The Rest of Day One - Rome

Sunday, 17 April 2011

I checked my notes and see that our first lunch in Rome included maccheroni ammatriciana for Bill (large tubular noodles in a tomato, pancetta, and pecorino sauce) and a pizza capricciosa for me (with mushrooms, artichokes, olives, and prosciutto). I know my foodie friends need details such as this.


After lunch we returned to the hotel for maps and my cameras and headed out for our walk (partly described in the previous post). Here is a view looking down Via della Purificazione toward the Piazza Barberini.


For those of you who did not take Latin in high school or study Roman history, SPQR stands for Senatus Populusque Romanus (the Senate and the Roman People). You have seen it in many a bathrobe drama, often on the standards of Roman soldiers. It is still used today as you can see here.


The Roman aqueducts not only brought water to the city in ancient times, they still power the great fountains and the ubuquitous little fountains on streets everywhere. Here is one we passed every day.


Those who recall my photos of New Orleans know that I love architectural details. Check out the grill work above this door.


The door is located on the Via delle Quattro Fontane opposite the Palazzo Barberini (below). Here you see the statuary and gates.


This is the palazzo proper. It is the National Gallery of Classical Art (I take liberty translating Arte Antica as Classical Art because "antique" sounds odd in English here).


Maffei Barberini became Pope Urban VIII and had a palace built. One of the architects was Bernini. Below is the entrance loggia.


The stairs leading up toward the gardens:


The staircase:

From the museum website I have snaffled some samples for you:

Titian's Venus and Adonis (post 1553)


Andrea del Sarto's Sacra Famiglia (1528-29)


Hans Holbein's Henry VIII (1540)


Raphael's La Fornarina (1520). She was his mistress, though there is some question whether this work was by his hand.


We had visited the museum while waiting for Santa Maria della Vittoria to open. Inside the church I prayed and this was my Palm Sunday worship. If you read this blog, you were prayed for.

The church was begun in 1605 as a chapel dedicated to Saint Paul for the Discalced Carmelites. After the Catholic victory at the battle of White Mountain in 1620, which reversed the Reformation in Bohemia, the church was rededicated to the Virgin Mary. Turkish standards captured at the 1683 siege of Vienna hang in the church, as part of this theme of victory.

The order itself funded the building work until the discovery in the excavations of the Borghese Hermaphroditus. Scipione Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V, appropriated this sculpture but in return funded the rest of work on the facade and granted the order his architect Giovanni Battista Soria. These grants only came into effect in 1624, and work was completed two years later. [Wikipedia]

Here is a ceiling shot I managed to get.

The fame of this church lies in a Bernini masterpiece. In the Cornaro Chapel, to the left of the high altar, may be found St Teresa in Ecstasy.

The statues depict a moment described by Saint Teresa of Avila in her autobiography, where she had the vivid vision of an angel piercing her heart with a golden shaft, causing her both immense joy and pain. The flowing robes and contorted posture abandon classical restraint and repose to depict a more passionate, almost voluptuous trance. [Wikipedia]

My close-ups did not come out well so I share one shot from a distance for the dramatic context.


Here is a photo I took from the web:


From there we headed down to the Piazza della Repubblica and sat our weary selves down to enjoy some gelato and water. Then we visited le Terme di Diocleziano (The Baths of Diocletian), now divided between the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli and one of the sites of the Rome National Museum. The baths were built in 306 AD and Michelangelo redesigned the church in 1563, though 18th century remodeling changed it greatly. The scale is stunning.


A colossal statue named Meditation:


The oculus:


We had a serious nap after all this, then went to dinner at Ristorante Crispi 19. We had a bottle of Lacrima del Morro, from the Marches, and a bottle of Pellegrino. Bill dined on Amberjack tuna on a bed of mushrooms and tomatoes with a topping like shredded filo dough for crunch. Spread around this were two sauces: one a basil oil and the other tuna-based. I had a medallion of beef with a crisped polenta topping and a "lasagne" of potatoes, paired with spinach, and basil oil and a potato "sauce." I will quote from journal on dessert.

For dolci Bill had a layer of finely chopped cooked apples with a slightly nut flavored mousse, pistacchio gelato [using the Italian spelling here] and a caramel chocolate sauce. I had a "chocolate lava cake" with gelato on a crisped candied thin slice of Seville orange (awesome!).

