Rome: Tips, Ideas, NY Times Profile

[TLCOhio]

From the New York Times Travel Section in late November, they had this headline: “36 Hours in Rome”  with this sub-headline of "With a bit of planning, the Eternal City can be at its most bewitching".  While travel in November and December between Greece and Dubai, I had missed the opportunity to share this profile with many great options to consider for historic and charming Rome.

 

Here are some of the highlights from this story: “For all its imperial and papal pomp and circumstance, Rome at heart is a beautiful child — raucous, dreamy, secretive, a touch spoiled, by turns exasperating and enchanting. The child is on its best behavior during “le feste” — the winter holidays. High season crowds thin, and dazzling light displays and slanting sunbeams compensate for the short days. Today’s Rome is a paradoxical place: even as many historic neighborhoods fall to mass-touristic homogeneity, outlying districts are becoming more vibrant and varied. For an authentic Roman holiday, get out of the centro storico and sample the pizza stalls of the Testaccio market and the funky wares at the nearby Porta Portese Sunday flea market, the nightclubs of San Lorenzo and Tiburtina, and neighborhood gelaterie like Neve di Latte and La Mucca Bianca. Tranquillity has never been Rome’s strong suit.”

 

Here is an example for one of their suggested locations: "The multibranched Museo Nazionale Romano is still the city’s best kept secret for world class ancient art and architecture. The two branches flanking the Termini Station — the Palazzo Massimo and the Baths of Diocletian — complement each other perfectly. The Massimo’s collection of classical bronzes, mosaics and wall paintings reveal the breadth and finesse of Roman artistry, while the baths complex, once the empire’s largest, surrounds you with soaring masonry ruins, whispering fountains, and an immense cloister attributed to Michelangelo."

 

Full story at:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/22/travel/what-to-do-in-rome-36-hours.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Barcelona/Med: June 2011, with stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Great visuals with key highlights, tips, etc. Live/blog now at 244,650 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

From this NY Times profile, here is a visual from the multibranched Museo Nazionale Romano that the writer considers as the city’s best kept secret for world class ancient art and architecture.:

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Here is Refuel with a coffee and pastry at Monteforte on Via del Pellegrino.:

 

[cruisemom42]

9 hours ago, TLCOhio said:

 “For all its imperial and papal pomp and circumstance, Rome at heart is a beautiful child — raucous, dreamy, secretive, a touch spoiled, by turns exasperating and enchanting. The child is on its best behavior during “le feste” — the winter holidays. High season crowds thin, and dazzling light displays and slanting sunbeams compensate for the short days.

 

•  

 

Noooooo....now everyone will know about the joys of going to Rome in winter! 

[TLCOhio]

9 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

Noooooo....now everyone will know about the joys of going to Rome in winter! 

 

YES!!  Guilty as charged.  I am letting out a "secret" that there is much to discover and LOVE in Italy during the winter.  Why?  The tourist crowds are gone and the "real people" are busy enjoying their daily lives, etc.  

 

How do I know?  In December 1970, I spent nearly the whole month traveling around Europe with the Eurorail pass.  This included a good bit of time for Rome, Venice, Florence, etc.  Those travels were wonderful!!  Below are a few of my visuals from that time in Rome in 1970.  Is this good enough "evidence" and proof?  Oh?  We are supposed to keep this secret?  These visuals, from nearly fifty years ago, were shot on slides that I had converted more recently to a digital format so that I could share here.  Might share later more current visuals of wonderful Rome from our last visit there in June 2011.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

For our latest live/blog, see “the Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East.  Check it at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

 

From first visiting St. Peters in 1970, here are a couple of my visuals.  Notice at that time how the cars and buses were parked in this main plaza area?  Second is from climbing up to the dome area at St. Peters.  I was younger then and climbing up, UP and UP there was much easier.  Third shows the old Roman Forum with the setting sun.  Yes, in December, the sun does shine!!:

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Also from 1970, here is the front of the famed Trevi Fountain in Rome. Standing 86 feet high and 161.3 feet wide (per Wikipedia) it is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world. The fountain has appeared in several notable films, including Three Coins in the Fountain.  But, the second picture reveals how over the centuries, the street has been built up to make the fountain seem sunken.:

 

