Italy | The Travel Lady In Her Shoes

And the Rains Came to Manarola

Manarola Vineyards at Night

The rain has not let up all night. The wind is fierce against the apartment windows. I wonder if the wind will carry away the crucifixion scene lights on the vineyard across the way and what the path through the vineyard to Corniglia will be like tomorrow. I don’t have to wait long to find out.

The Vineyard in Manarola in the Morning Light

The Vineyard and Path in Manarola in the Morning Light

At daybreak it is still raining and blowing. We hear someone outside our door and look to see who it is. A large picnic basket filled with warm bread and pastries has been tied to the door.

The Morning Breakfast Basket

There is already ample cereals, milk, jams, and assorted coffees and teas supplied in the kitchen, but who can turn down warm bread and pastries? We take our time eating breakfast hoping the weather will perk up.
It doesn’t. I ask my husband, “What shoes did I bring to wear in the pouring rain and look good in mud?” Hmmm…… Hmmm…… Didn’t I see a hiking supply shop on the hill walking up here yesterday? We bundle up and step outside. The wind is buffeting us through the small passageways and moves us right along. I’m freezing. I keep hearing running water. I look down at the drain along the side of the road and realize there is a river running through it. The river is about six feet below the ground and moving right along. The wind keeps us moving too. In 2011, Vernazza, one of the Cinque Terre villages, was washed into the sea by a massive flood. They are just now getting things back to order from the massive mess. That is the kind of day it is, will we be washed into the sea? The hiking shop is small but offers shoes, socks, jackets, scarves and a washing machine that is washing away at the front of the shop. Hikers can wash their clothes here. I bet they do a big business, what a great idea. I look over the hiking shoes. I see a pair that looks just like me. Practical, comfortable, and a little weird.

The Cool Hiking Shoes

The laces lace all the way to the end of the toe. I haven’t seen shoes that look like this before. As we leave the shop I ask about the river below the street.

“As long as the river is moving below the street it won’t wash us out above the street,” is the reply. “The water moves from the hills to the sea underground.” Well that’s a relief.

Along with the hiking shoes, I bought a scarvy thinky that can be wrapped in several styles around my head, neck or just ears and I think it looks spiffy and keeps my head warm. We continue our walk down the hill to the main street of Manarola. Restaurants are closed and so are the shops. It is eerie. The boats in the street are covered up. At the sea wall we take the path around the sea edge. There are not too many people out, too blustery, too rainy. We make our way back to the main drag after a while and decide on a cafe that has a terrace covered in a heavy plastic wind shield so you can still dine outside and see out. We take our seats and take our time. No need to rush about. Several other guests have done the same. Suddenly an Italian woman sitting at the front table near the exit gets up to go. She starts screaming that her borsa (purse) that she had hung over the back of her chair is missing. The screaming turns to frantic cussing as she goes to all the tables looking for her bag. Her husband helps her look and tries to comfort her. She still screams. The women all check out their purses to make sure they are where they put them. This would be a nightmare for any woman. She eventually leaves none too happy. The manager did try to talk to her, but it was useless. Lesson learned again: Nevah Evah place your purse on the back of your chair when dining out. Keep it in your sight. We finish our dinner/supper and head back up into the hills. It is still rainy and cold. Housekeeping has been to the apartment. There is a bottle of champagne and a note to let us know we can get our linens changed twice a day instead of once a day. There are candies on our pillows. What woman changes linens twice a day, I think? My husband picks up the remote control for the TV. I guess it will be our introduction to Italian media, our first experience since we arrived in Italy. It breaks my first commandment. Thou shall not watch TV on vacation. I hope the sun comes out tomorrow!

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Are We There Yet?

Our Patio View of Manarola

Manarola

Off to Cinque Terre and let me tell you I was not excited about the train trip there, but couldn’t wait to see it! Cinque Terre consists of five towns (Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare) along the Ligurian Sea coast connected by train, boat or a walking path. The train run from Florence to Pisa to La Spezia to Manarola was uneventful, thank God, just a lot of getting off and getting on a different train. We arrived in Manarola by late afternoon to a beautiful bright breezy day. When you get off the train in Manarola you walk through a long long tunnel to reach the little piazza circle mid town.