After dinner we walked to la Trinità dei Monti, down the Scalinata (the Spanish Steps) and from the Piazza di Spagna back to the hotel "by way of the Inquisition."

Here is a view from the top of the Spanish Steps at night.


And here is the City College of the Propagation of the Faith. (Sent a chill down my spine, I tell you. Like walking past KGB offices in Russia.)


By the time we got back and I finished writing up the day it was 10 PM local time and bedtime.

By now y'all know why we came home tired. This was day one.

--the BB

First meal in Rome

Having made it to Rome on Sunday, 17 April, we braved the Leonardo Express from Fumicino Airport to the Roma Termini (not so bad) and the taxi from the station to the hotel (terrifying). We got a little bit settled and then walked up to the top of the street and around the corner to La Scala Ristorante/Pizzeria. There we sat outdoors on a glorious day, had our first true Italian pizza (nice!), and enjoyed this view looking down the block toward the Via Veneto. We went back to this restaurant at the end of our stay in Rome. Nice food, lovely wines, and the staff was easy on the eyes.

After lunch we took a walk down to the Piazza Barberini, viewed the Fontana del Tritone, then hiked up the slopes of the Quirinal Hill to le Quattro Fontane.

Me in front of the Fontana del Tritone, Piazza Barberini, Roma

Le Quattro Fontane, the Four Fountains, one at each corner of the intersection

I will discuss the museum and churches in another post. This, mind you, was our first outing.

On the way to Sta Maria della Vittoria we saw this imposing Moses at yet another fountain, recalling Moses striking the rock and bringing forth water.


Before that we had passed the Ministry of Defense. Rather a different feel than that of the Pentagon, don't you think?


And when we reached the Piazza della Repubblica we had our first gelato and rested a bit.

I still have to recount our first museum and church and that evening we walked to the Spanish Steps and back.

Battling jet lag all this week, not getting enough sleep, and trying to get over a cold, so I am slow posting photos. But they will come.

Ciao, amici!

--the BB

The last evening in Florence

Here's your initial post card, folks. I am sorting through about 1200 photos so give me some time. Also there is jet lag. We had a great time, saw about three churches and/or museums per day, walked everywhere, and both came down with colds at the end. Tomorrow: The Mikado at Popejoy here in Albuquerque. I may suffer a surfeit of culture.

For those who missed it on Facebook, I made the comment to Bill that if I see one more effing Madonna I'm gonna puke. One can see too much Renaissance art at one time.

Lots to remember and ponder. We ate well, consistently, and came home with a few extra pounds. I want to cook more, so that part of the inspiration worked. There were statues that made us weep.

Before any more posts on the trip to Italy, discussed for three decades and finally taken, I want to thank two of my high school teachers who spurred the interest and gave me the background to appreciate what I saw. Thank you Betty Wiley and Alan Amend, Latin and humanities, respectively.

That I could view Bernini's statue of Aeneas bearing his father Anchises as his son Ascanius tags along, leaving the ruins of Troy for an unknown future, I could quote lines from Vergil's Aeneid in Latin and feel the tears streaming down my cheeks. Mrs. Wiley arranged it so Joel Steinberg and I could take Vergil in our junior year by passing Latin 2 as a do-it-yourself summer course. The seeds she planted took root.

Mr. Amend, if I remember correctly I had to do a presentation on Hans Memling and was not that excited about him. One portrait in the Uffizi undid me and I humbly repent. Thank you for teaching us about Renaissance art and how to even conceptualize and discuss art.

--the BB

Greetings from Florence

Yep, after talking for three decades about going to Italy, El Cuervito and I are finally in la bella Italia. Walked over what must be 2\3 of Rome last week and now we are in Florence. Photos to follow after our return.

Buona Pascua a tutti!

My message to the Republicans in Congress:

You are domestic terrorists writ large. There was a time citizens knew how to treat you.

--the BB

For Sister Ellie

We have a garden tour and all of you are invited, of course. But there is something special for Sister Ellie at the end.

I have planted three new fruit trees, two of them this afternoon. Not easy to discern at this point but you have the nicely leafy Rosie, my Santa Rosa plum, on the left. She was planted in 2007.

