Rome: The Words Blog Mood: chillin' Topic: Roma 2006
(NOTE: please see Stephen's pictoral blog entry for more pictures)
FRIDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER 2006:
Our trip to Rome started on Friday the 8th at 10:15am when we departed from the Woking train station. We never left rail tracks until 9:45am Saturday morning. Our Woking train pulled into London Waterloo with ample time to spare for us to go downstairs to the Eurostar station. Stephen took the extra time to have a mini "freak-out" and pulled me over to one side to ask if I could carry his swiss army knife key-chain in my purse. Because of security. I tried to remind him that on a train, no luggage is checked in, and therefore, it doesn't matter whether or not an object is in your pocket, purse or suitcase. But I obliged nevertheless. The French customs were pretty lax, and it was a breeze to get on that train to Paris. I enjoyed watching London and then the Kentish countryside roll out of view as with hit the darkness of the chunnel for 20 min. Once through, immeidately a sense of space was evident.
Generally though, the countryside looked similar to some of the English countryside. Exceptions were the style of houses and churchs that made up the country villages.
And blink, in no time at all we pull into Gare du Nord and strolled into the very efficient and clean Metro. (ahem: London why can't you renovate the tubes eh? Be a little more like Paris?) The train to Rome was leave Gare Bearcy (in the 12th arrondisement). So we had a couple of hours to wander around the area, where we found a lovely park to walk through mazes, rose gardens, sculptures, etc...here's a building covered in grass:
We should have stayed longer in the park, or have enjoyed a pavement cafe or brasserie, but we didn't realize that travelling in the continental EU, you can jump on your train 5 min. before it departs. In fact, they don't let you board but 10 min. before it departs anyway. No check in, nothing! Lovely.
I can remember the feeling of bewilderment as we found our couchette. Just as you imagine from films: behind a sliding door, there are 2 benches where 3 people sit facing 3 other people. The top half of the bench flips down into one bed, while the bottome half serves as a second. And above this, a bed hangs down for the other people. Very close quarters, and with some people having large suitcases, it's an extremely tight squeeze. We shared our cabin with 3 Italian woman: 1 teenager, 1 mother, 1 grandmother. They were very chatty and then went to bed early. The other was a french 20 something who knew the ropes. A bit awkward at first though. We went to the dining car to kill some time and realized that for 50 euros we could eat tomato & basil spagetti at shakey tables. No thanks. So we got the only vegetarian option at the snack bar: 2 huge salads (& a bottle of red wine). It was fun to try eating standing up on a shakey train, listening to Americans talking way to much and too loudly, and then burping.
But no matter how much you want it to, salad doesn't really make you feel full. But breakfast in Rome we thought!
SATURDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER 2006
We both had slept on an off through the night. And at some point in the wee hours of the morning the 3 ladies had left the train (for Florence?). So Stephen & I let the French man sleep while we admired the Tuscan countryside from the window outside our cabin. I remember feeling how much better it was than flying. Then the countryside turned into suburbs, and then into urban Rome. Lovely buildings crammed together with not so lovely buildings, ancient walls etc...
And we rolled into Statizone Termini on time, with an hour and a half to find our hotel before meeting Jenn (my brother Mark's wife who's in Rome for research). But on our way there, we bumped into her on a street corner. Yay! Let the games begin. But first I desperately needed an Italian coffee and something to eat! We had no trouble finding such a place and enjoyed the reviving qualities of the strong coffee.
We checked into our hotel, freshend up, and then started our journey through Rome at the top of the Spanish Steps. We decided we would find the Trevi Fountain, which we did after getting turned around a bit) the Pantheon, the Forum, the Colloseum and then see how much time we had. So we did just that grabbing pay by the pound pizzas, gellatos and bottles of water along the way. I must say the weather was perfect. Hot, but not too hot, and sunny with true blue skies.
I found the city to be full of tourists, but it hasn't seemed to have chased Romans from living in the historical areas. So it had an authentic feeling of continued life--not just a historical tourist area--from ancient times to present.
It's hard to put into words the scale and range of architecture that we saw. Mostly because I not so very little about architecture that I couldn't really apreciate it fully. Nevertheless, for me, the ignorant, it was still impressive and inspiring. I must get a book on the Romans and try to understand how they were so innovative, confident and successful in just about everything.
