Santa Maria

 

Built on an ancient foundation, the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere had so much beauty that it was impossible to do it justice by camera.    The frescos are clearly intact and there were medieval mosaics on the arch and half-dome of the apse (built around 1130).  We had a leisurely wander around a mostly uncrowded church, and then continued exploring through the piazza and walked past many restaurants, surreptitiously peeking at the platters in front of the happy diners.  Trastevere is a popular spot for the locals and tourists alike and it buzzes with activity - street corner musicians, sidewalk artists and hawkers all help to make up a very cool and interesting passeggiata.  It’s still pretty hot here but once the sun goes down, the wandering is very pleasant indeed.

 

Day one, Roma

 

It is toasty hot in Rome, up to 33 degrees.  In our usual fashion, we set off mid-morning to catch a bus that was meant to take us to Vatican City, wandering along cobblestone streets and taking in the sights and sounds of this amazing cosmopolitan city.   A few twists and turns later, we found the appropriate bus stop but realized we had no tickets.   The search then switched to find a Tobaccaria, little stores scattered everywhere that sell metro, bus and train tickets.   Secured the tickets and decided that, rather than backtrack to the correct bus stop, we would just keep on walking to find the next available one.

Eight kilometers later….

Oh, look!  There’s the Basilica and St. Peter’s!   A miracle of the highest order has occurred!

Except.. the crowds and line ups were extensive, too daunting to contemplate a two hour wait in the hot sun.   So, a nice walk around the Piazza and then we started the slow trek back in reverse.   It was high noon and the sun helped us to decide to find a metro, which, after frequent consults with Google maps, appeared.   One stop later and a change to a different line, another half a km back to our beautiful little apartment and here we are, filling up on pizza fungoli and sitting gratefully under the AC.

Jet lag has arrived in full force and my body is in a state of chaotic confusion, not unlike the Italian tram system.   We will enjoy a quiet and early night and regroup for an earlier start tomorrow to avoid the worst of the heat.  Ciao for now, and happy TGIF to all.

Boudica: Warrior Queen of the Iceni

"In stature she was very tall, in appearance most terrifying, in the glance of her eye most fierce..." 

 

She rides to Rome, to Verona, to Salzburg, to Munich, to parts unknown.   Coming to a blog near you, beginning September 7th.