In the foreground is Panagia, the Panamint nectarine, planted today. She replaces the black Tartarian cherry that just did not make it through the winter (and had a very rough summer last year). In the background, just to the left of Panagia is Katy, the apricot (Katy variety). And the new tree with a stake tied to it is Babs, a Babcock peach. So these are the girls in the south forty.



In the north forty are some tulips. Here are some brazen parrot tulips. Love the splash of scarlet they add.


And the lilac that blooms by my back door. The three lilacs in front of the house are blooming too.

Some purple tulips that have bloomed in the past several days.

And finally an evening shot from earlier this week of Ellie, one of my two Elberta peach trees (the other is named Bert - yeah, I'm far more silly than original). Every since I started thinking of Sister Ellie whenever I am near or chatting with Ellie the peach tree I though we needed a post card, from Ellie to Ellie.

And here are some cream colored tulips.

That concludes our garden tour. I was lazy today so although I planted two fruit trees and a jasmine vine, the rest will have to wait. Time to bake a pie and get ready for our monthly potluck group.

I am alive and well, just have not been blogging a lot.
--the BB

Ce n'est pas un poisson d'avril. - updated (2X)

From Lois Phillips at Facebook:

A prayer request from a friend: URGENT PRAYER REQUEST!!! KAYLA SCOTT'S (friend of Kathy Stanton) 22 MONTH OLD SON SHOT HIMSELF IN THE CHEST WITH A BRAD NAILER~ IT WENT IN HIS HEART~ HE IS NOW IN CRITICAL CONDITION AND NOT DOING WELL ~ NEITHER IS HIS MOM ~PLEASE START A PRAYER CHAIN FOR THIS BABY~ PLEASE COPY & REPOST AS YOU WOULD WANT SOMEONE TO DO IT FOR YOU ~ THANKS

Update: This request bears several marks of an urban legend. Since versions of this story have several names for the mother I am going to conclude that it just that. There is a verified history of this having happened once, however, but it is not an immediate event in that case. I suggest we channel our prayers for all children who experience severe injury or trauma. And if we have prayed over a legend, then our hearts have grown bigger and who cares if we are fools for God? --Paul, 4/4/11.

From David@Montreal:

M'Dears:
a call last evening from my sister Joanne with the incredible news that the tumor on Jacques' pancreas has shrunken to less than half its earlier size.
Jacques and Marion returned to the Gaspe about a month ago when the Montreal hospital was able make arrangements to continue his treatment locally, and incredibly he's actually returned to working on rennovations on a friend's house (part-time).
he's got a couple more treatments in the current round , and then Marion will be taking him to Toronto to be checked out by the leading specialists in Canada are incredulous
those of you who have been so failthfully upholding Jacques and Marion in prayer will remember late last year Jacques spent almost two months in emergency & intensive care and had been given less than a month to live.apparently the specialists are all confounded by this, however we unspecialized folks are literally singing praise to the Source of All Life Healing

love always-always Love

David

--the BB

Heart thread - 03/31/2011

I ask your prayers for the repose of Lou Collins, for Bob and all the family. She is our baby sister Debbie's mother-in-law. Debbie wrote last evening:

I just want to let all of you know that Bob's mom passed away this morning.... We were all gathered together when she passed away shortly before 8am. We are thankful that she did not linger [and] was as comfortable as possible up until the end.

For the repose of my friend Ray's father, who passed on the 21st, and for Ray and his family.

For Kirstin, always.

For Linda Marts.

For the people of Japan and all affected by the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster.


For the people of Côte d'Ivoire, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen, and Bahrain.

For the people of Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Maine, and Florida as they resist their fascist governors.

For all who seek work. Those among my friends in this category know who they are.

Thanksgiving that my friend Kathy is employed again.

--the BB

If it walks like a dictatorship....

--the BB

Heart thread - 03/10/2010

I ask your prayers for Angie who anxiously awaits results of a biopsy.

For all who are out of work.

For all who stand up to corporate power in the name of workers and those crushed by greed with clout.

For those who rally and fight for freedom, for justice, for equality.

--the BB

Scott Walker's record

Rachel lays it out for us. What Scott Walker had done in Milwaukee and wants to do to Wisconsin. What the rising stars among GOP governors are trying to do elsewhere.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Attention must be paid!

--the BB

Heart thread - 03/01/2011

On this feast of David of Menevia I ask your prayers for David@Montreal and Hermano David.

I most earnestly entreat your prayers for Kirstin who enters the shadowed valley. You may follow her journey here.


