Florence (or) I'll Have Truffles With That...

Florence is beautiful, it is picture postcard gorgeous. Truly. And yet, strangely I didn’t love it the way I loved Rome (dirty, dusty, traffic-y Rome). I wonder if it’s because it is so perfect. I saw a man cleaning the streets with a vacuum cleaner the size of a baby elephant. Now that’s taking your cleaning seriously. So clean, and such lovely expensive shops, great food too. 

This is where my truffle obsession started.

The sweet shops! Oh my these were wonderful. I bought lots of them home as 'gifts'. Gifts that ended up in my stomach. Sorry lovely friends, next time I won't eat your presents (probably).

But sometimes so much perfectness can be a little… disconcerting. It felt very much like walking through a stage set – it was so perfect it didn’t seem quite real. But I guess that’s a small nit-picky thing to say, it’s beautiful really.

Interestingly you have to pay to go into churches in Florence (a more mercantile city than Rome, where all the churches are free to enter) but since I’d dragged Luke to many, many churches in Rome, and since we only had two days in Florence, we didn’t bother. Instead we went to the Uffizi and the Academia on one day, and just wandered the streets trying the local food and wine and getting lost, on the other (a perfect activity in such a lovely place).

Now, I’m not a very tall person, and one of the things I’ve noticed before about galleries showing Renaissance paintings is how hard it is to see them clearly, the dark, reflective varnished surfaces make them difficult to see, and very difficult to photograph. It doesn’t matter of course because the major works are so familiar, you can fill in the details, or just move your head a bit so the light catches the surface in a different way. But still, they’re not easy to see the way they are in a reproduction.

However, the advantage of that is that I started to look at the parts of the paintings that were directly in my eye line (lots of feet, flowers and dogs since you ask). I spent a lot of time too, looking at the corners of the works, the people in the backgrounds, the little details, the amazing gilt frames. And this was the extraordinary thing… I saw things in those paintings (paintings I would have said I knew like the back of my hand) that I’d never seen before. The little vignettes, perfect, small back-stories, hidden gems under the murky varnish. It gave me a whole new appreciation of seeing works in the flesh (so to speak), because these details couldn’t be seen in reproduction. Generally the major narrative is what you see, (what’s Mary doing? Who’s that guy with the sword?) but when you’re actually in front of the paintings you can see the small details, (there’s a kitten under that chair, look, violets growing in the grass) the edges intersecting with the frames (my goodness those frames!), the colour of the walls, the positioning of the works. They are all the things available to you when you’re in the gallery itself. It creates a space where what you see is influenced by being present and being able to see something contextually and thoroughly. It was a wonderful revelation to me, and a new way of looking at the familiar. Once I started I couldn’t stop, and ended up coming home with hundreds of photographs of the corners of paintings. 

That’s going to be hard to explain on slide night.

Pompeii and Vesuvius (or) Did you bring the sunscreen?

When I first started planning our trip to Italy I found lots of information about taking a day trip to Pompeii. Mostly the information was about how to do it as cheaply as possible – but what I actually wanted was information about how to do it as easily as possible.

Taking some of the planning and organisation and handing it over to a tour guide just made sense to me. I know it seems a bit unadventurous to get on a tour bus, but it turned out to be a great idea, and if you’re planning on making Pompeii a day trip (Pompeii and climbing Mt Vesuvius in our case) then an air conditioned bus ride makes all that walking in the hot, hot sun much easier to cope with. Also you can leave stuff on the bus, which is a bonus for the weary (and lazy).

So, this is how it worked, we met our tour group in the Piazza del Popolo, (which seemed to be a meeting place for quite a lot of day-tours), then it’s a three and a half hour trip to Pompeii. You get on the bus, there’s a rest stop on the way, lunch is thrown in between Pompeii and the Vesuvius walk, and then you head home. It’s a long day but totally doable.

What an amazing place Pompeii is. I have to say, if it wasn’t for that pesky volcano, it would have been a pretty good place to live (especially if you had money). The houses were well designed; large rooms, vaulted ceilings, beautifully detailed frescoes, and they had gorgeous views from their courtyards, to lovely (dangerous) Vesuvius so prominent in the distance. The streets were wide, well paved, lined with shops (the shops had sliding shutters apparently, which made me think it isn’t dissimilar to Naples today). Things haven’t changed all that much in many ways. 

This was the bed in the brothel

As with so many tourist attractions, there are lots of people, but it didn’t really matter, everyone just wandered along, the guide was good, and the place is just so interesting that the crowds really didn’t matter. There were a couple of spots, where you had to wait for people to exit before you could go in, but it was nice just to wait, and look around anyway.

It’s hard to imagine, until you’re there, what a wonderful experience it is to brush up against the history of this ancient place. How differently we live now, how much has changed, but at the same time, how similar it is to all the things we do today. It’s so recognisable as a city, shops and cafes and bars (and a brothel). Nice houses for the rich people. An open-air amphitheatre for those necessary sporting events (maybe a little more violent than we’re used to), plenty of art, thermal baths and beauty treatments, in many ways, just how we live now.