After walking and walking and seeing all of the above, we decided it was time to chill out and eat and drink. So we went across the Tiber river to Trastevere. There was a very bohemian section, packed with restaurants and bars. We had some aperatifs, and then walked around in circles for a good 30 min. trying to decide on a restaurant. Typically, we chose one of the worst restaurants any of us had ever been to. For starters, the food was bland, which was criminal. How despressing to be in Rome eating bland food! They had a small selection of vegetarian dishes, 2 of which were unavailable. The gnocci that Stephen received turned out to be laced with beef, and therefore inedible. How do you complain in Italian? To a staff who look like they are about to loose it? So we didn't complain to the staff, but to each other. Not making for a lovely meal... They forgot to bring Jenn's wine, and then to top it all off they espresso was burnt.
We left no tip. Stephen went to a pizza stall and had a better dinner there.
We headed back over the river to explore the festival Notte Bianca where cultureal events would be happening all night. We never heard or saw any music or performances. We followed the crowds down Via Corsa, stopping at a side street to look at tourist kitch like fridge magnents and posters. One stall was selling a poster of Mussolini, in a hitler salut. Hey? What's that about?
We found ourselves back at Trevi Fountain somehow where not very far away we parked ourselves down with beer for a few hours and had a delightful time crowd watching from our outdoor tables. Some people at the restaurant next door started playing some lively music with a small accordian, tambourine and a man playing two plates like they were spoons. It was lovely.
After leaving this place we wanted to continue basking in the festivities, but I believe out of exhaustion (it was 1am) communication started breaking down, and we just headed back to our hotels.
SUNDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER 2006
Today was Vatican day. Good choice for a Sunday morning. Of course we were all a bit zonky and tired after Saturdays escapades. We walked over to Vatican City and stood in line to go up to the cupola. This involved walking over 500 stairs to the top of the dome of St. Peter's basilica. If you look at Stephen's picture blog you can see the view we had of the inside of the church during Sunday mass. We also got to walk around the outside of the cupola where we got some breathtaking views of Rome.
Now, comments on the Vatican. This was not a holy place. This was a shrine. A shrine to befit kings, emperors and I supposes even popes. But a shrine to Jesus? Yes, I believe it's said somewhere in the Bible that instead of taking care of the poor, please can you hire the best artists to make beautiful status and paintings of me. Make imagaes and idols he said. Use as much gold leaf and marble, nothing else will do!
The place is almost gaudy with its exhibition of wealth and prestige. I couldn't bring myself to care really.
So we left and had pizza on a fabulous side street next to an old city wall.
Just like in Rome, it is at this point I/we run/ran out of steam. After our very nice lunch, we headed towards the train station, had some beers, and left Jenn at an internet cafe. We killed some time. Walked into a fabulous church that I can not remember the name of. We did some shopping at the train station. I sprayed myself with perfume to hide the sweaty stench, as we would be packed into another 6 person cabin shortly.
And we boarded the train, just as casually as in Paris. We were the only ones in our cabin at first, but a couple hours away we were joined by 4 Italian teenagers on their first trip to Paris. They were pretty cute.
And to wrap up quickly: we had to have salad again for dinner on the train, we slept well that night, and very quickly found ourselves in Paris. We did the Metro in reverse, found ourselves at Gare du Nord, we bought papers and bagette sandwiches and boareded the Eurostar. 2.5 hours later we were in Waterloo where we boarded a train to Woking within 10 min. and then found ourselves at home.
Lets here it for fun, environmentally clean, and friendly trains!
No Blogging Now Playing: Love - Forever Changes Topic: Stephen Says
What's this? No blogging? Frankly, we've been up to our eye balls busy. Me: working like a mo-fo. Elisabeth: Schmoozing with 4 generations of woking mayors & assorted dignitaries and politicians associated with Surrey. Pity, really, because when there's nothing going on there's lots of blog-time available and when there is stuff (And pretty interesting stuff at that), there's silence.
Rome in Pictures Now Playing: Nomeansno - Why do they call mt Mr. Happy? Topic: Roma 2006
Okay, so I had a heckuva day back at work - incident reports, key working sessions, visits from area managers, meetings with wankers from other organizations responding to complaints against me and my complaints against them, etc, etc, etc. It was like all the good that 4 days off can give you obliterated in the first 15 minutes of your day back at work.