--the BB

A garden update

Yes, it has been forever since I have talked about the garden. Well, in winter there is nothing to talk about. It is all brown and bare.

I did, however, plant about 700 bulbs last fall and hope to see some results. We have an early report.

Today I did some overdue pulling of dead stuff and I severely trimmed the French lavender and cooking sage bushes. Pretty much back to the ground. They did not weather the freezes of this winter as well as prior years and I confess to not keeping them as watered as I had in the past. They are hardy though. I filled two bags with detritus and then watered the yard.

Here are some tulips sticking out their little noses.


And here are the first daffodils of spring, in time for St Dewi's Day on March 1. They are small but bright and joyful.


And that's the news from Desert Farne.

--the BB

Heart thread - 02/18/2011 - updated

Let us hold Kirstin in our hearts. Her status at FB says it all.

Brain mets. Fuuuuuuuuuuuck.

Update: You can read more at her blog.


Most High and Glorious,
Lowly and Generous,
Sweet God,
Strong and Swift to Save,

By your joy in making all things,
By your passion in saving all things,
By your grace in keeping all things,

Hear the prayers of your servant,
Give ear to the prayers of your friends,
Hearken to the voice of those who love you,
And show mercy to those who know not your love;

Fashion anew your Image in us,
Keep us by your tender love,
Save us and guide us safely home;

For your own sake, Who pity mortal flesh,
For your own dear sake, Who took our mortal flesh,
For your mercy's sake, Who are the Life of mortal flesh,

Holy and Glorious, Gracious Three,
Save us and guide us safely home,
Save us and guide us safely home.
Amen.

--the BB

8 Beatitudes

via my friend Raven

--the BB

Heart thread - 02/11/2011 - updated

I ask your prayers for Sandi.

Will you please include me on your prayer list? Things kinda rough right now.
Feel very dark.
Love,
Sandi

May Light surround her and radiate from within her.

For my nephew Jay who had part of a root canal done yesterday but it needs to be finished next week.

For Diane who has challenges on multiple fronts right now.

For my sister Shirley who recovers from the fender-bender but has a lot of medical catch-up to do.

For my grandniece Hannah who celebrated her birthday yesterday (12 going on 16, says her grandmother).

For myself in that I came down with a chest cold yesterday. Stayed home today and spent many hours sleeping. Plan to continue that all weekend. Among the many with no paid sick live, so I need to get back to work as soon as prudent. Pray for healing and prudence.

For Nate and Ken who move through difficult transitions.

For the unemployed and homeless. For those without natural gas (or other methods of heating) during the winter storms.

For the people of Egypt and transition to a more democratic government. For the people of Yemen, Syria, and Tunisia. For the people of southern Sudan.

For a blessing on the full communion between the Moravian Church in North America and the Episcopal Church.

UPDATE:
Continued prayers for Tom and his wife Connie.

Dear family & friends,

Please give great thanks to whatever spiritual power you relate to: the results of the scan are as good as they could be under the circumstances-- he has stage 2, NOT stage 3 [pancreatic] cancer. The tumor is "locally advanced," but has not metastasized to surrounding areas.

This means that instead of a projected 3 to 6 month life span, he may have a year or more; it means that he is a candidate for chemotherapy AND radiation rather than just chemo only. This MAY also mean that if these treatments sufficiently shrink the tumor, the tumor MIGHT be operable. Please keep your prayers going!

What a difference a couple of days and a test make.

Love and Blessings,
Con

Please add your own intercessions and thanksgivings in comments.

--the BB

Heart thread - 02/01/2011

Some of this evening's prayers are running behind schedule but the human heart and divine activity are not limited by schedules.

At Facebook I had asked prayers for Nate. He is suddenly single, has been out of work for a while, and struggles with depression. He feels lost but he knows you lot will be praying for him.

I ask your prayers for Kathy who is looking for work. And Jonathan and so many other online friends who need recompensed employment.

I ask your prayers for my sister Shirley and her husband Jack. They are the ones in the car accident last week. The newest news from late last night:

Shirley had a upper GI today and her heart acted up, raced then slowed, so they admitted her.

She is not doing well physically or emotionally right now.

For Olga and Regina and for Mark and Fran.

For Bill as he travels in California this week.

