Pompeii

Okay, okay, I know that this is a blog about Rome, but how can a Classics student visit Italy and not see Pompeii? And how can anyone visit Pompeii and not fall in love? My day trip to Pompeii actually consisted of a visit to Mt. Vesuvius and the ruins of Pompeii. After an early train ride from Rome to Napoli Centrale, I had to get on a separate train that took tourists and locals alike from Naples onward to the Amalfi Coast. There is a little office right outside of the train station of Herculaneum, a hole in the wall that seems too shady to be anything other than a secret money-laundering front. There, you can buy tickets for the bus that takes you as far up Mount Vesuvius as you can get on wheels. The wait for the next bus-cum-van is a pleasant one, since the full noon sun is not up yet. When the bus does finally come, the driver is a swarthy Italian grandpa, who directs you with the authority of Mussolini to a seat.

The ride is gorgeous, if not bumpy and nauseating. Aside from seeing the locals on the outskirts of Naples, the ride up the volcano provides scenic views of the ocean and the Amalfi coastline. The sky above the coastal towns seem to shimmer and gleam, like the very essence of Italy seems to rise from the ground.

^^^View from Vesuvius (June 2009)^^^

All semblance of poetry disappears after the first ten minutes of trekking up Vesuvius. The only things to be concentrated on are breathing and putting one dusty shoe in front of the other. Occasionally, there are huge chunks missing from the wooden banister or from the trail itself. It is probably safe enough, but the ominous crunch of gravel each time you slip a little would strike fear into anyone. Up near the top, there is a little cabin, where one can purchase trinkets and postcards and jewelry crudely made from the igneous rock which the volcano spurts out every once in a while. I settle for a ice cold coke that costs me 3euro. A peep into the crater is disappointing. Twenty five minutes of near-vertical hiking for this? There isn't even smoke. Pompeii proves to be more promising.

The entrance to the ruins is ridiculously close to the train station. Not close enough, however, to render obsolete the long entourage of salesmen and merchants, hawking their overpriced wares. Need a map of Pompeii? Yours in every language imaginable, DVD included. Mind you, a DVD that won't work anywhere besides Italy, but that's beside the point, eh?

But the annoyances of modern day merchants dissipate upon exploring Pompeii. To call them ruins is an insult. There are still roofs and frescoes, beds and pillars, even fossilized loaves of bread. There are normal houses, and homes of the rich, whore houses and holy temples. You can even see the basic rudiments in an ancient bar. From the broken pillars of the forum, you can even see the hulking mass of Vesuvius, the bringer of death itself.

^^^Pompeii (June 2009)^^^

Despite the obvious years and the sense of fossilization which permeated the city, the most vivid memory I carry involves a dog very much alive. There are fountains located throughout Pompeii, where you can fill up a water bottle, wash your hands or wet your hat on a searingly hot day. There was a mangy dog sniffing around one, obviously a stray. He jumped up onto the ledge of the fountain, to try to reach the spigot. When he couldn't reach, he tried jumping up on the other side. In the end, I had to hold down the lever for him, so that he could drink. I think it is very cool, that even among the supposed ruins of a two millenia old city, there is life.

^^^Pompeii (June 2009)^^^

Subways and Trains and Buses, Oh My

^^^Stazione Milano Centrale (June 2009)^^^

Rome is a wonderful place to go as a student because it's incredibly easy and inexpensive to travel around the city. First of all, if the weather is nice, as it normally is in Rome (with the exception of the month of August), one can traverse the city on foot. At a brisk pace and allowing for getting lost, you can probably cross the city in about three hours. This may seem like a lot, but Rome is actually a very small and compact city compared to sprawling urban wastelands like London or New York. However, sometimes there is a need to get from Point A to Point B in a timely manner, and that is when you have Rome's expansive metro and bus system at your fingertips.

I'll try to explain this complicated public transportation system that took me nearly a month to completely understand and fully utilize. First of all, Rome has two airports. The main airport is Leonardo da Vinci or Fiumicino Aeroporto. It is about thirty five minutes from the center of the city. You may ride a taxi into the city, but the cheapest alternative is to ride the Leonardo Express. The Leonardo Express is a fast train that runs from Fiumicino Airport to Termini Station. Termini is the major hub for trains, the metro and the buses. Rome has many bus routes, the most popular being the number 64 and the number 40. These are frequented by tourists who want to be carried through the centro storico and the Vatican area. Thus, they are also frequented by pickpockets and thieves. Criss-crossing at Termini are the Metro lines A and B, which run in opposite directions of the city. If the construction signs surrounding Termini speak truthfully, the city of Rome is also working on a third Metro line.

Map of the Metro: http://www.rome.info/metro/

The Metro and buses are the most useful for a tourist. Even for a student, I found that the library was wonderfully close to the first stop on Metro Line B, after Termini. However, and this may or may not be a culture shock to people, it is ridiculously crowded on the subways and buses. You will be jostled, you will be pushed, you will be yelled at. It is inevitable. But, as someone who has been to New York, I would assuredly say that the Rome Subways are much cleaner and safer and timely than the New York Subway system. Furthermore, Roman public transportation is run by one organization, and they offer a very helpful website that helps you plan your trip down to the minute.

See the ATAC website: http://www.atac.roma.it/

An interesting thing I learned about the bus was that you shouldn't be sitting down when you're waiting for a bus at the stop. The driver will not stop for you! You should be standing at the edge of the sidewalk, and staring down the driver to make sure he knows you intend to get on the bus. However, I would not suggest this tactic for a train or a subway. Furthermore, as someone who is only used to American buses, the Rome bus system works on a quasi-honor code. You are supposed to have a ticket, which you validate when you board in one of the yellow stamping machines on each bus. Apparently, your bus can be checked by ticket inspectors, and if you don't have a ticket you will be fined. However, in my weeks of stay in Rome, I had not caught sight of one inspector.

Aside from the convenience of the subway and bus, I find that the most delightful way of traveling is by train. Italy has a wonderful train system, and trains that depart almost hourly from Rome to Florence, Naples, Venice, Milan, Pisa, etc. There is a magical quality to a long train ride, as if time slows down and the rumbling of the tracks melts away your worries. The landscape of Italy is beautiful as well, and on the ride from Venice to Rome you can see beautiful farms and vineyards. Furthermore, there is no waiting or security or check in or complicated boarding passes. There are no baggage claims or children kicking the back of your seat. Being whisked away to an Italian city on a train is like being in a wonderful novel, both glossy and gritty, economic and luxurious.

^^^Stazione Napoli Centrale (June 2009)^^^

To the Nunnery

According to my guidebook, the Vatican is a taboo subject in friendly conversation with Romans. However, it is a presence that is completely inescapable and unavoidable. Within a mile of St. Peter’s Basilica, you see the denizens of Vatican City. Rome is one of the few places in the world where you can see a nun waiting in line with a businessman for a slice of pizza.

St. Peter's Square (May 2009)

The first time I visited St. Peter’s Square was in the morning, around 7:30am. This is a truly magical time to see the Vatican; the square is entirely illuminated by sunlight, but the coolness of night still lingers. By mid-day, the place is blazing hot, and even the rushing fountains aren't enough to cool down the intrepid traveler. In the morning, the sun is not yet high enough to blind you as you gaze up toward each of the sculptures dotting the top of the square. There are few tourists milling about at this hour, and thus few pigeons. The entire scene is calm and peaceful, with priests, nuns and scholars lounging on the steps before they start their day, and businessmen munching on flaky croissants

vvvClergy at the Vatican (June 2009)vvv

Unfortunately, even at eight in the morning, the hawkers are out and about. Whether it be wares or services, there’s always something to be sold. Borgo Pio is a small area composed of tourist shops and cafes. It’s one of my favorites, because often one can partake of a

n espresso and a cornetto, and watch the passing clergymen as they shop. In America, I don’t believe I’ve seen a priest in full garb outside of a Church or a movie. It’s quite novel to see priests and nuns roaming about with shopping bags, as if observing some magical creature in its natural habitat.

Even though it’s never mentioned in polite conversation, the Vatican is Rome and Rome is the Vatican. The combination is as unavoidable as prosciutto e melone.

^^^Shopping Priest near Vatican (June 2009)^^^

When the Moon Hits Your Eye...

<<< Pizzarium pizza (May 2009)<<<

What can I say about the food in Italy? Alas, it is much like anywhere else. It can crush you with disappointment or raise you to the pinnacle of foodie ecstasy. Like any other country, there are highs and there are lows. Don’t expect to waltz into any random trattoria and gobble down delicious, traditional fare. Rome is, above all else, a tourist trap. Thus, tourist menus abound. Sometimes these menus truly do save money, and allow you to sample delicious local food. Usually, these menus are a restaurant’s way of getting rid of yesterday’s scraps, or by forcing you to pay for and eat something you wouldn’t have wanted to.

^^^Restaurant in Trastevere (May 2009)^^^

Guidebooks are a good place to start, but I found that most of the recommended places were not so special, and usually flooded with tourists holding the same Lonely Planet guidebook I did. What is most surprising about Rome is the number of cafes, enotecas, trattorias, osterias and ristorantes that exist within the city walls. You can walk around for hours and wonder how these small businesses get by. One of the best indicators of a restaurant’s quality is the number of people that are waiting in line, but I found that this is not necessarily the case in Rome. Just don’t go into a restaurant that is completely empty! Pizzarium, undoubtedly the best pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice) place in Rome, is almost never crowded, but never empty either. This place is miles above any other pizza restaurant in town. Italian pizza, for Americans, can be a nasty shock upon first experiencing it. It is a thin crust, without that delicious doughy and chewiness that we Americans are so fond of. There is practically no sauce to speak of, and the toppings are usually fresh vegetables, with only a smattering of cheese, if any. For someone who grows up on American pizza, this “newfangled” Italian style pizza can be quite revolting. But lo and behold, Pizzarium pizza helps bridge the culture gap. It is undoubtedly Italian Pizza, but it is something that every American would love The dough is perfect, soft to the bite, but strong enough to hold the mountain of fresh toppings. The vegetables are seasoned perfectly, and change on a daily basis, so that you never even miss pizza sauce. And the cheese… The cheese is sometimes artfully sprinkled on, other times, the fresh Italian cheese is slathered on in huge chunks. Like many things in Italy, the lines are blurred between food and art.