Spanish Steps, Our Last Night in Rome

Spanish Steps, Rome

I heard of this famous point of interest for a little while and wanted to visit it for sometime. But Stan at times is reluctant to visit what he terms ( tourist traps ).  I had to do some convincing before he finally agree to visit this place on the last night of our stay in Rome.

We walked from Inn Giovy to the Spanish Steps in the evening; it was still challenging in this high temperature and humidity. But the walk was worth it as we discovered some interesting sights on the way. One of  them was the Via Quattro Fontana or 4 Fountain Road.  At this intersection there are 4 fountains, one at each corner, a monument with streams of water spewing out of mouths of water related Roman Gods such as Trident.

Finally we found ourselves standing on the top terrace level of the Spanish Steps. I have seen pictures and video of the Spanish Steps which did not do justice to the beauty and grandeur of these famous steps. It would be possible for any cameras to capture all four levels of these steps, each level has 12- 14 steps, bridged by a good size landing at the top.  But no camera or video devices could possibly convey the atmosphere of this place.

There were many people sitting on every one of these steps; friends chatting, families and kids laughing, lovers kissing, old couples holding hands and just sitting and looking, men, young and old, in groups or alone, sitting, standing by the posts and watching, young women in their beautiful dresses, giggling, posting for pictures, tourists gawking and frantically trying to catch the beauty and actions on their digital cameras, hawkers with their bags full of LED light gadgets throwing a few of them in the air demonstrating  their lighting power, others with soft drinks and beers trying to make deals to potential customers,  It was a place, full of actions and things to behold.

Stan and I took our spot, sat down and did what everyone was doing; sit, watch the world go by and soak up the atmosphere so that in the future, we could recall this beautiful night and talk about the memory we have of this unforgettable evening.

We walked back and ate at a restaurant called Leon’s and ordered fettuccine and clams, my favourite pasta dish but not on the menu. The chef/ owner made it especially for me and it was delicious! ( But he also charged me double the amount of the regular pasta dish on the menu. I guess if you asked for something not on the menu, you need to pay for it!)

R.T., 4^th and last night in Rome

Aug. 16, 2012

On the Way to the Forum

Rome - A gigantic living museum!

Love the ruins and buildings in Rome!!! Rome is just like a gigantic living museum.!

Coming from North America, we marvel at the numerous spectacular buildings that took years, sometimes decades to build.

We are surprised that developers have not gotten their hands in Rome as there are not a lot of modern buildings.

Ruins and historic buildings everywhere we turned

There are still so many ancient ruins in the area.  Imagine the difference if Rome had allowed a 70 story skyscraper to have been erected next to the Colosseum!










Even though the temperature in the shade reached the high 30 degree centigrade, the lineup to see the Colosseum was very long.   When the going got tough, the tough got going.

As people in the long lineup were wilting under the  relentless hot sun, hustlers waving high priced 'skip-the-line' tickets began to pester the people waiting in line.

 " The Aristocrats skip the lines. Only the phbiens line up." One guide said to his group tour audiences. Another guide shouted, " For only 15 more Euros, you will avoid the lineup and get the benefit of a guide."

 We ignored the touts and persisted.  Finally, after about 20 minutes, we were inside the gate.  Once inside the gate, a second offer came: " An official guided and skip-the-line tour for only 5 more Euros."  I guess our patience paid off and we took the offer. ( It would cost 5.30 Euro to rent the audio guide. So we got a better deal with the 5 Euro offer.)

Our guide told us a few interesting facts about the Colosseum:

1. The stadium is larger than a lot of modern stadiums.  It can comfortably seats 75,000 spectators, which was the number of attendees in some gladiatorial events.

2.  The Colosseum has 80 entrances and the people of Rome of all classes, including women and slaves, could attend the events for free.



 Because of the popularity of these brutal events, the Government issued tickets for entering the Colosseum.


The tickets had three numbers.:
A. The first number showed the gate which the ticket holder could enter.
B. The second number was the level.
C. The third number was the seat number.  These ticket were free!

  They served to boost support for the Emperor from the often restless populace.

The renovated part of the corridors inside the Colosseum

The corridors inside the gates are very modern looking.

 In fact, I would not be surprised  if the Colosseum is allowed to be totally renovated; it could hold a modern sports event.

Inside the Colosseum, Rome, Italy

3. There were two pathways for the gladiators, the entrance and the exit (for transporting the dead gladiators).  The Guide also told us that in order for the games to function in ancient time, a time when machinery did not exist.  Hundreds of slaves were dong the work of electricity in modern times.

