The Bailey Expedition - Roma and Pisa

Roma, Pisa, and Coast

Rome, the eternal city, was looking in good shape for its age as we arrived today from Orvietto. After dropping bags at the hotel we zipped into the heart of the old city to walk through some of the world's oldest buildings. We began by walking into the old Roman forum. The forum is a wonderful collection of layers of ruins and the cultural history that they reflect. Seeing the remaining marble columns and brick foundations leave one wondering about the structures that once were here and what this area would have looked like. By our calculation at least 100 generations of Romans and visitors would have used this area since it became a center of culture and power in the western world. A remanent of this time and culture can still be found in the Pantheon. An amazing structure dating from 125AD this building was not stripped of all of its marble and remains mostly intact (missing its brass dome lining as it was used in Saint Peters). It has inspired architects for centuries and remains a stunning achievement. Exactlly as tall as it is wide the pantheon is the largest dome in Italy (Michalengelo deferentially designed St. Peters to be smaller). Our other stop was the Colosseum and it was the biggest hit for the kids. It is possible to imagine the cheers of the 50,000 Romans as gladiators fought and other battles took place. Griffin was particularly sad about all the cats and other animals that lost their life here to human combatants but enjoyed spotting current feline residents throughout today's walk.

The Vatican is a small city state with an incredibly rich history and a labyrinthian amalgum of rooms, chapels, courtyards and corridors. Our feet tell us that we traversed them all today. The Musei Vaticani contains an impressive set of exhibits that range from an Egyptian exhibit (the Egyptian Museum folks could profit from a visit here!), to classical sculpture and paintings, frescos, and a range of historical maps, coins, and religious memorabilia. We walked the whole course of the museum (it is multiple kilometers long) twice visiting dozens of room. Because of the length of the stay and the nature of the materials, not everyone was glued to the great works of art on the walls and instead were glued to a great work of writing he brought with him (this brought lots of positive comments from both visitors and guards). What was particularly striking is the how recent restorations to these great works had changed the timbre of the colors and therefore much of the mood they reflect. These bright tones and vibrant combinations are quite different from what is always seen in art history books or what Mark had previously viewed. The Sistine Chapel is positively frisky with bright optomistic colors. We then headed to the Basilica itself. The light streaming in through Michalengelo's dome at the end of this day was magical in producing a glow in the nave. Bernini's Canopy while the Pantheon's loss, adds an absolutely special touch to a cathedral that is not only the world's largest, but also the most amazing. The final touch for us was the ability to climb up into Mikey's dome and view the mosaic work up close. Then mounting multiple stairs and slanted corridors, we emerged outside on the top of the Cathedral with a evening view of Rome that is unparalleled (see top photo). Good God what a day.

We are in the process of heading for France and have chosen to do so by heading up the West coast of Italy. Our first destination is Pisa. We arrived mid afternoon and found the city teaming with tourists and vendors. The Piazza del Duomo was looking quite well cared for in the bright sun. The tower, well it is still listing significantly to starboard, has been worked on extensively; the wires have been removed and it has been cleared up a bit. It is also 15 euros per person to climb the 300 steps to where Galileo is reputed to have ejected flotsam over the side and timed its descent (for all you history buffs, it was really Giorgio Coressio). We did our part to fund the restoration project and after some heavy breathing, managed to snap a few photos and enjoy the stunning view. The sunset was simple but bathed the Piazza is a rosey glow as we sampled another cluster of Gelato flavors and strolled back to our hotel.

Over the past 10 days in Italy we have come to appreciate the food and the deep rich history that this country holds. It is also the only country where we really felt like we needed to constantly check our change and be on the watch out for thiefs. Such a sad contrast for such a beautiful country with it rich tapestry of history and culture. But the kids threw coins in the fountain so it is certain that we will be back...

To view all our photos of Roma and Pisa, click here