Pre-Tour Day 1: Arrival & Hauser Concert

After 15+ hours of flights, I was met at the airport by the driver I arranged through my hotel.  I was provided a private car to myself, which was a nice reprieve after spending so much time in an airplane with others.  I arrived to meet Leonardo at Hotel Smeraldo (Emerald Hotel) who was a delight throughout my time in Rome.  Upon hearing I was working on basic Italian, he challenged me with new phrases each day. He and the others at the front desk arranged for any taxis I wished throughout my time in Rome.  They also had good recommendations for food and activities, so make use of the hotel staff as they love to show off the best of their city!  If you stay at this location, be sure to check out Antico Forno Roscioli (Riscioli Ancient Oven/Bakery) across the street.  This is where the Romans go for street pizza that you purchase by weight.  Additionally, it has a delicious bakery if you want to go that route.  Be sure to grab a slice of pizza here...they even have gluten-free options if you need to stay away from wheat!

This is where I saw some of the most breathtaking masterpieces.  Bernini and Caravaggio are highlighted throughout between their sculpture and paintings with works like David, Apollo Chasing Daphne, and Rape of Persephone.  However, do not rule out anything else in the gallery as everything (including the doors to each room and ceilings) are breathtaking.  While most of the people who entered with me were gone within 30 minutes, I stayed most of the 2 hours, looping through both floors several times.  

One note of interest: Bernini and Caravaggio depicted David (you can see Caravaggio's painting over David's shoulder in the images below).  Unlike Bernini who placed his face on David, Caravaggio painted his face on that of Goliath's head. Rather an interesting peak into the psyche of each of these famous artists, don't you think?  

I was in alt with the masterpieces everywhere I looked, knowledge of all of the people who were here before me whether the sheer volume of the masses over history or even the more famous individuals that viewed these works just as I was that day.  I took some time to simply look at a number of pieces for quite some time to admire the intricate chiseling and drilling used, the fact that you can see movement in marble, and wondering how someone can look at a large piece of marble and see these things before even the first hammering of the first chisel.  

Pre-Tour Day 2: Seeing the Sights

After seeing the Borghese art and walking amongst its gardens, I walked back to the hotel.  On the way were plenty of popular tourist destinations including the Trevi fountain (I returned as it was undergoing a weekly cleaning earlier in the day; scroll through the images to see how crowded it was when viewed from above), Spanish Steps, and more. 

Pre-Tour Day 2: The Opera

In the evening, I went to the opera.  This is when I realized the extent to which all the words I never anticipated using while learning with Duolingo came into play.  The taxi driver understood a little English, but spoke only a few words.  I started giggling when he was cursing the roads, their conditions, the the ancestors who built them.  He quickly asked in Italian if I understood him and I said a little, adding "ma il mio Italiano è molto roto" (but my Italian is very broken).  We then proceeded to have a lovely conversation the remaining half hour.  He thought the roads in NYC were much better than Rome...what a disappointment that was for him to learn that they can be just as bad!  I asked him if the roads here were so back because of the ancient Roman horses.  He looked surprised and said in Italian, "Yes!  We have had several historic floods that left the ground too saturated.  The mud was displaced below the stones by the soldiers' horses and carts going to the marketplace."  I let him know that most of NYC is built on islands with saturated soil underneath.  We had a moment of clarity and understanding.  He let me know he decided after our conversation to learn English as he never expected to have conversations like these with tourists.  I promised him I would continue learning Italian to speak with more fluency on my next trip.  Such a small world and one in which I never thought I would use the word cavalli (horses) in a sentence while on the way to the opera!

Aa a fan of opera, I chose to attend Handel's Giulio Cesere in Egitto (Julius Caesar in Egypt) at Teatro Dell-Opera di Roma.  It was spectacular, but I would caution about the "partial obstructions" you will see listed in box seat ticket purchases.  Unlike the opera boxes in the US, these are not angled to provide better views.  I was in the most obstructed view of the box and could not see 1/3 of the stage.  If I knew, I would have purchased a seat down below or at the back of the theater.  As you would expect, the performance was worth the time and effort to get to and from the opera.  There was an easily accessible line for taxis right out front of the opera house afterward for returning home.

Pre-Tour Day 2: A Quick Check-In

Just prior to going to bed, I checked in on how things were going with my dad and kitten.  She is very shy and usually takes 2 days to appear for anyone new.  Lo and behold, she decided to make an appearance at 1.5 days, which is progress!  My dad was thrilled and I knew this sweet, gentle kitten would warm up to him.  Che bravo gattino! (What a good kitten!)  Now onto the first tour day with a little peace of mind now that I knew everything was good back on the home front!