Part of the Platform & the Passages Below Where the Slaves Worked During the Games

 These poor souls were toiling in extreme heat and restricted spaces in below ground human powered 'machine rooms'.  They were turning giant turntables of ropes and long wooden spokes to raise wild animals such as lions and rhinos to the surface level platform to face the helpless gladiators.  According to the guide, professionally trained gladiators didn't die.

They were spared because they were simply too expensive to be constantly replaced (killed).  The regular gladiators were untrained and they were from the dispensable slave class, criminals or prisoners of wars.  

4. Is the 'thumb-up thumb-down' gesture from the Emperor true?  The answer is a big NO.  The Guide said the thumb is about the size of your nose.  If no one can see a nose clearly from 200 feet away, then no one would see the Emperor's thumb.  In fact, the Emperor yelled out a specific word to spare the life or kill the defeated gladiator  in a clear, short Latin command.  The scale of the violence and bloodshed could not be imagined by modern men.  Vespasian, of the Flavian family, who built the Colosseum or the Flavian amphi-theatre, had thousands of gladiators and animals killed during the first three months of its inauguration. 

Colosseum at night

When we were inside the Colosseum, we had this overwhelming feeling of its past rushing at us.

 As we were standing at the ground level looking across the Roman Emperor's seat where a Christian cross now stands and annual Good Friday Mass is celebrated, we can almost hear the screams and cries of the dying, the roaring of lions and the howling of wolves.....

The Colosseum is definitely worth a visit. The sheer size and the engineering marvel is something to behold. With an knowledge guide, we have learned so much about ancient Rome.  Boy, are we ever glad that we live in the modern time!

S. & R.T.

Rome, Aug.15, 2012 

Siena - where the Palio Games Takes Place

Italian Trip - Day 5

St. Peters Basilica, Vatican

We went to the Vatican after breakfast. Normally it would have been very convenient to go there by Metro but this morning there was bus replacement instead. There were lots to see we  spent far more time than we had budgeted for.  The Vatican Museum is a huge museum. Before we could get to the Sistine Chapel, we had to go though a maze of other exhibits which took quite sometime. Sistine Chapel is located at the end of the entire exhibits.

The La Pieta, St, Peters Basilica

When we finally went into the Sistine Chapel, we were with hundreds of other people standing in this big hall, no chairs, very crowded, looking up to the ceiling to admire all the paintings. We saw many bible stories and characters on the ceiling.  The paintings certainly demonstrate the genius and hard work of Michelangelo.  He spent years suspended from the ceiling and painted the ceiling with extraordinary beauty and precision. Some of the 3 dimensional paintings were so real that we could not tell whether some of the columns, figures on the walls were real or painted work!  We were also amazed by the restoration work undertaken by the curators at the Vatican Museums.  The colours are as fresh as right after Michelangelo completed the fresco paintings.

We ate at a restaurant right outside the museum before we went to pick up our luggage at Inn Givoy. We did not see Givoy so we just left the hotel but she came running after us to kiss us goodbye. What a warm hostess!  Unfortunately when we were to the Rome Termini, the last direct train to Siena had already left.  The only option was to book the 10:30 pm train to Siena.  There was a small inconvenience, however.  This train stopped at Chiusi at 12 midnight and we waited for the 4:30 am train to Siena. We and two other passengers were stranded in Chiusi at midnight.  We tried  to sleep in the sitting position for four hours, with limited success.

Siena - Where the Palio Games Take Place Every Year

Our connected train came at round 5a.m. At around 6:00 am, we stumbled to the Albergo Canon D'Oro and slept for 5 hours until checkout time.  We kept our luggage at the hotel and made the best of our remaining 5 hours to explore Siena.  As soon as we stepped out of our hotel we were overwhelmed by the sight of a complete medieval town right in front of us!  A tunnel like passageway took us from the hotel to a Piazza at Siena and right away we saw churches and buildings packed together in a charming way that only medieval era buildings can evoke.

The Winners of Palio Games Parading in Siena

A little later we heard drum beats, cheering and marching noises. A large group of young men leading at the front, flags waving marching through the streets and the famous Piazza el Campo, followed by women and other people like family members of the team and tourists as well. We were told that this was the parade of the winning team for the annual Palio Game ( a horse racing game held at the Piazza). We missed it by a couple of days, how unfortunate!

We walked around the narrow winding street and were awed by the beauty of the individual houses as well as the whole town.  We thought of our son Eric, who learned about Medieval Times when he was in elementary school and did a big project on it years ago.  We remembered how he was fascinated by all the Medieval and knights stuffs. He would have loved seeing all the neat houses lining side by side in a circular shape encircling the old town with its thick huge city walls, towers and turrets, narrow winding streets and the Torture Museum in this well preserved Medieval town. ( We walked by the Torture Museum but did not go in there.)

