Blog 6 Roma

How blessed is it to simply wake up and think, ‘I’m going to Rome today’ ! A simple 40+ minute train ride and I am in Roma Termini or Roma Tiburtina! The 2 train terminals in Rome. Roma Termini is older and larger. Excellent shopping and restaurants.

You might think you were in a high end Mall. You can buy tickets anywhere on machines or you can go to a window if you have questions or you can buy on your app on your phone. They make it fairly simple to get on a train. But a recent development on gaining access to the trains is a greater option for passengers! With glass ‘Entrances’ via ticket kiosks that scan your viable ticket – you get in. Without a ticket, no entry. This means that there are no people portraying themselves as train employees trying to help you carry and board your bags. Then demanding a huge sum (my friend was demanded 20 euros a few years ago) for carrying and placing your bags on board. Those people are gone and you, my dear reader, now must board your own bags. Not to worry, I have always had people offer to help me. Kind fellow travelers…both boarding and departing the train. There are areas specifically for bags and you always have the overhead for backpacks and carry on bags, etc.

This day the next train was a regional train going to Naples and stopping only in Roma Tiburtina. No problem. From Tiburtina I can get a Metro (underground) and choose where I want to go in Rome. Somehow I always have to start at Piazza Venezia. The Vittorio Emmanual building / military museum that is called ‘The Wedding Cake’ for its huge sculptures on top of the building. An elevator will take you up the the rooftop where the views are magnificent. Interesting note: No building in Rome can be higher than St Peter’s Basilica ! I have been to the elevator to go up to the rooftop but decided, nah, another day. Working on this height thing I have…hmmm.

Sometimes landmarks just feel like home. I take the Metro to Cavour and walk down to the Piazza. Now it is 1 pm and having only water til now, I decide to get a sandwich or salad or something. I pass a local small grocery store and get a few protein bars and water for later. You will find the ‘alimentari’ stores are pretty cool! Lots of great choices.

Finding a lovely outdoor cafe, I sit down and peruse the menu. Nothing grabbed me until I saw a table away having a most interesting presentation of Cache e Pepe. It was presented in a cheese (formaggio) dish! Wow. Of course I love this pasta so I tried it. Excellent! The cheese serving dish was great. But too much and I am bringing half home for dinner. Cacio e Pepe is the traditional dish of Rome and while it is served all over Italy, clearly Rome makes the best!! While waiting, an interesting stairway across the street caught my eye. I will have to see where it goes but later.

I’m in the tourist area and and most working Italians here speak English. So that is nice but comes with….many tourists. I thought most would be gone, but no. Regardless, I make my way to my Piazza. Oh the amazing sites I pass. Ruins, buildings, so much and so interesting. As I get closer, I hear lovely guitar music. Taking a few moments to listen, it is just lovely. I just sit for quite awhile and take it all in. I do believe I am the luckiest girl in the world!

And then I am at the Piazza. I stand out of the way and take it all in. Do these people, so many of them from everywhere, feel the magnificence of this place? Or do they just ‘check’ a box mentally that they have ‘seen it’ ? To each his own, but I walk so slow…and just inhale the beauty. I start to think about a few other places I want to go but yikes, so many people here. I head up the street and see there is a Van Gogh Exhibit of his most famous works at Palazzo Bonaparte. It will host 60 works and many biographical testimonies, reconstructing the story of Van Gogh! It’s here til March so I will come back when not so many people are here. The tickets are available online in Italian but my iPhone translates everything so easily, no problemo.

Heading back to Roma Termini, I buy my ticket home on my phone as I am walking…yes I did stop briefly to buy the 5pm ticket home. I’ve been in Rome fora couple hours, seen things I missed before. I think that is one of the mysteries of Rome. So much to see, for me, it takes a long time and I have believe there is more to love in Rome.

My train home is any train heading north other than a ‘fast’ train. It always goes out of Binario EST 1 (Track 1) at Rome Termini. Which is a long walk past the other tracks. It is an older part of the station. I find myself slowing my walk, not anxious to leave Rome but really not thrilled with all the tourists! Just about everything in Italy is now a Unesco World Heritage designation. Italy has more sites/items than any other country. And I do see the Italians cracking down on anyone touching / climbing any statues or ignoring their laws which are stated. What happens is that Italy is in charge of ensuring these statues, buildings, areas are maintained in perpetuity for the entire world to enjoy. Rather a glorious country I think. Not perfect, not even close, but amazing.

I am learning more Italian and had a brief conversation with a lady at the grocery store in my village. Afterward, she smiled and said ‘Brava’ !!! I think immersion is excellent. Today (Nov. 1st) is All Saints Day, a national holiday, everything closed, lots of ringing of the church bells. I believe it is the day Italians remember and honor the saints of the church (and the dead). Many flowers in the cimitaro (cemetery). It is a religious and public holiday.

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