A spiffing day all round

Had I googled Russell Square underground station in advance I would have found the following information:

"Russell Square station has three lifts but no escalators . The platforms can also be reached using a spiral staircase with 175 steps."

Lyn did find out before we were committed, and so we rode the top deck of the no. 91 bus instead. Great way to begin our orientation. From Trafalgar Square we set off in search of the information office to pick up our London Pass. We began the first of the two spotto games I'm sure all tourists must play: "Who is that statue?" and "Isn't that in Monopoly?"

While I secured our pass Lyn found souvenir ducks. There were Bobby ducks, Union Jack ducks, Beefeater ducks and Houses of Parliament ducks. We left with Lyn proudly clutching her new Sherlock Holmes duck.

Despite numerous distractions like this ...

Lyn, new duck, horseguard, horse and headless man in tasteless shirt.

... we eventually reached the Thames and took a sightseeing cruise all the way to Greenwich. We quickly realised two things: British guides are genuinely funny and the British do museums infinitely better than, well, anybody. The guide on the boat was a waterman - our guide later on in the day was a Beefeater. The former was honest, laidback and self-depreciating, the latter was an absolute star. Everything we saw today was informative, well laid out and had things for kids (and adults to touch). The Vatican should come here and learn how it is done.

We heard Big Ben strike 12, the Tower Bridge was raised on cue, Greenwich was serene, and on the way back we got off at the Tower of London and serendipitously caught a beefeater-led tour. (Lyn informed me that beefeaters must have served 22 years in the army.) This guy had great delivery and knew his audience. "For all you members of the British Commonwealth, all this is your history too. And for all of you Americans, it could have been yours if only you'd paid your taxes." "This is called the Watergate (pause for effect) (smile) Yes we had one first. And guess what? No leaks. (Boom tish.)"

Then our moment of corruption - great fish and chips as our afternoon tea while perched above the moat.

Finally Lyn was ready to brave the underground. We caught the Circle Line from Tower Bridge to St Pancras and walked home via Waitrose. A spiffing day all round and a quiet night and then prepare for maybe Westminster Abbey and ‘Billy Elliot’ tomorrow.

Italian Driving and the Scot's Taxi

Writing this from the safety of leafy Camden on a quiet, overcast Monday morning. The flat is wonderful.

Yesterday began well. We left on time with 3 hours to spare and Michele, our male driver, proceeded to hurl us toward Leonardo Da Vinci airport as if he was in danger of missing mass. It was the usual performance that we had become used to seeing from pedestrian level: the double lines were for overtaking because they aren't used much, the spaces between cars were judged as if we were in the Millennium Falcon and Han Solo was steering, pedestrians crossing at pedestrian crossings were like witches hats in a training drill, and all was managed while our man, and every other driver, wrestled with a mobile phone.

We arrived at the airport to find that the Italians are infinitely more efficient at getting you out of the country than they are at allowing entry. We strolled past the endless duty-free and fashion outlets (checking sandals as we went - no luck) in search of something with egg - or salt - or butter. When you crave a Maccas or a full breakfast none is to be found. We miserably munched on something with eggplant and buffalo mozzarella and stuff on it, bought some Pringles and Lyn decided that we needed to start a fridge magnet collection. Mission accomplished - and then Alitalia called us to board exactly on time! Then, in only a half-full plane in row 23 (brilliant cos only two in the row so extra space), we readied for takeoff. And waited, and waited. Eventually more people arrived, from a connecting flight, then still more. The plane was now full of Americans. They are, I'm sure, mostly fine, courteous and generous people; but there were far too many of the pushy, discourteous, very large and downright rude type in silly hats on our plane. We took off an hour late on a two-hour flight...

Then Alitalia proceeded to add injury to humiliation by starving us. Singapore airlines would have found a way to serve drinks, two meals and coffee, but Alitalia gave us a drink and weird baked crunchy "snacks" in a pack. Mercifully, London appeared and the pilot gave us a final memory of Italian driving by slam-dunking his Boeing onto the tarmac. Then he hared around the taxiway for an eternity. (I think I saw Bus 64 pass us with Michele driving - but that may have been hysteria.)

