Italy Day 12 – More Exploring

This morning my feet were still sore from being in Rome yesterday; walking cobblestone streets for seven hours will do that to you. I decided to take it easy this morning and head out for some local exploration this afternoon. I wanted to drive around a portion of Lago Trasimeno I had yet to cover. The lake can be viewed from the area where I park in Panicale and I wanted to get near the water. I also wanted to drive into the hills north-east of the lake to reach a town called Castel Rigone because a tour book said the drive was beautiful. It was raining but I checked the weather forecast and it's supposed to rain all week. So far the forecasters have been wrong and there's no way I'm sitting around just because it's raining. I grabbed my jacket and umbrella and hoped for the skies to clear. As I drove around the lake I realized I was heading toward a patch of blue sky and I enjoyed a mostly rain-free afternoon.

The fifteenth century church in Castel Rigone.

Some quirky faces carved in a wall.

Incredible scenery as I drove through the hills.

I loved walking next to the lake. I think growing up two blocks from the beach and having so many wonderful memories tied to being near lakes, rivers, or the ocean makes me feel at home as soon as I'm walking near a body of water.

An island in Lago Trasimeno.

Italy Day 11 - Roma in the Rain

I did it! I visited Rome alone. I made great memories and it's a good thing I like reading maps. I checked off some of the items on my must-see list, I hugged a random guy, I wandered through ancient ruins, and I tossed a coin in Trevi Fountain. I got up at 5:30 a.m. in order to catch an early train, which turned out to be an hour late; a long day, but I'm really glad I went.


I ended up waiting in line for about twenty minutes to get into the Colosseum and when I reached the ticket counter I was told they only accept cash. Would have been nice if they had posted that fact somewhere near the entrance! I was really irritated but I had to just laugh about it or I'd get really upset at the delay. An English speaking tour guide told me where I could find a cash point. I tried going where he suggested but their connection was down so no cash. I was directed to another place a few blocks away and was surprised by being treated to views of the Foro di Traiano along the way – ruins featuring the pillars and tumbled-down blocks of marble I've only seen in history books. I also walked past the Monument to Vittorio Emmanuele II. I don't know the significance but I recognized the sculptures on the roof and it was another surreal moment.


When I visited the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in November I visited an area with plaster casts of famous sculptures. I noted Trajan's Column with scenes sculpted in a spiral. I remember admiring it for a while and thinking how crazy it would be to see it in real life. After I finally found a cash machine I turned to head back to the Colosseum and my jaw dropped to realize that Trajan's Column was right in front of me. It must make God smile to delight us with moments like that.

A portion of Trajan's Column.

Later in the day I stumbled upon the Column of Marcus Aurelius, similar in design to Trajan's Column.

Column of Marcus Aurelius, built on this site in 193 AD.

I enjoyed visiting the Colosseum but I've heard so much about it and seen so many pictures that I didn't find it awe-inspiring or surprising. It's still one of those things you just have to see in person when you're in Rome. The part I did love was wandering through the ruins of the Roman Forum.

A view from the upper level of the Colosseum.
To the left is the Arch of Constantino.
The road leading away is the Via Sacra leading to the Roman Forum.

Detail in the Arch of Constantino.

Rome and the ruins of the Roman Forum.
The big, white building in the background with dark statues on top is the Monument to Vittorio Emmanuele II.

Temple of Antoninus and Faustina.

I love the little details found in the piles of rubble.

The Roman Forum.

I had seen a group of about eight people wandering around who appeared to be around college age – seemed like an eclectic mixture of people. I saw one of the guys taking a photo of the rest of the group so I stopped and asked if he was with them and if they wanted a photo with all of them together. As I was getting ready to take the photo I asked where they were from. Turns out their group was made up of three smaller groups of friends that met at the Roman Forum and decided to wander around together. The guy who had been taking the photo said he was from Vancouver, British Columbia. I lowered the camera and excitedly exclaimed, “Really? Okay, I'm sorry, I need a hug,” and ran up to him and he just laughed and gave me a hug as he asked, “Where are you from?” It was so fun to meet somebody from back home! I've been so lonely lately and hearing that someone was from Vancouver made me lose my head. Anton was really friendly and we chatted for a little while. Yeah, I wonder why... some random girl throwing herself at him, little realizing how old I am and how out of character it was for me. When I passed them a few minutes later he called out my name and when I turned he was holding up his camera so I gave him a smile. Oh yeah... I'll be remembered as the random chick who hugged him in Rome... good times!

