Twenty-Five: Around the World and Back Again

Kim's parents flew half way around the world. Literally. They left Honolulu on July 9th and arrived at Schiphol on July 11th. Rough.

We went to Van Gogh, walked around the 9 Streets and the city center. We visited Haarlem, Delft, and Kinderdijk. In Volendam - a fishing village just north of Amsterdam - we finally tried herring (in a bun with onions but still.) Kim's mom liked it, Kim thought it was ok, her dad almost gagged, and I spit it out.

We hopped a flight to Rome.

Our route to the hotel took us through the Aurelian Walls, past the Colosseum, the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore and the Baths of Diocletian. Scooters zoomed between lanes, over curbs, along sidewalks, back into traffic and so on. Our hotel was right behind the baths, about a block from Termini station. This turned out to be a great location because Termini is a metro, bus and train hub.

Day 1
We started with the National Museum (at Palazzo Massimo alle Terme.) Lots of marble statues, sarcophagi, coins, mosaics, and a nice escape from the mid-day heat. It was so empty (siesta) that we thought we were in the wrong place. The exhibits are "organized" unlike any museum I've been to, the audio guide is humorously lame, there's disruptive construction and poor lighting, but somehow it's all ok 'cause it's Rome.

We visited the Pantheon on our way to dinner. Tombs inside include those of Raphael and Vittorio Emanuele II - the first king of unified Italy. Scrolling through my mental music library, I cued Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001 A Space Odyssey) while gazing up at the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome and oculus.

Dinner at Carbonara in Campo de Fiori was so so. An interesting cultural tidbit is the square's monument to Giordano Bruno, the heretic philosopher who was burned at the stake by the Roman Inquisition, supposedly on the spot from which his statue now glares out at the Vatican Chancellory.

After dinner we did Rick Steve's "Night Walk Across Rome." Apparently Romans (and tourists) stroll the streets at night. Our route took us through Piazza Navona (artists, performers and Bernini's Four Rivers fountain), into Giolitti's for superlative gelato, through Piazza Colonna, to the the Trevi Fountain (chaos), and finally to the Spanish Steps (crazier still.)

Day 2
We arrived at the Colosseum early, beating the heat and cutting the already daunting line with our Roma Passes. Even though it's cliche the Colosseum is one of those must-see things - all that history and drama not to mention the impressive engineering; it could seat about 50,000 and is essentially the blue print for all modern day stadiums.

Next was Palatine Hill, where the big wigs lived. It's actually where the word "palace" comes from. A nice amble under canopied pine trees, past the remains of Ceasars' palaces, private stadiums, baths, etc. However by the time we reached the shadeless ruins at the summit it was pretty hot. Down the back side to the Forum we sat a while under the Arch of Titus, then strolled Rome's original town square. A wee bit of history there - the temples of Saturn and Julius Caesar, Caligula's palace, the Senate House, the Rostrum (the original soap box), and the House of the Vestal Virgins (the architectural model for later convents and monasteries.) Interesting story: Any Vestal Virgin caught breaking her vow of chastity was paraded through the Forum on a funeral car, given a lamp and a loaf of bread, then buried alive in a crypt.

By now the heat was brutal. On Capitoline Hill we took refuge inside the Capitoline Museum's walkway before descending Michelangelo's grand staircase, ogling the Victor Emanuel Monument and collapsing into a cab headed for Piazza del Popolo.

In the middle of Piazza del Popolo there's an enormous Egyptian obelisk - one of several perched atop pedestals around Rome. It's confounding when you contemplate the voyage; rolled on logs, dragged by beasts of burden, sailed on special barges, all the way from Egypt.

In the late afternoon we did some shopping, then I visited the Borghese Gallery alone having pounded my traveling companions into pulp with the vicious schedule. It was 105 degrees on the villa grounds and people were laying in fountains to get relief, but inside it was cool and the crowds were small thanks to the reservation system. The building's opulent interior showcases Bernini's statues of David (fighting Goliath) and Apollo and Daphne, paintings by Caravaggio, Raphael,Titian, and Rubens.

I caught the Electric Minibus from the villa to Piazza Barberini. This golf cart sat six and topped out at about 15 mph. The driver stopped at a fountain for a drink and a stretch (Rome's inimitable aquifer-fed fountains are everywhere; on corners, in alleys and squares, spewing from walls.) Two or three blocks later he got out for a smoke and to recharge the bus' battery. The other 5 passengers behaved as if this were normal, so I took it to be so. When we finally arrived at Barberini I met up with the Tangs at Colline Emiliane for a good, simple pasta dinner.

Day 3

We shopped the morning away then headed to Vatican City. No line at the museum which was fortuitous because more that 5 minutes on that shadeless pavement and you're probably risking heat stroke (and if the emergency room is run by the same sorts that run the museums and drive the buses...)

