Weekend in Rome

Our first trip overnight: 2 days and nights in Rome

While the Friday morning alarm went off in the dark, the quick hour and half train ride, landed us in Rome.  Next was figuring out how to transfer from train to subway (after waiting in line for tickets, as the machine only took euro coin -we didn't have 6) the A line to Ottaviano -- the stop for the Vatican.  But more important for us, the stop near my PC colleague Aurelie who graciously hosted us for the weekend.  Climbing 55 steps (another 3rd floor walk-up) Aurelie welcomed us with breakfast.

This year Aurelie is the faculty director for the PC theology study abroad program, so similar to us arrived in Rome about 3 weeks ago (although she is staying for the year).  

By eleven we were on our way to explore the sites of Rome starting with Vatican and St. Peters,  on to the Castel Sant' Angelo and the Bridge of Angels,  across the Tiber River to Piazza Navona, lunch, the Pantheon, and the Trevi Fountain before we head back passed several other churches, piazzas and quaint streets.   All along Aurelie shared her knowledge of Rome's history: political and religious.

St. Peter's Square with Aurelie

St. Peters.  The number of visitors per week has doubled since Pope Francis was named Pope, from here in March.

Well this used to be the Papal residence; Pope Francis, delivers his Wednesday audience from the second window from the right on the next to top floor of this building in the Vatican.

Learning about the Castle and Bridge of Angels, which marks the end of the Black Plague. The statue on the top is of St. Michael putting his sword back in his sheath marking the end of the plague.
A timely visit with Joel's  first essay in AP European History, due Tuesday, on the Black Plague!

Pantheon

                                                                          The Pantheon ceiling oculus and the floor drain below for when it rains.

                                                               

Trevi Fountain... we are sure to be back in Rome

Could this cat at Piazza Banco di Saint Spirito be Julius Caesar?
Legend has it the Julius has come back as a cat here in Rome where he was killed by Brutus.

We are not going to find our new Italian fashions in this shop, but the Pope did.

Friday night we enjoyed pizza at a local trattoria in Prati with Aurelie and another PC professor and friend, Sandra, who was in Rome on her sabbatical doing some research and attending a conference.

Saturday brought travel back in history to the middle ages and the early archeological finds of the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill and the Colosseum.

Temple of Saturn

Central area of the Roman Forum--The House of Vestals

Years of different buildings all evidence today-early Rome to Machiavelli

The remains of the enormous Basilica of Maxentius, a building that made J and K seem very small in stature.

Fresh water from the Rome aqueduct

A view from Palatine Hill to the Colosseum

A little Christianity in the midst of the Collosseum

Dinner at Krugh, a wonderful spot we found a few blocks from the Vatican.

Our choice of fish: Sea Bass, Red Snapper, Bream, Branzino

Our choice: Red Snapper 

Back to Aurelie's apartment for a good night sleep and we were off on the morning train to Florence.



We quickly dropped the backpacks at our apartment and a brisk 3/4 kilometer walk to the Florence soccer stadium for the afternoon match between the Fiorentina and  the Cagliari Calcuio - from Sardinia.

Been awhile since I have been at a game rooting for the purple team!  Go Wildcats, no I mean Go Fiorentina!

The game ended in a tie... the Fiorentina fans were quite frustrated by the final Cagliari goal in the last two minutes of the game.

Needless to say, after our walk back to the apartment, we all crashed.   A full, but fantastic weekend adventure in Italy.

Our first of the Florence must do art "museums"

Today began with Spanish lessons... Kendall started today with Mikela, Joel began earlier in the week.   Kendall has a Spanish One text: Italian edition!  Great way to begin learning Romance languages.

After the lesson, we headed out to the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens.

With a photo of Rick Steve's recommendation of paintings to view in the Palatine Gallery, we headed into the collection of the Medici family (c. 1500s).  Walls were stacked three or four high with paintings in gilded frames.  Raphael's portraits were my favorite, but photos were not allowed.

A pizza break at Gusta Pizza... a recommended spot from last year's PC ESE students

 PC students (likely this years) left their name on our table!

Back to the Boboli Gardens for a hot, but beautiful stroll.

 Cosimo I's fat dwarf jester straddling a turtle: Quite a sight!

And a bit of modern sculpture in profile.

The boys walking in Boboli  Gardens

A dog... missing Jazzy here in Florence!

Back over the Arno for a drink at the roof top Terrazza by our apartment.

Mom and I enjoyed our first Spritz, the Florence summer drink.  Kendall a Caffe Freddo and Joel, a fresh Squeezed Orange Juice.  A much needed rest on a very hot (over 95 again today) day.

Duomo from Terrazza

Tripe Take Two

Today I went back to the cart below our apartment for a lampredotto in a lighter spicy sauce.

   After a quick run up and down the stairs this is looking at me. It looks similar to roast beef, mixed with Chinese spare ribs. Despite this observation it has no comparison in flavor to those foods.

The actual sandwich tasted like beef with the texture of pork fat except not quite as chewy. The sauce is spicy and creamy. The bread is nice and has great texture. Compared to the other sandwich this one has  less sauce and the meat has more flavor. I would give it 4.25 stars (still don't know how to do the star things). I will continue to look for different foods to review.

-Kendall (you know my last name)

Pisa

Enjoyed a bus trip with the Fairfield students (all 101) to Ikea and Pisa.   First stop Ikea to get a few things for the apartment (sharp knife, simple table to go over the bidet to make the bathroom/laundry room more functional,  wine rack that Joel is going to use to organize his books, sharp knife and solid pot holder)... and then it was on to Pisa.

The baptistry. 

Looking up past the alter in the baptistry.  Wonderful echo!

The cathedral in Pisa

Galileo was said to have been inspired by this chandelier as we watched it swing during mass.

Exquisite mosaic floor, and the not so beautiful alter newly (2001) installed.

Can we hold up the leaning tower?

An hour bus ride home, a short nap and facetime call to Bow Lake, and we were off to find a perfect cafe for dinner.   End up in the Piazza de Vecchio.

Red pizza, not quite Providence style.

Walnut ice cream with amaretto and espresso to end the evening.

View of Plazza di Vecchio as we walked home.

Overall another wonderful day in Italy.   School/university officially starts this week.   

Happy Labor one and all back home.

Laura