Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Friday, May 20, 2004 - Leftovers


The kids are sleeping in and Mom is going to visit some churches on her own today. I started out at 7:15 am, taking the metro to Vittorio Emanuel. From there it is an easy walk to Santa Maria Maggiore. It's open but it seems only beggars and people going to mass are there at this hour.

There’s a mass going on in one of the side chapels and I feel like a heathen walking around gawking. I would have liked to have gone up closer to see the mosaic in the apse but I was too self conscience about disturbing worshippers. I did listen to the history of the church on a telephone in the back.

Next, the church for the made-up Saint, Santa Pudenziana. This was originally a Roman home, where perhaps there was a house church. It was known as the Pudens house but as the years went by, people forgot that and they made up a saint for the church.

I almost missed this church because it's down a quiet side street and below street level. It's a smaller intimate church. I was able to look around by myself.

Next some backtracking to find Santa Prassede, Pudenziana's made-up sister. You can easily miss this church as the outside looks like a bank or something. Oh but the inside--a spectacular mosaic, blue background like Cosmos & Damion, very similar in fact. This time Peter and Paul are welcoming Pudenziania and Prassede into heaven. Frankly these mosaics impress me more than the Sistine Chapel.

By now it was 9 am and I'm off to San Giovanni in Laterano. I could walk but it seems easier to take the metro which goes right there in two stops.

From the metro stop you have to pass through the ancient Roman gate, Porta Asinaria to come up what is the back of San Giovanni. It's confusing because the back is more ornate than the front and I was afraid the church was closed. The square was lined with flags and balloons and a set up with mikes, some sort of event taking place later, I gather.

On the way to the front of San Giovana, I crossed the street to the right to peek into Scala Santa and Sancta Sanctoria, where there are many pilgrims on their knees climbing what is believed to be the stairs Christ ascended to Pilate during his trail (it is said this tradition can not be traced any earlier than the 7th century, but then again, it's a symbol.) There are regular stairs for the less faithful on the other side, but I didn’t see anyone using them so I didn't go upstairs.

On to St. Giovanni. This is the first time I've seen a "Beware of pickpockets" sign and it is in front of a church. Now that is just sad. It’s a beautiful church, this time with gold mosaics. I couldn't figure out to get the computer light to work to see the mosaic better.

I would have liked to gone on to visit Quattro Coronate, but I was pretty tired by then so I came back to the apartment. It was a nice morning tour for me.

When I got home I slept for a couple of hours then Sarah wanted to shop. Isaac wanted to lounge so we took the metro to Spagna and sauntered along the via condotti, window shopping.

Then we were ready for something a little more low-brow like the souvenir stores around the Trevi Fountain.

This time I had a coin so I threw one in for good measure. We stop for gelato, crème caramel for Sarah, crème caramel and nocciola for me. We stayed and watched all the people pose for pictures around the fountain.

While I was changing film, Sarah spied a comedic scene as a toddler grabbed the water bottle of a distracted tourist, poured his water out into the fountain and walked away before the tourist knew he was there. Sarah laughed out loud as she watched the tourist attempt to take a drink and the confused look on his face as he pondered why his bottle was empty.

Back to the apartment for some rest. The kids are determined to see the Mouth of Truth. This is not in a particularly accessible area or an area where there is much else to see.

According to the KD Eyewitness book the bus 23 goes right there. That's a lie. There's no stop on 23 for Piazza della Bocca della Verita, which is what we want. An American woman overhears us talking and tells us to get off at the Marmorata stop. We wait more than a half hour. We should have taken the metro to Circus Maximus, would have been easier.

The bus is so crowded, I don't know how we all got on it. I can't see out the window, I have no idea where to get off. We end up getting off to soon. I have no idea where we are. The 82 comes along, we take it to the Marmorata stop.

It is a bit of a hike but we find the Bocca della Verita ( Mouth of Truth) at the Santa Maria in Cosmedin It's 6:30 and the portico is closed. All that and it's closed. But at least you can see it through the bars so we get a picture. The kids at least have seen it.

There is a bus stop right in front of it, but it? s not the 23. We take the 95 to the Barbarini Metro. Because the other bus was too crowded to validate our tickets, we've made this 2 1/2 hour trip on one ticket, though a ticket is only good for 75 minutes.

I'm sooo tired but we have to eat. Around the corner to Caravelli's again. Sarah wants what I had the last time, the cannelloni. Isaac has ravioli and I have risotto ragu. It is really good stick your stomach, no nonsense food. Just what I was looking for after a long, sometimes frustrating day of sightseeing.

We decide our last night in Roma calls for dolce. Tiramisu for me, lemone torte for Sarah, cheesecake for Isaac. I had tiramisu once at an Italian restaurant in the states and didn't really care for it. This was different. This was wonderful. Sarah declares her lemone torte the best dessert she's had in her life. Isaac is also pleased. The total bill including wine, water and coke is 42.50 E. Good deal.

So tomorrow we leave Rome. I like Rome. Rome is a charming city. I love how you can be walking along a normal busy street, turn a corner and suddenly be surprised by a beautiful fountain, lovely piazza, or stunning church. But I'm also ready to leave Rome. It's an intense city. The kids are ready to go home. I feared this would be a long trip but I felt, rightly, we needed a full week in Rome. And how could we come and not see Florence and Venice.

Tomorrow -- Firenze


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