[TLCOhio]

From the Wall Street Journal this morning, they had this headline: “Sistine Chapel: Rare Behind-the-Scenes Look at How Its Masterpieces Are Maintained” with these highlights from their WSJ Magazine: “ Every winter, night after night for a month, a small group of Vatican staff—curators, conservators, technicians, assistants, workers—wait for the last visitor to leave (at 6 p.m.) and then over the next four hours methodically set about their tasks. The chapel’s floor is an inlay of marble and colored stone, and hard to damage, but virtually every other surface is covered in delicate frescoes. Wielding diagnostic instruments, the specialists check the walls and the ceiling. They look for problem areas—evidence of moisture and contaminants. They assess the condition of the plaster and the paint. They appraise the performance of the air-control and lighting systems.”

 

Here are some other key background highlights from this profile: "Michelangelo Buonarroti painted the barrel-vaulted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel over a period of four years, from 1508 to 1512—spurred on by an ambitious and impatient Pope Julius II. He began work on the Last Judgment, which rises behind the altar, all the way to the ceiling, more than two decades later. The frescoes on the walls are the work of Botticelli, Ghirlandaio and others. Michelangelo could be a difficult man—melancholy, withdrawn, volatile. Today, a term to describe him might be 'high maintenance.' The Sistine Chapel too is high maintenance.  The job now is 'preventive conservation'—maintaining the Sistine Chapel the way it is with as little direct intervention as possible. That means keeping the temperature stable, the air pure and the levels of humidity and carbon dioxide under tight control. It means using lights that can illuminate without causing damage. The technical systems now in place are sophisticated."

 

Full story at:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-sistine-chapel-a-rare-behind-the-scenes-look-at-how-its-masterpieces-are-maintained-11553603330

 

While the Wall Street Journal has a pay-wall, fortunately, I am a subscriber.  If you want to read more, many libraries have either the WSJ print version and/or web access. Overall, this article offer many key items for this world-class site.  Not just the Sistine Chapel, but the Vatican Museum that is also unique and totally fascinating. This Chapel and Museum welcomes nearly seven million visitors per year. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling for "down under” wonders. Exciting visuals with key highlights.  On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings.  Now at 219,607 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

 

From the Wall Street Journal Magazine today, here is one of their key graphics and the headline for this profile related to the Vatican's famed Sistine Chapel.:

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Here is the cover for the WSJ Magazine today with a great visual from the Sistine Chapel, plus below another visual used to illustrate this article.:

 

[TLCOhio]

From our June 2011 cruise that included a visit to Rome, below are some added "'eye-candy" for those who enjoy these types of visuals.  Hopefully these either bring back great memories and/or help building excitement for an upcoming visit to Rome. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

For latest live/blog, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East.  Connect at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

 

This was the dramatic front view of St. Peters and the Square with the beautiful sky over this historic setting in June 2011.: 

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Inside St. Peters, this is a portion of the main floor where the body of the late Pope John Paul II had been moved. They completed this move as he was moving towards Sainthood. Crowds were big and busy inside this huge Cathedral.: 

 

In the large square outside of St. Peters, they still had this large visual of John Paul II from the massive public ceremony in April 2011 that attracted more than a million people to this Square.: 

 

From St. Peter’s in Rome, this is the view of the heart of this great Basilica and its Magnificent Dome by Michelangelo.: 

 

After our super historic private tour of the Scavi under the Basilica (where no pictures were allowed), we saw some of crypts and this chapel below the main area.: 

 

The art work in and around St. Peter’s is spectacular. Here might be the most famous, the Pieta by Michelangelo. I first saw this in 1970 here, but now it is protected behind a large glass surface. The detail and beauty are impossible to describe or show.: 

 

As we walked from St. Peter’s, we crossed the Tiberi River and saw this view of Castel Sant’Angelo. This castle has great history, starting as a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian in 139 AD. It later provided security for Popes in times of attack.: 

 

Near Piazza Navona, here is a busy outdoor dining place with its pizza options displayed and people enjoying the day, location and fun of Rome.: 

[TLCOhio]

Here are a few more from Rome in June 2011.  Love the history, character, style, fun and excitement of Rome. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Wonderful scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 234,962 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

