When in Rome

When in Rome, do as the Romans do! Yes we did ! For 3 days we traversed  Rome and marveled at its awe-inspiring architectural splendor. On the first evening we did a night tour of Rome. In the shadows of  night, Rome is adorned with dim lights and bustling pizzerias. Imposing historical buildings throw you straight   into another era .The modern people,  their motor vehicles seem to be superimposed into a medieval age background. A noteworthy feature of many of the buildings were the motifs used. Most of them were grumpy human faces, giving the city a pensive look. One building had a captivating facade of a man under a tree. It was a 12 feet tall statue protruding from the front of the building. These medieval buildings are characterized by huge decorative windows with triangular and semicircular shades in alternating floors. Some structures which are older than the Christ,stand tall and gaunt unabated by hundreds of storms,fires and earthquakes. These old wonders generally consist of small , thin bricks ,placed in perfect symmetry  to each other.

Rome sometimes sketches a contrast in my mind. At one end the absence of trees and greenery , make it look lifeless and dry . At the other , each edifice has so much history to narrate, that they seem like thriving living beings, standing tall, to tell us stories.Stories of life and death, of honor and sacrifice.Stories of artistic splendor, of grandeur and extravaganza, of  conquerors and warriors ,their passion and ambition. It is impossible to behold the marble statues and not wonder how it came to be. What could have driven the artist to bring out such facial expressions? What did he want to convey to the observer? For how many years did he chisel away? Strolling through Rome gives one the idea that Italy was not just an artistic haven for ages but also a land of great thinkers who wanted to leave a mark in history, for the world to see. Our tour guide showed us the presidential residence, the world war memorials,palaces and bridges. Dodging between the past and present, we started ascending the seven hills.

 Rome from the top was a magnanimous vision.The planned symmetry of the grand structures was striking! The golden city silhouetted against the starry sky radiated an age old warmth which makes one feel mighty and powerful. All I needed was a golden wreathe over my head! Unfortunately we had to descend in five minutes and soon I was back to my humble self! On our way back, we were lured by the aromatic pizzerias, tucked into every nook of the city. Hence, we found ourselves in one of them as soon as we got down the bus. It was a pleasant evening and the pizzeria was only more than pleasant . Wooden tables draped with flowery dark blue linen invited us from underneath giant umbrellas. The smoke of molten mozzarella teased our appetites.'Margherita' is all that our watery mouths could let out! As known to many, the pizza Margherita has an interesting history . When in 1889, Queen Margherita arrived in Naples , she was served a pizza with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil representing the red, white and green colours of the Italian flag. Since then, it bears her name. In a few  minutes the pizza margherita arrived and melted in our mouths as the trams rattled past us.

 The big difference between Switzerland and Italy is the importance of time. In Switzerland if they say 7.17, they mean 7.17 dot! In Italy the same time actually means 7.20 or 7.30.So like the modern Romans (I don't know if the emperors were punctual) we slept like logs on the second day and missed the grand breakfast served at the UNA hotel restaurant.This didn't deter our sight seeing plans though.We quickly ran to the Greenline tourist office just in front of the Hotel where we had preplanned a trip the day before. It was nine in the morning and we were just in time to hop into the bus which to our surprise ran on time! This time the drive was short and we descended at the Trevi for a long engrossing walk along the cobbled lanes of Roma.

 This walk shall remain in my mind for a long time to come. An elderly guide led our way,his unmissable yellow jacket preventing us from getting lost! He said he was born in Florence and had spent sometime as a tour guide in south Asia taking Italians to India  and Singapore. His knowledge about Rome reflected his love for the city. We came to know about obelisks (tall, four faced pillar like structures) and how they were shipped from Egypt to Rome. The one in front of us was brought in a bed of lentils to prevent breakage.

Then we headed for the Pantheon. A massive dome shaped structure with a large circular cavity right on top to usher in sunlight . The unique feature of this structure is the ability to prevent much of the rain water to enter the cavity due to the air pressure inside.It is said that The Pantheon is the marvel which drew Michelangelo from Florence to Rome. In fact it even inspired his design of the Saint Peter's Basilica. The moment I stepped into this 'temple of many gods', my respect for the ancient roman architectural capabilities increased manifold. Built in 126 AD, The Pantheon still stands as the world's largest concrete dome, which hasn't been strengthened with reinforcement bars.What struck me most was the identical coffers on the interior walls which seemed robust and delicate at the same time. It is this balance between beauty and enormity which reverberates in all of Roman architecture. Most certainly giants can be handsome too!

Back on the cobbled streets, there stood a red carriage with its chestnut horses glistening in the sun. These uneven pathways have their very own history.The one's we were walking on, were laid in the period of renaissance by the instruction of the Pope.They are made of lava stones and called Sanpietrini.Some roads are even older. The Appian way is as old as 4th century BC.We often saw people tripping over these cobbled stones.May be these streets crave for some attention too.Don't they deserve it?They have been the veins of Rome, propelling food,fabrics,oil,horses,traders,spies,legions and emperors since times imemmorial.They have played a pivotal role in strategic and political expansions.There was a time When all roads did lead to Rome!These pathways have borne the weights of history and have seen huge empires fall like light footsteps.