The climb to Vesuvius was pretty cool too. The bus takes you most of the way up and then there’s a twenty minute walk to the top. One of our tour guides said people were often disappointed that there is no lava in the crater, so let me save you from that disappointment now – there is no lava in the crater. There are occasional wisps of steam though! It’s an easy walk, and a beautiful view across to the Bay of Naples, so it would be worth it just for that. But also I’d never climbed a volcano before and now I have. Another things ticked off the bucket list.

Rome (or) There's Corn in My Caprese Salad!

Rome is my favourite city in the world. Ok, I’ve only been there twice, and each time only for a week or so, but I love it. It’s has an indefinable quality, but somehow, I know it’s my city. I love that every corner you walk around is full of history. Buildings cobbled together out of other buildings, Huge, vast, enormous, gilded buildings, peeling shutters, large carved doors giving glimpses into courtyards. Complicated streets full of life and interest. I guess you could say that about a lot of cities, but there’s something perfect about Rome. I think it’s partly because, despite being a huge tourist destination, it still feels like a real city, where people live and work, get their morning coffee, park their tiny cars in ridiculous places, and where many of the shops are geared to locals. Sure they have a lot of tourists, but mostly they’re just getting on with their lives, it’s quirky, and slightly dirty. The perfect city in my books.

I know it’s different being a tourist, and maybe Rome would lose its gloss if waiters ignored you every night – but somehow I don’t think so. Any of its complications would be compensated for by its slightly jaded, grubby loveliness. At least I hope so, because one day I’m going to go back there to live.

The first place we stayed when we arrived was Hotel Colors in Prati on the Via Boezio. A small, inexpensive hotel in a residential building which really gave the feeling of living in Rome rather than just passing through (as least that’s how I felt – it’s a hotel, but not too hotelly, if you know what I mean). The rooms were basic but the building had marble stairs and you could push back the huge, heavy, peeling green shutters and lean out the window, taking in the streets cape. 

This is the Hotel Colors from the street.  You'd never really know it's a hotel from the outside. The X marks our window.

A quick snack about an hour after arriving. Let's get something light we said, just some cold meats and salad, but it also came with bread and an entire pizza. At least we went walking afterwards.

It was a fabulous location for the first half of our visit (we circled back to Rome on our way home to Australia so got to visit twice). The Via Boezio was walking distance to the Vatican, to the Piazza Del Popolo, The Castel Sant’Angelo and an easy walk across the river to the Pantheon. Part of the pleasure of travelling of course is to walk to these major sites and see all the unexpected things along the way.

We ate locally each day, never expensively (we had to compensate for those Business Class tickets somehow), just anywhere close by that looked nice. And the food was good, and there was so much of it. Why aren’t people in Rome fatter? One thing that did surprise me was the corn. In almost every salad I ordered there was tinned corn. Why Rome, why? Tinned corn does not belong in a Caprese salad. Or maybe it does, I don’t know. Apart from that the food was good, the waiters mostly ignored us and dining was everything I expected.

My two favourite things when travelling in a new city are to be centrally located and to be able to wander around and we did plenty of that, but we also booked a number of tours before we left Adelaide, and I’d really recommend doing this (I hadn’t done it before, always believing I’d be my own best tour guide) but it made all the places we visited so much more interesting. We booked to see The Coliseum, The Vatican and a day trip to Pompeii and Vesuvius. They were all really, really good tours (I know they can seem expensive and so many sites will tell you the cheapest way to see these things, but if you’re short of time and want to avoid some of the headaches, and to skip the hugely long queues, then I’d recommend choosing tours – we used Viator).

The Coliseum and the Palatine Hill will be on everyone’s bucket list I imagine. It’s extraordinary being in a place with so much history. We also got to see the houses of Augustus and Livia which can only be seen on a guided tour. It’s well worth making the effort to see them. Augustus was the nephew of Julius Caesar and when his uncle was assassinated he gained control from Mark Antony and set about making Rome the most influential empire in the western world. He was powerful and ruthless no doubt, but I quite liked that he made Livia’s house grander than his own. The fragments of frescoes that are still visible are beautiful.

The two photos below are in the house of Livia. It's easy to imagine how beautifully decorated they would have been.

The Vatican was a bit more problematic for me, it was packed with people, (we were there in July, so really what did I expect), but it did feel like we were herded along to keep that huge mass of people moving through in a reasonable time frame. Of course if you haven’t been before, you should go, but in a funny way it’s not even close to being the most interesting place in Rome. You can go into practically any church in Rome and see art and architecture and culture that is just as good.

Many, many people at the Vatican

And look, it was my first trip to the Vatican and it was on a short guided tour and there was an awful lot we didn’t get to see, so I wouldn’t want to put anyone off going – I’m no expert on the place – but don’t get your expectations up too high. Yes the Sistine Chapel is beautiful, but it was shoulder to shoulder crowds being yelled at to be silent (SILENCIO!) every few minutes, or being thrown out for taking photos of the ceiling. See it, tick it off the bucket list, then wander off to see some of the other amazing things in Rome. Like the mind blowing paintings by Caravaggio.