Piazza Del Campo, Siena, Italy - A Charming Medieval Town

Our stay in Siena was only a few hours as we had to board the late afternoon train to Florence. But it gave us a glimpse of what a Medieval Town looked like. It was exactly like the the pictures we saw in the children's storybooks. I always thought that those pictures of old houses and buildings in Cinderellas and Sleeping Beauty were only fairy tales houses. Now that we have seen them with our own eyes; these stories come alive for us.

S.& R. T.  Siena, Italy
Aug. 17, 2012

An Excellent & Affordable Accommodation in Rome!

We got up at 8 am and were able to enjoy the lovely breakfast  offered by Inn  Givoy.

Givoy, the owner of Givoy Inn,  always has a nice smile and  never missed the opportunity to greet  and converse with her guests. She owns the apartment unit in downtown Rome and converted it into a number of hotel room units each with a 3 piece bathroom, and a balcony opening to a central courtyard.  The unit was air conditioned and it was comfortable for sleeping each night when we stayed there.

Breakfast Buffet at Inn Givoy's

A buffet breakfast included with the room charge was served each morning from 7:00-9:45a.m. The breakfast  was nicely layout on two long tables consisted of different kinds of Italian ham, bacons, homemade yogurt,  salad, bread with olive cream spread and tomatoes ( yummy !!!),  different kinds of cereals,  numerous Italian pastries,  croissants , cappuccino, fruit juices, cheese and served in a spacious dining room set up nicely with white tablecloth and dedicated for guest use. 

Of our three weeks European holiday, we stayed four days in Inn Givoy, the longest in one hotel during our entire trip. Givoy was always very friendly, helpful and patient whenever we had any questions about where and how to get to where we wanted to go. The location of the hotel is a plus because we could walk to the train station in 5 minutes and most attractions are within 15- 20 minutes. This close proximity to all the main attractions became very important to us as we walked  around under the August scorching sun each day.  In the late afternoon, Stan did go back to our hotel, took a shower to cool off,  changed his sweat drenched clothes, rested a little and met me at MaDonald’s . We went out again after the sun went down. As boomers, we want to travel frequently but  without breaking our bank accounts. Our stay at Inn Givoy, given its affordability, convenience and Givoy’s warm personal touch, was one of the highlight’s of this trip.

The hotel is just steps from vie del Nazionale and there are many points of interests along with numerous shops. Many shop owners posted notices on their doors  informing potential  customers that they were closed for holiday during the month of August.  With our North American mentality, we could not believe that at the height of the tourist season, the shop owners are willing to close shops for a month. 

( Unlike North Americans, many of whom are too busy to take their holidays and end up working in their offices,  Italians take their annual holidays very seriously and would prefer spending time with their families on vacation rather than doing business.  It could also be that Rome is so hot in August business people have another month as their peak tourist period.)  

On our second day in Rome, we roamed around freely,  visiting ruins,  museums and going in and out of shops. We did find some shops opened and Stan was very patient while I shopped.  I did get a couple of nice Italian design outfits at great prices.   In the evening, we went to enjoy the night scene of the coliseum. 

RT., 2^nd Day in Rome

Aug.  15, 2012

Experiencing the Green Effects of Michelangelo's Work in Rome

 We missed breakfast at 9:45am since we were tired from traveling last night and slept in. There was a nice dining room at the hotel lobby and when Stan went there, he was told by hotel staff the breakfast was closed. I ran into Giovy, the owner of Inn Giovy  ( located on Via Principe Amedeo), a very warm and understanding host.  She understood that this was our first morning in Rome and opened up the restaurant partially for us to have a continental breakfast.  A very considerate gesture!

Walking along Via dei Nazionale  we came across  the ruins of the Diocletian Bath – one of the most significant baths in ancient Rome.  Michelangelo  was commissioned to integrate the ruins of this magnificent Roman structure into the plan of building the Basilica of St. Mary's of the Angels & Martyrs. The result of his work is stunning!

            

Michelangelo's Last Work - Basilica of St. Mary f the Angels & Martyers, Rome. He was 86 years old.

One of the Halls in the Basilica Brightly Illuminated by Sunlight

When we first entered the Basilica of St. Mary's of the Angels & Martyrs ( before learning that this was the design  and last architectural work of Michelangelo)  I was overcame with a sense of awe and respect for the divine. I did not know what it  was but  being in this place of worship, it touched me deeply spiritually and I felt the presence of God. 

 I knelt, prayed for my loved ones and lit two candles.  Afterwards,  my husband told me that he had  the same awesome feeling. Cool!