I heard that Piazza Navona was worth a visit so that was my next stop since I had run out of time to visit the Vatican because they close early in the winter (although I did see the dome of St. Peter's from a hill at the ruins). By this time it was pouring rain. My jeans were soaked almost to my knees, my feet were starting to feel damp, and my umbrella was letting an occasional drip of water through but I didn't care. I loved splashing along the sidewalks and seeing the raindrops splatter on the marble stairs. I loved thinking about how crazy it was that I was actually in Rome. The rain is a hassle for taking photos but I managed to get the shots I wanted and the overcast sky provided good light.

Piazza Navona is lined with beautiful buildings and restaurants – the kind of place that would be good for people-watching with a hot drink when the weather is clear. The Romans originally used the space as a competition arena. There were a couple of large fountains and I liked the absurdity of the one with children subduing sea creatures.

Fontana del Moro.

Fontana di Netuna.

Fontana di Netuna.

Next stop was the Pantheon. The day was almost done so I didn't stay long.

The Pantheon.

Interior of the Pantheon.

Columns at the entrance of the Pantheon.

Yes, it's true. They're everywhere.

The final stop for my day in Rome was the Fontana di Trevi – the huge fountain where standing with your back to the water and tossing a coin over your shoulder is supposed to ensure that you'll return to the Rome some day. Although I give no credit to the idea, I had to participate in the tradition. It's something I've wanted to do since I watched Three Coins in the Fountain when I was a teenager.

Trevi Fountain.

Trevi Fountain detail.

The coin I tossed in Trevi Fountain.

A woman around my age came up and asked me to take a photo of her and we started chatting. She's from Argentina and just finished spending a month travelling with a friend and now she's on her own for a month. So great to finally meet another girl travelling alone! We visited for about twenty minutes in front of the fountain. It was a good end to a very long, exhausting, incredible day.

The delayed train to Rome and the Colosseum only accepting cash made me miss out on seeing the Sistine Chapel, I place I really wanted to see. I'll have to save Saint Peter's and the Vatican Museum for another trip. I've seen enough of Rome that I'm content for this trip, but I really hope I can go back again some day. There are more things I want to see and the entire city is like a living museum begging to be explored.

Italy Day 8, 9, and 10 – Nothing Much

Most stores and museums in Italy are shut down all day Sunday and Monday and I wasn't feeling well on Saturday so the past few days have involved what I call “down time”. That basically involves hanging out at my little apartment, going to the local grocer to stock up on food, visiting the tourism office to use their free internet access to check my email and do some research for the trips I'm planning for this week, doing some laundry, watching movies, and just relaxing.

I got a text message from Ann back in Hook today. They're snowed in and the heat isn't working. I'm sad that I'm missing out on seeing the snow but I'm happy to be missing out on the cold house!

When I first came to Italy I wasn't ready to visit Rome solo. Other cities I could handle, but for some reason the idea of wandering the streets of Rome alone intimidates me. As my time here has worn on, I've realized the best reason to make myself go there is the fear that keeps me from going. I've made a list of the key sites I want to visit and I'm going to go for it. I'm nervous but it's something I'm capable of doing so I want to make myself do it. I know if I don't go, I'll regret it later.