We were doomed. Antonia would be waiting at the flat for us at 5.30. It was 4:40, and Heathrow's fabled congestion awaited us. And my mobile phone couldn't find a network.

But it was Sunday arvo and Heathrow smiled upon us. 15 minutes later we realised we were OUT! We headed for the Heathrow Express - expensive but FAST. Twenty minutes later we were at Paddington. Straight to a London taxi, where our luck wobbled...It takes about three years to learn "the Knowledge", but our driver had been 27 years on the job and clearly this is time to forget some of it. It didn't help that he was both rather deaf and a Scot. He looked up Handel Street and we were off. He wanted to talk, a lot, but found it difficult to hear our replies. We got his life story anyway. He was an ex Scots guardsman with a passion for history who had travelled extensively in Australia and NZ. He also had much to say about London's decline, the discourtesy and incompetence of other road users and the disadvantages of multiculturalism - all of which would have been more bearable if he had not kept turning around to talk to us, or to better hear us, as he drove. We arrived only 5 minutes late. Lyn immediately fled upstairs with Antonia and I was left to pay. Simple? I was like Bre'er Rabbit with the tar baby. He gave advice, he drew diagrams, he said he'd not keep me long, but then showed me maps and gave a quick vive voce on the Australian and Kiwi war memorials in Hyde Park.

The door to our building above A

The nearby complex with a large white roof is the handy Brunswick Centre

Free at last I fled upstairs. We had a short wander to Tescos and a peaceful night watching a Downton Abbey episode - English TV - bliss ...

Toodle pip

Last day in Rome

Lyn didn't find any flat sandals - apparently 19 shoe shops did not have what she had in her head. I pointed out that a sandal from above is a naked foot with a strap or two - and asked why it was so difficult. She treated me as if I had confused the Flavian and Antonine dynasties.

We visited the Campo de Fiori - which would be a piazza except it is the only square in Rome without a church!!! Instead there are markets. We ate a delicious fruito misto there. 

On the way we realised that we had passed a dog park every day, complete with doggy fountain.

Then we continued our shopping via our last look at the "wedding cake", aka ‘il Vittoriano and the tomb of the unknown soldier’, in Venezia Square.

We drifted sideways until, still sandal-less  we bought our last café and pistachio gelato near the Pantheon. We counted a possible world record 9 gypsies selling the toy of the moment. This is a pig-shaped ball of goo which, when thrown onto a flat wooden surface, spreads paper-thin and goes "wheeeee". There were two or three North Africans with the other tourist objet d'art, a round wooden plate that goes "click clack" and transforms into a more useless but intricate wooden object. Approaching any major site in Rome involves running the gauntlet of "wheeeee, wheeeee, click-clack, wheeeee". The Carabinieri or Polizia should arrest them for bad taste. Italian policeman, at least, always look splendid.

Drifted back to Largo de Torre Argentina and caught our last number 8 tram back across the Tiber.

Went back to our apartment for late lunch and a sleep.

Our late afternoon ramble took us to the local churches we hadn't yet seen including the beautiful little church of St Cecilia.

Then it was time to say goodbye to Rome properly. We caught the 115 bus up the local high hill called Gianicolo where Garibaldi's monument stands.

We saw a puppet show. 

And took in the views.

The walk down made it clear how much of Trastevere we had not yet explored - let alone Rome. We had a final look at St Maria in Trastevere.

And had dinner at our trattoria.

We fly out tomorrow and by late afternoon will be in London.

 

The "Red Arrow" to Napoli

Today loomed over us like Vesuvius. Would our navigation skills get us by bus to Roma Centrale station? Would we cope with a day trip to Naples by fast train? Would we traverse Naples train station and catch the fabled Circumvesuviana suburban train to Pompeii and still be in possession of lives and wallets? Would our marriage survive hours of trekking over the world's greatest archaeological site?

