From the Tiber to Arno: A Trip Review with Top 20 List

 

Your overall comments on the trip and the travel company? (Zicasso / Cultural Italy)

 

This is my second trip to Italy, and my wife's first.  I was looking for a service that would help facilitate the transportation, lodging, and museum reservations, while not micro-managing everything about our days in Rome and Florence.  I was looking for freedom to spontaneously do some things on our own when time permitted.  While the fatigue element of traveling has a way of denting one's free time, we really couldn't have asked for better support.  (There was only one occasion where we were unable to make a connection to a hotel shuttle at the Rome airport, but Cultural Italy ended-up reimbursing us for a taxi.)

The benefit of Cultural Italy was so much more than simply a collection of practical services, though.  Most of the museum guides we had were one-on-one, and their knowledge was extensive.  For Rome's Castel San Angelo and the Pantheon, for instance, my wife and I were paired with a lifelong resident of Rome, fluent in English, who was in the process of earning a doctorate in Roman history (or related field).  His knowledge and expertise made the walking tour so fascinating.  He even took a question from me on the mysterious disappearance of the Ninth Roman Legion beyond Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain and was able to share new and exciting historical evidence on the matter.  It was more than a cultural or sightseeing experience; it was truly a learning experience.  This is exactly what we were looking for as well.

While one of the hotels was less than perfect--e.g. almost no hot water--by and large the accommodations were a delight.  The breakfast at Hotel Dei Mellini was truly astonishing, greatly exceeding our expectations.  We were also pleasantly surprised that this same hotel's neighborhood within downtown Rome was so quiet after nightfall.  The local knowledge that connected us with this establishment in particular was greatly appreciated.

 

What were the most enjoyable or memorable parts of your trip?

 

I think the most enjoyable parts of the trip included the first day in Rome as well as our days in Florence.  Perhaps the most memorable moment for me was taking my wife on a horse and carriage ride in Florence.  This was something she had mentioned wanting to do in the past--such as Kansas City--but it never really worked out until Florence.  To see how delighted she was, made me all the more glad that we made the journey.  Touring the Vatican with my wife would also have to be high on the memorable list as well.  As new Catholics, this part of the journey felt a bit like a pilgrimage for us.  (I even brought fellow Knights of Columbus members' prayers with me to offer in Saint Peter's.)

All in all, I think the most important thing is having to had the opportunity to introduce my wife to the stunning beauty of Italy's art, architecture, landscapes, and (not to be forgotten) people.

 

If you could take your trip again, what would you do differently?

 

First, I'd have not taken the T-Mobile advice on my particular phone plan working in Italy; it didn't.  Our phones were basically expensive paperweights until I managed to upgrade my plan while staying in Florence.  This ended-up creating a lot of unnecessary stress for us--particularly when circumstances separated the two us for brief periods of time.

Second, ensure that my secondary e-mail was not going to suddenly stop working when I arrived in Italy.  This almost created a snag in getting COVID pre-flight test results forwarded from Abbott.  (Automatic forwarding means that I don't directly access this particular account regularly.)

Less important items...  I'd have reached out straightaway about the lack of hot water and poor ventilation at the Hotel Duomo in Florence.  It made the time there a little difficult, and I didn't know at the time whether, or not, hot water was a legitimate expectation.  (The cut hot dogs as breakfast meat were not too appealing here either.)

For the 12-hour bus tour of Tuscany, there needed to be a little more time spent to ensure adequate restroom access.  It was a tad...difficult at the start of the day.  

Practical Notes for the US Citizen Traveling to Italy

1.  Upgrade cell phone plan if necessary to ensure coverage.  "Pay as you Go" plans--e.g. T-Mobile--won't necessarily provide you the level of communication you need to feel safe and secure,  

2.  Be sure to bring enough cash (Euros).  You may want to spend it at the airport at the end rather than bring it back to exchange again due to associated fees.

3.  Don't depend on a single credit card.  Bring several.  American Express, for example, is accepted at only about 50-60%of Italian establishments.  Taxi drivers seem to prefer cash.  If you ask for a receipt, ensure that they have not inflated the fare as a "favor."  Be aware of foreign transaction fees and try to avoid them.  Using debit cards out of the country is not recommended.

4.  Don't expect courteous drivers.  Whether you're attempting to cross a busy street or taking a cab, be prepared for the unexpected.  Drivers don't generally stop for pedestrians, and taxi drivers would likely be arrested for reckless driving if in the United States.  (We particularly enjoyed one taxi driver using the wrong lane to drive in for a block or two just outside the Vatican's wall.)

