The Roman Forum

The Forum is an area of serious ruins. Over the centuries it has been pillaged and vandalized, yet it retains its air of aristocracy. Lone pillars mark the spots where proud buildings once towered. It was originally a marketplace but it grew into "the most celebrated meeting place in the whole world, and in all history." The Forum was a place where the people of Rome could gather for commercial. political, judicial, and religious pursuits. I was struck by the ostentatious life styles some of these people must have led and their sophistication.

A tradition of speaking to the public from the rostra was established early (prior to 361 BC). About 44 BC, Marc Antony delivered his famous funeral oration for Caesar from the New Rostra, and 2 years later displayed the severed head and right hand of Cicero, his mortal enemy.

Although Julius Caesar was cremated after his death and his ashes scattered, this grave site behind a low wall at the Forum is still honored by the populace.

An afternoon Expedition to Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri

 We continued on our afternoon excursion, passing up a piazza crowded with canopied tables filled with wares for the busy Italian shoppers, and headed toward our destination, Piazza della Republica Roma. We were seeking the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri (Basillica of St. Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs) .
The photo appears calm and quiet but there are usually hordes of vehicles bearing down on you as you attempt to cross.  We learned to always use the crosswalks. Pedestrians do have the right of way in the crosswalks but you should not rely on vehicles to stop. Once you make the move to cross, keep moving - the vehicles do plan to miss you! Since we were still intimidated, we learned to watch the locals and walk with them!



 Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri

 This building was originally part of the massive (some 130,000 square meters) remains of the Baths of Diocletian  until 1541 when a Sicilian priest had a vision of angels in the ruins. The Pope viewed the vision as a message from God and ordered a church built on the site and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the angels, and the Christian slaves who had died building the original baths. Guess that covered everyone.



 

Door of Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri -
The Risen Christ

In 1563 Michelangelo, commissioned to design the church, began his work but he died the next year. His design was completed by Jacopo Lo Duca and the church was given to the Carthusian monks, who built a monastery next to it.












In 2006, two bronze doors, by sculptor Igor Mitora replaced the old wooden ones




Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri door handle -
the Virgin Mary




 "Light and Time"
Stained glass by Narcissus Quagliata 1999

 


















The dome of the Basilica is the result of many changes over the years. Originally a circular opening in the rotunda of the Baths to allow rain to fall into the water below, it has evolved to the present stained glass masterpiece. "The glass cupola is not attached to the ancient roof fabric, but rests on three gilded steel spheres and thus leaves a narrow gap all round for ventilation."



Main altar

It seems every church in Italy has, at least, a small claim to fame - a relic, a masterpiece, an attributed miracle, etc. This church has a Meridian Line commissioned in the 8th century by Pope Clement XI. It was completed in 1703 and provided the standard for local Roman time until 1846.


The sun enters through this prism "eye"

Sun shines along this Meridian Line



We did not get to see the sun mark its path this time, but it will be on my list for next time.



Apparently, the church has special exhibits that travel through. We found this one: Isochronism in the Oscillation of the Pendulum.
 "Here in the exact words of Galilei: 'The other truly marvellous thing is that the same pendulum oscillates with the same frequency, or just slightly, almost indistinguishably, different.' Galileo Golilei, Opere IV, 475-476" "The regularity of pendular movements opened new horizons on something in which Golilei firmly believed, namely the universality of all movements, whether they be rectilinear, circular, or parabola.
This was no mean feat. Since the dawn of civilization rotating movements had been considered to belong to the heavenly spheres. The consequence of the discovery that all movements are manifestations of the same entity, that of motion, was that stones had the same status as stars."



We gave the pendulum a little swing

 Off to one side, there is an unassuming little room with a history and drawn plans of the Baths of Diocletian.  That room opens on to a small enclosure which, I believe, must have been one of the small gardens allocated to the monks just outside their cells. The Carthusian monks took a vow of silence but were allowed some conversation / quiet interaction every Thursday. The area has a few remnants of architectural interest strewn about.

Part of the monks' cells?




"This statue is a gift from China to
the State Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels and Martyrs."

 "This bronze statue of Galileo Galilei Divine Man was designed by Professor Tsung Dao Lee, winner of the 1957 Nobel Prize in Physics, Director of CCAST (China Center of Advanced Science and Technology) and WFS (China) President.



Finally, the floor of the church was amazing! I wonder if I could make a quilt with this pattern......

An Afternoon of Exploration

 David and I planned an afternoon of exploration to keep the jet lag at bay. Walking, of course, is my favorite way to see everything and David was really into it.