We found Bus H and it took us to our train in good time. Catching the Frecciarossa was a dream - on time, FAST (298 kmh), comfortable and clean. (Mussolini must be smiling.) The way to the Vesuviana line was clearly marked and the service cheap and efficient. (Naples has probably saved money on paint - every circumvesuviana train and train station was gaily and generously painted by the local youth of the area.)

Community train painting initiative - also known as the Circumvesuviana

Pompeii is big and interesting. The traditional owners appear, by their attitude, to be the local dogs. We saw two employees actually on site once we went through the gate (that were not selling something). One was desultorily sweeping up rubbish in the Forum. The other had chosen a random corner to guard with his walkie-talkie. Everybody wandered around, mostly respecting the numerous ‘No Entry’ signs.

We would like to acknowledge the traditional owners...

It was nice to see plenty of gardens - it tends to make the place less like a ghost town. In parts you wouldn't have been shocked to see a tumbleweed roll past. There were a few signs put up by the Italians justifying the gazillions the international community gives them to save this site.

Olives and vineyards where there were once olives and vineyards. Half a mountain where there was once a whole one.

We spent a marathon 5 hours there. Lyn deserves the Matrimonial Medal of Honour for support of Ridiculous Spousal Obsessions. By 4.00 we were done up and it was back onto the particoloured rattletrap back to Napoli. Where the beautiful red train departed exactly on time.

Are we done yet?

It was great to hear from Katie who rang our mobile just as we were pulling into Naples.

Lyn will have her revenge tomorrow. Saturday is shopping day!

"Vatican - last stop."

The instructions said that bus 62 from Piazza de Torre Argentina would take us to the Vatican. It didn't mention that it stops there coming and going. The result was that we were congratulating ourselves while being borne in wholly the wrong direction. Realising this, Lyn asked the driver who said, "Vatican last stop", then got off the bus and wandered off! Nobody seemed to take this amiss, so we stayed till, returning some minutes later, we headed off - back the way we had come. We managed to take over an hour for a 10-minute trip. 

Arrived at Vatican Museum 45 minutes late to see the sweltering enormous queue of those waiting to buy tickets on the left (the damned) - and the brisk file of those who had pre-bought their tickets on the right (the smug). Joined the latter and moved inside. It was overwhelmingly crowded at first, but we moved fairly briskly because we'd seen our fill of Roman sculpture and it took a highlight to slow us down. Laocoon was worth stopping for - and so was coffee and cake in the blessedly uncrowded courtyard of the Holy Bronze Pinecone and the Giant Snitch. (This may not have been its actual official name.)

Leon with the Holy Bronze Pinecone

Lyn with the Giant Snitch

Back into a series of spectacular galleries of old maps and tapestries - and what is it about ceilings in Rome? Every room has a great ceiling! The map corridor (perhaps not the real name again) was typical.

Then things got really crowded! First there were the papal apartments decorated by Raphael. Credit to Raphael, he seems to have somehow managed to paint everything as if it glowed from within. I had no idea that "The School of Athens" was just a small part of Papal interior decorating that rivals the Sistine Chapel for years of effort and final effect.

Speaking of the Sistine Chapel...what a scrum! Has it occurred to anyone in this country that, while it is fair enough to remind tourists that respectful silence is appropriate in churches and chapels, that the effect of constant requests to keep moving and take no photos and quiet please in 5 languages is somewhat counterproductive. 

I liked the ceiling and Lyn thought the "Last Judgement" was interesting. Another amazing Rafael in the Pinoteca and then it was wine, pizza and salad in a restaurant.

Off to St Peter's which really is really big. This is Lyn in front of "Plastic Chair Square" in front of St Peter's Basiica.

We saw security reject one guy. He was wearing a T-Shirt that appeared to be advocating terrorism. What was he thinking this morning? 