Steps to Middle Piazza, Manarola

The Piazza in the Middle of Manarola

A good looking young man was there from La Toretta to meet us and help us with the luggage. We started up a steep hill, curve, another hill, curve, another hill. I am huffing and puffing and I’m not even pulling luggage. Finally a small church at the top of the hill sits in another small piazza and we go down a few steps, up a few more steps walking through a maze of pastel colored palazzos.

The Hilltop Church in Manarola

A View from the Hilltop at Manarola

We end up on a terrace overlooking the sea and vineyards and are greeted by our hosts who offer champagne and a plate of selected finger food. We sit and take in the view. After a tour of the spa, meeting room, and hot tub we take a hike up more steps and twisty turns to the path to our apartment along the highest ridge of Manarola.

My Favorite Cottage in Manarola

Our Apartment at La Toretta

The Kitchen at La Toretta

Looking Out to the Patio at La Toretta

The Bedroom at La Toretta

What a place! A very large ultra modern apartment awaits us with a birds eye view of the town, sea, and vineyard. Did I mention the blue grey octopus mural above the couch and bed? Unbelievable! We sit on the patio and watch the world go by and the little old couple working (well she picks basil from the patch and he sits and watches her) in the garden below us, before heading to Billie’s, a favorite local restaurant that sits just below our path to the apartment, as we look out over the patio.

The Walk to our Apartment at La Toretta

Our Table at Billy’s

The weather has turned cooler and very gale like. The flags at Billies are flapping in the wind as we carefully pick our way down the stone steps to the lower terrace. I hold on to the wrought iron railing as I carefully step by step by step by step move down to our table located in the corner of the terrace. At home this stairway would be a lawyers dream come true, here it is a way of life unnoticed. The outdoor space is packed with guests as the wind continues to build. After we order, I watch as the waiters, who have to go up and down that staircase a bazillion times taking orders and carrying food, sometimes in the middle of the steep stairway, do a limbo move under the railing, jumping unto the terrace to the side. What? I keep watching and yes that is the way to the terrace to the left. As the guests leave from that terrace they too shimmy up and under the railing to the stairs. I surmise that is the terrace for the young and lithe. Showoffs, ha. We enjoy our meal of a local pasta dish that we had to eat rather quickly because it is getting cooler and cooler and the wind on the hillside has reached gale status. Now it is raining on my food, I’m up and up those stairs in a flash. Back to my warm octopus room. Tomorrow is another day!

Downtown Manarola

The Sea at Manarola

Manarola

For more info about La Toretta, 5 Terre National Park, Manarola, Italy. see TripAdvisor.
For more info about Trattoria dal Billy, Via Rollandi 122, Mararola, Italy see TripAdvisor.

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Florence

From the Rooftop of Antica Torre

Florence is my favorite city in Italy, bar none. Due to my harried arrival I was ready for a glass of wine on the roof top garden of Antica Torre. You can see the entire city from here and it is spectacular! There is an indoor garden and an outdoor garden with plenty of snacks and drinks and a friendly staff. After our welcome wine we ventured out into the nearby street to the Trattoria Carrozze.

Trattoria Carrozze

It was still raining cats and dogs so we followed suit at the restaurant and placed our umbrella at the door with the other odd forty of them. That is what you do with your umbrella in Italy, leave them at the door in the stands for them. I always leave with my own umbrella too. Miracles do happen. The penguin-dressed waiter led us to a table by the window of the rustic feeling establishment to dine on pasta and more wine. It was just like an old 40’s black and white movie, watching people hurry by on the cobblestone walkways, umbrellas open in the light hazy drizzle. After our dinner we strolled through the narrow passageways to Piazza della Signoria and the Rivoire Cafe.

Piazza della Signoria

This is my favorite cafe in THE WORLD for hot chocolate. Thick, thick, thick and chocolaty, chocolaty, chocolaty, with another great spot for people watching! If it hadn’t been drizzling we would have taken a table right on the Piazza. Inside the cafe people were buzzing like bees! While we waited for someone to leave, so we could take their seats, I eyed the counters of desserts. It all looked so yummy! Following another stroll to the Duomo we returned to the hotel to settle in for the night. I needed plenty of rest for the four train excursion the next day to the Cinque Terre!

