Bits and pieces: Castel Gandalfo, Firenze, Lago di Garda, Mantova, Parma, Rome, Sirmione, Sorrento, Zagarolo

Originally published on: Oct 12, 2009

Here I am in Sorrento, tucked away in a cabin-like room high above the city with a panoramic view of the Amalfi Coast. Or I will have when the clouds move out of the way.  On the bus ride up the hill, it started pouring rain, but it stopped by the time I had to get off the bus. The steep stone path leading to the hotel, which is some distance away, had streams of water gushing down, impeding my progress with my luggage. I left many things (books, heavy clothes, etc.) in the closet at Lidia’s house in Rome, where I will return at the end of the week. It’s been warm during my entire stay in Italy, and I’ve hardly even needed a jacket. But the weather seems to be changing today.

There is a large window beside my bed, overlooking a garden filled with fruit and olive trees: the olives have just been harvested and are collected in bins around the yard. It’s a bit early for harvesting, but it seems they decided to trim the trees and collected the olives before cutting the limbs.

It was somewhat of a convoluted journey to get to Sorrento.  I stayed with Lidia last night in Rome, and this morning she and Carlo drove me to the Metro to take the subway to get to Termini, the main train station. I caught a train to Naples, which took about 2 hours. From Naples, I took another train, called the Circumvesuviana, which took another hour, making about twenty stops along the way. Once I arrived in Sorrento, I was put off by the crowds of tourists, who seem to be mainly Germans, Brits and Americans. I guess I’m getting to be somewhat of a snob, as I prefer to be around Italians when I’m in Italy.

Time to backtrack a little, just a short overview of what I’ve been up to.

Parma:  Pietro drove Renata and I to Mantova and Lago di Garda and the town of Sirmione one day. I enjoyed the ride through the countryside north of Parma. The next day, Renata and I took the train to Bologna, but we were both put off by the noise and the crowds, so we only stayed a few hours and returned to Parma after meeting up with her daughter, Francesca.

The next night I met up with Marco, a pediatrician, and his wife, Marvi. They drove from the nearby town of Modena, and we spent the evening together, eating a great meal at an outdoor cafè, laughing a lot, then having gelato while we walked along the streets of Parma’s historical center. I had planned to walk back to Renata’s house, but I had too much wine and Marco insisted on driving me instead, which turned out to be another adventure, first trying to hail a taxi to get to Marco’s car (for some reason, it was almost impossible to get one), then trying to find Renata’s house from a map, all while feeling a bit drunk. But I arrived safe and sound and really enjoyed my time with Marco and Marvi.

The next day, Renata and I rode bikes downtown to meet Giovanna for espresso at the same outdoor cafè I’d been to the night before. I was introducing the two of them to each other. When Renata had to leave an hour later, Giovanna and I strolled around Parma for a while, then I spent another few hours riding around town to the various parks I enjoy. Unfortunately, every time I tried sitting on one of the park benches, swarms of mosquitoes showed up to ruin my enjoyment of the day. They’ve been frequent visitors on this trip, as the weather continues to be mild and warmer than usual in Italy.

Firenze : I left Parma on Friday to spend the day with Haruko in Firenze. Renata was leaving for a long weekend in France with her sisters, so it seemed a good time to move on. Haruko and I had a great time walking around our favorite areas, eating lunch and gelato, then hanging out on the terrace at my hotel. In the evening there was a thunderstorm, complete with thunder and lightning, which was something I had not experienced before in Italy. Even though Florence was noisy and crowded, it was nice to be in such a familiar place again. I’m thankful that the hotel I usually stay at had a room available on such short notice, they even gave me a double room for the price of a single, since I’m a regular guest and they didn’t have a single available.