The Beautiful and Breezy Courtyard at the Basilica

We have been warned by numerous friends and colleagues not to visit Rome in August because of its extreme heat. They were right! Especially  in the afternoon when the scorching sun beat down on us, we were drenched with sweat from the moment we stepped out of our hotel.

I must acknowledge the wisdom and designs of these renaissance architects, especially in the area of energy efficiency and use of solar power.  It must had been close to 40 degrees outside but we felt much cooler when we were inside the basilica even though there was no air conditioning and no opened windows! Can you imagine not having air conditioning or open windows in your dwelling at 40 degrees?

 In some part of the building such as the little courtyard, we could feel cool breezes blowing  continuously as if some big fans were in use.  Besides reading all the explanations and history about this beautiful work by Michelangelo, we stayed close to an hour and half just to enjoy the cool air and took refuge from the heat outside.

Another thing we noticed about this basilica was the absence of electrical light fixtures and yet the building was bright. By using ingenious  designs and clever positioning of windows  throughout this grand structure, sunlight was used to illuminate those huge halls. Windows were symmetrically placed and when sunlight was shown through them on the walls, the windows were so bright that they looked like spotlights.  Very energy efficient and clever green design indeed!

We found a diversity of  ethnic food restaurant in Rome. For our first dinner in Italy, we ate in an Indian restaurant close by the hotel!  There would be lots of opportunities for pasta in the next 2 weeks!!

R.T., Our first Day in Rome

Aug. 14, 2012 

Good Bye, Serbia; Rome, Here We Come!

August 12 -Family Barbeque

Family Barbeque at Zoran's Parents' Cottage, Serbia

The day after Sasa and Laki's wedding, we were invited to the family barbecue hosted by Sasa's grandparents at their cottage. Their cottage was only about 40 minute ride.

Though the grandparents are in their 70's, it was apparent that they worked hard to prepare for this event.

Meeting my best friend's family in Serbia

When we got to their cottage, they had a row of long tables set up with white tablecloth on the well shaded lawn. When the food was ready and we sat down at the table to eat, it reminded me of those family commercials we saw on T.V.  depicting a big Italian family with grannies gathering and eating together.

 That was exactly what it looked like at the family BBQ and everyone had a great time celebrating together!

Flowers for the doctor - Before we left Novi Sad, Serbia, we made sure that we ordered flowers and sent a thank you card to Dr. Bojana at the Nova Sad Hospital to thank her and her team for treating Stan’s ear infection.

Serbians Showed Kindness and Offered Assistance to Tourists

When we got to the market, we tried to order a nice flower arrangement and have it delivered to the hospital or Dr Bojana. However, the florist could not understand us and we were trying hard to explain what we wanted with body language. It did not work.  Walking by and seeing the predicament we were in,  a lady stopped  and offered to translate for us. 

When asked where I could buy a card to go with the flowers,  this kind lady offered to take me to a nearby card shop. She went out of her way and spent at least half and hour translating and taking me to a card shop.

We were blown away by the kindness of strangers and their willingness and offers to help us whenever  we encountered  the language barrier in Serbia. We have been welcome and treated warmly with consideration and generosity by friends and strangers in Serbia. During our 4 day visit we found that Serbians  are very hospitable people. They made us feel welcome and at ease in a land where we absolutely know nothing about their language. 

Our suite at Hotel Panorama in Novi Sad

For our last night we stayed at Hotel Panorama which is an excellent hotel in Novi Sad.  It is modern, clean, spacious, steps to the squares, outdoor cafes and markets etc.

Great helpful staff and very reasonable priced, thumbs up for this hotel!

I wished we had more time in this city so that we could have explored the town on our own easily from Hotel Panorama.

After making the arrangement for the flowers, hotel  Panorama staff called us a cab to the Novi Sad Bus Station.

Novi Sad Bus Station - Passenger Boarding Platform

Departing from the Novi Sad Bus Station,  we took a bus ride for about an hour to the Belgrade airport and flew to Rome. 

The Termini Station, Rome - Rome makes it easy for travellers to get to downtown. Luggage in tow, we boarded the Terravision express bus from the Rome airport to the Termini Station, which is in downtown Rome city centre where both the train and subway stations are located.  ( 6 Euro one way per person from the airport, very cheap and convenient indeed.)

Our bed and breakfast place  was only 150 meter from the Termini Station and we got there within an hour of our arrival to Rome. The Termini  Station is an extremely busy place with travellers from all over Europe and around the world.  It is modern, clean and a beehive of activities and has 25 platforms where trains are ready to take you anywhere in  Italy. Tourists, backpackers, travellers fill the station and you could see the faces of the world right here.  The Termini is a great place to shop with numerous stores  offering all kinds of merchandizes to  shoppers . MacDonald’s advertising billboards dominate the building and there are two MacDonald’s here, one within the train station and another one just right outside.