The Duomo

A Classic Italian Room at Antica Torre

The Italian Look

Rooftop View

For information on Antica Torre see: http://www.tornabuoni1.com

For information on Trattoria Carrozze see TripAdvisor.

For information on Rivoire see TripAdvisor.

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On To Florence!

Ok, my blog is going to start with a Pop Quiz.

I have not written to you in two weeks because:

a) I had such a good time in Italy, it has taken me two weeks to get back into the grove.

b) I know it is summer and you are all doing fun things, besides reading my blog, so I gave you a few weeks to catch up on all the doings.

c) I decided to clean out my garage to make room for a new Italian sports car.

d) All the above

So now that we have the Pop Quiz done lets move on to Florence! I love Florence! It still is my favorite city in Italy, but sad to say I only spent one night in this beautiful city this time because I had more on my plate.

Even the Signs are Romantic!

Roof Top View of Florence

Roof Top Duomo, Florence, Italy

First of all, we need to discuss the madness at the train stations these days. When I arrived and left Montepulciano I used the firm of Private Driver Services with Emanuele. Emanuele was prompt, curteous, and drove a spotless Mercedes station wagon. On my last day in Montepulciano he picked me up in Montepulciano, drove the 30-minute ride to Chiusi, carried by bags into the station, down the stairs, up the stairs and told me to wait at the proper train line. What a guy! This was nothing like the treatment I had in Rome. In Rome a train attendant (I thought) came to me, picked up my bag and walked me to the proper train line for my departure and then said, “That will be 15 Euro.” I was a little taken back, I thought he was a kind train attendant helping me. (Like in Prague in an earlier posting) I gave him a twenty and asked for change and he looked me in the eye and said, “No,” and walked off. Well, that taught me a lesson.

When the train arrived in Chiusi, a man, who was also boarding the train picked up my bags and hoisted them onto the train. I had stewed over this because even though I had mailed home boxes of goodies and my books, I wasn’t sure I could heft the bags on the train in the few minutes allowed to heft. As it turned out this man, his wife and friends were also my booth mates on the train. They were from Australia and we had the best time talking and we all hit it off immediatley. We talked all the way to Florence and discovered we would all be heading to Cinque Terre in a few days and I hoped we would meet up there again.

As we approached Firenze Rifredi Train Station, it was raining Gucchi cats and dogs and there was no shelter where the train stopped so it was every man for himself in the pouring rain. I lumbered along with my two stacked bags and when I reached the station a young man hoisted my bags and took off down the stairs, up the stairs and around the bend of the train station with me struggling to keep up with him. When I got there he said, “Thirty euros.” What????? Well, I looked him in the eye and said, “No.” He looked so surprised. I gave him 5 euro.

I went to the Taxi Stand and to no surprise there were no taxis available. So I waited. Then I crossed the street and waited at that taxi stand. Still no taxis. I thought it odd there would be no taxis available, but then it was pouring so I thought everyone was wanting a taxi and there would be a wait. As I waited, I watched. When a taxi did pull up my friend, the exorbitant bag carrier, would hail the taxi, talk to the driver and then place hand picked travelers into the taxi. Every taxi that pulled in had the same routine. The taxi did not stop at the taxi stand just looked for the bag carrier and took his travelers. Hmmmm….. Then an anxious looking visiting priest came up to me and asked if I had called for the taxi. What? He said I had to call for a taxi to come to this station and the bag handler had offered to do it for him for 50 euro. What???? How much had I given him?