5.  Public bathrooms are not only a rarity in much of Italy, there is often a charge of a pound to use them.  Even American companies like McDonalds, are picking up this bad habit. Bring coins!  In a related vein, watch where you step just off of main streets in cities like Rome.  The homeless don't appear to have enough facilities.

6.  Hotels use a keycard to activate power and lights for individual rooms.  You'll be groping in the dark until you find the card slot.  (See below.)

7.  Hotels often only offer half showers.  This just means that there is no curtain or glass all the way.  It can make for colder showers and wet, slippery floors.  Don't slip!

8.  Tipping is often considered rude.  Whatever you do, don't leave the tip on the table or add to your final bill as you do in the USA.  It's best to ask if you may offer a tip before doing so.  It's generally fine for drivers and tour guides.  Be courteous and respectful.

9.  Bring a map with you!

10.  If you're not using a tour company, be sure to buy admission tickets before you depart for Italy.

11.  Ensure that you consistently carry your passport and any applicable medical documentation that is required.  Different areas within same country may have very different requirements.

12.  Be aware that street signs often show destinations rather than actual street names--which may be situated above on the buildings.  If you take a photo of the sign for later reference, you may still may not end up where you wish if you convey the location identified on the sign to the driver as opposed to the street.  Speaking of streets, don't expect them to follow north/south or east/west orientation.  

13.  Expect to wash your clothes by hand in the hotel room.

14.  Remember to bring power adapters, so that you can charge your devices in your room, etc.  (I strongly recommend this brand.)

15.  It's helpful not to check your bags going into Italy, but checking one or two only on your way back home.  Keep in mind that you'll be doing a lot of walking, and that you will become very personally acquainted with your luggage over time.

16.  Be constantly aware of your surroundings and potential dangers.  Sometimes even very nice hotels may have serious security gaps that prevent you from even keeping a window open at night such as continuous balconies.  (See below.)

17.  Italians in the know will suggest that you barter in the markets and shops.  If you're comfortable doing this politely and respectfully, then go for it,  If you don't know what you're doing, best avoid doing this too much.  It tends to make you look like a dumb, stereotypical tourist who is just flailing.  For most of us US citizens traveling abroad, we can afford to pay a little more to help support the local economy we're visting.

18.  Take it from me, Italian is a hard language to learn.  If possible, though, don't assume everyone you meet has English fluency.  Greet them politely in Italian and ask in Italian if they speak English.  Don't unconsciously speak more loudly!  This is common courtesy.

19.  Bathroom etiquette in Italy is a little different than in the United States.  You'll have women and men frequently in the same restrooms (or passing closely by).  The differences are subtle, but don't be upset to see someone of the opposite sex waiting outside your stall.

20.  If you decide to visit an Italian cathedral for Mass, it's tacky and discourteous to leave in the middle of the service; it's distracting to others.  Don't give a bad name to other US tourists; be respectful.

21.  Lastly...  Don't miss our trip video!

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The Practical and Symbolic Resonance of Water in Ancient Rome

      A short essay exploring the significance of water to ancient Rome follows.  MLA format not strictly adhered to here due to blog formatting restrictions and general readability.

The Practical and Symbolic Resonance of Water in Ancient Rome


If we pause and think about the cycle of a drop of water as it endlessly changes its form and location, we can catch a glimpse of this Christian community: past, present and future. Perhaps this drop of water on our outstretched finger once dropped as rain on the head of Christ himself. (Erickson, Online)

     One of the great wonders of ancient Rome was its ingenious strategy for bringing fresh water into the city.  With its stunning creation of aqueducts and underground system of lead pipes, it truly was called “regina aquarium, the queen of the waters.”  (Hughes, 64)  Visitors from afar must have been astonished at the abundance of clean running water within the city.  This abundance of water was a critical factor in enabling Rome’s population to expand so freely with each passing century.  According to Robert Hughes in Rome, A Cultural, Visual, and Personal History, maintaining this flow of fresh water into Rome was a complex and daunting task.

Before it could flow out of Rome, of course, the water had to flow in.  It did so mainly through aqueducts.  Eleven of these supplied the city with its drinking and washing water, eight entering by the region of the Esquiline Hill.  Four more were added after the popes replaced the emperors, two of them in the twentieth century.  No other ancient city had such a copious supply of water…  (Hughes, 64)

Water was more than a practical necessity for Rome, however.  As its many fountains like the Fontana del Nettuno (Fountain of Neptune) demonstrate, water also played a critical part in nurturing and symbolically representing the unique creativity and passion for the arts found within Rome.  From bringing water into the city in complex aqueducts, turning dry lands into productive agricultural models, and using water for artistic purposes, there was no end of the practical and symbolic resonance of water in early Rome.