So here are some crazy pictures of Rome to make me happy. I also realized that we saw so damn much that I have no idea what we saw. Just historic building after building after building... first off, the big ones: The view of Rome from the top of St. Peter's Basillica:
Augustine's Mausoleum:
Elisabeth and Jenn being dwarfed by such a really big random building that it warrants noting: ">
Elisabeth & Jenn consulting maps on top of the Spanish Steps (There was a lot of map consulting):
Trevi Fountain:
The awesome ceiling of the Pantheon:
Elisabeth on the streets of Rome:
Statue of a dude that sorely needs to take a crap:
Elisabeth & Jenn consulting a map:
The Forum X2:
The Colluseum:
Elisabeth & Jenn consult a map:
A random cool statue I liked:
Me & Jenn at the top of a ridiculously high & steep staircase that leads to nothing that we should never have climbed in the first place but did anyway even though we'd walk everywhere:
A Sunday service inside St. Peter's taken from the top of the dome:
Horsing arund in Vatican City:
...And sometimes there are things that no words can describe:
Anyway, I'm doing a long day sleep in tomorrow so I won't be around 'till Thursday night to describe the atrocities in full. Unless Elisabeth does it first. In which case I'll just rant about the opulent crapulence of The Vatican.
PS - This is what I look like in my new glasses: (In a Park in Paris): (Sorry - I know that's rubbing it in but we're pretty chuffed [note British slang] about getting off our asses and actually doing the kind of travelling that we've been talking about for years.): (My God, YEARS!):
Back Now Playing: Tom Waits - Real Gone Topic: Stephen Says
...And we're back from La Roma and surprisingly not tired - let's hear it for sleeper cars!. Pics, thoughts and low rez videos to follow over the next few days as real life rears its ugly head and makes us do things. In Woking.
We're waiting on Dominos (I know, I know, sacrilage after what we've tasted.) and a crap/brainless movie (What's it gonna be - Jodie Foster in flightplan or Mister Bean in Johnny English?) before we turn in.
By the way, anyone out there know what happened 5 years ago today?
I'll give you a clue... It's September the 11th...
If you answered 'Stephen phoned Elisabeth to ask her out on a date,' you win. Advance to 'Go' and collect a Life card.
Oh, and among other things... Now Playing: Faith No More - The Real Thing Topic: Stephen Says
Today marks the 5 year anniversay of Elisabeth and I getting drunk and making out at a party, signalling, um, signalling whatever it signalled.
And The Independent, in keeping with it's habit of having utterly crap insets, has a guide to mountain and moorland birds. I now know what the Ring Ouzel, Meadow Pipit and Golden Plover look like. I have discovered that a bird named the Ptarmigan exists (It's a plump gamebird that lives in the mountains of Scotland though, in cold weather, may move to the edge of forests), I can tell the difference between a male and female Hen Harrier and, most importantly, have learned that Ravens make a 'hollow sounding "kronk, kronk" or "Prrruk, prrruk" call."
Next stop: Rome Now Playing: Tom Waits - Real Gone Topic: Stephen Says
It's been a while since there's been any real news. I'm laying low because my old manager has it out for me after springing the whole awards thing on him and he knows that I'm hard to embarass so I'm pretty much just watching my back and being innately suspicious of any phone calls from people whose voices I don't recognize.
I've been to the Optomitrist for the 1st time in years and the good news is that my eye-sight hasn't changed. The maybe bad news is that I've gone and bought new glasses and they're a pretty big style change and I don't know if I've gone and done very bad with them. They're insured at the very least so if Elisabeth walks through the door tonight and looks aghast, I can arrange a little accident with them. I'm also claiming them on my health insurance policy which is pretty cool because I bought an astronomically expensive pair that I'll pay very little towards from my own pocket.
So yeah, we're off to Italy tomorrow and I'm also looking forward to the few hours we'll get in Paris. My mission: (1)Eat noting but pizza while in Rome and (2)buy a new pair of shades because the pair that I got in the U.S. just seem to be getting uglier and uglier by the day.
