tuscannyandbeyond

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Thank you, Italia!

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It's a Wrap

This is post #24

It is now our last day of our 30 day excellent Italian adventure. What shall we do today? Well, first, we call a doctor, again, to see Jack. He's still got this nasty knot on his leg and it still hurts, and we don't want to get on a plane if we shouldn't. This is the 3rd doctor we've seen in Italy! By the way, all 3 times these doctors have shown up within 20 minutes, to our hotel room. No problem with house calls here! This latest young doctor gave Jack a steroid shot and other drugs and he felt progressively better throughout the day. Also by the way, this latest young doctor was gorgeous. As were SO MANY Italian men, IMHO. (in my humble opinion). So what do we do to finish Italy off? Well, we have gelato. We have an Aperol spritz. We look at the beautiful buildings and vibrant city. We watch the weddings on the Spanish steps, and cheer with everyone else. We have a wonderful goodbye Roma dinner, outside of course, at some restaurant nearby. But most of all, we are thankful for such a fantastic opportunity, and I am thankful for a second time, 40 years after the first, to re-visit Italy. My eyes, 40 years older, see things a bit differently now. This time, I am careful not to lose my passport and purse, and clutch my valuables tightly in certain areas. This time, I see the cobblestones and wonder who else in these 2,000 years also marched over them, and who now lie in the graves, their stories untold. This time, I see the Pieta, and empathize with a mother’s pain, not just view a sculptor’s masterpiece. This time, I appreciate a nice hotel, versus the hostels of my college age years. This time, I have my husband with me to share Italy. This time, memories are created with family, and new and old friends. This time, Gentle Reader, is better.

Thirty days is nowhere near enough time to take in all of this incredibly beautiful and historic country- I'm not sure a lifetime is - but we certainly loved our share. Thank you, Italia!

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No diving, I'm told.

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The fantastic Pantheon, a half sphere. Built in 125 A.D., it's been raining through that hole in the roof since! Those four little holes in the floor are the drain. Twice a year the sun illuminates the entry arch, and on the winter solstice creates an incredible light circle on the floor. (Last 3 pix courtesy of Claudia, our guide.)

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Rome tour: the Fatherland monument, Trajan markets, the Roman Forum, Coliseum, and wood from Jesus' manger housed in a relic case at Church of Mary Major.

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Jack's always wanted a driver. I've always wanted a battering ram.

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Mobile Service

This is post #23

So with Jack still invalid, I had the brilliant idea to rent a wheelchair. The wonderful concierge arranged this and I took a taxi to an ortho place across town, got a fine wheelchair AND better crutches. Thankfully the guy spoke French and for only €52 I had wheels for Jack! Our hotel was in the area of the Spanish steps and was almost totally pedestrian. It was great to get Jack out and about. No matter how nice your hotel is, you eventually get cabin fever if stuck there too long. So now we were mobile. And Jack has always wanted a driver, so now he had one! We rolled around the 'hood, window shopping, eating gelato, and people watching. Jack saw a neat suit on display in one of the shops. I rolled him in but they reeled him in and an hour later Jack was being fitted for an Italian wardrobe of suits and sports jackets. Said he wanted to look more like the Italian men for me. Hope it works! Now here's something funny: when I left to go on my Vatican tour, Jack didn't want me to take him back to the room. So I left him in the wide hotel entry. There he was, in a wheelchair, unshaven, just perched there. A bit later, the hotel guy came out, saying they'd had a few complaints about "some homeless man". So he went on upstairs! But Rome was so much more than our little corner, so I figured the best way to absorb this city was by car, with a guide. We had 4 hours to cover 3,000 years of history, no problem! Our guide and driver conspired together for an efficient route, and we saw: 1. The Marcus Aurelius obelisk, 179 AD, next to the Prime Minister's residence. 2. The huge, impressive, white King Victor Emmanuel monument, now the Altar to Italy the Fatherland. 3. The Trajan markets, 100 AD. 4. Mamertine prison, where Peter and Paul were held captive. Christianity was against the law, and Nero imprisoned them as leaders of the uprising Christian community. 5. In front of it is Ceasar's Forum (Augustus Ceassr) 50 BC. Julius Caesar was pre-Christ, Augustus was pre- and post- Christ. 6. The famous Roman forum, from 600 BC. Rome is named after Romulus and Remus, as the myth goes, abandoned babies raised by a shewolf and rescued by a shepherd in 753BC. 7. The sewers in this Roman forum are original - 600 BC- and still in use today!! They are 15' wide and you can visit them. 8. The Coliseum seated 80,000 people, built 79-80 AD. It had 80 entry gates, and people actually would have tickets with their gate number on it. 9. Churches: I've told you about St. Peter in Chains, with the miraculously welded chains from his 2 imprisonments. It also has Michelangelo's Moses. Also San Martin is the church our own Nashville Cathedral is modeled after. Then there's the amazing Church of Mary Major which HOUSES THE WOOD FROM JESUS' MANGER! 10. The Pantheon is fantastic! 125 AD, though a religious monument, it's an engineering marvel. It's basically half a globe, its height equals its width. The oculus is open and rainfall and anything else falls onto the Pantheon floor, to drain through 4 little holes, so it floods alot. Last Sunday there was about a foot of rain in the Pantheon and they had to close it down. Nonetheless, 80% of the marble flooring is original and if course all the walls are. Twice a year, the sun casts an incredible light on the entrance arch. And on the winter solstice a ring of light encircles the floor. The huge front doors are original -125 AD- and work perfectly! It was amazing! 11. Trevi fountain is the celebration of water's arrival through the aqueducts, and that water today is from those aqueducts! 12. No building is allowed to be taller than St. Peter's. 13. The black cobblestones are basalt, a volcanic rock. When St. Peter's was being built they cut them smaller and it's now called San Pietro stone. Whew! You can cover lots in 4 hours! I need an Aperol Spritz!!