     In an excellent academic paper prepared by Evan James Dembeskey for the University of South Africa, he quotes the following passage from Pliny the Elder’s Natural History concerning the wonders of the Roman aqueduct system.  (A different translation was utilized here than the one referenced by Evan Dembeskey.)

If we only take into consideration the abundant supply of water to the public, for baths, ponds, canals, household purposes, gardens, places in the suburbs, and country-houses; and then reflect upon the distances that are traversed, the arches that have been constructed, the mountains that have been pierced, the valleys that have been levelled, we must of necessity admit that there is nothing to be found worthier of our admiration throughout the whole universe.  (Pliny, EBook)

Another remarkable passage from Pliny describes the astonishing magnitude of the engineering involved in these creations.

The channels thus formed are called “corrugi,” from our word “corrivatio,” I suppose; and even when these are once made, they entail a thousand fresh labours. The fall, for instance, must be steep, that the water may be precipitated, so to say, rather than flow; and it is in this manner that it is brought from the most elevated points. Then, too, vallies and crevasses have to be united by the aid of aqueducts, and in another place impassable rocks have to be hewn away, and forced to make room for hollowed troughs of wood; the person hewing them hanging suspended all the time with ropes, so that to a spectator who views the operations from a distance, the workmen have all the appearance, not so much of wild beasts, as of birds upon the wing. Hanging thus suspended in most instances, they take the levels, and trace with lines the course the water is to take; and thus, where there is no room even for man to plant a footstep, are rivers traced out by the hand of man.  (Pliny, EBook)

It is hard to grasp the ability of an ancient people having both the understanding and the ability to accomplish such tasks.  While this appreciation is perhaps tempered by the assumed use of slaves to perform much of the backbreaking and dangerous work, the final success remains a breathtaking feat of engineering.  More than that alone, however, the Roman water system facilitated the practical survival of a large and growing Roman population, which then permitted greater attention to be placed upon the arts as well as engineering and government, public discourse.  In other words, being relieved of some of the immediate pressures of daily survival, the culture was able to mature and flourish in a way that would not have been possible otherwise.  In a substantive way, the clean water pouring through the aqueducts and out from the many fountains was quenching a cultural thirst in the same way it addressed the immediate human need.

     While further research remains required to ascertain the critical nature of agricultural irrigation within the immediate area of Rome itself, irrigation and water rights issues were critically important in North Africa and elsewhere within the Roman Empire.  (Hollander and Spanier, 3504) If rainfall could not be depended upon for agriculture, irrigation techniques were implemented where possible.  As we see from the fountain photographs at the conclusion of this essay, however, water was for far more than practical and life-sustaining purposes alone; it also conveyed the artistic richness and beauty of the Roman Empire.  This particularly must have struck the pilgrims arriving in Rome at Piazza del Popolo.  After long and difficult journeys, the sight of so much flowing water must have been truly astonishing: both welcoming the end of physical thirst and the beauty addressing something more along the lines of the thirst for beauty and the spiritual dimension.

     If water symbolized life, then there was truly an abundance of life within the Roman Empire.  The eternal nature of water, its endless cycle of change, also seems a fitting emblem for Rome.  In one sense, the mysterious quality of water represents the many and diverse citizens of Rome, but it is more than that alone.  As mentioned previously, the abundance of fresh water led to satiation of the need for drinking and bathing water, which, in turn, created an environment a little less concerned with survival alone as the goal, opening the door to wider and richer expressions of thought and the arts.  Beauty for the sake of beauty finally became something within the grasp of the common man, and that is clearly something for which we can all be thankful.  Another important dimension of the Roman contribution to western civilization, of course, is its impressive legacy of paved roads.  Together, the water and transportation systems encouraged the spread and sharing of important ideas; this certainly includes Christianity and Living Water.

 

Cited and Consulted Sources

Dembskey, Evan James. “The Aqueducts of Ancient Rome.” Feb. 2009,
  www.romanaqueducts.info/aquapub/dembskey2009Rometxt1.pdf. (University of South Africa)

Elder, Pliny The. Delphi Ancient Classics: Complete Works of Pliny the Elder

       (Delphi Classics). Delphi Publishing Limited, 2011. EBook.

Erickson, Karl Bjorn. “Mysterious Tools.” America Magazine, 3 July 2006,

     www.americamagazine.org/issue/577/faith-focus/mysterious-tools.

Erickson, Karl.  Fountain and Water Photography, 2017, Rome.
       JPEG.

Hollander, David B., and Ethan Spanier. “Irrigation, Greece and
       Rome.” The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, 2012,    
       doi:10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah06364.

