marching in Circo Massimo

I wrote an email to the landlady asking what these grown men where doing last weekend.  She replied:

"These troups are practice preparing for Imperatore Silvio Berlusconi's triumphal march when (and if) he manages to win the confidence vote in Parliament. If he doesn't triumph (quite likely), the country will go to the vote again after three years' of very dismal government management.  If only you could read Italian, you'd have such fun, believe me."

Later, she admitted to pulling my leg

.

During my walking today, I expected to run into demonstrations - but I seem to have missed them - though I was apparently only a block away at one point.

My sense of Italian politics is that it is best to avert one's eyes.  The scene almost makes US politics seem civil by comparison. One of the English language papers describes the Berlusconi leadership as " a lame duck government rocked by cocaine-fuelled sex scandals and wikileaks revelations of corruption." 

walking in Trastevere on Saturday.

I had no specific plan for the day except to begin it early.

I walked across the river and was surprised by the water level. The base of the island was submerged.   The walkways on either side of the river were also many feet under water. (Note where the trees emerge from the water. That is where the shore was a week ago.)

 Continued across the bridge and into Trastevere...through a farmers market.

This is one of my favorite things about produce here in Italy - the habit of offering up ad-hoc vegetable mixes for soup-making.  From week to week the mixes change depending on the harvest.  And when you've made your purchase, and the vendor is handing you your bag, they will often grab something - celery greens or parsley - and stuff them in your bag as a bonus. 

Kept walking up and up and up through a series of lookout points...

And managed to reach the Janiculum a few minutes before noon.  Looking north west, there was weather clearly heading towards the city.

The Janiculum is a hill where, each day, a cannon is fired precisely at noon. Noon arrived,  the cannon went off - it was loud!  And next the weather arrived.  In the absence of an umbrella, I found shelter in an archway to wait it out and then walked back home.

nightime walks

walking near the Colosseum

the first night of Hanuka in the Jewish district

 and then an evening walk coming back from Trastevere

ok, Mom

My mother has requested that I post a photo of me. Today, I finally found myself in circumstances suitable for a self-portrait.  Here you go, Mom!

S. Giorgio in Velabro

A little lunchtime visit down the street:  A block and a quarter from my apartment is the church of  S. Giorgio in Velabro - St George!  'Velabro'  refers to this area - which apparently was where Greek merchants lived in Rome.  In 1993, the mafia bombed the church and its portico was damaged.

It has a very simple interior:

The elaborately patterned marble in the apse is something called Phrygian marble.  In the altar is a relic - claimed to be a part of St George's skull.

The downside to working at home is the absence of a clear end of the day.   Responses to email messages arrive just as I am closing down.  The upside to work at home is that I could make a soup in the afternoon.   I just needed to start the lentils and periodically monitor the simmering.


In the evening I attempted a walk.  I did not get past the Campidoglio.  Alternate waves of heavy rain and wind kept passing through, inverting the umbrella and getting me very wet.

Walking in the evening

this is near Sacra Argentina, though you wouldn't have 

anyway of knowing that from the photo

Looking into the Roman Forum as I head back to the apartment.

The church at the center is called Santi Luca e Martina.

Looking up via Cavour through what is left of the Temple of Saturn.

Yesterday and Today

Yesterday, bright and sunny in the morning!

Today - a wet, wet morning.

the walk to the metro involved dodging puddles.

The iphone camera offers an impressionistic view of the street.

Finally arriving at the office, i visit the cafeteria.

'vorrei un tè e un cornetto?'

(may I please have tea and a croissant?)

That is the corner 'office' where I begin most of my in-the-office days. There are no power outlets, but there is usually wifi. This morning the wifi wasn't working. No problem. My work today involved editing documents and webpage mockups.  Sergio sometimes jokes that I am bringing a start-up culture to the agency.  There is little chance of that, though Sergio scheduled one of our meeting in the cafeteria last week.  He and I often meet there to talk things over. Since much of our day is spent Skyping each other, he on the first floor (zero floor to Italians) and I on the 6th, we would likely never see each other if we didn't meet for coffee.

The commute home was terrifically wet. Arrived home with my computer bag soaked despite my efforts to keep the umbrella biased in favor of protecting the bag.  Peeled off wet clothes and put them in the washer, then emptied the computer bag and hung it over the heater.

Warmed up soup for dinner. Drying myself out.

A rainy Sunday afternoon

I was looking for a cafe for a little reading and writing.  Walked over to Trastevere to give that neighborhood a try.

Ponte Cestio

Ponte Fabricio

the only spot of color in the day

Bones

Saturday morning's transit plans were fouled by traffic mayhem in the city center caused by some unknown municipal activities. With the bus spontaneously re-routed,  I ended up much further north than I had planned.

 not exactly lost

Back-tracked my way south and a bit east. Despite the re-routing and lost time, it was still possible to briefly visit  Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps before meeting up the Landlady.

 Trevi Fountain

 near the Spanish Steps

 a few of the Spanish Steps

Walked along Via Sistina and took this photo for Mom, just to let her know she'd be right at home here in Rome. 

walking along via Sistina reminded a bit of San Francisco.  

The Landlady had suggested meeting at Fontana del Tritone in Piazza Barberini.  This is a Bernini fountain - and Romans, both natives and transplants like the landlady seem particularly fond of Bernini.  On the edge Piazza Barberini, is another Bernini fountain - Fountain of the Bees.  

When Landlady arrived,  we shared lunch spiced up by the landlady's tales of her family.   After lunch, we walked across the piazza and visited the Cemetery of the Capuchins, a catacomb where thousands of bones of the deceased monks were used decoratively. It was moving to see the stacks and stacks of skulls and knowing each one represent a monk.  Who were these men? Did they find what they came here for?  What was it like for the living monks to create these 'decorative' rooms from the remains of their brothers.  The Landlady translated one of the inscriptions, it was approximately, 'This is what you were before.  This is what you will become.' (Photos are not allowed in the cemetery.)

The Landlady then provided a mini-tour of via Veneto pointing out the American Embassy. ('This is your embassy.') and some of the haunts made famous in Fellini's films.  I gather this area has been quite a draw for visitors. 

American Embassy

 Near the entrance of Villa Borghese

We got as far as the gate to Villa Borghese when we parted ways as I had planned to see the Harry Potter film. 

A short bus trip brought me to Piazza del Popolo - these piazza's get more and more amazing - and a few more footsteps to the theater.  good fortune brought me to the theater 2 minutes before the screening, though the only seat left was a front-row seat. (the theater sold tickets by specific seat assignment.)  Fortunately, this is one of two theaters in Rome that offer Italian sub-titles rather than dubbed translation. 

metro line A with a transfer to metro line B  and a walk from the Colosseum and through the Piazza Campdoglio and finally home.