I'm also procrastinating while working on my NVQ assignment. I keep thinking what a nice day it is and how I should go out again. Maybe pick up a paper and go to the pub. In fact, I will.
OK, maybe I overstepped the boundries but... Now Playing: Ministry - Rio Grande Blood Topic: Stephen Says
A few weeks ago I covertly nominated my old manager for charity worker of the year to our local crap mall (Wolsey place)(As opposed to the Peacocks Centre, which is our less crap mall) as a laugh. But everyone thought that his humiliation would be funny if he actually showed up to accept his award and plans (i.e. lies) were made and we ambushed him this afternoon where he got to hang with the local press and meet the mayor with all the other nominees. I'll see if I can get the actual news article up but here's a video I made of the event with my new handy-dandy camera. And I know the resolution's crap but it was my fisrt video ever.
Too precious.
I've managed to scam most of the week off to get things ready for our trip to ome this weekend but unfortunately most of my time off will be spent on NVQ coursework so it won't be all shits & giggles.
How is it Sunday and Almost Monday? Topic: Elisabeth's Entries
What's happened? Why am I going back to work tomorrow already?
The weekend has been mostly spent with our friends from south africa. Friday night I tutored their 15 year old son, which actually went very well. We'll finish the assignment tomorrow.
I had a driving lesson Sat. morning...I had to start on hills, and I never once rolled back. He's a very good instructor. I drove for the entire hour as well, through little villages and countryside. Very fun.
Stephen worked 2-10 on Sat. and is working 9:30am with a sleep-in until 3:30 on Monday. Yikes!
Saturday night I went with the south african family to a party. Their friend's daughter, who I had taught a couple of piano lessons to, had turned 21. I drank lots of white wine and ate lots of cake.
Today's been a hodge podge. I went with Stephen to work to fetch my bicycle which has been stored in the shed since June. Not surprising was that both tires (or should I spell it tyres?) were flat, and one just wouldn't inflate. So I had to push it all the way back home. Stephen and I have agreed that we'll get rid of/recycle this bicycle, and both of us get proper bikes.
This week will hopefully get swallowed up, as Friday we head out to Rome! Ms. Cianca, here we come!
Don't feel like writing a title Mood: incredulous Now Playing: Skinny Puppy - Too Dark Park Topic: Stephen Says
I'm so out of it that all day yesterday I was convinced that it was Friday and when someone pointed out to me that it was Wednesday, I wanted to cry.
That said, there's been a big ol' blow up with a fellow at another mental health organization and I've written a kick ass letter that should result in getting him fired. It involved a quarter of a page of people I c.c.ed it to including CEO's of his charity and head psychiatists (Can't remember their formal title) of the local mental health team. Fun, fun, fun. I can't wait for the inquest so I can watch this putz go down in flames.
(Hmm, I wonder if bumping into that Polish Pschmuck the other day blasted be an overdose of nemesis karma into me and now I've got a new asshole trying to bring me down to contend with.)
Anyway, in celebration of the shit hitting the fan (Amongst various other work-related disasters that may include an amputation), I bought a lovely sauvignon blanc and whipped up baked walnut and gorgonzola tortollini in a spinache and tomato sauce with organic courgette shreds only to remember that Elisabeth's got a big ol' meeting tonight so the food and drink is all mine tonight.
Tomorrow's my day off and I've shunted the POVA meeting I was supposed to attend to one of my collegues so that I can have an actual day off and, in traditional MACA fashion, use it to get boozy.
Hoovering Salamanders Now Playing: BBC 4 Topic: Elisabeth's Entries
I drove myself home today from my lesson. Those roads I thought would be impossibly tight to drive through, I drove through! I stalled once, but hey. It's good goin'
I feel like the cracks are starting to show at work. Instead of being resigned, patient, submissive, I find myself humming tunes, making sarcastic declarations, calling everyone "Sir" or Ms. and Mr ______. Don't get me wrong--I'm still very efficient and get the job done, but I'm worried that I'm starting to get too comfortable, so that the facade is cracking.
So I'm contemplating going back to univeristy in a years time. London or Toronto? We'll have to see.
Tomorrow I'm going to the YMCA for the monthly volunteer meeting, and will arrange a time to discuss theatre ideas. I'm thinking improv & theatre games to ease into things, and then exploring Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed.
chillin'
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incredulous