Hughes, Robert. Rome: A Cultural, Visual, and Personal History.
       New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2011. Print.

What a Journey!

From September 1st through the 18th, I walked about 110 miles between the United Kingdom and Italy.  Our journey brought us to some of the world's greatest museums in London and Rome as well as amazing archaeological sites in both the UK and Italy.

It was truly a life-changing experience, which has yielded so much more than I was expecting in knowledge, understanding, appreciation, and confidence.  The appreciation came to bear at each and every step--e.g. appreciation for the opportunity, etc.  At the current time, though, the appreciation is more focused on resting and enjoying being at home: a home that now feels like a palatial estate after the discomforts of travel.  With regards to the cramped living of Rome in particular, our 2-storey, three bathroom home in quiet Monmouth, Oregon is such a wonderful retreat for a few days of healing and rest.  It makes one not take daily luxuries quite for granted the same way anymore.  And, there's ice!

I was fortunate in that I really had only about half a dozen instances of what I would call trouble on this trip, but other travel companions from Marylhurst ran into some more serious issues.  My low point was getting dropped off by a Roman taxi on the wrong side of the Tiber (I think).  Even with a map and iPhone, I managed to get completely disoriented and ended-up wandering up and down the sides of the Tiber for hours until I could establish my bearings--and get a new taxi.  Another time, I left a gathering late at night with a very low iPhone battery.  Google Maps is hard enough to follow in the United States, but in Europe one must at times disregard the voice directions and pay more attention to the directional arrows; the streets aren't as standard in direction or size as found in the states.  So, imagine a thunderstorm starting at about this time with my iPhone almost out of juice.  Almost half my turns seemed to be in error, and I kept having to retrace my steps.  At one point, Google Maps advised me to turn into a dark and narrow alley that seemed like a particularly bad idea; I kept plodding ahead in the rain.  I finally made my Roman apartment, but I was soaked to the bone, and the phone was almost dead.  All in all, though, the good experiences outweighed the bad ones like this, and we all managed to get along through the end of the journey.   

I surprised even myself with my photos.  In the end, I returned with more than 5,000 photos and videos from my Canon--more with the iPhone.  After deleting a couple hundred poor photos, I flagged my favorites, then uploaded those to (public) albums on Facebook.  As I do with all my photography, all the photos--the great and not so great--are in the process of being uploaded to Flickr.  (This is my photograph backup measure with most photos identified as public, except for family pictures, but restrictions placed on the ability of the photos to be downloaded without permission.)

So, here's where you can find photos online.  I'm also planning an old fashioned slide show event for friends and family.  Contact me, if interested!

Flickr  (more photos coming)

Facebook (London)

Facebook (Rome)

Bigstock (in future)

Art History Lecture Reflections (and Trip Thoughts)

     

"Sunflowers" by Vincent van Gogh

One particularly exciting dimension about my upcoming study abroad program (through Marylhurst University) in London and Rome is the riches of art we will have an opportunity to visit.  What a wonderful privilege and blessing!

     This really came home for me at last week's art lecture at MU.  The talk began with a discussion of the architecture of Rome.  As one of our professors, Dr. Roland, recounted of the Roman architecture and art descriptions of Dr. Jeffrey Blanchard on her Blog: A Passionate Geography: Romancing King Arthur's Roman War, "Rome, he explained, is a city of stratification and juxtaposition–a city where the architecture from one era is layered upon another, where marble columns are recycled into new uses, where buildings are joined together in surprising junctures."  I am going to have to pinch myself now.

     A personal concern is how am I possibly going to be able mentally record or capture the essence of Rome in only two weeks, or so?  I suppose the takeaway is that I probably cannot hope to do so--but that doesn't mean I won't try!  Our itinerary will likely have us visiting Museo Nazionale (National Roman Museum), Capitoline Museum, Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Borghese Gallery, and, of course, the Vatican.  (I plan to attend Holy Mass at Saint Peter's on either September 10th or/and 17th.) 

Bathers (Les Grandes Baigneuses) by Paul Cézanne

     In London, we will be visiting both the British Museum and the National Gallery.  At the National Gallery, I will be offering a few words on "Bathers," pictured above.  (Each student is researching and offering a short presentation on a particular piece of art that we will be seeing in-person.)  Coming face-to-face with great art is something much more profound than seeing a photograph or reproduction of the same work elsewhere.  As I have written in the past, great art and architecture (especially sacred space) takes us outside of our own timeline for a moment and connects us with those in the past, present, and future who have (or will) gazed upon a wondrous masterpiece of art.  

Bathers at Asnières by Georges Seurat.