I was sure I would never get a taxi now. So the priest, who had called for a taxi and I along with three more priests stood and watched as every cab that came was hailed to the “Bag Handler” as I now referred to him. I was nervous about being left alone at this station so asked the priest if I could ride with them if we ever got a cab. We stood for over an hour and watched this procession with the priest going up to each taxi and stating that he indeed had called for a taxi, but the taxi driver looked nervous and only followed the orders of the “Bag Handler.” My phone had no signal here at all. So I looked the Father in the eyes and said, “Father, we are going to have to be ruthless, they have a scam going on here, so follow my lead.” When the next station wagon taxi pulled in I ran to it and flung open the door and threw in my smallest bag. All the priests followed suit. The “Bag Handler” came to the taxi and I gave him a piece of my mind, something on the order of treating priests like this and so on. I was furious. The taxi driver got out and opened the hatchback allowing the priests to load our bags all the while the “Bag Handler” read the taxi driver the riot act. We had all squeezed into the taxi when another taxi pulled up. Our taxi driver looked so relieved, but told us we had to get out and take the other taxi since he was not supposed to be taking travelers. So one priest went to confirm this with the woman taxi driver, who was very helpful and said yes she had been called to pick us up. We then transferred all our luggage to her big Mercedes station wagon and after one last dirty look at the “Bag Handler” we were off. I told her we were going to different locations, and she said no problem. We proceeded to City Center Florence chatting in Italian and English while she waved at all the other female taxi drivers and I tried to cool down. She said Firenze Rifredi Train Station was not the main terminal so most of the taxis would be waiting at Florence Maria Novella Station, the station the priests had failed to get off at. They will never make that mistake again! I had no excuse my train was destined for Firenze Rifredi. As we passed Maria Novella we saw a long line of taxis there, the real taxis. We were told most taxis wanted the easy pick up fees of Maria Novella while the out-lying stations were manned by the “Bag Handler,” with him receiving a cut along with his mob of drivers. Over three hours later I arrived at Antica Torre Di Via Tornbuoni Hotel, where my husband was frantically waiting for me, since I was late and had not answered his telephone calls. I paid for the cab for myself and the priests and waved goodbye to them. I needed a drink! On to the Rooftop terrace of Antica Torrei Di Via Tornbuoni!

Rooftop View of Florence from the Hotel

For a great car service while visiting Montepulciano I suggest: Tuscany Transfer Service (Emanuele) http://www.tuscanytransfer.it

Il Sasso A Day at School

Acquacheta, an Awesome Eating Experience!

Day One
I had to take a test. After finishing one third of a page on page one, I was whisked away for the oral section of the placement testing. I could hardly speak. I was placed in the Beginners Class which was fine by me. I was in that class for ten minutes when I was whisked off to the second floor and placed in a class with four men and one other woman. My first thought was “I have been demoted to lower than the beginners class, ” but as it turned out there were so many beginners we were separated into two classes. I could hardly call my classmates beginners. Two of the men knew a great deal of Italian, but wanted to be more comfortable speaking it at random, in different settings, off the cuff. A great deal more complicated then practicing from a book. We would get plenty of practice doing that. We had two teachers a day, each for two hour periods. Day one we learned the alphabet and how to pronounce it. Who knew that an A is not an A. A would be Ahhh. I would be EEEE. It was a wonder I could say anything in Italian. R was erra. S was esse. We would have worksheets to do, all the while the teacher speaking and teaching in Italian. If you did not understand something the teacher would look at you and say, do you understand? The reply and phrase I knew very well the entire time of my studies was Non lo so. I don’t know. She then would try to show by writing pictures on the chalkboard or explain it over and over until you got it. The teachers had the patience of saints and a very good sense of humor. One morning after studying the mercato and all the fruits and vegetables we could buy there, the afternoon teacher came in and in groups of two, the students went to the front of the class to do a skit. One student was the buyer and one student was the vendor and we bought and sold practicing our hellos and how much do I owe you and everything in between. It was fun, practical and nerve-wracking all at the same time. This was our routine everyday. With compiti almost every night. Homework, not a lot. Just enough to remind you to think about what you learned or would be learning the next day. So the classes consisted of work from a workbook, working with a great deal of extra printed material and speaking either in small groups or in front of the class. And of course answering the questions the teacher asked you, in Italian. It was challenging, fun, practical and I met several new friends from all over the world and in different levels of education. Many business and governments send their employees to Il Sasso to learn or perfect their Italian skills. The second week all but two students had finished their course and Andy and I moved up to Elementary 1 Level and joined other students. New teachers, new students and new material to learn. We learned a great deal, there was no loitering and we moved along at a fast pace. After the morning classes, there were options of private tutoring or field trips. Cooking classes, tours of the historic towns, and walks in the countryside were just some of the many choices to make your stay memorable. In the evenings the students would meet up at the local restaurants, trattorias, osterias, enotecas and bars, so we became good friends and learned from each other. The third week I had my third set of teachers. I liked having the rotation. The teachers were fantastic, humorous and very caring. They wanted you to succeed and have a good time. It was an experience I will remember for the rest of my life and keep me studying Italian. To all my Italian classmates and teachers, ciao, ciao!!!