Auto repair shop

 

Immediately around the corner from our hotel, tucked in beside the other, normally encountered shops, was a car repair place. Most of the cars in Italy are tiny and the streets are narrow, so this  little place was just the right size. They may have repaired the ubiquitous Vespas as well, but there was a small Fiat in front and the driver was entering the establishment.



Headed in a general direction of sites listed in the book, we did not have to venture far before discovering Roman ruins. The whole city is built on other layers of civilization and archaeologists are slowly peeling the layers back, like an onion.

Amidst the heavy traffic and modern buildings, the remains of the Aula Ottagona and the Baths of Diocletian suddenly appeared as we rounded a corner. These were built at the turn of the 4th century and have been used in various capacities over the centuries.

 

 

 

 

 

Apparently, they were open to the public at one time but now are closed. Here, centuries-old bricks have watched in silence as humankind has evolved to its present state. Here, in a sheltered corner, shaded by the stones of antiquity, I watched as a man prepared his "fix", took care of his body's craving, then shared with his female companion before they both quietly blended back in to the crowded street. I wonder, how far have we really evolved?

I would think summer is not the best time to visit Rome. Plus, it apparently has been an especially beastly summer, with weather much like that we left behind. David opted for some nice, cold watermelon from a street vendor and we found a bench where we could sit and rest our feet for a few minutes.

 

The "Groupon" Caper

O.K. I will return to unfinished travels later.

I am starting afresh with the arrival of a "Groupon" in my e-mail box. [If you are not familiar with these, just type "groupon" in your search engine and  explore deals for the area of the country or activity you are interested in visiting.]

 David was ready for a trip with Grandma and I was having a difficult time finding anything to meet both our needs.When I travel with my grandchildren, I attempt to focus on an area of interest to them but one I will be able to enjoy with them as well. I had already made two trips to England with grandchildren focusing on Harry Potter and, although the trips were delightful, I did not particularly relish a third.  Among the interests David and I did share, "cooking" rated near the top but, after scouring Internet sites,  I had almost despaired of finding a cooking adventure that would challenge both our skills. Fortunately, even at age 11, he was beyond the beginner stage and was quite adventurous and creative in his kitchen at home.

When the "Groupon" arrived in my inbox, I almost summarily dismissed it. The destination for a cooking course was in Italy. Could it be true? Was it a scam? Would they accept an 11 year old? Could I trust the source? A slew of questions invaded my thoughts and, although I did not delete the e-mail immediately, I did pass it by for more thought. I checked the reviews, the site, the proposed itinerary, and finally questioned my daughter on her view of David's readiness for such an adventure.

About a year earlier, I had asked David where he would like to go IF he could choose. He replied that he would like to "eat spaghetti in Italy."
"Well," I teased, "I can just take you to Olive Garden restaurant and save a lot of money."
When I reminded him of that conversation, he grimaced.
 "So, would you prefer to go to Olive Garden and we can take your brother and mom along, or would you rather go to Italy and make your own pasta?" I asked with a smile.
David is not given to outward bursts of enthusiasm but his big grin made his choice quite clear. All systems, it seemed, were a "go," so I made the commitment. David and I were scheduled to begin our culinary experience on 16 June 2013 when we would be met at the airport in Rome, Italy.

Although the trip was several months away, there was a lot to accomplish. David needed a passport and permission letters for me to take him out of the country.  I required that he do some independent research on the area/s we would visit, make a list of things he would like to see,  and learn something about Italian art and history. He exchanged his ever present novel for a Rick Steves' book on Rome and began to set up an itinerary for us. We would leave a few days early and spend some time in Rome on our own before traveling to Carunchio, Italy. My main tasks were to set up the travel and accommodation for the parts of the trip that were not covered.

Thus we began......

Journey to Japan - Views on the Street

Two of my favorite things to do when I visit another country are (1.) get on a bus and ride it to the very end and (2) just watch the people and look at the street scene. I did not get on a bus this time, but I did enjoy the street scenes and people.

This street corner on Shibuya Dori, is one of the busiest in the world. It certainly looks innocuous here before the light changes.....

......but after the light changes, people appear from everywhere...and this was a light day.

This wonderful glass building towered over us along a small expanse of sidewalk......

It housed a well-known (well, in some circles)brand of shoe that was very prominent in a book made into a movie ("The Devil Wears Prada").

I didn't see small food vendors selling from carts on the street. Perhaps they have been replaced by American giants?

