Il 3 novembre
RomaThe Villa Borghese was built about 1613 as a private residence for the Borghese family and is, indeed, an architectural and artistic delight. Filled with sculptures and paintings, la Galleria Borghese, as it is now known, is a showcase for hundreds of pieces of art and it was here that we had a 9:00 am appointment on a sunny Thursday morning. Works done by 15th and 16th century painters filled the walls of this vast building and everywhere you looked, there was a Bernini sculpture (He's a favorite of mine.) or a Caravaggio painting, among others. The villa is located in what was once the depths of the countryside, but is now a beautiful park where one can rent bicycles, walk the many paths, or even get lost for a bit in the vast expanse of greenery and trees.
Leaving the villa, Margie and I continued on our own with a visit to the zoo (Bioparco Di Roma), which was also in the park. I have always loved going to the zoo; I never cease to be amazed by “wild” animals and often wonder just what goes on in their minds. The maternal instinct of females is fascinating to behold as mothers always know who their “kids” are and just what they need. The mandrills (I mandrilli) put on quite a show for us as we were able to view them close-up through large windows. A lot of what they did was “personal” and the resemblance to human behavior was worth the “price of admission.”
After that we walked for quite a while as there were no Metro stations in the immediate area and the buses were few. The Metro system in Roma, although in dire need of the overhaul which is currently underway, is an efficient way to get around. The difference between this system and the one in Milano, as an example, is that it is much smaller, and, except for a couple of stations, it runs primarily around the city, rather than through it; so getting around, although easy from my perspective, can take a bit of planning if one doesn't like to walk a lot. Of course, there are many escorted tours and the double-decked open-air buses that travel all over the city for a daily fee that includes getting on and off wherever one chooses.
Lunch was outdoors on a busy street near La Piazza del Popolo and then, of course, we had to walk off the pasta and risotto. There is so much to explore in Roma and everyday brought something new and, even when we saw the same sights again, there was still something not noticed the first time. Walking down the Via del Corso and browsing in shop windows took the latter part of the afternoon which was perfect because it was getting onto dusk when we got to the Pantheon. Built originally as a Greek temple and now a church, it is clearly a mixture of pagan and Christian artistic perspective. Then it was time for an aperitivo and I had a Spritz, my drink of choice, although it was a pricey 10 euros; a bit of a shock since I usually pay anywhere from 3.50 to 5 euros, but the people-watching was a show it itself and the drink was up to par.
Dinner followed at the Ristorante S. Anna where we had a terrific pizza (once again) with fresh basil and mozzarella;it was early for dinner so the waiter (il cameriere) and waitress (la cameriera) both had time to talk with us and also recommend some areas for shopping (our Friday plan.)
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