Holy crap. Miles of it. Innumerable imposing sculptures. Mummies, artifacts, paintings, maps and murals. This place is sort of like the Louvre in that it can crush your spirit if you're not prepared. We decided to be selective and after the map room we headed for the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo's Creation of Adam is not the only thing going on here (news to me); the mural covers the walls and ceiling.

We were all set to sneak through the tour guide door to Saint Peter's Basilica (a significant short cut) when we realized we had to return the audio guide at the front entrance. I ran all the way up (a 15 minute jog), only to be told that Kim had to return it (it was her ID that was in collateral.) I ran back (15 more minutes.) Kim ran up and back again. Then we took our "short cut" to St. Peters.

Kim said if it had been the first church we'd seen (instead of the ramp up that included Notre Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, Dom Cathedral, Our Lady, Saint Vitus, etc.) she would've burst into tears. You may indeed feel the urge to drop to your knees in this place. With a capacity of 60,000 it's the largest church in the world (they've got marks on the floor where the next largest church would fit to prove this point.) The dome towers 390 feet above Bernini's Canopy and the main altar. It's the site of Charlemagne's coronation, Michaelangelo's Pieta and Saint Peter's tomb (many Papal tombs as well.) The mosaics and the stained glass are also really beautiful, but hard to focus on with all the grandness. As to why the Catholic church requires such a display, well... I digress.

The best thing to do is to get into your Vegas Mindset before disembarking at Vatican City. It is truly awesome, but best not diluted with thoughts of the real world which could result in an unfortunate bout of depression and/or apoplexy.

Our final meal - at Trattoria Monti - was the best of the trip, but none had matched Tuscany's and the following week's Parisian fare would also top it.

Paris Revisited
We had an itinerary. We had some experience and a lay of the land. We knew the Metro system well enough. We were ready for Paris this time around. I channeled Mad Max as we navigated the heart of the city, slingshotted through the hysterical roundabout at Bastille (nicked a side mirror or two), and squealed through the hotel parking garage. Howard and Joyce extolled my driving from the back seat (while covering their eyes.)

After check in we rode the metro over to Galleries Lafayette where my heart, for one, was filled with shoes. So many shoooes. Most of us wandered happily among these shoes, and Baba displayed uncommon aplomb as he was marched through one women's department after another.

We walked to Au Petit Riche for a very good dinner that included escargot and Baba au Rhum. Our waiter was hammy and made me feel good about my french conversational (or at least ordering) skills.

In the evening we took the metro to Trocadero to see the Eiffel Tower sparklerized (they've been doing this - after dark - every hour on the hour since the millennium celebration.)

The next morning we visited Sainte-Chapelle and Notre Dame. We tried to climb Notre Dame's tower but the line was preposterous. We made a quick stop at the Deportation Monument on Ile de la Cite before heading to Berthillon for some reputed ice cream then to the Marais neighborhood for more shopping.

In the afternoon we tackled the Louvre. Luckily we had Museum Passes and used the underground entrance. We attempted only the popular Denon wing, which was pretty crowded - they were 20 deep in front of Mona Lisa. I'm ashamed to admit it but I think the Louvre got the best of me; I spent a lot of time on a bench with a glazed look. Kim and her parents fared much better and were still energetic when we met at the designated time and place.

After a small misadventure involving a closed metro line, torrential rain and a dearth of taxi cabs (Kim heroically threw herself into the road to snag the last free cab in Paris) we returned to 404 - having loved it when we went over Christmas - for a spectacular meal of pigeon-stuffed pastry, lamb tagine, lamb couscous and zaalouk. We all ate so much that Kim's mom refused to eat the following day, claiming to still be digesting the meal.

The next morning we got up early and were among the first in line at Notre Dame tower. When they opened the gate we literally raced up the stairs and were first to the top. The view was well worth the 400 steps.

Later we shopped along Champs-Elysees, stopping at Laduree's tea salon for breakfast and macaroons. In the evening we visited Musee d'Orsay which is open late on Thursday. The building (previously a train station), the Impressionists, and the manageable crowds (we went at 6:30) made for one of the top two museum experiences so far (it's hard to top Kroller-Muller.)

Dinner at L'Ardoise - a small bistro across the river from d'Orsay - was excellent. We opted for a taxi back to the hotel and when we crossed the Seine at Pont-Royal with the the Royal Palace, Notre Dame, D'Orsay and the Eiffel Tower lit up and the sun setting I realized the hype is right; Paris IS beautiful.

On our last morning we walked around the Eiffel Tower and had a quick lunch at Happy Nouilles - hand pulled noodle soup and chicken feet (no, I can't go there yet but apparently they were quite good) - then rode out of town and back to Amsterdam.

The intrepid travelers capped off their adventure by flying halfway around the world again, though thanks to a little time travel they arrived the same day they left despite a 24 hour voyage. All told it was a super first trip to Europe. So fun that in a year or so they'll probably forget how hard the flight is and will find themselves trekking half way around the world all over again.