In the afternoon we decided to visit the Colosseum.There is hardly any tourist in Italy who hasn't been here. The abraded pillars precariously stand bearing the weight of its massive frame. Broken parts lay here and there.The walls display signs cautioning people to move away from the structure in case of storms. Almost  two thousand years old, the Colosseum, named after a colossal statue of the Emperor Nero, has endured wild fires and shattering earthquakes.Will it give away to a mere storm like a house of cards? Parts of this complex structure have worn down following a fire, caused by a lightning in 217 AD and an earthquake in 1349 AD. However, as one enters the amphitheater, he is bound to believe, that this masterpiece will enthrall visitors a thousand years after we cease to exist. Leaning on a jagged wall, I looked around. Thousands of spectators were cheering at the lions, elephants, giraffes,zebras and leopards scampering about in the arena. The emperor sitting close to the hippodrome was flanked by dignitaries who had brought their own chairs and cushions.The topmost ring was overflowing with slaves and women.The noise of cheering onlookers and growling animals was deafening.I closed my eyes and wondered, what if this wall I was leaning upon could speak? Would it relate, how the means of entertainment have evolved over the centuries? How today's spectators prefer Elton John in the arena to the bleeding Gladiators? How the scenes of slaves being hunted to death have been replaced by that of human right activists protesting against capital punishment? Ironically,oblivious to the outer world, it cannot see that in some corners of this huge modern planet, there still exist colloseums like this, where the means of entertainment have not changed.

Rome is incomplete without The Vatican City,a landlocked country, with its own distinguished flag and its own currency,The Vatican Euro.Hundreds of tourists and pilgrims throng here each day. The Vatican Museum is one of the greatest museums in the world. More like a palace, it is replete with gold, silver,exquisite paintings,carvings, frescoes,tapestries,crockery,sculptures and furniture.The floors comprise of extraordinary mosaic work made of precious and semiprecious stones.The ceilings,arches and panels are the genius strokes of famous artists of Italy.The Passages resonate with the glorious works of Caravaggio, Leonardo Da Vinci, Fra Angelico, Giotto, Raphael, Nicolas Poussin and Titian.We were surrounded by stupendous artistic creations and could breathe the talent in the air! The 'gallery of maps' displayed 40 panels of frescoed maps of Italy which covered the walls on both sides. It was commissioned in 1580 and took three years for Danti to complete.The library comprised of antique cupboards with inlaid paintings of various kinds of birds.The Vatican library is said to hold thousands of secret documents and ancient manuscripts. 

The Saint Peter's Basilica houses the Pieta, another of Michelangelo's Masterpieces.Unfortunately we were hard pressed for time and had to end our Vatican tour with The Sistine Chapel. Both of us were eager to see this part of the Vatican as we had heard and read a lot about it.We were not disappointed. To put it another way, we were exhilarated! A sea of tourists and their guides greeted us at the Sistine.We held hands to avoid losing each other and found just enough space to stand .The moment we looked up , we were lost! Lost into another world. A world of colours, beauty and magic.Our eyes transfixed to the ceiling, our mouths wide open,The Sistine had hypnotized us. It is futile to describe Michelangelo's magic in plain words. He created poetry with colours. Though Michelangelo  is said to have preferred sculpture over painting, the mesmerizing frescoes of the Sistine chapel are burning examples of his versatility.

 All of a sudden we realised that the guide  was signaling us towards the exit. Gathering ourselves we took a last look at the chapel. It was interesting to see so many people gaping at the walls with the same awestruck expression.  We hurriedly rushed out,  not to lose ourselves again!

That night, I had a dream. Men draped in white were walking on the 1900 year old Ponte Sant'Angelo  bridge.... Michelangelo, leaning down a tall ladder, was rebuking visitors for clicking pictures in the Sistine. 'The flashes are destroying the colours!' he hollered...... Elizabeth Taylor,The Queen Cleopatra was congratulating Russel Crow, The Gladiator on his heroic victory...... Asterix and Obelix were stealthily walking the Appian Way in search of a spy....

Faintly, I could hear the BBC reporting the Chilean Miners' Rescue account. It was morning. Time to leave Rome. I got up and walked towards the window . It was a bright day. Trams rumbled by. An excited tourist family dragged their suitcases towards the hotel entrance. A suspicious looking man , leaned on a corner wall assessing passersby.The Greenline Tourist Bus stood awaiting new excursionists for a fresh day trip. For us , it was time to say goodbye.     

                    Rome, I have loved you. Your style and unmatched beauty have fascinated  me. Your sturdy disposition and wise contour have intrigued me. Your mystic nights and majestic sights have enchanted me. You have indeed been a great companion. Grazie! Hope we meet again!