Italy Day 7 – It's True... the Tower Leans

I've always wondered if the Leaning Tower of Pisa is really leaning as much as it appears to lean in photos. Today I decided to find out. Yes, I drove for a total of six hours today just to see and climb the tower. I also planned to visit another town near Pisa but it ended up looking kind of boring and I was tired by the time I got there so I drove past and returned to Panicale. My flight leaves from Pisa next weekend but I didn't want to have the stress of leaving early and taking the chance of not making it to the tower or missing my flight if I ended up stuck in traffic or something. As weird as it is to think that I spent so much time on the road to visit a site that a couple of people have told me is quite boring, I don't regret the trip at all.

As my GPS guided me towards the Campo dei Miracoli, or Field of Miracles, I saw a huge wall ahead of me – about the height of a two or three story building. At a red light I finally glanced up above the wall and said out loud in a completely awestruck tone, “Oh wow.” I could see the top of the tower beyond the top of the wall. It's real.

I found a cheap parking space only two blocks from the campo (a small miracle), grabbed a sandwich as I walked to what I assumed was the entrance, and as I approached the wall I thought, “Where did the tower go? I thought it was in this area...”


And then I walked through the gate.

Campo dei Miracoli.
From left to right are the round Battistero (begun in 1152),
the Duomo (a cathedral begun in 1064),
and the Torre Pendente (begun in 1173).

I sat on a fence post just inside the gate to eat my lunch and enjoy the view in the photo above. One of the few perks about solo travel is that there's nobody to make me feel like I should be doing anything other than what I want to do. Don't get me wrong, there are many times I long for somebody to walk beside me and suggest the next thing to do, but there are some moments when I enjoy being alone. This afternoon as I ate my lunch, I loved the solitude and taking the time to just breathe and finally believe I'm really in Italy.



The tower was stunning and I'm thrilled that when I'm a crazy old woman (no, Lindsay, turning thirty next year doesn't count) I'll be able to tell people that I climbed to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The tower really leans as much as it appears to. Climbing the spiral staircase was an unbelievable experience. At one point I couldn't stop myself from grinning as I thought, “I can't believe I'm actually climbing this thing and it's seriously leaning!” The stairs are marble and heavily eroded from so many people traipsing up and down every day. The stairs spiral around the wall and I could see and feel the slope of the tower as I circled around each level. The view from the top was beautiful, but the most amazing thing was the knowledge that I was standing on such an iconic spot.

The well-worn stairs in the tower.
Pity the poor guy who used to climb over 300 steps to ring the bells every hour.

Me and the view from the top of the tower.

I tried to get this as straight as possible to show the angle of the tower when you're climbing the stairs.

The classic pose.
I helped a Chinese couple pose together and they shot this for me in return. We had a great time chatting and the husband seemed quite excited to use my camera since he's hoping to buy the same one soon.

Detail on the outside of the tower.

Detail on the outside of the tower.

Entrance to the duomo/cathedral was free (unlike the pricey tower climb) so I wandered around for a while after climbing the tower. I neared the altar area and realized that the gate was open to provide access. Seemed weird because normally you're not allowed in that area of cathedrals. It was roped off from the front aisle, but the open gate was off to the side. A young couple was also eyeing the altar area from the open gate and I grinned at them and said, “Should we go for it?” They laughed and agreed that it seemed odd that the gate was open and we most likely weren't supposed to be in that area, but we decided to go for it and get kicked out together if it came to that. The guards were hanging out just outside the entrance so we figured it would take a while to get caught. It was gorgeous and definitely worth the risk! There were incredible paintings and it was amazing to be able to get so close. A guard finally came up about five minutes later (after we had been snapping photos madly and a few others had joined us) and started barking at all of us in Italian to get out of that area. Turns out the gate was supposed to be closed and a big rope stretched beyond that area but we could honestly claim innocence because it was wide open when we arrived. The young couple and I exchanged big grins as we walked out of the area where we had sort of unknowingly trespassed... fun times.

In the foreground is the pulpit by Giovanni Pisano with the dome of the cathedral in the background with a fresco by Orazio Riminaldi.

The image of Christ in the bowl of the apse is a mosaic started by Francesco De Simone and finished by Cimabue. This is the area we explored before the guards found us.

Some paintings in the forbidden area: