Traveling Tips

After spending seven weeks in Rome, here is some general advice I have for the fellow traveler (particularly those spending at least a couple of weeks in one location).
1. Develop Some Routine: cappuccino every morning, pasta from the same lunch place, dinner every Tuesday at Cave Canum. Having something you look forward to and having a sever who maybe knows your order is comforting when you are somewhere where everything else seems unpredictable.
2. Your Health Matters: drink plenty of water, you need to stay hydrated, and it helps keep you stay regular :) Eat your fruit and veggies, bring the allergy medicine you might need, sleep enough. In seven weeks, you'll need every trick in the book to stay healthy.
3. Travel Well: invest in a good map and buy a couple of bus tickets just in case it rains, or you shoe breaks, or there is some place far you want to visit. In my opinion, if you always have a good map and an emergency ticket you'll feel a lot better about taking risks and exploring someplace new or walking a little further than your usual destination.
4. Watch Your Money, But Try Not to Worry About It: do some budgeting before you leave or you might spend a lot more than you plan, but also realize that plans change and maybe a trip to Almafi is worth it even though it wasn't in the budget. In my opinion, try to do breakfast and lunch on the cheap side (or even at home) and maybe try to have a nicer dinner out a few nights a week, rather than a cheap meal every night. House wine is pretty good, especially the white, but maybe splurge on a good glass of red once in a while.
5. Be Safe, Not Scared: close your purse, keep your hand on your wallet in close quarters, pay attention to where you are. Rome is a safe city, but there's no need to test things..
6. One Bad Experience Won't Kill the Trip: something will go wrong, maybe something small, maybe something major. In the moment, it won't be fun, but maybe later it will seem like it was. Don't worry if something isn't perfect, you will have other experiences too.

My Nemesis

According to the Knopf guide of Rome, my nemesis is the Herring Gull. Every night, he competes with the traffic, the loud dog next door, the yappy dog down the block, and the random signing drunks to wake me up the most. To be fair, Rome also has the black-headed gull, but I think that the Herring Gull is really something special. For a rather limied sample of his voice, check out the Cornell Ornithology Lab. The link doesn't capture his laughing, catlike, or baby type sounds, which are particularly creepy late at night. To be fair, Dr. Benson has reminded me that at night the gulls often swarm above the Vittorio Emanuele Monument and it can be a rather magical sight. But, in my opinoin, it is also reminiscent of Hitchcock's The Birds! This little arrogant guy hung out on the Trevi all morning.

New Favorites

Rome has several catacombs. The last time I was here my attempted visit to them failed, and I had two failed attempts earlier this trip. But today we finally made it. The main ones are out on Apia way, and it's an easy bus ride to them. Although the area is not far, just outside of the original walls of Rome, you find yourself in pastures with country villas, and the Saint Callixtus catacombs are located in a park like area, with winding paths, and bikers and runners. I'm not sure if it was a because of our guide (P. Owen Mason; he was outstanding), but our tour particularly stressed the religious elements of the catacombs. He explained how many of those buried there were martyred "witnessing their faith" (ie, killed because they were Christian) and how the site was a secret holy place for early Christians in the 2nd and 3rd centuries and later an important spot for pilgrims (9th century). Being shoved between various tour groups all striving to take some posed picture in the Pantheon (or any other location), whose behavior seems unholly, one sometimes forgets how Rome has been a religious tourist destination for two thousand years. Our guide today was a priest (at least I think so, he had a collar, but my knowledge of Catholic practices is limited) and it was interesting to have a reading of a tourist site so clearer grounded in religion. Obviously the site itself invites it too. But our guide also made sure to convey that we shouldn't see the place as sad (there are over 500,000 tombs, many to children) or scary (over 20 kilometers of dark, weaving passages), because for Christians death is not the end and indeed many of the symbols found in the catacombs stressed peace, salvation, and reunification with loved ones. It's a nice perspective, even for a heathen like myself.

The site is a great, quiet destination, close to the city. The grounds are grassy, peaceful, and bucolic. The catacombs themselves are interesting. But if one needs another reason, visit the catacombs because being twenty meters underground also drops the temperature and it is comfortably chilly.

Old Haunts

In an effort to escape the scorching Roman heat, I headed out to Trastevere, the area I lived in the last time I was in Rome. Breeze off the Ganiculum often softens the heat, and overhead trees along the river and those lining many of the streets drop the overall temperature by at least a few precious degrees. Trastevere is often filled with tourists, but its mostly a hot night spot, for dinner and drinks, and Friday during the day its mostly empty. My mission was to find the Corsini Galleria. Located on huge grounds filled with trees, the museum is rather small. For four euro, though, it's less expensive than many of the larger museums, and one gets to spend some almost intimate time (the museum, even on Friday, was largely empty) with a particularly beautiful Caravaggio. Taking pictures is not allowed, and this image is from Wikipedia. Afterward, I winded my way back through the streets to the many cafes and enjoyed some lunch with the various ex-pats (this one English) who tend to inhabited the trendy region of Trastevere.

Tourist Guilt

At the beginning of our trip here, time seemed endless, and now as we have merely a matter of days I have to be more selective about what I get to do in Rome. Here is when tourist guilt particularly sets in. What have I been doing these past six weeks? What haven't I seen yet, what are those places that everyone who visits Rome hears about and always means to see? And I am also torn by questions like what is worth seeing again and which of my favorite places should I go back to? In this last week, I will try to frame my entries to respond to these questions.

Global World

When one thinks of cities, one often considers its international factors. New York is a space of food, shopping, and entertainment from around the world. London too is seen as an international city with a variety of communities and food from allover, particularly its former colonies. Rome too had its colonial ambitions, but the city is cast for tourists as essentially Italian and little else. But with an official population over three milllion, Italy is home to people throughout the world, especially Africa and South East Asia. Pockets of African and Asian jewelry and clothing shops, and Indian and Asian restaurants (primarily Chinese and Japanese) are undoubtedly seen throughout the city. In the streets above Merulana and near Termini (by Piazza Vittorio Emanuele), you'll find one such pocket, where one can buy Bohemian crystal from a Bangladeshi, Black Indian Silver from an Italian, and enjoy Korean food prepared by Koreans. As if Rome wasn't already an overwhelming city with all its great Italian food, wine, and traditional leather goods, there are all sorts of other styles and tastes available just around the corner.

Where to Get Away

If the speed, noise, and endless bustle of the city have you looking for a break, visit one of Rome's many parks, such as Villa Celimontana. On a late Sunday afternoon you'll find it packed with Romans, many with a bambino or two, or at least a small dog. Some have brought various games, some are singing, others just nap in the afternoon sun. Many have brought entire tables and picnics with full roasted chickens and grilled veggies. Bring yourself a blanket and settle in the grass to either people watch or follow the parrots as they fly from the high pines trees with building materials for their nests in the palms. You might catch a familiar word or two in English, but for the most part the park is also tourist free.

The Gatti of Rome

Throughout Rome you will find it's little guardians, the gatti. Stray cats are prominent throughout the city, and you will often see Romans leaving little plates of food out for them. Two places in the city specifically cater to the stray cats, the sanctuary at the Protestant Cemetery and the sanctuary at Torre Argentina. Both places see the cats as guardians. The sanctuaries are different, and the one at Torre Argentina runs a rather sophisticated charity which spays and neuters strays and adopts out former pets. The Protestant Cemetery has fewer cats and they generally seem less feral; more seek out attention. They appear to have been primarily former pets rather than street cats. This photo is of a particularly friendly little cat from the Protestant Cemetery. Of note: should one be concerned about any threat from these cats, Rabies is essentially non-existent in Italy. If they approach you, it's just because they're friendly. To read more of the history of cats in Rome check out "Go Europe".

Where to Park It

This weekend and last taught me a couple of lessons about hotels in Italy. Certainly one can (and perhaps should) use major search engines such as Expedia, but I have learned a couple of important lessons. Read the reviews! Should you pick the cheap place anyway, at least you will know that you need to bring earplugs to deal with the noise. Make sure you are clear about whether or not you will be sharing the bathroom with other rooms--I take private bathrooms as a given in the States, it's not here in Rome. But my biggest piece of advice is pay close attention to the location of a hotel. "In Sorrento" can mean a twenty minute bus ride from the town, and your lucky if the bus is regular or even an option at all. It isn't always clear where the central area in a town is, or if the central area is even what you want to see (because maybe it's "old town" or some other section), but the more informed you are going into it, you're probably better off.

Amalfi Coast

Come to Italy and everyone will seem to mention the importance of visiting the Amalfi Coast--they're not wrong. While a good half day trip from Rome, it's worth a visit. We stayed in Sorrento, about an hour train ride from Naples and a rather bustling tourist destination (although mostly Brits). Tourism is really the only game in town, and there are countless hotels, restaurants, and cheap souvenir shops. Sorrento is much quieter than its neighbor

Naples but still has the lodging and food options to make it a good hub for your Amalfi adventures, especially if you are doing things on the a tight budget. The streets wind high into the hills, giving you great views of the surrounding citrus groves and turquoise ocean--they will also give you strong calves.

An hour ferry ride will also take you from Sorrento to Positano, an even more picturesque hill town. Smaller and more uniformed, its buildings feel almost carved out of the hills. Bright purple and fuchsia bougainvillea spill over terraces and hibiscus, birds of paradise, and amaryllis stand out sharply from white walls in their terracotta pots. Pasitano is also slightly more upscale than Sorrento and you should expect to spend another 20% or so on your food--although it seemed worth it. The town has galleries and upscale boutiques and the tourism feels directed to a wealthier class. It also feels a little like shopping at the Northern Oregon Coast. A half day in town seemed sufficient to wander some beautiful shops, take in a great meal, and realize that no one in town seemed be selling a simple cappuccino from the bar or have a little green grocery or market to make a basic meal of bread, cheese, and fruit. Positano was a beautiful place to visit, but felt a little out of my league.

Just a Small Town Girl

Rome looks so unlike any American city that sometimes I forget that it is in fact a city. However, today was the Festa della Repubblica, and much of the major roadways have been closed this week and particularly today for the events and people came from all over Italy to celebrate in the city. Life in Italy explains: "June 2nd marks the day in 1946 when Italy voted in a referendum to abolish the monarchy and become a republic. Support for the monarchy had plunged because the king of Italy had supported Mussolini. So hostile was the public, that the royal family was exiled from Italy forever as punishment." Events included a bike race that ended in Rome on Sunday and a military parade today. Both these events made traversing back to me home, which is just past the Coliseum and thus major road ways, extremely difficult. Many stores, places to eat, and even the metro were also closed, making everyday details a little more difficult. Traveling tip: pay attention to the major holidays!

Perugia

The sleeping little town of Perugia is located about a three hour train ride from Rome (people might tell you its only two, but in my experience train times are always underestimated). The city is located atop various hills and gives you a beautiful view of most of Umbria, and the views are incredible. The architecture of old town Perugia is different than much of Rome and feels more fairy tale-like, in part because its more uniform and feels less chaotic. On many buildings you will find carved Griffins, the symbol of Perugia, and this adds to the medieval ambiance. The city itself also moves with a little less speed; more areas are dedicated to pedestrians and while there are certainly other visitors to the city, one doesn't have to compete with the crowds. If you are looking for a quiet getaway, check out Perugia.

Tricked by a Macroglossum Stellatarum

This weekend, Mia, my folks, and I went to a flower show in Perugia. The show itself was nice and had plants from all over the world, including an extensive collection of citrus trees that seemed local, and orchids and carnivorous plants from around the world. Being unable to take any of the plants with us made the show a little harder to enjoy. We did, however, see what seemed to be the smallest hummingbird in the world! Several of them fluttered among the flowers. We were so excited by our sighting we told everyone, including a friend who informed us the truth about our sighting. We had seen a hummingbird hawk--a creature who cleverly looks, hums, and hovers just like a hummingbird but is nothing more than a weird little moth. I have been duped by nature before, but the discovery was a little disappointing--insects are just not as exciting as animals. You can read more about the Macroglossum here, which is where I also found this photograph.

The Foutains of Rome

Rome is known for its beautiful fountains, and in the summer they become particularly valuable. Some have become the stuff of legends, such as the Trevi fountain, pictured here in a less dramatic state than its infamous appearances in films. It's nice to remember that even the ancient wonders of Rome need a little upkeep. The Trevi fountain and the three main fountains in Piazza Nuvona are sites of constant tourist involvement. At night, lit up, they are rather charming, but I also enjoy the more forgotten pieces of the city. While Fontana delle Tartarughe is not carved by the famous Bernini, nor does it have the same quality, it's a nice little piece. The original fountain only included the dolphins and the youths and a later sculptor added the turtles. It's a clever addition and gives a sense of kindheartedness to the piece.

Hot Town, Summer in the City

It may not be officially summer in Rome, but it officially feels like it. On this muggy, uncomfortable day, I have decided to blog about the some of "cooler" elements of Rome. The city has several quiet spots and parks (like the Protestant Cemetery, where I photographed this flower) that are shaded by trees and other vegetation. Not only do these places feel literally cooler because of the grass and trees, they are also places that can remind you what warm climates can provide. Unless indoors, this Amaryllis won't grow in State College. And while they're elusive, the parrots that are housed in the park on Monte Celio (which also contains this arched chapel-like space) aren't found in more temperate places.

Rome is also a place for great, chilled wines, and I specifically enjoy the frizzantes. Frizzantes, according to "Life in Italy" and in my personal experience, are less carbonated than Spumantes. Sparking wine can be found in both reds and whites. I am not sure why frizzantes are not found in the United States (at least, that I have seen). They may be merely unpopular or they are regulated so as not to be exported. But on a hot day, a nice class of chilled slightly sparkling red wine is refreshing and helps combat the heat.

Peace and Rest in Rome

The Protestant Cemetery packs a lot into a small space. Hidden behind the busy Pyramide train station, it is a cat sanctuary, botanical garden, park, and cemetery combined. It is also a tourist site. While endless Roman churches have prepared me to see sacred spaces as also places of spectacle for visitors, taking pictures in a place of grief created some discomfort for me. That being said, it's also one of my favorite places in Rome. It's significantly cooler, quieter, and more beautiful than much of the city. The kitties tend to be more friendly than the feral cats at most sanctuaries and the volunteer staff is also very friendly. The space also helps remind one just how many Catholics really live in Rome, as the "Protestant Cemetery" serves all non-Catholics, including many of the visiting population and the city's Jewish population. Certain graves are considered of special interest, including Keats, Shelley, and Gramsci. In my opinion, it's the overall ambiance that makes the space special.

Italian Neighbors

While I am pretty sure that getting stuck in an elevator is one of the worst ways to fully realize the extent of the language barrier, it is a decent opportunity to meet your neighbors. Matt and I spend a solid hour stuck between floor three and four yesterday afternoon, accompanied by a bag of garbage and perhaps fifty sugar ants. With Mia and our neighbors' help, the elevator repairman was called, and showed up in decent time. For the half-dozen or so people who happened to walk down the stairs during our stint in the elevator, we did our best to convey that we were ok, yes, it was stuck, and that someone was supposedly helping us. I pride myself on my nonverbal skills, but this adventure proved their limit. The majority of our neighbors seemed mostly annoyed to have to walk up the stairs, but we left at least one poor young woman slightly panicked and she (and her ancient grandmother) did their best to free us. Matt may be of a different opinion, but I think getting stuck in an Italian elevator is preferable to an American. While it seems a little flimsy and you are perhaps more scared of falling to your death, it was also made primarily out of wire, which made it easier to communicate to the outside, easier to get air (although it was still caldo!), and pretty easy to force the doors open and climb out of when we were finally rescued.

Baygon!

Traveling tip: Should you decide to come live in Rome (which I recommend), consider bringing ant traps. Sugar ants, as it turns out, are not merely a North American species. Both times I have been here (which I know is a rather small 'n') we have shared our apartments with ant friends. Rome, of course, also sells ant poison. It's called "baygon" but either it is not very effective or I can't figure out how to use it correctly.

Santa Maria sopra Minerva

My first real introduction to a Catholic church was a Gothic church in Cobh Ireland, and perhaps that has mad me particularly inclined toward Gothic churches in general. Despite the fact that Rome has more than its fair share of churches, Santa Maria sopra Minerva is considered the only Gothic example. Minerva was also one of my first introductions to the churches in Rome.

One element of Minerva that I find particularly striking is its elephant. Sculptured by Bernini, I don’t find it particularly representative of his other work, but I still find it a pretty good rendition of an elephant and indicative of the general quality of his art. In part because she reminds me of Lucy, a wooden elephant in Margate New Jersey, I enjoy the sculpture (even though she predates Lucy by several hundred years). Yet such is bound to be the case with any US comparison.