This donut shop was a popular place

The sweet shops were more elegant

This seems to be the season for this inedible Fall plant used for decoration. Someone told us it might be a "parrot plant," but I don;t find it on the internet - enlighten me.

I guess you could plan a "quick getaway" in a Scootcar....

Here Comes Abs....

Summer is almost here and the family travels are beginning. The Colorado hearts are headed down here, scheduled to arrive on Saturday, but Abs flew in last night, avoiding a 2 day car ride. For better or for worse, drama always surrounds my darling 9-year old granddaughter.
Abs had been packed for days and was chauffeured to the Denver airport by Gunner, her father, who was in uniform since he had to go to work when he returned home. The flight to Austin is a little over 2 hours, just slightly less time than it takes me to drive to the Austin airport, get a pass to pick up an unaccompanied minor, then clear security. I left home at 2:30 for Abs' 4:40 arrival, found a favourable parking slot in the airport garage, and proceeded  to the terminal.

 Ooops! Did I lock the car? Back to check and found it locked. Headed back to the building.

Ooops! I left my cell phone in the car. Maybe I could get along without it? It is such a short time. No, ABW will call 20 more times to be sure everything is going alright. Back to the car to pick it up, then back to the terminal building.

I was just about to enter the terminal building when my phone rang. It was ABW, Ab's mom. I was happy I would be able to assure her that I was there to pick her daughter up! The conversation went something like this:
ABW: "Where are you?"
Me: "At  the airport, about to enter the building. Yes, I am on time and yes, I am ready. Did Abs get on the plane okay?"
ABW: "No, she is not on the plane."
Ooops!
Planes were delayed at least 2 hours, so I went home.

Abs and Gunner were at the Denver airport, ABW and the other children were at home watching the Thunderbirds fly over the USAF Academy graduation ceremony, and I was waiting at the airport in Austin. Thank goodness for cell phones! Gradually, I pieced the story together.
Just prior to boarding time in Denver, a tornado warning was issued and all planes were grounded. Abs and Gunner were hunkered in a sheltered area for the duration with Abs wailing - "I HAVE to get on the plane! My grandma is waiting and I don't want her to leave without me! She might go home if I don't get there in time!"  There was weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, but she survived and finally boarded. Later news reports showed snowplows scraping the thick layers of hail off the streets. Abbie reported they had watched a funnel cloud in the distance that advanced on the airport terminal. Did I mention that she is rather dramatic and has a fanciful imagination?

I headed back to the airport. I expected Abs to be one of the last ones off since security for children traveling alone is fairly tight. They require my airline pass and an ID before they release her. Watching intently down the walkway, I hardly noticed several other passengers headed toward me until one woman stopped in front of me and tapped me on the shoulder.
"Are you Grandma? she asked.
"I am to some," I replied.
"Well, I just want you to know that we know all about you and your whole life story," she laughed and pointed to Abs. "Your granddaughter told us everything!"
I did not have time to respond as the women hurried away and Abs appeared. She wrapped herself around my legs, shouting "GRANDMA!"
The flight attendant smiled and assured me she did well in flight.

When flights are delayed, several arrive at one time, rather than spaced out as planned. Thus the luggage area was inundated. Abs contented herself by people watching.
I pulled her back as she headed over to rescue two small boys playing on the carousel "Their mother is with them," I told her, "she will take care of it."
Suddenly Abs pointed and shouted at the top of her lungs, "WOW! THAT IS THE MOST AWESOME PHONE I HAVE EVER SEEN!!"
The poor woman, trying to make a call on her white phone with big, black polka dots, smiled with embarrassment. Abs moved on to converse with the people around her,  then headed to a woman nearby.
"I love the flowers you painted on your suitcase!" Abs told her. After a brief conversation, she returned to me. "They weren't flowers, they were cherries," she said.

 I wonder how many people in the world have black suitcases and how many tie red ribbons around the handles.
"What color is your suitcase?" I asked Abs.
"Black," she answered, "or maybe blue, or maybe grey, or a mixture of black and blue, like a bluish, blackish, greyish....I don't know."
"Will you recognize it? Does it have a ribbon or something on it? How big is it?"
"Oh, I'll recognize it," she said, "it has a furry dog on it."
"Like a stuffed animal, or something?"
"No, it is just a picture," she said.
We watched the suitcases barreling by us on the carousel. I think they had sped them up because they had luggage from four different flights on the same carousel.
"It's that one!" she said pointing to a big, black suitcase hurdling towards us. It was big and it was heavy and it was resting on on a smaller one lower on the carousel. I managed to lift it off before it passed too far.
"No, that's not it," she decided. "It's that one!"
I lifted four heavy suitcases in rapid succession,  before I realized she wouldn't be able to pick her big, black, heavy suitcase from all the others. Did I mention I am a slow learner?
"We might have to just wait and take what is left," I told her. She gave me one of THOSE looks.
We finally found her suitcase. She insisted on carrying everything herself. One very small girl with a pillow and a backpack filled with books, pulling a large, heavy, black suitcase walked with me to the car, chattering the whole way.

