It’s day three of our Italian adventure and, while we did have another rough night, we at least didn’t sleep half the day away. The boys bedtime is essentially the same as their nap time back in the States, so for the past two nights they have gone to sleep only to wake up a couple hours later ready to party. As you can imagine, when we usher them back to bed, there has been much weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Today was the first day we were planning to go out and see some of the sights. It was also the first day we were up early enough to have a proper café experience. About a block away we found a place. Allison and I enjoyed cappuccinos while the boys drank their freshly squeezed orange juice and ate their cornetti (Italian version of a croissant). The air was crisp and clear and we enjoyed people watching for a few minutes while having small talk with a patron near us. I will say, I’m still trying to figure out the whole restaurant and café ordering process. It’s not culturally intuitive to me and I often feel I look like a complete dunce. At least I’ve been able to complete the transaction. I guess I’ve got some time to practice.
We then took our first bus ride and it was a wild one. Beren did his best impression of a pinball as he bounced back and forth off of every seat and passenger around us as the bus careened through the city. Thankfully, we soon disembarked and, after a short walk, arrived at the Pantheon. The ancient temple is nestled in the surrounding buildings and is in impeccable shape considering how old it is (AD 126). It was originally built as a pagan temple to Roman gods and emperors, but has acted as a Catholic church since the early 600s, which in my opinion feels a little weird. The Renaissance artist Raphael has his grave in there, which is pretty cool, and it was neat to look at the giant hole in the roof, called the oculus, and the series of rain drainage holes in the beautiful marble floor. Maybe we’ll try to come back on a rainy day to see the drains in action!
While the boys had been awesome on the bus and at the café, of course in the Pantheon, where they were supposed be quiet, Silas insisted on trying to run past the velvet ropes and Beren’s persistent cough flared up, echoing around the quiet dome filled with people trying to be reverent and still fearing a global pandemic. Needless to say, we took in the sights quickly and were then off to Piazza Navona.
The Piazza is a large open space closed to cars and built on the grounds of an ancient racetrack built by the Emperor Domitian. It’s dotted by three beautiful fountains, sculpted by Bernini, and an Egyptian obelisk with a cross on top (also weird?). Without the traffic, the boys enjoyed freely chasing the pigeons, which has become a favorite Roman pass time of theirs. Silas affectionately calls them chickens.
Next we walked past the Column of Marcus Aurelius and on to the Trevi Fountain, while stopping to ogle at the interior of a few churches along the way. Just walking through the city is a pleasure. Every little alley is picturesque, despite the fact at any moment a car or scooter could come shooting down one of them and pass inches away from demolishing your toes. The Trevi Fountain was also beautiful, but this was the first place that felt crowded and we were getting fountain fatigue, so we didn’t stay too long. At this point, we were pretty hungry anyway and stopped nearby at a restaurant called Piccolo Arancia (Little Orange). It was pretty good, but soon we were rushing to get back for Allison to begin work.
Back at the apartment, I tried once again to put the boys down but Silas, who fell asleep on the bus, refused, so he watched Peppa Pig. Tomorrow I’m hoping for 2/2 at nap time. Despite that, it was fun to hang out with my little guy and reenergize with an espresso while enjoying the early evening breeze through the window.
Later the boys and I walked to a small supermarket nearby to buy some snacks, wine, and ingredients for dinner. This was the first time we’ve bought wine in Italy and, at least at this supermarket, I was shocked by how affordable it is. I mean to be fair, it’s supermarket wine, but the average price was like 3-4 euro per bottle. It was in the wine section I thankfully remembered I have to haul all this home on the stroller, so I continued on with only two bottles. At checkout, I was asked if I wanted two bags. I said yes, thinking the clerk meant to double bag the wine, but instead he took two bags and tossed them onto my scanned groceries for me to bag everything myself into those two bags which I now hoped would be sturdy.
When we got back, Allison took the boys out for an early evening gelato (when in Rome!), while I worked on dinner. I used up the left over fettuccini to make alfredo and a simple salad. We ate and then tried to read the book of Romans to the boys as they squirmed on the couch, got bored, and then went to bed.
While we’re in Italy, I’m excited to continue reading through Romans. I enjoy getting to read the words of Paul in the same place as those who they were intended for. Despite the fact I am much removed from that time, it is amazing how relevant the words still are and to think about how they were read by others in this same city I’m currently sitting in almost 2000 years ago, carrying the same transformative power now as they did then. Being a history lover, there is something about being in particular places that transcends time. Being in Rome does that for me when I think about all that has happened here. When standing, looking at the Pantheon today, I thought about all of the other people throughout history who stood like me at different points in time, maybe on the same spot, and took in the grandeur just as I did and maybe felt similar things to what I felt. People ranging from Constantine to Michelangelo to Napoleon and so many others in between. It’s invigorating to think that we are are all connected by that place and that feeling regardless of time.
Overall, today was much better than yesterday. We got into a little groove and, rather than thinking, “Can we do this?”, I was grateful we get to do this! I’m sure there will be other difficult days ahead, but I’m sure there will be more like this one too.