The second reason I enjoy the church is the lighting. Santa Maria sopra Minerva is decidedly darker than most Roman churches. The Gothic element includes dark colored stained glass rather than the high clear windows of most other churches one sees in Rome. Also the marble in the church is often shadowy; gold text shines from a deep grey background. The watchers of the church, whoever they may, play off these themes. The lighting and the closed main doors keep the interior dim compared to many other of the places of worship one might visit. Perhaps the ambiance also affects the mood of the visitor. I often find Minerva a little emptier and a little less frequented by tour groups then other destinations. I enjoy the solitude. Perhaps because of the ways that the church is an outlier of the experience of Rome, I find it particularly moving.

Rome and the "Natural World"

I have been a little surprised by the presence of nature in Rome. The swallows who swoop out over the terrace in the morning and evening are a pleasant surprise. The gull who cries outside my window during my nap is not. While I have always found gulls to be rather annoying, they seem worse here. First, they are unexpected. Rome is not far from the beach, but I don't normally see gulls in cities. Also, they are loud, and they are loud in various ways! Sometimes they seem to cry like a whinny cat (specifically, they sound like Siamese) and these cries will go on for several minutes. Other times they give short, loud, startling shouts that sound almost like someone laughing or a donkey baying. I'm not a fan of any of the noises they make.

More exciting than the gulls are the parrots that seem to live up in the park on Monte Celio. While I have seen some soaring above me up into the palms and pines, I more frequently hear them bickering with each other up in the trees. They appear to be on the smaller side and are mostly all green. The park also has a little fountain with huge koi and smallish turtles. Children (and me) flock around the fountain watching the fish and turtles. The turtles are so tame they even let you touch their shells (which is actually not as exciting as I had thought). I had not expected little natural treats in the city, but I intend to find more.

International City

Sometimes it can be easy to forget that Rome is an international city. Here is a photo of a protest we happened on. According to Adnkronos International "Hundreds of Sri Lankans living in the Italian capital Rome protested on Thursday against Tamil Tiger separatists who are currently engaged in conflict with Sri Lankan troops in the north of the country." To read more on the story visit Sri Lankan Community Hold Protest Against Tamil Tigers. It seems to me that the article offers a rather simplified account of the situation in Sri Lanka, but I find it particularly interesting that Rome would also be a site of protest against the conflict when one finds it so easy to forget that the city has more than just the ethnically Italian and tourists. But there seems to be communities that are constantly engaged in political activity, although most of the time I'm not sure their exact cause.

Living Quarters

Our apartment is both quaint and curious.

The layout is rather confusing. Upon entering the apartment there is a hallway off of which are four seemingly uniform rooms. Three are used as bedrooms, and one a dinning room. Across from these rooms is the kitchen, which is somewhat small but opens onto a balcony and the inner court yard. Making dinner with the doors open means you can watch all the other neighbors doing the same. We haven't gotten off of American time yet and while the Italians seem to be starting dinner preparations around the same time, they are eating much later.

At the end of the hallway from the rooms is the only bathroom. There is no living room. This to me is odd. Is the expectation for the design of the apartment generally that there would only be two bedrooms and one would be used for the living room and another the dining room? Three or four people using one bathroom seems reasonable. As it is, there are six of us. This set up for the bathroom is less than ideal, especially given the fact that water pressure and the limited water tank (although separate just for the bathroom) makes showering take awhile and the hot water rather limited.

The terrace is certainly the most romantic element of the apartment, although the rusted stairs up to it are extremely off-putting. It is only accessible by our apartment. Here is a photo of our view from the terrace at dawn. Considering that our apartment does not otherwise seem very luxurious, it's strange to me that we would have are own individual terrace. But I like it!

UPDATE: May 16th, 2009
Another "curiosity" is the laundry system. While my clothes seem clean now, I wouldn't say I have figured out how to make the washing machine actually work. When we run it, through the first 30 minutes of the cycle it is constantly tripping the breaker. Let me point out that it has already been an adventure learning how to use a European washer with all it's new symbols, dials, and soap dishes. Now we have also learned that our apartment can't handle the electricity output--even when we turn out the lights, unplug everything, and hold our breath and cross our fingers in the dark. At least Rome is a good place to buy candles. If anyone has any better ideas, please let me know...

Blogging in Rome

To check out more of our adventures, click here to explore CAS in Rome.

And it begins

I leave tomorrow for Rome! Continue to check in here for updates on my adventures.