Reflections From Roma #03
17 dicembre 2017
Photo Update Alert:
“Toscano”
Hello there… Rodger French
here.
We are some days returned
from our trip to Toscano (Tuscany) and I have been trying to figure out how to
write about it. We spent six nights in Firenze (Florence) and three in Siena
(Siena), with a day trip to Lucca thrown into the mix. We traveled between
cities by train and bus, and did some serious urban walking. We went to museums
and churches and were moved and dazzled by endless displays of great art. We
took photoz, collected post cards and assorted memorabilia, and even bought a
lamp.
And we ate “cibo toscano”
(Tuscan food). Molto cibo toscano.
All of which has left me
overwhelmed, at least concerning this posting. So, since there are a zillion
travel guides about Italia/Toscana, most written by people more skilled than I
who are paid to write them, I have elected not to go into great detail about
the wonderful places we visited. Which, I admit, is a bit lame on my part. Permit
me to offer instead a few redundant yet useful tourist tips at no additional
charge.
Preparation - Do your reading. Also, remember Rule #1: Wear the best walking
shoes you can afford. And, of course, the Prime Directive: SECURE YOUR
PASSPORT. The rest is commentary.
Logistics
- Go in the off-season, when it’s colder/wetter. There are still loads of
tourists, but not the typical ZTA (Zombie Tourist Apocalypse™). Stay somewhere
close to il centro della città , so you can walk everywhere.
[Hospitality Sidebar - A comfortable pillow arrangement is essential
to a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately, the odds of finding that in Italy are
roughly the same as drawing to an inside straight. Or electing a Democrat in
Alabama. It could happen, but don’t count on it.]
[Transportation Sidebar - Traveling by rail or bus here is quite
user-friendly. When it’s time to board the train/bus, however, there is no
screwing around. Get to the platform early and gird your loins. And should you
have a general boarding ticket, choose your seats decisively and with an eye as
to where you can stash your stuff. Common sense, true; but it helps avoid any
unnecessary Italian drama.]
Attractions - Visit all the museums, palaces, and churches you can stand and get
use to to looking up. If possible, arrive early and try to pace your visits to
stay comfortably ahead of/behind the inevitable tour groups. Take loads of
photoz, but no flash, and remember: Selfie sticks are Satan’s toothpicks.
Food - Look
for dining opportunities away from the grand piazzas and major attractions. Finding
small establishments on side streets with actual Italian butts in the seats is
a worthwhile goal. Also, unless you actually enjoy queuing up for meals, arrive
early (by Italian standards) and avoid the throngs.
Being relatively
unenlightened, I still eat meat, although less than I use to. But, while I
commend my vegetarian friends on making that choice, I have to say that if
preparation of meat may be considered an art… well, we have had some fine
dining experiences in Roma, but cibo toscano, especially in Siena, is just
ridiculously good.
[Testimonial Sidebar - If
you make it as far as Firenze, please plan on a trip to Siena. What a beautiful
city. And make a point of visiting la Biblioteca Piccolomini nel Duomo di
Siena. It is breathtaking to the event horizon of magic.]
So there you have
it; a short, but brief posting, considerately unencumbered by a surplus of
information. I reckon many of you have already been or are planning to come to
Italy (and if you’re able, you really should), so you can fill in the details
for yourself. Meanwhile, Anne and I are hunkering down for our first Italian
Christmas, our major outing being to Teatro dell'Opera Roma for a production of “La
Damnation da Faust” by Hector Berlioz. A lighthearted holiday musical.
Buon Natale. Onward.
Rodger
Rodger
