Roma, Day 3

(by the way, I’m granting myself a non-edited “get out of jail free” card on these posts, ok? I have decided the perfect is the enemy of the good here…If I started editing, none of this will get out. So bear with me as these are written from the heart, unedited, and al fresco most of the time! 🙂 )

Last day in Rome!

So, granted, there’s a lot to love in Rome. Every 100 feet takes you to another stunning “random” church full of artwork, a fabulous pair of shoes, a conversation with a father and son. Walking in to these “random” churches, I’m always surprised to find another beautifully frescoed ceiling, a never before seen Caravaggio or two, a mosaic floor dating back centuries, another Bernini sculpture, or even pagan iconography turned useful for the Christians.

So on this day, we are in search of a couple of Caravaggio’s we’d heard about in just such a random search. Finding them, we’re blown away, of course. We waltz in and out of churches all day, ending up at, of all places, an eyewear store! Where I am thrilled to find new Italian sunglasses, and Jerry and I both get new groovy eyewear. The woman who owned the store was so lovely and told us, “The Italians do two things really well: glasses and spaghetti!” She’s a new friend, indeed.

On our way back to the hotel, we hit a few more churches with the most unassuming façades and walk in to find ourselves in Stendhal Syndrome again!

Finally, we head out to dinner to a restaurant recommend by a friend, Danielle Orteri (who, if you’ve not met this lovely, genius woman yet, is at http://www.danielleoteri.com/). The restaurant is named Le Sorelle (“The sisters”). The sisters weren’t there, but we met Mama who seemed quite proud of her daughters. My husband speaks pretty fluent Italian, is very engaging and I’m amazed at how he makes friends everywhere he goes! (And, because they like us, we get the last carciofi as a bonus!) A delightful, delicious place on so many levels, I am floored by their message in their menu…akin to my belief system.

The sweet menu tells you more about the Italians than I can and is filled with wisdom – and one of the main reasons I love Italy:

“To all of those who know that the answers to life’s big questions are often found in unexpected places. Sometimes, it may even be a tiny restaurant in the centre of Rome.

This menu is for You, diners who appreciate passion and love for genuine food, with the hope you will enjoy your experience; getting lost in a moment of magic, savouring the pleasure in our dishes, accompanied by a glass of wine, simple yet sensual.
Dedicated to You, to all those who know that you should not dine and drink to forget, but instead, to remember.

As if that weren’t enough to cap off the day, we walk home via the Trevi Fountain…a spectacular creation of beauty, super touristy, but nevertheless awe-inspiring. There is so much kitch here, it’s unbelievable, but when you look between all of this, read between the lines of it, you see images like this:

The chestnut man, who has earnestly created cones upon cones to hold his yummy chestnuts. The light was incredible. How about the drunken Polish priest? (I won’t include his picture here!) sweetly hugging loved ones after a few too many glasses of wine at dinner. And who knew that gladiators liked crepes? These are the moments of love, of treasure.

Sure, you could look at all the trinkets, the loudness, the guys hawking fake pocketbooks and silly plastic toys…or, you could look at the magic that is Rome, that persists in spite of all that.

Walking the streets of Rome, there is beauty, passion and love to be found everywhere. Strolling through Borghese gardens, children laugh and run, kicking the ubiquitous soccer ball or rushing crazily by on bikes (similar to the notorious Italian drivers!). Their enthusiasm for life is infectious.

Stendhal syndrome, aka Florence syndrome, is “a psychosomatic disorder that causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, confusion and even hallucinations when an individual is exposed to art, usually when the art is particularly beautiful or a large amount of art in a single place.” * The illness was named after French author, Stendhal who described his experience with the phenomenon after visiting Florence.

A friend of mine mentioned this syndrome in relation to just thinking about art in Rome. I heartily agree that one can easily imagine this happening. Standing in front of two Bernini sculptures in the Borhese Galleria, I experienced a kind of awe-inspired swooning.

This sculpture of Apollo and Daphne is so evocative, almost surreal, to see the lift of Apollo’s foot, the leaves above Daphne’s hands, her toes turning to roots. And then, of course, the Rape of Perserpina – the impression of strong hands on yielding flesh, like nothing I’d ever seen.  How does one do that to marble? The David, which I could stare at for hours, didn’t evoke the same emotion in me as this.

The other thing I’ve loved while walking around this city in the spring are the flowers, especially, the heady aroma of the orange trees in blossom. It is positively intoxicating! The planters are starting to be filled with flowers that won’t bloom back home for a month or so.  I’m so enjoying the fact that palm trees, orange trees and other tropicals grow in a city like Rome!

And lastly, the simplicity of the old ways stay present in an old city. This bicycle, locked to a post, was hand painted white, amongst very expensive shops, a contrast in elegance. While so many Vespa’s roam the city streets, seeing this sweet white bicycle brought back memories of bike riding. I had forgotten how much I miss riding a bike.