On the next to last evening the class went to Acquacheta to dine. A small osteria, family owned that specializes in steak served family style. Steak cut to serve.

The Owner at Acquacheta Preparing the Meat

The Owner Showing the Steak for Approval

The Steak Closeup

If you would like more information about Il Sasso, Scuola di Italiano contact:

http://www.ilsasso.com

Via di Gracciano nel Corso 2

1-53045 Montepulciano, Italy

Facebook: Il Sasso- Italian Language School

If you would like more information about Osteria “Acquacheta”

http://www.acquacheta.eu

Via del Teatro, 22, Montepulciano, Italy

Montepulciano, the First Day

The Pottery Shop

The Handmade Leather Shoe Shop

My Walk to School

Cats Are Everywhere!

On Walk to School

On My Walk to School

The Town Bus only Stops at the Bottom and the Top

My Favorite House on Hill# 2 #64

Not My Walk To School!!!!

Montepulciano is a hill town in Tuscany in three layers. There are three hills to walk up. The first hill is for the tourists, the second hill and plateau is filled with fine craftsmen making pottery, jewelry, mosaics, leather products and woodcarving items all by hand as their ancestors have done for hundreds of years. Dotted between these shops are the clothing shops, great restaurants, wine shops and small grocery stores. The buildings are huge and people live above the shops. At the end of the second hill is Santa Maria dei Servi Church, one of thirteen Catholic churches in Montepulciano. This is where Politian Palazzo is, on the former grounds of the monastery/church. The crown hill is for the Cathedral, the Fort Museum, the Town Hall, the Duomo Hotel and the Torture Museum. Il Sasso, the Italian Language school, is located between the first and second hill. I am so glad I don’t have to walk all the way to the bottom of the hill everyday! My first introduction to the school was an evening wine social on the Sunday before school started. There were forty to fifty students who gathered to have a drink and hors d’oeuvres. Our hostess was an energetic woman who spoke fast and furious Italian. Well it sounded like that to me. The students drifted out to the terrace and I got up the nerve to ask a fellow student if she spoke English. I think I was in such shock with everyone speaking Italian I must have looked like a deer in the headlights. What had I gotten myself into? I loved it. I came home so excited to start school the next day!

The Front Door of Il Sasso, Italian Language School

My Favorite House on Hill #3

Even Cats Go to Mass Here

Appetizers

Pear Salad

Torte

Chocolate Dessert

Montepulciano

The Entrance to the Politian Palazzo

My apartment right above the Torture Museum Sign!

My Apartment from the Outside

The View from my Apartment

The Casa Right Below my Window, Part of the Fortress Wall

Arrived!!! Montepulciano is just as I remembered it, only now I am staying at the highest and oldest part of town between the XII century Fortress and the monastery of Santa Maria dei Servi, in the Politian Apartment. The houses in this part of Via del Poliziano were built in the first half of 1800 on previous settlements belonging to the monastery. This particular property was bought in 1889 by William Stuart, a British Royal Army Captain and his wife Anna Camp, who left Edinburgh in 1850 and came to live in Tuscany. They renovated several small houses on the monastery property into a palazzo for the family and servants, including a beautiful garden. The great grandchildren of William Stuart still live in the palazzo and have divided the main building into four large apartments, preserving the original features of the building and adding modern comforts with up to date plumbing and electrical work. The result is an extraordinary villa that makes you feel like you are living in a palace with a big shower and a fantastic kitchen, difficult things to find in the countryside of Italy.