Il Bargellino

Zagarolo : On Saturday, I took the train to Rome, then another to Zagarolo, to meet up with Deborah, who needs a house-sitter while she travels next year. She has a lovely house out in the country, and a large yard filled with olive and fruit trees, including cherry, fig, and pomegranate. One of the neighbors harvests the olives each year and gives Deborah a few bottles of olive oil after it’s been processed. Across the road is a small vineyard that produces a white wine called Tufaio. We met with the owner, a friend of Deborah’s and we sampled a bottle, along with biscotti. If I’m around in the fall, I can help with the vendemmia, or wine production. Deborah and I hit it off well, as we have many similar interests, habits, and ways of thinking. She prepared several wonderful meals for me and really made me feel welcome in her home. I met her cats and rabbit, who are the main reason she needs a house-sitter while she is gone. At the end of my stay, we agreed that I will come for several months in the spring when she wants to travel to Mongolia.

After five visits to Italy where I’ve spent most of my time moving from place to place, I’m eager to stay in one spot and see what it’s like. Living in the country will be a different kind of experience, but one I’m ready to tackle.

Rome : On Sunday, I caught the train back to Rome, and the metro out to the EUR district, where Lidia and Carlo live. After I stashed my bags at their place, we drove to a lake 15 miles southeast of Rome, Lago di Castel Gandalfo. Overlooking the lake is Castel Gandolfo, where the Pope has his summer villa. A friend of theirs, Carlo’s first English teacher from many years ago, lives near the lake, and we met up with him there. On the way back to Rome, we got stuck in the long line of traffic, a common occurrence on the weekends, when Romans leave the city for the day and then all try to return at the same time on Sunday evening. Carlo referred to it as “traffico bestiale”. Once back at their flat, we had a lovely dinner, and I got to meet their daughter Yuli.

Sorrento : I went into town for the afternoon, which is a good distance away from my hotel. I walked down the hill instead of taking the bus, and it soon became clear that a storm was brewing. Huge black clouds and fierce winds were followed by rain, and the temperature dropped by at least 10 degrees: too bad I left my warm clothes at Lidia’s house. When I decided to return to the hotel, the bus did not show up, and several of us were left wondering what had happened. Finally someone told us that the piazza is closed to traffic after 7:30, and we would need to walk to another bus stop to catch it. We walked at least a half mile, and waited another 15 minutes before one arrived. I was the last one on the bus, and it dropped me off in a different location than where I’d come before, forcing me to walk along a steep, dark drive for another 10 minutes, with the wind howling around me. It’s the creepiest experience I’ve ever had in Italy,there were no lights, no people, no indication of where I was or where I was going. Finally, I reached the hotel and my little cabin. I don’t think I’ll be staying out after dark again while I’m here.

Roma, Day 2

Originally published on: Jan 12, 2007 

The second day in Rome, I was on my own. I got up early, and headed out for a long walk across town. I wanted to focus on art and nature; I was especially interested in locating paintings by Caravaggio and Artemisia Gentileschi.As I walked across fiume Tevere (Tiber River), I saw this view.

It was about 9 a.m., and I had the streets of Rome to myself. I bought the yummiest pastries at a just-opened pasticceria and had the best cappuccino al banco. (The Italian custom of standing at an often-marble-topped bar while you drink espresso.) Below, I caught a shot of a woman preparing roses for market.

In the French section of the city, I located Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi, home to three Caravaggio paintings of Saint Matthew. Then I walked to Piazza del Popolo, to see an exhibit of Carvaggio paintings, only to find it had closed the day before. Argh! Here's a poster of what I missed.

Here's a view of Piazza del Popolo from Pincio Gardens.

Then I walked through Pincio Gardens to Galleria Borghese, but since I hadn't made a reservation, was told I'd have to wait three hours to get in. Argh! Instead, I spent an hour or so enjoying Pincio Gardens, one of my most favorite spots in Rome. This place is HUGE, and the trees are phenomenal. This turned out to be my art gallery for the day. I'll come back for more of Caravaggio another time. As for Artemisia, you'll hear more about her in my next entry on Florence.

I walked down the Spanish steps, back to Piazza Navona, and around to the Trevi Fountain. This fountain also has a legend attached to it. As the story goes, if you throw a coin over your shoulder into the fountain, it assures your return to Rome. The place was so crowded, and I already KNOW I'll be going back, so I didn't indulge in the ritual. But here's what it looks like.