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Peter the Rock, his imprisonment chains, and his prison in Rome (the peach building).

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For Pete's Sake

This is post #22

One of the appointments we had in Rome was for the Scavi tour. This is the excavations that were found around 50-75 years ago under St. Peter's Basilica. Of course St. Peter's is built over the tomb of St. Peter, so they're 95% sure they have discovered his grave. Over the last few years I have become increasingly interested in St. Peter and felt some sort of connection with him. He fascinates me, and his relationship with Jesus fascinates me. When I think of his weakness and his denying his friend Jesus 3 times for convenience, and yet Jesus not only forgives him but makes him the rock on which Christianity is built, and gives him the keys to His kingdom well, it means there's hope for weak people like me. For all of us. Then Peter, after his denials, does a 180 and for the rest of his life risks everything preaching about eternal salvation, ending up being crucified too, asking to be crucified upside down to avoid comparison or similarity to Jesus' crucifixion. The power of forgiveness and inspiration in this story is awesome! It gives me some comfort that failure is human and is ok, and St. Peter embodies this for me. We've bonded. If I could glimpse any part of this man's life, I want to do that. So I wasn't going to miss my appointment for this underground tour, reservations for which I had made months ago. (Jack stayed at the hotel with ice on his elevated foot.) St. Peter was martyred in 69 AD. His burial site was all by itself, nothing special, outside of Rome in the boonies. But his followers preserved it and would meet there. And his followers grew in number. They encased it, sealing the coffin so his relics (mostly bones) wouldn't be lost. When Constantine legalized Christianity, and was himself baptized, he built a church over St. Peter's grave around 350 AD and it stood for 1200 years. Its columns are still visible. Then in the 1500s the existing St. Peter's was started. The Scavi tour was mostly an architectural tour, and I love architecture, especially one this authentic, but it didn't quench my thirst for well, something. I guess in my mind I was wanting a lesson about St. Peter and his life, how he received that forgiveness, how he received his authority, how he persisted through imprisonment and suffering. Not a lesson about the Necropolis that later grew around his gravesite. I wanted to bond more! In my disappointment I was gobsmacked with the reality that it's not the responsibility of this tour guide to fulfill my needs or inspire me, it's mine. So I will seek out Pete for myself. St. Peter kept showing up for the rest of our time in Rome. Later that week we also went to a fascinating church called St. Peter in Chains. It contains the actual chains from Peter's imprisonments both in Jerusalem and Rome. We also saw Mamertine prison, where both Peter and Paul were held in Rome before their deaths as martyrs. Heavy stuff.

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Jack's recovery room in Sicily.

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Taormina , Sicily was so intriguing - folks out enjoying the lovely night, clean square and pedestrian streets, cute restaurants tucked up the stairwells.

