Bella Roma!

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We spent Wednesday through Friday in pursuit of Roman adventures. We found them! Actually it really only equated to one full day in Rome and two part days but it was just enough, (believe me!) Rome is a wild and wonderful experience!

The kids live in a suburb of Napoli so the drive to Rome is a few hours. We had some errands to run before we left town so it was nearly 3:30 by the time we arrived in the city. The driving in Italy never ceases to amaze. Laura is just so good at it and as we have discussed why there seem to be so few accidents we came up with the idea that you cannot drive in Italy without giving it your full attention! They don't need a law about foregoing your cell phone usage while behind the wheel because you simply cannot do it here. You don't eat in the car or drive on auto pilot because you cannot survive doing it.


We a had our GPS and Laura's and we still had trouble finding the apartment that she had rented for us for the two nights. Travel tip: Lengthen your life by never going to Europe and driving without a GPS! If you saw the movie European Vacation and remember the scene where Chevy Chase is driving around and around the round about to get to Big Ben, then you have an idea of what we went through.

Jim in his glory for the first 30 minutes of the search for lodging!

Our apartment was in the heart of the city and just within walking distance of the Pantheon and Piazza Navona, if you are familiar with the area. Think very old, stone buildings and very narrow winding alleys that never see the sunshine in this cavern and you get the idea. Add in every other street being a one way or too narrow for a Honda Pilot to pass through, no real street signs and pepper in people on Vespas roaring by on both sides of you, and pedestrians everywhere and you start to feel the love. And let us not forget we have a car full of luggage and food and even though we all brought just a little, there were six of us with coats, suitcases, etc. There is no place to unload without halting the traffic and there isn't a parking space to pull over in for miles. Imagine now ten cars honking at you if you hesitate for a moment or need five minutes (Mamma Mia!) to unload and you're there. Jim did the driving here and he was phenomenal.

Our GPSs could not get a signal in the caverns. Laura had to get out and find it on foot while we double parked on a crazed, larger street a few blocks away during rush hour. Are you having fun yet? Finally we found it and in the frey, Laura landed up in the driver's seat and then was off alone trying to find safe overnight parking. She landed up at The Vatican and had to walk back (30 minutes) with two large bags and Grandma's suitcase that got left in the car in the panic of emptying the car with all the honking behind us. We were all glad we didn't recognize the cursing in Italian in the background. Once inside the apartment we felt some sanity returning but it was not complete until Laura got back, over an hour later. Only a Mom can appreciate that feeling! Welcome to Rome!...

Our apartment's tiny piazza

We Got Our Girl Back~All Is Well!
(This may be the only photo you will ever see with our naked faces in all their glory!)

When In Rome Do As The Romans

Piazza Navona located just a few blocks from our apartment

Rome like any diamond is multi-faceted. There is so much to see and do. Last time we saw a lot of the high-lights and walked our legs off. This time, staying in the heart and belly of the city...we lived more like the Romans. We were so taken with their traditions and their life style and their community. Each little neighborhood almost seems self-contained, self-supporting and interdependent. This is something so lacking in our country.

In Italy it is all about the neighborhood, the camaraderie and being outside on foot or public transportation. People know each other and they stop and chat when they see their friends and family. Looking out our window early in the morning the tiny piazza was filled with the hustle and bustle of everyday living and a lovely, fresh, vegetable market is set up each morning at dawn. Rain or shine people are out getting their fresh veggies for the day.


At about 1:00 pm everything closes down for 'riposo' and everyone takes a 2-3 hour break before they continue on for the day. This is a tradition throughout Italy. In the square below our apartment the market is replaced by an outdoor cafe, covered with heavy plastic during the rainy season being readied for the remainder of the day and evening. In the city there are several more hours of work for everyone and then dinner hour and night life starts at about 8 pm. In our little neighborhood the tiny roads are filled with shops and street vendors every night. It is really delightful and the locals all come out for their evening stroll and social hour.

This is what they do instead of shutting out the world and hunkering down with the TV like so many do in America. You can tell it is good for the soul and at that time of day they share the events of their day and they look happy. You see old folks, women with baby carriages and everything in between. Most are dressed very nicely for the big nightly block party. We enjoyed this and loved strolling through the tiny cobblestone alleys, hearing the chatter and ogling the beautiful jewels, leather, scarves and other wares for sale.

Everyone should buy a handbag, purse or something like that in Italy. The selection is phenomenal. So far I have gotten a fantastic new bag and a few bracelets. Laura also bought a gorgeous, alligator, patient leather, red bag. Here is the one I found in Rome!

This is a large, soft, suede bag with alligator straps~it is very scrumptious and something I would never buy in the US. In Rome it was affordable. The competition between street merchants and shop keepers help to keep the prices down. Lucky us! It's more a camel color, definitely not yellow.

Is it not the weirdest thing that we found this bag for me? Laura and I are a deadly combination in the market place she insisted it had to be mine and my arm was easily twisted.

We enjoyed visiting Piazza Navona at night and also the next morning. The three fountains are amazing and immense. It was cold and just right for getting into the Christmas spirit, someone was even roasting chestnuts on an open fire!