Inside at last. It was very affecting. I've wanted to see the Pieta my whole life. I know what it looks like. I was still overwhelmed by it. What sort of guy was Michelangelo that he could design something the scale of the dome of St Peter's, something as innovative as the double helix staircase in the Vatican museum, something as restrained as the Capitoline square and then carve the Pieta?

I left the Vatican today with an overwhelming feeling of waste. The church should keep the 10 best examples of everything it has squirrelled away here, and flog off the rest. They then might have half a chance to properly display it all, they could disperse the rest to museums all over the world (where they could also give it all the prominence it deserves) and squizillions could be raised for worthy causes. The goodwill would be useful too...

We got to see lots of Swiss guards - but most were in the uniform you wear when you are denying entry to people wearing terrorist T-shirts. This guy though was fully equipped to defend his outhouse against marauding Protestants.

My final thought for the day is that Michelangelo might well have been gay - but a girl who looked like this must have mattered to him.

Tomorrow we are off to Pompeii - if we can find the right bus.

Berniniathon

This morning we headed off to a very big park called the Villa Borghese in which there is a palace which houses a famous gallery, the Galleria Borghese. Typically Italian system - booked tickets and time online, lineup to claim tickets, line up to check all bags and get token, leave token as ransom for return of audio guide, order snack and pay at counter, take ticket to ask for food...

The gallery was amazing, highlights for me were everything there by Bernini, (it was a bit of a Berniniathon in fact), a Raphael, a portrait of a melancholy Venetian whose name I've forgotten, and Cardinal Borghese's rather surprising pair of bedroom paintings - two Venuses - one by Cranach wearing nothing but a smirk and a hat. Lyn found the Cardinal's ideas of interior decoration a little too carnal for a cardinal.

Nice hat!

We amazed ourselves by finding a bus that took us to the National Roman Museum - Palazzo Massimo alle Terme. This is one of several national archaeological museums. Gasp! Whole floors of ancient Roman painted rooms, mosaics, bronze and marble sculptures etc. The sculpture of the boxer and a room painted as a garden were the highlights.

Next was Santa Maria Maggiore - another awesome church. Lyn lit candles to keep all of you safe and then we were kneeling at the altar rail, Lyn in prayer and me looking at the 5th century AD mosaics. We stood up and realised we'd been kneeling on a tomb - Bernini's...

We were too tired to go out and crashed last night. Quiet day tomorrow...The Vatican. Looking forward to an orgy of candle-lighting and kneeling on dead people.

Two coins in a fountain

The Gilmore Girls is on TV dubbed in Italian...in the original they talk

really fast, in Italian it is supersonic.

Today we went to the Capitoline museums - stunning and it isn't even up there in the top 5 or so. We have realised a week isn't nearly enough to see "everything". The object is to enjoy what we see, which isn't difficult. After that we checked out the Pantheon - stunning (again). As one of my students once said, "You gotta give it to them Romans – they knew how to get it done". 

The philosopher, soldier and emperor, Marcus Aurelius is here seen posing with his horse and an apparently overweight fan. I swear the money belt makes me look fat. (Well, I'll exercise when I get home.)

The delight was the gallery of the Doria Pamphylli. The family has inhabited this spectacular palace in the middle of one of Rome's main drags ever since an uncle got himself chosen as Pope Innocent X. (The gallery includes Velasquez's famous portrait of that Pope - he looks about as innocent as a mafia don.) The Doria have been decorating and collecting ever since. A lot of the art looks pretty ho hum now - but there are some stunning things. The audio guide by the latest Prince Doria Pamphylli is pure Oxbridge, which makes sense because since the 1830s the princes have been marrying Englishwomen. The whole experience was pretty wonderful, and, special bonus, not crowded.