My Bedroom Ceiling

My Bedroom Fireplace

The Sala and Kitchen

The Sala Opening to the Guardino

Looking Out the Sala

La Campagna di Montepulciano

My Giardino

The Guardino Outside My Door

For the decor Giacomo and Maria (sister/brother hosts) have restored the furniture, paintings, cabinets and armoires taken out of storage. I asked Giacomo about the furnishings and paintings one day and he told me all the furnishings presently in the house were deemed “too good, we must save them,” by his mother and had been in storage for many many years. When she passed, Giacomo decided the furnishings had stayed in storage long enough and they would be used. They even found his Great Great Grandmother’s trousseaux, tapestries, bedsteads and hand embroidered linens that had never been used. The tapestries and bedspreads were produced on a hand loom in Prato and some in the convents of Siena and Pienza. All are made of silk, linen, cotton or hemp. The embroideries were sown by “woman of the family,” mothers, aunts and grandmothers for the bride. Every Saturday when Maria and Jane (Jane is Romanian and that is what she is called in English, I can’t begin to pronounce it in Romanian) clean and I do mean clean, Maria asks me to pick my sheets for the week from a selection of great great grandmother’s antique linens that are pure white, pressed and starched. Unbelievable!!!!

Santa Lucia, Her Eyes are in the Cloth

The Master Bedroom

The Valley Below Montepulciano

Nearly all the paintings depict rural landscapes of Tuscany or seasides of Scotland. Except, my favorite painting in the large, large bedroom, that of Santa Lucia, painted in the late sixteenth century by Sienese artist, Domenico Beccafumi. The ceramic vases in the villa came from local workshops (that continue to make fine pottery) and the garden restoration included re-using all the old bricks and tiles made in the late 1800’ s. All the tiles on the floor in my apartment are original. They are a rusty red in color, some are squared and some are brick shaped. Giacomo said the garden bricks are the same bricks as the house floor bricks, just with a glaze and fine polishing added for house-use bricks. The ceilings are fourteen feet tall and the windows are five feet tall, narrowed and shuttered. To open the window there is a long rod/bolt affair from the top of the window to the bottom of the window. There are no screens and no bugs. The window casings are marble. There are working fireplaces in every room! I am sending a picture of the ceiling in my bedroom and will continue more tomorrow. Ciao!

If you are interested in the Politian Apartments, your home away from home contact:

http://www.politian.com

Via del Poliziano 34

Montepulciano Siena, Tuscany

Tel. +39 0578 716624

Last Night a Roma

Mother Mary Hasselblad of Santa Brigida Convent

How to do you study a nun’s habit without staring? That is the question. I am fascinated with the headpiece. It looks like a halo held in place with a plus sign on top. Or is it an open air battle ready helmet, but made of hard cardboard like the priests collars? The headpiece the nuns wear is fashioned the same as the headpiece that Mother Mary Hasselblad wore. I saw Mother Hasselblad’s picture in the chapel. Their headpiece must determine their association with Santa Brigida. In the daytime, outside the convent, the nuns walk in pairs carrying an umbrella between them to block the suns rays. In the Rome heat it would be as hot as a furnace under all that get up. I think your head would be sweating from that halo contraption.

The Market Hardware Stand

Small Streets for Dining

Tonight we are walking to Piazza Navona to eat. There are so many people out and about on this Saturday night, but I wonder if it is always busy with tourists? The markets are still flourishing so I look at the hardware stand. I buy little glass jars to put the Italian spices in that I bought at another stall. I also buy a can of coffee to take to the apartment in Montepulciano. The espresso coffee is four euro for a pound and the date of use is good until 2014. I’m good to go. We could look for hours here there is so much to see, but we move on after our purchases. We get to the only street corner that so far has a stoplight, although stoplights here are only a suggestion. Nobody stops. There is a police woman here tonight and I think that is odd. The polizia wear big thick white gun holsters that cross over the body like you would wear a purse you didn’t want stolen. They don’t holster around the waist. Suddenly we hear sirens. Lots of sirens. Two motorcycle police whiz by like they are going to a fire. The police woman jumps into action preventing anyone from crossing the street. The man in front of me says, “Holy Papa, Holy Papa.” And sure enough here comes a black Mercedes and in the back seat is a smiling and waving Pope Francis. Everyone on the street is waving and shouting. It was quite the moment. How lucky we were to be at that place at that time! After the Holy Papa passes by the police woman vanishes into the crowd as more motorcycles zip past.

Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona

In the Piazza Navona tonight there are artists of all kinds. Some painting absentmindedly, with their palettes of beautiful colors, while others watch. There is also a large crowd gathered around a man in a straight jacket and chains. It is like being at the circus. Young good looking men are selling rubber band rockets that shoot high into the sky, then flash bright colors, before falling back to the ground where they run to pick them up and do it all over again. In the background the huge fountain provides a backdrop for the photo takers. We sit at the oldest restaurant on the piazza dating 1836. The food is so-so, but the people watching is fantastic. We return to the Convent again around midnight and I wonder what is in store for us tonight.

The Angel on the Corner

We are not disappointed. We still hear people walking and talking as they return to their homes, but around 3am there is a blood curdling scream of “aiutarmi, aiutarmi!” Help me! Help me! I also hear the voices of people trying to quiet the man down. My first thought is he is on drugs. He gets quiet only to start up minutes later, “aiutarmi, aiutarmi!” I then hear the doors of Santa Brigida open and the soft voice of a nun trying to comfort him. Everything gets quiet then and I finally fall asleep. In the morning after breakfast with the priests, the nun calls a cab for us to take to the train station. A very old man, speaking only Italian, pulls up and can hardly lift our suitcases to the trunk. We are off to Montepulciano!

Late Night in Roma

Via Della Concilazione

St Peter’s

The Wall Around St Peters Square

The front and main entrance to the church at Santa Brigida faces the square of the Piazza Farnese. Looking out from Santa Brigida to the right on the piazza is the Farnese Palazzo, now the French Embassy. There is a guard house for the armed soldiers, who carry angry looking machine guns. A utility vehicle painted in camouflage looks well equipped with anything needed in a crisis. Armed guards constantly patrol the grounds of the embassy. Two armed soldiers are posted at the vehicle at all times. The piazza is small and quiet with no markets set up during the day and no hawkers shooting off the plastic rockets that glow like firecrackers when propelled into the night sky. During the day tourists sit on the long marble bench in front of the embassy to rest.

Our room at the convent faced the small cobbled side street and as we looked out our tall narrow window of the room we could see the embassy to the left and a small bar in the next block to the right. We could hear people walking and talking in the street below despite the fact we were up four floors from the ground level of the street. Sound travels. The serenading began at 1am. A group of boys, either drunk or just happy sat on the steps of the building across from the convent and sang loudly and with gusto until 3 AM. Evidently the guards at the embassy like singing and are trained to stay at their posts and keep a look out, never interfering unless there is a disturbance in the piazza or a run on the building. They are not diverted to singing groups on the side street. The side street is off limits. It’s a good thing we got sleep on the flight over.

The next morning broke clear, sunny and very warm. We went to the breakfast room and were greeted by a nun who was serving two priests an early breakfast. We had the choice of frutta, yoghurt, cereali, salami, fromaggio, caffe e spramuta d’ rancia. (I am practicing my Italian) We decided to walk early in the day, while it was cooler, to the Vatican and I am so glad we did. Staying at the convent is so convenient, despite the outdoor noises, because you can walk to all the main attractions. We walked to the Tiber River and crossing a different bridge than yesterday passed Castel Sant’ Angelo and walked on to St Peter’s Square, which is really round. At this early hour there were few tourists so we could get some good pictures without heads or bodies in the way. The shops and cafes along Via Della Conciliazione were open at this hour too. The street cleaners were out with witches brooms sweeping away the last bits of dirt on the sidewalks. The street cleaning machines started up right after the serenading died down. Hey, maybe the singers ARE the street cleaning machine operators! The Italians clean the streets early every morning with the same gusto as the singers! Cleaning starts in around 4AM. We walked on to the square and were greeted by hawkers who could get us in the Vatican, no line. I don’t think so. I know there is always a long line. There is a great deal of construction going on near the Vatican now so there are many detours to get around the square and up to the museum. When we finally arrived at the museum that entrance was closed off so we retraced our steps back to St Peters Square. When we got there, there were hundreds of people winding in a line to get into the Vatican. We passed around the wrought iron fence designating we were now in Vatican City, a country all it’s own. We stopped to look at the wares of a man selling Vatican novelties. He told us he was the only merchant allowed to sell inside Vatican City, on church and state property. His family had sold here from 1945 and the license was passed down through the generations. He was very nice and telling the truth. We circled St Peters and never saw another vender inside the fencing. We went back to him and bought rosaries and tiny, tiny bottles of holy water. He gave us St Francis medals to wear. He told us business would not be good today since the crowd was expected to be over 200,000 for the dedications of the Confraternity. There were a bazillion metal chairs set in the square and that is where the lines were winding as they waited to get into the Vatican. We hi-tailed out of there before the crowds became worse and stopped at more shops along the way. I was looking for a Nativity scene. I have a large set with many shepherds, cows and donkeys and of course the Holy Family. I wanted a little itsy bitsy one and found it. Made of hand carved wood it is Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus about one inch tall, all in one tiny piece. Perfetto! We also bought post cards and posted them in the Vatican City post office. We then found the stop for the red open air double decker buses, thanks to two Italian girls who overheard us talking and gave us directions. We decided to take a tour of the city. It was beginning to get HOT so we bought gelato and boarded the bus, climbing to the top. It is a good way to rest and get a suntan at the same time. After the bus tour we walked back to the Convent passing large groups of people dressed in colorful robes and carrying large banners while praying and walking to the Vatican. These were the Confraternities. They were being honored with a mass with the Holy Papa. Time for a nap to rest up for the evening passegiatta!