We would be here for the next 4 days and we looked forward to our visit in Rome.

R.T., Rome, Italy

Aug. 13, 2012

Hospital Visit in Novi Sad, Serbia

A Hospital Visit in Novi Sad, Serbia

As a tourist, one of the biggest worries is getting sick in a foreign country. At Novi Sad, Serbia, we had the experience of visiting its hospital.

Clock Tower at the Fortress, a landmark of Novi Sad

A few days after we landed in Europe, Stan felt his right ear was burning and itchy.  By the time we got to Novi Sad, his ear looked red and nasty.  Fearing that the infection might spread further to the ear we went to the local ‘Apoteka’ ( Pharmacy) for advice. ( Apparently, this is what local people do with minor medical concerns.) The pharmacist took a look at Stan’s ear and we asked her to recommend him an antiseptic cream which Stan applied to the affected area for a couple of days.  The cream seemed to make the itchiness go away but some scabs was formed and the infected area still looked like an open wound.  As we still have more than 2 weeks of vacation ahead of us, we felt that it was far saver to seek proper medical help locally.  We asked Lillian, our friend from Serbia, to help us to go to the local clinic/hospital to consult a doctor.   She right away agreed to take us to the local public hospital/treatment centre.  It is a very large complex of buildings for a city with 400,000 people. 

At about 9:30pm local time, we went to the emergency clinic at the hospital where only a handful o people were waiting. Thanks to Lillian’s fluent Serbian, Stan got an examination from the doctor in charge in about 15 minutes.  This speedy response is amazing to us as we are used to a wait of 5 hours or more in the emergency intake area in Toronto.  The doctor and nurse looked at his right ear and referred the case to a specialist.  The Serbian medical system requires that specialists are available to treat patients at any time of the day.  It’s amazing that a dermatologist is available to attend to a non-life threatening, non-emergency case such a Stan’s in the middle of the night.

 Lillian led us to another building where the dermatology department was located. We ran the door bell and a nurse opened the door to meet us. Lillian explained to the nurse and after  a few minutes we were met by the doctor and her nursing team.  Since there was no one waiting for treatment, Dr. Bojana looked at his ear right away.  She checked the ear and told us in fairly good English that Stan got a bacterial infection. Under the doctor’s directions,  a nurse immediately sprang into action and skillfully treating the affected area with an antiseptic solution.  The previous hideous looking scabs were gone and Stan’s ear looked just a good as before!!! It was like a miracle!

Dr. Bojana gave Stan a prescription and showed him how to treat the wound and apply the antibiotic ointment. We were very thankful to her prompt attention to Stan’s condition as well as her professionalism and caring attitude.  This is in spite of the fact that, as a Principal Specialist Doctor at the Hospital, her pay is only a paltry 700 – 800 Euro a month!   We were so touched that we offered to pay her cash for her excellent work.  She refused firmly our offer and we later on sent her flower and a thank you card.  The attending nurse also shared her exemplary attitude  by treating Stan’s ear with care and professionalism. She was very gentle and caring and Stan did not feel any pain at all when she treating him.

The whole scenario from going to the emergency dept. until Stan’s ear was treated took about an hour and half!  We were truly grateful of the personal attention, efficiency and competency of the medical treatment Stan has received in Nova Sad, Serbia! Because of this excellent medical service, our holiday has not been ruined and we could continue our long anticipated vacation in Europe.

Thank you to Dr. Bojanna and her medical team at the Novi Sad Hospital! 

We feel that their attitudes are typical of the average Serbians we have met.  Despite the relative economic hardship, they go about their daily lives with grace, dignity and a capacity for the enjoyment of life.  The cafes are full in the downtown marketplace.  Their music is joyful and vibrant and they appear to be able to enjoy life to the fullness.

As a couple of North Americans travelling through Europe, Stan and I reflect on the abundance of material possession we have in our society.  Are North Americans better served in terms of our social, educational and medical needs? Are we happier and having a better quality of life?  From what we have observed, we seem to be more isolated; everyone staying in our comfortable spacious living quarters and yet less able to have face to face social interactions in piazzas, public squares etc. I am now beginning to understand what Lillian told me before about her life in Serbia, her walks after dinner along the Danube,  meeting with her friends at the squares and the outdoor cafes etc. It is a good way to enjoy life!

R & S. T.

Novi Sad, Serbia

Aug. 12, 2012 late at night