I spent about six hours walking from one end of Rome to the other before heading back to Termini to catch the Eurostar back to Firenze. Like Florence, Rome is a city I want to return to again and again and again...there's so much to see, it could take the rest of my life.

Roma, Day 1

Originally published on: Jan 12, 2007

While in Firenze, I took a weekend trip to Rome on a Eurostar train, which takes less than two hours, compared to a 4-hour trip by car or Regular train. I had booked a room online in a sweet little guest house in the Trastevere area of Rome. I would highly recommend this place, run by Sylvie Ruzzin, a young French photographer who has relocated in Rome. Here's a link to her website:
www.maria-rosa.it

I arrived in Rome's gigantic, modern Termini station and followed Sylvie's easy instructions to catch a nearby bus across town to Trastevere. Described as a Bohemian area of Rome famous for its quaint restaurants, here's a view along the street where I stayed.

My penpal Paolo had offered to give me a tour of Rome, and I couldn't pass up the chance to learn about the Eternal City from an Italian history buff. Paolo met me at the guesthouse in Trastevere, along with his wife Silvia and their daughters Miriam and Livia. Paolo, Livia and I went sightseeing while Silvia and Miriam headed off on a shopping trip. First, we walked along the Tiber River to view two structures from ancient Rome: the mouth of the city's still functioning great sewer, Cloaca Maxima, and part of a ruined bridge, called the Ponte Rotto. Then we took a drive down via Porta San Sebastiano, leading to the gate of the same name. Beyond the gate is Via Appia Antica (Appian Way), built in 312 B.C.

Below is a view of cars coming out of la Porta San Sebastiano.

The Aurelian Wall, built in 272 B.C. as a defense for the city, still stands, and spans some 11 miles around one edge of modern Rome.

Next, we went to the Mouth of Truth (Bocca della Verità), which many people remember from an old Audrey Hepburn movie, Roman Holiday. As the legend goes, if you place your hand in the mouth of the sculpture, and you are a liar, your hand will get bitten off. This shows Paolo and Livia proving their innocence...

After this, we were joined by Silvia and Miriam and continued sightseeing. Some of the other sights we saw that day include the Colosseum,

The forum

and The Pantheon.

Later we went to the Vatican, and arrived there just as the sun was setting. Inside Saint Peter's Cathedral we saw Michaelangelo's Pieta. (Oddly enough, I saw this statue in 1965 in New York City at the Worlds Fair.) Earlier in the day, we also saw Michaelangelo's Moses statue at San Pietro in Vincoli.

That evening, we spent several hours in the center of town, visiting Piazza Navona, where musicians and street performers entertained us. Several famous fountains reside here, but alas, they were boarded up for repair. I experienced a bit of magic with one of the street performers, a female mime dressed in silver. Entranced by her movement, I took several photos of her, then placed some change in the hat at her feet. As I did so, she handed me a note, written by hand in French with a silver pen. It said:

de coeur percoit ce que l'oeil ne voit pas

I handed it to Silvia and the girls, knowing they speak French, in addition to Italian and English. As they translated, "the heart perceives what the eye cannot see," I knew at once the source..."The Little Prince," by Antoine Saint Exupèry. The note was a paraphrase of a very important quote. This book has special meaning for me, and this phrase in particular:

"And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart
that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye."

Without knowing it, the woman in silver added a moment of grace to my night in Rome. True synchronicity. I still have the note, by the way...

Paolo and his family treated me to an incredible meal at a trattoria, then gelato afterwards as we strolled the area. We ended up spending 11 hours together, and I experienced an unforgettable introduction to the beauty and splendor of Rome. I've done a meager job of sharing all that I saw and learned that day, and I'll be forever grateful for their kindness and generosity in showing me around. Here's a view of Livia, Paolo, Silvia and Miriam from that evening. Grazie molte, i miei amici!