One of the fountains

The merchants are everywhere and the spirit
is a festive one enjoyed by all.

Laura took the boys back home
and Jim and Gloria and I had a
lovely dinner in the neighborhood.

Merry Go Round in the Piazza
the next morning on the way to the
bus to tour around the city.

Our boys having a fun time on the tea cup
portion of the Merry Go Round!

The kids have been amazing and fun and are the light of our lives! They have been to Rome many times but indulged us in this pleasure, yet another time, with no complaints after the initial..."Mom....Rome again?"

The Sculptures of Italy 2008 Trip

Sculptures are to Italy as Starbucks is to the US. They are everywhere. They are magnificent and amazing. You cannot think of Italy and sculptures without thinking of Michelangelo. You cannot think of Michelangelo without thinking of David. You have all seen it but in keeping with the PG rating of my blog I am going to share the backside with you...! Once when we were in the Louvre in Paris, our tour guide mentioned we should take particular notice of the backside of Venus de Milo as you never see it in pictures, and so it is with David. So just for you...the back of David.

The David!

Taking something so 3-dimensional and photographing it does not begin to do it justice but I had the opportunity to sit in a chair at the base of the square column you see to his right. Just sitting and looking at it for about 20 minutes he totally came alive. The cold marble began to take on a human quality I cannot really describe. The skin looked like skin, it almost looked like there was blood coursing through his veins. He stands 5.17 meters tall and I'll let you metric fans figure that one out~but it is very large. Michelangelo was 26 when he was commissioned to do this work.

Most famous Pieta (one of several by Michelangelo and other sculptors)
Mary and Jesus after the crucifixion.

He was just 24 when he did the Pieta that stands in the right nave of St. Peter's Basilica behind bullet proof glass. He was a genius~no doubt about it and his gift was God-given. What I love about that is that he developed it and gave that gift back to the world for all to enjoy and marvel over. The interesting thing about Michelangelo is that he truly was the Renaissance Man with talents in so many other areas as well.

Another sculpture that is absolutely amazing is found in the Piazza de Trevi which is also in Rome. Trevi Fountain is so immense it absolutely takes your breath away. Here is an aerial view of it so you can picture the scale compared to the tiny specks that are people surrounding the fountain's edge.

Trevi Fountain!

This fountain is always crowded but well worth the visit as legend has it that anyone who turns their back to the fountain and heaves in a coin will definitely be coming back to Italy. Jim did this and I am glad as he is not leaving home without me! Since I have been blogging about the trip, I have come to realize that we have barely scratched the surface of what there is to see and learn in Italy! This beautiful country is just oozing culture and history, romance and charm. Save Your Euros! originally posted 4/28/08

Romans~Barbarians

At the time of the Roman Empire it was believed that Rome was the bedrock of the civilization and all others throughout out the world were considered the barbarians. Every time we go to Europe I am astounded by the incredibly long history they have compared to our brand new country. Although we have plenty to shutter about in our history, they have century after century after century of man's inhumanity to man to their discredit. Never fear though, I am sure we will catch up in due time.

When we went to Amsterdam and actually viewed the house where Anne Frank and her family and friends hid out during the Holocaust I was haunted by it all for a long time. To actually see her diary and the space and to imagine it all was very overwhelming and perplexing to us.

I had the same feelings of sadness and astonishment when we visited the Colosseum in Rome. Today this gigantic amphitheater lies partially in ruin due to earthquakes, vandalism and purposeful dismantling of the marble facade to build other structures like St. Peter's Basilica. Still enough remains to demonstrate the immensity of it and to visualize what transpired there.

The Colosseum was built in 80 A.D. and various accounts say it held between 50 and 80 thousand people. Think of how big that is when comparing it to the Conference Center in SLC or the Marriott Center at BYU.

The sole purpose of this structure was to provide entertainment to the people of Rome. It was actually a gift to the people from the Aristocracy. The initial weeks it was open, more than 10,000 animals were viciously killed in the arena for the enjoyment of all. For someone like me that is sickened by the sight of road kill or cringes at the snap of a mouse trap~this is unfathomable and I am not even a huge animal lover. This is where the ancient Romans quelled their thirst for incredible violence by watching the gladiators, criminals and others along with wild animals, fight to the death in every conceivable scenario. All the while cheering fans roared with excitement in this packed stadium. Sadly, this was a daily occurrence.

Of course you all know these things, but what really blew me away was to actually be there in the place where this really happened. It was both chilling and disturbing. It just gives it a new dimension in my mind all together, compared to when I just read of it in a history book from the comfort of centuries past and thousands of miles of separation.

The thought I am left with is that if the Romans considered themselves to be the only civilized society at the time~why did they live as such Barbarians? It seems a tad ironic. How can people with the divine nature we are born with turn into such savages? When you look at newborns and see the innocence they possess~what happens to us in our life that makes us capable of such evil carnage? I will just never get it, sorry!

What I did not realize is that there were at least 8 other amphitheaters similar to the Colosseum in Italy all with the same design and purpose. One is not far from where Robert and Laura live. Do you get this or is it just me? Originally posted 4/17/08.