The Last Temptation of Harold Crick

Italy: Act One, Part Due

And… I arrived. While wandering through the airport I noticed that all of the signs were in Italian and I remembered that I was traveling to a country foreign to my own. I realized that I hadn’t prepared myself in any way to speak even the most rudimentary Italian. But, you know, I figured it out (which is to say, I just spoke English, and the Italians were gracious enough to accommodate my ignorance).

After retrieving my luggage and clearing immigration the first thing I noticed was a Mozzarella Bar in the airport. Wait… what?! I can sample different varieties of mozzarella at the airport?!?!?!? Italy and me… we’re gonna be best of friends.

At this time I also met up with many of the members of the Trafalgar group I was going to be traveling with over the next week. This was a new experience for me, having never experienced group travel before. And being the social butterfly that I am I basically kept my head down, didn’t make eye contact with anyone, and did my best not to speak. Yep… I’m a real peach!

Maria Troiani is our tour director for this trip. She lives in the Cinque Terra area of Italy and she’s amazing. She gave us a bit of an overview of Rome as we drove into our hotel and then recommended some spots for gelato, cannoli, and other goodies. When I arrived at the Grand Hotel Palatino I checked in to my room and realized that I’d be sharing with another individual, but there was only one bed in the room. Only a minor inconvenience, but nothing makes you feel like more of a retard than when you are trying to explain in English that you’d prefer not to share a bed with the other male in your room, and are greeted with polite, but confused Italian responses. Don’t worry folks, in the end, Maria sorted it all out for me. As a side note, I eventually discovered that my roommate is a fellow Loot Crater… so if I’d had to share a bed with him, it would have been okay. Anyone with a pair of Star Wars socks is worthy of a bit of midnight spooning.

After depositing my luggage in the room I was pretty keen to get out and explore the section of Rome surrounding my hotel (it's now about 40 hours with no sleep, but that's what caffeine is for, right?). The Grand Hotel Palatino is in a sensational location about two blocks away from the Coliseum in the district of Ancient Rome. I have heard it said that the best location in Rome is near the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. I’m sure this is a wonderful place to stay (though very expensive), but for my money, I’m in Ancient Rome every time. It’s cheaper than the Trevi area and you are within walking distance of several Roman highlights and just a short taxi ride away from any other district.

 

The moment I stepped foot outside my hotel I decided it was time for a snacky snack. So I stopped at the little pastry shop around the corner from my hotel and got a fresh ricotta cannolo. I know it was fresh because I watched as the assistant filled my pastry with fresh ricotta by hand, dipped it in crushed pistachios, and then dusted it with powdered sugar. It sorta tasted like heaven.

After my sugar dusted ambrosia I waked about a block up a narrow staircase to the Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli (Basilica of St. Peter in Chains). I didn’t actually know this was so close (or what was inside), as the plan was to just go for a wander before our group dinner. When I arrived at the basilica I looked it up in my handy dandy Lonely Planet Guide of Rome and discovered that inside was Michelangelo’s sculpture of Moses. WHA?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Entry was free so I just sorta sauntered inside.

The first thing I noticed upon entering the basilica was that this was still very much a functioning church with regular services. I immediately felt impressed to remove my hat as I noticed several individuals progressing straight to the ewer of holy water upon ingress. Compared to many of the other grand churches in Rome, this was a rather humble structure, yet the beauty and grandeur were immediately apparent.

The centerpiece of the basilica are the chains that were (supposedly) used to detain Peter the Apostle, but the figure that draws the eye is just to the right of the chains. The sculpture of Moses by Michelangelo just hangin’ out and ready to be viewed for free is a masterpiece of Renaissance art. I am obviously not an art historian but the sight of this striking work in marble is enough to bring anyone to their knees in an appreciation of true beauty, if not religious devotion-- and for this to be my first sightseeing foray into Rome and Italy was humbling, to say the least. But as I just happened to walk in off the street while wandering a block from my hotel, I felt like I was truly at the beginning of a special kind of pilgrimage. Regardless of your religious beliefs, here in Rome one can find such wonders just around the corner that have the potential to make one weep. I had only been in Rome a few hours and already I was filled with something akin to awe.

On my way back to the hotel I wandered around a bit more and (lo and behold) discovered the Coliseum just a few blocks away from one of art’s great masterpieces. To have a wonder of the ancient world and a wonder from the Renaissance world within just a few steps gave me an appreciation of what Rome, the Eternal City, is all about. Here is a place where history piles upon history to create an experience unlike any I’ve every experienced. And I realized that if the rest of my trip is anything like the first few hours, I may end up throwing up the white flag because it will just be too much to take in… especially in just one week.

Next Installment: Act Two, Part Una; ruminations on Russell Crowe and Mel Gibson, visions of Vegas, and saying G’day to the Pope.