"What did you tell all those people on the airplane about me?" I asked her as we drove home.
"Oh, I just told them you were the BEST grandma ever and you made the VERY best grilled cheese sandwiches!" she answered.
"Well, I am happy you didn't say anything bad about me," I teased.
"Now what would I accomplish by focusing on the negative?" she asked. "Besides, the only negative I can think of is that your house is always too cold."
"I think I am ready to go on an international trip with you!" she said.
"Well, I am sure we would never meet a stranger," I answered.

RAOK

There was a lot of rain on the drive home from St Louis! Those 18-wheelers throw a lot of water when you try to pass, so it takes concentration to get past the wall of water with the car intact. In fact, the whole drive took a lot of concentration so I listened to the various stations on Sirius and relied on Nellie to navigate me through the freeways. It worked quite well.

Another activity to help keep me alert, was looking for Random Acts of Kindness (RAOK) as I traveled. You know, those little things that are not required, or expected, and that often go unappreciated because they are not really overt enough to notice unless one is making an effort. Here are a few I recall:

• An 18-wheeler that made a turn on a changing light causing us to wait even longer for our turn. As he turned, he slowed more than necessary and I found myself getting irritated. Then I noticed a bicyclist turning with him, hidden by the end of the rig. The driver obviously saw the danger of leaving the cyclist exposed to aggravated drivers waiting anxiously to gun the motors of their cars, and slowed to prevent a horrible accident. I have a great deal of respect for professional "big-rig" drivers, but very little for drivers of gravel and dump trucks.
• The drivers of cars in Missouri begin to carefully merge when they see the see a sign noting one lane merging into another. Therefore, there is an orchestrated flow of traffic feeding into the merger. Even had I not seen the sign, I could tell I was in Texas when the cars began speeding up to get to the front of a merging line and force their way in. Traffic tends to come to a standstill as all the cars jam the merging lanes.
• A driver stopped to help another driver who was stopped by the side of the road...in the pouring rain...with his hood up. You just don't see that anymore.
• A man actually held the door open for me and acknowledged my "Thank you".
• A clerk spoke to me with kindness and smiled. That is getting to be more and more unusual.

It's the little things in life that make us happy. ...like, no matter how much fun you had, being home.

Bishop's Castle

As we headed home from Colorado, we aimed for the back roads and sought photo ops rather than hit the freeways and get from point A to B without blinking. Off I-25 in southern Colorado, we headed down Hwy 165, a "scenic byway" unremarkable on the map, but it turned out to be a beautiful and interesting part of our drive.

We kept seeing signs referring to Bishop's Castle and wondered if it were a town, a family, an amusement park, or what. Then, as we rounded a curve, we saw it - on a mountainside, out in the middle of nowhere! Although, there is some indication it might be in a little town outside Pueblo.

Some forty years ago, Jim Bishop began building his castle - Jim built this amazing edifice alone, fighting the government every step of the way. Entry is free, but donations are welcome. Apparently, we were fortunate to find Jim Bishop on site. He does hold a regular job as an ornamental welder in town. He also has a wife. His 3-year old son was killed when a tree fell on him as Jim was felling it. Each person has her/his own therapy. I sew, Kr beads,  Jim builds a castle.

"Every man should have a castle!"

"I don't need any psychiatric meds; I have adrenaline!"

We did not climb the steps. They were very narrow, it was very cold, and it started "snowing." It appears to be a popular place in the summer although

Jim has signs everywhere, attempting to get his message across. He thrives on publicity and responds gently to kind words.

"You won't find it on any of Colorado's tourist lists!"

Blessings, Jim, as you continue the task you have set for yourself.

"If you build it, they will come."

As for us, we arrived back home, tired and happy. THOJAL,The House of Joy and Love, was deemed a great place to gather. Would have been better with an inside staircase so the children could have had more convenient access. Perhaps THOJAL should have been THOJALL. An extra "L" for all the laughter.