Last Day

07/03/2012

This morning we went to the Galleria Borghese which was just as wonderful as I remembered it. I had a great time looking at all of the works in the collection and knowing that I learned something in the last four years of college! It is truly a wonderful feeling, for me, to be able to look at a work of art in a gallery like this one and be able to identify it to a degree, and also to be able to talk about it.

My brother and his girlfriend were 100% disinterested in any knowledge I had to offer, and so they went off on their own and that's fine. My mother, as always, was enraptured with every word I had to say. It's nice to have her so invested in what I've learned, but she is my mom, so in a sense it is kind of her job, right? My dad was halfway interested. There are some pieces that I could say a lot about and he would get bored halfway through things I would be saying, not the most captivated audience member, but at least he tried. My dad and I have very different ways of looking at art, and I feel like I learn a lot when I'm looking at art that he is showing me, but I never feel the same way when I am showing him art.

After visiting the Galleria Borghese we walked through the park and then went to the Galleria Nazionale D'Arte Moderna. We did not actually go inside the museum because we were pretty worn out from the Borghese. Instead we just ate salads at the cafe. Yes. Remember that salad I told you about a year ago. Radicchio, Pear and Pecorino? I had that again and it was delicious.

It wouldn't have been a trip to Rome without doing the tiniest bit of shopping, so we did some shopping  and then regrouped at the hotel.

For dinner we ate at AL34 which is a delicious restaurant run by the cutest family. They have definitely become a tourist stop, as they have been written up in all of the books, but the food is still fantastic. We had a raw zucchini salad which was divine, and I had some meatballs that were fantastic. Oh the food there is so good. GO THERE IF YOU ARE IN ROME!

The last thing I did in Rome was take a short walk with my brother and his girlfriend up the Spanish Steps and a little to the north, and then back to the south to our hotel. We didn't speak much to one another which is fine, but it cemented my decision about our sibling relationship, and I was glad to be sure of that.

The last thing I wrote in my journal was: "I can't wait to be home."

I know I had a great time on this trip. I learned a lot about myself and my family and all of the places I visited, but I'm at a transitioning point in my life and it has been very difficult to feel as though I cannot be in one place, and if I am, I cannot be happy there.

Thanks for traveling with me.
xoxo

Roma, Day #2

Today we had an early start, with breakfast! It was very interesting and delicious. We ate at our hotel for breakfast, they had quite the spread. The best item I ate was a verdure frittata. Then we were out the door just after 8 am. We walked to the Galleria Borghese by way of the Villa Borghese (park), and it was a really lovely walk, but it was not yet 9 am and we were already a bit on the warm side. The Galleria was very lovely. Two floors of works, they are especially proud of the Caravaggio's they have. I gave my mom some background to about 5 pieces in the gallery. Okay so you want to know which ones:

Correggio, Danäe, 1531

Raphael, Deposition, 1507

Rubens, Deposition, 1602

Caravaggio, Madonna of the Palafrenieri, 1605

Caravaggio, David with the Head of Goliath, 1609-1610

We, of course, looked at the whole gallery, and enjoyed our time there. Mom really isn't into the 16th-18th century, but I find it pretty fascinating. Of course then we walked to the Galleria Nazionale D'Arte Moderna which was full of 19th century works (which I am not particularly fond of) but my Mom seemed to enjoy. Their permanent collection was sort of closed off for renovation, so we really only saw the modern Italian artists, very interesting, their one Klimt piece (The Three Ages), and a lovely Modigliani. They also had two Cy Twombly pieces up, but I can only suspect that is because of his recent passing.

We then had a very long lunch at the museum café, Café dell'arte, or something along those lines. The food was delicious, and the smokers all arrived when we left.

Then we walked back to our hotel for a breather, but on the way we crossed a public fountain that everyone else was bathing in, so we joined them. Well just really waded in. Here is a photo:

After showering and resting we went out to the Spanish Steps, a few blocks from our hotel. We took some photos and then decided to have dinner before going up. We had a lovely dinner at a family-owned restaurant that was recommended in the guidebook, but wasn't really "inexpensive" as it was listed there. The food was great, we were both full.

After dinner we walked up the Spanish Steps and we made it to the top easily, well it was easy to climb but it was hard to combat all of the men trying to sell us roses and fake handbags. We took some photos up there and then walked down.

Kind of a relaxed first day, which ended with Gelato (Banana for me, Melon for mom).

Goodnight!!!!