 Bella
Roma!
Rome is
a soaring symphony of sights, sounds and smells. Its streets are filled
with lively crowds, eager drivers hurtling around corners, and annoying
vespas speeding in and out of traffic like flies at a picnic. In our
quest for monuments we suddenly realize that we are not in an urban
museum, but guests in the Eternal City, home to three million people who
happen to have a magnificent record of their 2700 years of history. Of
all Italy's magic places, Rome is the most exciting.
You
must, of course, see the ancient Roman Forum and the Coliseum, walk in
wonder through the corridors of the Vatican and stare in awe at the
indescribable colors of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel as fresh and
perfect as when Michelangelo painted it. There are fountains
everywhere, from Bernini's Fountain of the Rivers in the Piazza Navona
to the sparkling Trevi Fountain to the hundreds of small cascades in
diminutive piazzas and private courtyards. Every tourist pilgrimage
should include a fresh panino or pizza at a tavola caulda (snackbar)
where patrons flow out onto the sidewalk. Stroll around the Piazza
Navona on the way to the Pantheon and watch the ever present tourists
with cameras clicking in a vain attempt to take home a bit of Roman
reality.
Look
for the real Rome in the clamor and tumult of shoppers bargaining for
farm fresh fruits and vegetables at the Campo di Fiori, in the
neighborhood trattoria in a narrow alley where a fresh pastry and a
glass of wine will tide one over until the fashionably late dinner hour
and in the silence of a small, dark church broken only by the sound of
footsteps of the faithful gathering for morning mass.
It is
intimidating to try to describe Rome. After all, guidebooks try and
fail to give even a pale impression of the reality. In this day of
jaded palates and sophisticated checklists (been there, done that) it is
tempting to try to capture Rome with a list of top tourist spots, hot
restaurants, and trendy shops. And yes, that too is Rome. But Rome is
best discovered layer by layer. Each layer is richer and more intense
than the last.
Roman Countryside
Lazio, the region that Rome calls home,
is one of the most beautiful parts of Italy. The countryside, with
pine forests, crystal lakes and ancient castles, is rarely experienced
by tourists. Its gastronomy is hearty, fresh and simple, borne of the
products of the shepherd. Abbacchio al forno, oven roasted milk-fed lamb
with garlic and rosemary, pecorino Romano, aged in tufa caves, fresh and
abundant vegetables, and wonder local wines are all awaiting for you in
the tiny hamlets and villages of the region. North of Italy's heart, above the valley of the
Tiber, are the mountain homes of the legendary Sabine, early rivals to
the Romans. In the summer, Sabina is a cool refuge from the heat
and activity of the city; in winter, it drinks in the warming rays of
the sun and offers a glimpse of the pastoral simplicity of the
inhabitants. Sabina offers restful country living and, because of its
central location, an opportunity to easily visit Rome, and the many
cities and sights of
Umbria
and
Tuscany
to the north. Here are some memories of a couple of visits to the Sabina -
Sabina
trip notes ,
Family
Trip 2002, Dinner
at Vecchia Quercia
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