temples, their columns poking up like broken teeth, their grassy foundations prowling with Rome's largest colony of stray cats, which legend holds are hosts for the ghosts of ancient Romans.

    The Largo Argentina ruins are all the more remarkable for the fact that they just sort of sit there, un-remarked upon—which is especially puzzling given that every 9th grader has read Julius Caesar, and here is the exact spot where he was killed! Against the eastern edge of the excavations you can see the jumbled remains of some brick walls. This was the exit to Pompey's Theater and Baths complex, which the Roman Senate was using in the 1st century BC to hold their meetings while the main Senate house in the Forum was being rebuilt. It was while exiting one of these meetings, on these very steps now covered in cats, that Brutus, Cassius, and the other conspirators fell upon Julius Caesar and stabbed him to death.

    Article:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largo_di_Torre_Ar…    Read more

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