Roma Roma Roma

I had a charmed day in Rome.  I got up early and drove to the station to catch the direct train.  I had a cappuccino at the bar and bought my ticket from the bartender, who made sure that I knew how to stamp my ticket and pay the extra fare (since the bar sells only the cheaper regional tickets).  I left Assisi feeling confident after our conversation in Italian.

I got off in Termini and walked out into the city with all the morning commuters.  I didn't need to look at my map, and I carried only my small purse.  The sun was shining, and I had the whole day before me.

I headed down Via Nazionale and found my way (using my new gps phone!) to a little electronics store, where I bought a webcam to use for Skype. Another small success.  Then I wandered to the Pantheon, stopping to buy a slice of pizza and smilingly (how American) refusing the advances of a persistent Italian man.  I sat under the columns of the portico and ate my brunch, observing the streams of tourists and wondering about their thoughts.

My goal for this trip was to finally go inside St. Peter's.  I'd been to the Vatican many times, but never had the patience to wait in the line circling the piazza.  I walked through Piazza Navona, beautiful as always, and then up Via dei Coronari, a favorite street.

The line was short, but full of pushy tourists.  An entire Japanese tour cut in front of me, and some Germans pushed from behind.  It was hot in the sun, but I had to put on my jacket to cover my scandalously bare shoulders (see future rant about the contradictions and imbecilities of Italian culture).  I finally made it inside and was disappointed.  Except for the short descriptions given by friends and family, I entered completely ignorant about what to expect.  It looked dark, typical, and not nearly as big as I had been led to believe.

I liked best the last chapel on the left and the pointing hand of the saint on the right of the alter.  I saw the Pieta, prayed a little in a curtained chapel, saw a mass being watched by tourists (flashback to Notre Dame), stretched my neck every which way to see the ceiling frescoes, and got out of there as quickly as possible.

Making my way back towards P. Navona, I stopped for a caffe freddo at a corner bar.  I sat outside in the sun, regaining my composure from the crowds of St. Peter's.

It was now mid-afternoon and extremely hot.  I had one more errand to run: go to the H&M on Via del Corso and buy some shorts!

I made a detour to walk through Piazza del Popolo, noting the youth hanging out on the sides.  (I just watched a news reel about the Italian goths whom I now witnessed in person.  Their clothes are a direct contrast [rebellion against?] the classical beauty of the sun golden marble.)

I'll spare you the details of the multi-leveled horror and delight that is H&M... suffice to say that I emerged with a pair of shorts and a number of other items, one of which I'll have to return in Florence.  The psychological tricks worked, and I was duped yet again into spending more than foreseen.

I rushed back to the station, hurrying past the Spanish Steps without even looking.  I missed my train, the first and only real setback of the day, but I carefully bought myself an Estate iced tea and planted myself on a bench to start The Master and Margarita to wait for the next hour and a half.  The book was great; I was smiling uncontrollably, loving the descriptions of panicked emotions and the antics of the devil's henchmen, and I read the entire train ride, only glancing up occasionally to see the growing hills and mountains of the countryside, fields of sunflowers, flashing by.

Organizing the Kitchen

Putting away groceries and sorting all the different kinds of pasta... typical day at Santa Maria di Lignano.

Pastoral

The view from the house is so beautiful.  I'm always tempted to take more photos.

The full moon rising in the east:

And the sun setting in the west:

Conquering All Adversity

I've been in some stressful traveling situations, and today ranks up with the worst.  However, yet again, I have emerged victorious.

I was up most of the night, kept awake by the wind whistling past the windows and moaning down the chimney. After finally dropping off to sleep, I was awoken at 5am by slamming shutters and the howling of a windstorm.  I ran around the house, follow by a merry band consisting of the puppy and three kittens, wrestling shut all the windows and battening down the hatches.

I went out on the balcony and was greeted by a post-apocalyptic landscape, lit by the pre-dawn sky and an eerie moon, clouds streaming in the wind.

I fell back to sleep for a couple hours, but the day was definitely off to a bad start...

In the early afternoon, I drove down the mountain to Assisi.  Just at the bottom, where I turn onto the main road, I heard a strange noise and felt as if the car were dragging something.  I pulled over and got out of the car.  I beheld a truly horrifying sight: a flat tire.

I could feel my stomach clenching and sinking simultaneously.  I had no phone; there was no one I could call; I hardly speak Italian; it wasn't my car; who knows how much it would cost or where I would find help; and I had to deal with it myself, no one would do it for me.

I stayed calm and did what I had to do.  I walked to a hotel and asked the receptionist for help.  Because it was siesta, I had to wait an hour (watching some Italian soap opera playing on the lobby television), and then another half hour for the mechanic to come.  I ended up riding in the tow truck to a garage near Costano, where they fixed the tire.  No one spoke English, and I had nothing to do while I waited except melt in the heat.

It turns out the valve was broken, so I hadn't done anything wrong. Since it was going to happen no matter what, I have to be thankful it happened on an open stretch of road and that I hadn't been distracted.  But so much stress... I was keeping myself tightly under control for hours and hours with no release from the tension.

I drove the car back to Assisi, emotionally exhausted but triumphant.  The challenge was awful, but I rose to it.

The Drive to Assisi

Video of my daily drive down the mountain to the main road, which winds its way to the gates of Assisi.  This was on the morning we went to Ravenna; I'm talking to Norman, our resident art historian from NZ.

Castiglione del Lago

We drove up to Lake Trasimeno and visited the town of Castiglione del Lago, a walled city perched over the lake, crowned with a castle, ancient olive groves, and beaches.

We walked through the centro on our way to the palace and castle.  I had some iced tea, sampled some salami, and bought a small bag of tartuffo salt (delicious!) from one of the many shops selling local foods.  

The palace, connected to the castle, has huge windows looking out at the olives and the lake.  The high ceilings are covered with fanciful paintings, reminding me of Pompeii.

We climbed all over the castle - up the towers, across the ramparts, and through long, narrow passageways.

I could see the ferries going between the towns and the islands, and the olive trees were beautiful in the evening light.  This spot is so peaceful: definitely one of my favorites.

Ravenna

Ravenna is a beautiful city to the north, near the sea.  Driving from Assisi, we pass through the hills of Umbria followed by a mountain range to emerge onto the flats leading to the city.  Flat means walk-able and bike-able, and the streets are full of Italian grannies biking around town.

There are many shops and cafes.  People live and work in this city, and there aren't so many tourists.

Dante died here, though I have yet to visit his tomb.  Someday!

We did visit one of my favorite churches, the Basilica of San Vitale.

The colors of the mosaics and windows are some of the most beautiful I've seen... pale greens and golds and roses.

Even better is the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia located in the gardens of the basilica.  This small, red brick building is lined with mosaics sparkling in the dark.  The images are strange, post-apocalyptic, figures dressed in white waiting on shadowy shores.

We ended the day on the beach, where the water was warm and full of stinging jellyfish, but still relieving after the heat of the town.