Palazzo Doria Pamphili

A typically understated room in the palace

Not so innocent Innocent

After wine and naps we did the Trevi Fountain/ Spanish Steps thing. Wherever Audrey Hepburn or John Keats went in this city it is packed. We threw the coins, took the photos and braved the buses.

She'll be back.

So will he.

 

So will all these people...

(We also checked out the nearby fashionable shopping streets. The shops looked gorgeous and were staffed by gorgeous young Italians with schmick suits who looked as if they knew they were part of the show.)

Now that's a shop!

I have to say that this city has more police on its streets than you could imagine. There are endless sirens, and many interesting uniforms. Law and order is less apparent... I think everybody likes it that way.

Both Italian parking and a shop we found selling priests vestments and church doodads intrigued Lyn. (Surely this stuff is supplied free?!/;$@&).

We saw this sort of thing everywhere.

 

Not supplied?

After dinner at our local trattoria we are home relaxing.

Caesar Shuffle

So today was the route known as the "Caesar Shuffle". We climbed the Palatine hill and saw lots of red-brick shock and awe as various emperors built their stuff on top of the stuff that earlier emperors built. That much of all this still stands is a tribute to Roman bricklayers and Roman concrete.

View from the Palatine Hill

Grinning idiot by the Tiber

Lyn on some emperor's balcony

Temple of Saturn with very small Leon (arm raised). Everything is bigger than I thought.

Then we strolled through the Roman Forum and Lyn had to listen to me because it is in our marriage contract, and besides, there were no 17 year olds for me to torment. 

Then we went back for naps ... then walked back to the Colosseum ... except it is really the Flavian Amphitheatre ... pay attention class!  The trip home was a completely random (brilliantly chosen) bus ride. 

Evening ended with another great meal, in another local restaurant (49 metres up the street), dining al fresco.

Loving Rome so far. 

Profound thought for the day - Romans built really big stuff.

Trastavere, Rome

We just finished our first day in Rome. We have a gorgeous apartment in Trastavere - the old trendy quarter of Rome. Despite an exhausting plane trip and an exhausting/amusing struggle to get about 1500 people through passport check and customs at Leonardo Da Vinci airport, we still managed to fit in two excursions: a walk around the neighbourhood and a tram ride and walk through bits of Rome. Got a little lost, but kept finding famous stuff, and this being Rome on Sunday, managed to attend parts of about three masses!

Finished the day with a litre of red, pizza and salad on a sidewalk restaurant around the corner. Live the cliche!

We are here. Via di Salumi, 50. 

Sydney and Singapore

We were very impressed by Singapore Airlines and Singapore airport. Our transfer went well and we booked into our hotel. We then had to cope with an elevator that missed our floor twice. By the time we reached our room Lyn was very frazzled. It ensured, I suspect, that we will never stay in a hotel requiring elevator access again – ever.

Singapore in the evening was hot, in a humid stinky oppressive way. We found the pool – but it provided only limited relief – because it was warm and smelt suffocatingly of chlorine. The other unpleasant surprise was that Singapore is expensive. The beer, however, is good.

The following day we explored the shops. Our only significant purchase was an expensive battery for our camera. (What I really needed was a recharger. This meant that most of our photographs were taken on my iPad. In the end it worked out well enough. Lyn found a decent handbag and we both found the commercialism as overwhelming as the heat. We found a brass band and a display about Singapore's military contribution in Iraq or Afghanistan.

We haeded for the botanic gardens by foot and bus. These are beautiful and we had an encounter with a monkey!

Lyn proved how determined she can be in solving travel problems. Despite road works, and the many changes caused by Grand Prix weekend, she successfully found us the right buses to get back to the hotel. 

We found a restaurant for dinner across the road – but were no more impressed by the food than the weather or the inhabitants. 

We left early for the airport and read books and watched movies on our iPads in the luxurious and efficiently air-conditioned terminal. Our flight was at the ridiculous hour of 1.00 am. At last we left for Rome ... both of us, I think, a little discouraged at the thought of coming back to Singapore on the way home.