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Sicily 2 Day 2 Step

This is post #21

The driver who picked us up in Sicily reminded us that this was “Godfather” country. He totally looked the part too. The Mafia, he said, was “no problem. They attend to what needs taking care of.” His uncle ran the family business. It was eerily real. By the time we reached our hotel in Taormina, Jack’s ankle was really hurting. We called a doctor and he said, lay off it. So he was laid up, poor thing, with ice and elevation. We borrowed crutches from the hotel so he could get around the room. Fortunately this room had a great view and an outdoor terrace. We had space again! Jack kept a good attitude, maintaining that he had the world’s best “recovery room”–a beautiful view but not much recovery however. I explored Taormina a bit and was very impressed. Their hilltop plaza lit up at night and their quaint streets were filled with strolling pedestrians. I hated that Jack couldn’t partake- this was a lovely little town. And we missed seeing Aetna, the active volcano, and the Isola Bella, the UNESCO waters about 200’ from our hotel. Next stop: Rome. We debated even going there, given the stress on Jack’s foot and just staying put at Taormina, not exactly punishment. But we decided to keep to our original agenda, so after 2 days we hoofed it to Rome with 2 crutches. The driver who took us back to the airport also said the Mafia was “no problem.” The exact same words of the first driver!! Interestingly, he said the Italian police had confiscated 2 Lamborghinis and 2 Ferraris from the Mafia that they use for either dignitaries or for transporting organs. Ok Roma, you ready?

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The last supper with our bike and boaters.

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Procida- a lovely UNESCO fishing village, houses all different colors so fishermen could spot them at sea. Love the authentic dock with hand painted sign, nets, and little boats. Many movies were filmed on this picturesque island.

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Procida approach - lively Unesco fishing village

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Approaching Procida

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Medical Issue #2 & Procida

This is post #20

Just as we stopped at the disgusting thermal baths in Ischia, Jack hit his ankle pretty badly on the bike pedal. It bruised internally, and Jack is on Warfarin, a drug for A-fib. This caused a big ole knot and LOTS of internal bleeding. Well, the worst thing for this situation is heat, also known as thermal baths, and pressure, also known as walking. And on this, our last full day of our boat and bike adventure, we were going to walk. It was to another gorgeous island unknown to me, Procida. Procida is a UNESCO site, and its approach by sea was incredibly lovely. An old fishing village, all the houses are painted different colors, so the fishermen could spot their homes while at sea. I hiked up to the top while Jack stayed close to the bottom. I enjoyed some time with Gabby and Maurice, 2 of the Canadiens. Gabby, though much younger than I, has rental property too, and we had talked about that. She and I had just clicked throughout this trip. Again, we swam in the blue waters of Procida before we headed "home" to our starting marina, Castellemare for our "Last Supper". Our swimming time was always fun: we had Olympic diving competitions, complete with judging, and water ballet efforts. Gabby and I always sang the Titanic theme song "Near, far, wherever you are", we held out our arms, and assumed the classic Titanic masthead position whenever possible. We were grown kids, silly and carefree, but keenly aware that this was our last opportunity, maybe ever, to swim in these clear blue waters. On the boat ride home that afternoon, we were all pretty quiet. We all laid or sat out on the front of our caique and watched our last views of the coast unfold. We cruised through the original Roman navy port. Riccardo was determined to show us the good side of Naples, and he did. From the sea we saw the President's home, clearly secured, and other Napoli villas so beautiful on the lush hillside. It was our last cruise with our newfound friends. At dinner that night we exchanged emails, mapped our trip, and toasted a great adventure. We so enjoyed this group, each person had their role, or schtick. The Austrian doctor was Mr. Calm, and his wife was a doer- they'd get up early and go swimming. I loved him because he'd stay behind me on the climbs to make sure I was ok, such the gentleman. John and Linda from Colorado Springs had lost a child to suicide 30 years earlier and gracefully talked of the repercussions and their eventual healing, aided by much spirituality. Two of the Canadians were Manon, a dentist and Jessaint, an accountant. The other Montrealers were Maurice and Gabby, a blended family. Jack introduced them all to country music, and "There's a five dollar fine for whining" became our theme song for the week. We dreamed of, and even talked about, a reunion on a Greece boat and bike trip aboard one of those fancy-shmancy yachts we had seen moored at various ports. Where you could bring your own wine on board!! So I will fondly remember this group and this wonderful, beautiful, fun, hard, hilly, bike trip. I am, however, looking forward to a few things: a real bed, flushing the toilet paper down the toilet, a long, non- military hot shower, and space to spread out again. But Jack's foot and ankle increasingly hurt. Tomorrow we fly to Sicily.