The Colosseum

From the Tour Bus in Roma

Rome at Night

A Bridge Over the Tiber River

Rome at night Is unbelievable! We headed out to Campo di Fiori (Field of Flowers), just a hop, skip and jump from Piazza Farnese, that was used in times past as a market and hostel area for pilgrims making their way to see the Holy Papa. Today it is filled with stalls of goods, hawkers and outdoor restaurants. There are people everywhere since this time of evening is known for the passeggiata, when everyone, young and old takes a walk. It is still warm out and the glow of faint street lights on the cobblestones and marble buildings is breathtaking and magical. Around every corner is another small lane with an enoteca or outdoor restaurant. We choose an establishment with red checkered clothed tables and I order wine, which is cheaper here than bottled water. We soon discover our neighboring table mates are Russian Jews who left Russia thirty years ago and went first to Austria, then Italy while waiting on paperwork to get them into the US. Our government took care of all their bills and living facilities while they waited. They love Italy and come back often. It was interesting to talk to them especially so close to the Boston bombings and since they too sought asylum in the US. They came with two thousand dollars (all the government of Russia would let them leave with) and left a beautiful large home, careers and their families behind. He owned a mining company in Russia. They had their choice of going to Israel or the US. After arrival in the US he drove a cab in New York for twenty years. She left Russia with twenty pairs of long yellow plastic gloves prepared to clean toilets if she had too. She never had to. She became a nail technician instead. They have two sons, who both graduated from college. They now are retired and split their time between Manhattan and Miami where they own homes. She said they could not totally leave Manhattan because they love the pizza too much! They looked very well to do, spoke very good English and we had fun chatting with them.

After dinner we decided to do Rick Steve’s Heart of Rome Walk which took us through the major piazzas, winding cobblestone streets and then to the really fancy shopping areas of Gucchi and Pucci, ending at the Spanish Steps. Most shops here open at 10AM, close at 2PM for a couple of hours and then reopen and stay open until 10PM. Except for the restaurants that open early or late deciding if they do breakfast or not, then close around 2PM and reopen for dinner and are still open late into the night. We rested on the Spanish Steps and then retraced our footsteps and also meandered on some different small streets back to the Convent of Santa Brigida. The Convent is locked at night but there is no curfew. Inside, at the desk, was our key to the room on a big wooden orange spinning top that designated our room. The key fob looks like a Pinocchio toy. When you leave the Convent the nuns take the key to your room so you don’t lose it. We settled in briefly around midnight before all the excitement began. Next…… Late night in Rome

The Cobblestone Streets of the Historic Center of Rome

The Stalls in Campo di Fiori

Food Stalls at Campo di Fiori

Trevi Fountain at Night

The Streets of Rome

Streets of Rome

The Spanish Steps

Rome Is Magical at Night

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