I’m a big Caravaggio fan. Huge. It’s hard now, hundreds of years later, to appreciate what an extraordinary impact Caravaggio had on the history of art. We are so used to the cinematic, to the chiaroscuro lighting that is so dramatic, that it’s hard to picture a time when this didn’t exist. But when you look at Caravaggio’s work compared to the work that preceded him, it is truly revolutionary, exciting and shocking. Here’s the amazing thing though, some of his most profound and interesting paintings are just hanging in local churches around Rome. And you can see them for free (all churches in Rome are free).

The Calling of Saint Matthew in the Church of San Luigi die Francesci, my favourite painting in the world.

The Church of San Luigi dei Francesi (on a side street near the Piazza Navona) has The Calling of Saint Matthew (which I would rate as one of the greatest paintings in the world, and my all time favourite work), The Inspiration of Saint Matthew, and The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew. All are staggering works of genius. When we went (the day after the sausage factory of the Vatican) there were, maybe 20 people in the entire church. It was moving and wonderful to see these paintings, and a profound experience to be so alone in a quiet church next to masterworks I’ve admired in books for twenty years.

Another almost inconspicuous church (in this city of extraordinary buildings) is the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo which has two large and beautiful Caravaggio paintings in a side chapel. The Crucifixion of Saint Peter and the Conversion on the Way to Damascus. And there was no one there. No one!

Fifteen thousand people at the Vatican, but I got to cry before Caravaggio’s masterworks alone. I wouldn’t have missed that for the world.

Flying Business Class (or) Chair Goes Up! Chair Goes Down!

Travel blogs are great, especially when you’re about to travel yourself, there’s nothing nicer than getting some tips from someone whose just been where you’re going – someone who hasn’t got a vested interest in selling you things I mean. So I thought I’d write a few posts about our recent trip to Europe. 

Now the kids have grown up and it’s just the two of us travelling, the things we choose to do are different. Obviously there’s a bit more money to go around – that’s nice, and more of the trip is structured around art (me) and eating (both of us), and in Luke’s case, cycling.

But the first, new thing about this trip was that we flew Business Class with Qatar from Adelaide to Rome. Now, we’re not your normal Business Class travellers, we’re more your tortured Economy Class traveller, but on this trip we splashed out for a couple of reasons. The main one being that I’d just finished radiotherapy for breast cancer and was feeling a little fragile. It’s an extraordinarily long flight from Adelaide to practically anywhere else, and I felt I needed a little coddling. The other reason was that Qatar was offering very good prices on their flights as they were just starting to fly direct from Adelaide to Europe.

You know the downside of travelling in luxury of course… you never want to return to the back of the plane. It is so nice at the front. I had to restrain myself from playing ‘chair goes up, chair goes down’ in a Homer Simpson kind of way, I managed not to only because I was given a lovely French Champagne to sip prior to take off (maybe that’s why they do it, to stop the newbies from fiddling with the chair controls).

We were travelling on the new A330 which was really comfortable. It’s very open as they’ve got rid of the overhead storage in the centre, which makes the cabin feel very spacious, and of course the seats are huge and lay flat into a bed (and someone will come and make up your bed for you with sheets and a quilt. And nice pyjamas (I saved the pyjamas and gave them to the kids when we got back home – lucky them!). And Georgio Armani toiletries. And fabulous food on proper plates with a tablecloth and real cutlery. Nice. I probably gave away my peasanty nature by being excited about everything, and watching back to back Downton Abbey while I ate. And Luke tried every wine on the menu which I suspect might also be a give away that this was an adventure for us, and we were going to enjoy every minute of it.

It was a glorious start to the holiday. Instead of dreading the long haul, it became an absolute pleasure. And for some reason I’m not as scared of the plane crashing when I sit up the front. Weird but true. I was definitely born for a posh life.

Doha airport was pretty impressive too (if you’re into that sort of thing, and we are). There was some fabulous contemporary art there, including a Bill Viola video which was mesmerising. The stop over was long enough for us to shower and wander, and have a bite to eat, before completing the shorter leg to Rome.

Autumn

Autumn has arrived. Over the space of just two days the weather has turned cold. But it's glorious up here in the hills. Those long soft shadows, the crisp feel to the mornings. Bliss.

We moved up here just over a year ago, the ubiquitous tree-change I guess. It's true both our children had left home, and it did seem a bit odd to be rattling around in a big family home without them... so we moved. It's always hard to know if a move like this - from the city to the country, from a big house to a small one, from a suburban garden to a farm, will be a good idea or not. But in our case it was a very, very good idea.

Partly because a new environment make you look at yourself and your life and reassess, and partly because we've reached a time in our lives where things really are different (once your last child leaves home life takes on a new shape) the move has opened up lots of possibilities for us.

So here we are, midlife, moving to the country (with a gaggle of pets), starting our own businesses,  getting up with the dawn. Feeling unbelievably grateful to be here in this small, unimportant amazingly beautiful place in this small, unimportant amazingly beautiful life.