Days of Indugence - Roma Sightseeing

[amberdreams]

I haven't written up Days 1 and 2 but never mind.  Here's Day of indulgence #3, in this week of pure (non Papal) indulgences.

So it was bright and sunny here today, no sign of yesterday's rain.  I went out early because of the lack of power (it went off at 8am and was showing no signs of reappearing). When I got to the road crossing at the Wedding Cake, there were all these barriers being put up, and people starting to gather.  So I thought I might as well hang around and see what was going on, and ended up with a front row place to watch some ceremony to do with independence (I think). 

In the build up the security was fun to watch.  There was a bunch of guys in suits, some with walkie talkies, some not, all wandering rounds seemingly at random across the piazza, provoding the early morning traffic with an even more challenging ride than usual.  I saw one guy cross the road, change his mind and walk back, all the while talking to one of his colleagues who was on the side, totally oblivious of the tourist bus and several cars who had to take evading action.

Security guy was very super cool....

They didn’t actually close the piazza off to traffic until about 15 minutes before the Presindent’s cavalcade arrived.  (I only found out it was in fact the President when I watched the news in the evening.  At the time, I was making a lot of assumptions!).

The President waved to me (and a couple of hundred others) after the placing of a big wreath up on the monument behind the eternal flame; we had a marching band playing the national anthem, some veterans with flags and lots of soldier boys all dressed up with plumes and stuff.  Oh, and what looked like a row of military nuns.

Then after it was all over, I wandered round the back of the monument up to the Campidoglio, which was nearly deserted.  I was going to visit Santa Maria in Aricoeli but I think it was closed, so I went down the hill a bit to that cobbled road that runs round the back of the Palatine hill to check out San Teodoro Rotundo.  It was open, but not very interesting inside - anything ancient has been cleansed in the 18^th/19^th  C from the look of it, and I also incurred the wagging finger of doom from the Orthodox priest for taking a photo with flash of the only interesting thing - a XII? C mosaic in the apse.  Well I wouldn't have needed the flash if they just lit the blooming thing in the first place.  I did look for a €1 illumination box but there wasn't one.

On exiting I nearly bumped into two romantically involved young lads, so busy holding hands they weren't looking where they were going.  I followed them down the Velabrium, had a quick look round San Giorgio in Velabrio, which is a lovely church (they look so much cleaner and fresher without the Baroquicification!), then made my way across to have a look at the restored Temple of Vesta.  When I went up the embankment round the back of the temple, I saw a tree creeper creeping up one of its pillars!

After sitting on the grassy slope for a bit hoping in vain that the wee bird would return for its photo op, I gave up and crossed back over the road to head up the Aventine hill to Santa Sabina.  I think when in Rome a few years back we (the hubster and I) had been up that way (or maybe we just came down it?), a slightly overgrown cobbled road that winds up the hill between high walls to come out on a more obvious used road at the top, the Via Santa Sabina.  That is another pretty church, still in its original 10-12th state, open aisled basilica with lovely stone latticed Romanesque windows.  The park next door was full of orange trees laden with both oranges and blossom at the same time (I'm not sure how that can be) and the scent of the blossom was gorgeous.  I stayed up there for about half an hour, just chilling watching the people come and go from the viewing point overlooking the city.  An old guy turned up with (possibly) his granddaughters, one in her teens, the other about ten, who set themselves up to draw and paint the views.  It was all very civilised and pleasant in the sunshine.

Leaving the little park, I walked along to the end of the Via Santa Sabina, taking in San Alessio and San Anselmo on the way.  San Anselmo's was 20th century but built in the thin Roman brick in the same basilican style, and it had a fun shop with the usual Catholic geegaws plus a load of alcoholic drinks because it was run by Benedictines.  I bought some Trappist chocolate for the hubster.  I’d say it kind of spoke to me but obviously I’d be lying.

Outside there was a square with a wall full of monuments, and a queue of people all lined up to look through some green painted doors forming a rather magnificent entrance to a walled estate, which was something to do with the Knights of Malta.  So of course I had to join the queue - curiosity had to be assuaged, as well as my innate British desire to join any queue - and I was rewarded with a perfectly framed view of St Peter's duomo down an avenue of trees.  So it was worth a look, though the hole was so small I couldn't get a picture through it.

Then I went back down the hill and across the bridge to the Trastavere, where while I was checking out the menu, I was accosted by an old guy sitting outside a restaurant eating fava beans.  As he was so persuasive, I decided to eat there and then he insisted on giving me one of these long beans to enjoy (I think they are pretty much like our broad beans?).  They were ok, but a little bitter, I thought.  Anyhow, I had fettucine alla Vincenza (I think), which was with mushrooms and peas, and an insalata mista.  My waiter was very talkative too, and got into a fight with a low hanging basket after banging his head on it several times - he tore it down and I ended up with a pink petunia petal on my plate.  Garnish, I suppose.

After my adventurous dinner, I walked through the Trastavere, took lots of photos of Santa Maria in Trastavere's XII century mosaics, had my daily ice cream sitting by the fountain in the square, before making my way back to the hotel, knackered.  Ice cream report - frutta di bosca (excellent) and melone (so so, or should I say cosi cosi).  I then slept for about an hour before going out to Despar to stock up for the weekend.  And why is Spar now called Despar?  Is it just missing an ‘i’?

Next stop, the Hilton and Jus in Bello - squee!!!!

Comments

[the-dean-team.livejournal.com]

Thanks for sharing your adventures so far... Great photos too! ;)

[amber1960.livejournal.com]

Thanks - it's J2 today!!

[tifaching.livejournal.com]

Sounds heavenly. Squee for me a little would you please?

[amber1960.livejournal.com]

I certainly will - J2 today (and Jim B!)

[monicawoe.livejournal.com]

Yay!!! Glad you are having fun!
And it will get even more fun the next few days
: D

[amber1960.livejournal.com]

Day 1 of the Con has been and gone, time for J3 today!