For all endangered by weather, throughout the world. Winter storms over half the United States, a Cyclone Yasi threatening Queensland, the eruption of Shinmoe Peak in Japan, and all the other life-threatening events. I think now especially of those who lack shelter, food, or warmth.

For IT, whose father died last night, for her mother and for BP and all touched by sorrow.

David@Montreal sent this request last Friday:

beloved Giants
i'd ask your prayers please for my cherished cousin Frank out in Brittish Columbia struggling with the effects of his long fight with lukemia.
dear Mam received a call from Carol this afternoon, and in the process also got to speak to Frank for a very short while.
able to control the spread of the fungus in his lungs, but unable to beat it with his immune system so seriously compromised by the most recent gene therapy transfer, they have sent him home from the hospital. not fully mobile, my cousin is a robust fellow and Carol is going to have to get help for handling him.apparently he spends much of the time sleeping at present.
as he is still intubated there will be medical staff going in daily to maintain it, and Frank will be returning to the hospital weekly for as long as he is able.
so i'd ask your prayers for both Frank and Carol, knowing that through the unfailing grace of that 'Love beyond our wildest imagining' they will be given what they need.

i'd also ask your prayer for dear Mam, his godmother, who at eighty-nine is finding it challenging, the possibility that her beloved godson/nephew could be dying before her.

in other quarters, i'd ask your prayers for the people of Tunisia, Egypt and Sanaa; that they indeed are able to claim that 'life more abundantly'. prayers particularly please for our Coptic brothers and sisters in Egypt- for their protection and safety. prayers please for the repose of David Kato, the gay Ugandan martyr, and for our LGBT brothers and sisters at risk wherever they might be.

prayers for the Great +Katherine and her brother primates in Dublin. prayers for Gabby and Mark and for all those struggling to heal in Tucson.

thank-you beloveds

love always-always Love

We also pray for the people of Egypt as the world focuses on the protests and the calls for reform there. We also pray for the people of Tunisia, Yemen, Jordan, and Syria. For the people of Southern Sudan as they work toward independence following the election.

For Nelson Mandela.


--the BB

Heart thread - 01/24/2011

My sister Iva just sent me word that our sister Shirley and her husband Jack were in an accident yesterday.

Shirley and Jack were in a accident this morning in bad fog! Their car is totaled, but they were checked out at the hospital and no broken bones or blood. Probably gonna be really sore tomorrow. Paula and Rick [their daughter and her husband] had just left for home and had gotten as far as Madera so turned around and came back. I saw them this afternoon and they were doing alright. P and R are staying until tomorrow.

May God the Father bless you, God the Son heal you, God the Holy Spirit give you strength. May God the holy and undivided Trinity guard your body, save your soul, and bring you safely to his heavenly country; where he lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

--the BB

Heart thread - 01/22/2011

I just received distressing news from the Rev. Pamela Cranston, Vicar of St Cuthbert's, Oakland:

The Rev. Connie Hartquist Jacobs phoned me early this morning to share the distressing news that her husband, Tom Jacobs, a valuable and faithful member of this parish, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. They went to Kaiser hospital in Fresno last night and after extensive tests, he was diagnosed early this morning. Apparently, Tom has a very large mass on his bile duct. She [said] they would be learning more about his case as the doctors do more tests.

Please keep Tom and Connie in your fervent prayers at this time.

Deacon Connie was a dear friend all through my journey in the Diocese of California and I got to witness some of the twists and turns of her own journey. She and Tom found each other and their wedding was a cause of great joy to many. They recently retired and had a new home built in the California foothills and begun to enjoy it. Now this.

Conclusion of A Lindisfarne Litany

Most High and Glorious,
Lowly and Generous,
Sweet God,
Strong and Swift to Save,

By your joy in making all things,
By your passion in saving all things,
By your grace in keeping all things,

Hear the prayers of your servant,
Give ear to the prayers of your friends,
Hearken to the voice of those who love you,
And show mercy to those who know not your love;

Fashion anew your Image in us,
Keep us by your tender love,
Save us and guide us safely home;

For your own sake, Who pity mortal flesh,
For your own dear sake, Who took our mortal flesh,
For your mercy's sake, Who are the Life of mortal flesh,

Holy and Glorious, Gracious Three,
Save us and guide us safely home,
Save us and guide us safely home.
Amen.

(Litany (c) by me)
--the BB