The Pantheon was built between 118-125 AD and is so large and amazing in its size, construction and classic style. We had seen it before, but it is always amazing and impressive as you round the corner and “there it is!”.: 

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Inside the Pantheon, this photo with my wide angle lens shows what is regarded as the best preserved of the ancient buildings in Rome. It is based on the classical Greek temple design and has a hole in the middle of the domed ceiling. It was the Roman “temple of all the gods”. You can see the light shining through the roof to part of interior on the left side.:

 

As you walk out of the Pantheon, this is the view of plaza area in front of this famed part of Rome.: 

 

Piazza Navona was built above an ancient stadium with the great fountains by Bernini.: 

[TLCOhio]

From the London/UK Daily Mail today, they had this headline: “The nation that's a work of art: Incredible images show why Italy is considered to be the world's most beautiful country” with these highlights: “Some say that Italy is the most beautiful country on earth. Any doubters might like to cast an eye over these incredible images of the Italian landscape - and then reconsider. The jaw-dropping pictures are all from a new book in Amber Books' Visual Explorer Guide series called Italy, by Claudia Martin.”

 

This includes a spotlight on Rome.  See one picture included below. Here is more as to what the author has summarized for Italy: "Claudia writes: 'The fifth most visited country in the world, Italy is steeped in history: Bologna is the world's oldest university, St Peter's Basilica in Rome is the world's largest church and the leaning tower of Pisa is the world's most tilting structure.  'But with its mountains and lakes, islands and beaches, the Italian peninsula is much more than its ruins and museum pieces in scale, beauty and power.' "

 

Full story at:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-7123617/Incredible-images-Italy-one-worlds-beautiful-countries.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Live/blog, June 2017 from Portugal to France along scenic Atlantic Coast.  Now at 28,866 views.  Many interesting pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

 

From Rome, here is one of the wonderful pictures included in this media profile and book.  Look good and interesting?  Here is more shared on Rome: The imposing buildings of the Italian capital city, Rome. Between 100BC and 400AD, Rome was the largest city in the world. Roman customs, language, law, engineering, and architecture were marched across the vast Roman lands in Europe, North Africa and Western Asia.:

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[TLCOhio]

From the Travel Section of the Washington Post yesterday, they had this headline: “A local’s guide to Rome” with these highlights: “Rome is beautiful chaos and contradictions, and this should absolutely be expected from a city whose thousands of years of history and personalities have formed its pulsating present. You first get a hint of its noncommittal nature while driving into the city from the airport, passing fields with roaming sheep. The highway flows into an austere neighborhood designed in the 1930s, where every building was intended to be a monument. And then the chaos begins: Congested neighborhoods snake up the Tiber River leading to the centro storico (historic center), where Baroque palaces and churches fight with ancient monuments for a little elbow room."

 

Many options and potentials are outlined in this detailed profile.  Here are a few more highlights:  "There is no patience, and there shouldn’t be. This is Rome, where anything goes. The energy can be overwhelming. Keep walking around; eventually, you’ll realize that Rome is not quite as big as you thought — geographically and socially. Everyone knows everyone. If you visit the same places and piazzas a few times, you’ll find that they know you, too.”

 

Here are "3 things locals think you should know":  "1. Nobody nurses their morning caffe. Drink it fast, and then go.  2. The word “piacere” (or “pleased” to meet you, pronounced pee-ah-CHAIR-ray) and a smile go a long way.  3. Once you sit down at a restaurant (and unless told otherwise), the table is yours for the rest of the evening. Basta."

 

Here is one of this writer's "Top Tips":  "Villa Farnesina is probably the best-kept art secret in Rome. The two-level stand-alone villa was originally a vacation home for one of the pope’s financiers who had the foresight to invest in architect Baldassarre Peruzzi and his friend, the up-and-coming artist Raffaele Sanzio, a.k.a. Raphael. The entire ground-floor fresco cycles are painted by Raphael, while the first-level frescoes are by Renaissance greats Il Sodoma and Sebastiano del Piombo."

 

Full story at:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/italy/rome-local-guide/?utm_term=.2f90c8429e7a

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 45,954 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

 

Here are just two of the many visuals used to illustrate this profile of Rome.  Many food and beverage options to consider!!:

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