Catching Up -- And Sweating.....

The last several days have continued to be a lot of fun.  Even though I in some ways have almost nothing to do, there's enough going on to stay incredibly busy.  Of course, part of that might be the several hours I spend each day trying to lose the dubious distinction of paying the highest rent in Rome for an apartment that does not have functioning air conditioning.  Actually, it did work for 7 days.  That changed on Sunday night, however, and my apartment now has higher humidity than that Turkish bath I visited last month!

Italian Lesson In San Lorenzo:  Had a great language session with Valentina in San Lorenzo on Friday.  I had not been to this neighborhood before, and it's quite cool.  Rome's biggest and oldest university -- La Sapienza -- is here, and the district is known for being a haven for students, artists, and historically lefty politics.  It's definitely gritty.

There is also an excellent cathedral in the area.  We were the only people in the Basilica of St. Lawrence on Friday afternoon.  This is a 13th century cathedral that is much more spare than the later gothic or baroque churches.  It is spacious and was quite peaceful.  Worth a visit if you want to see some cathedrals that are off the beaten track.

Do Not See This Movie:  I was dying to see Terrence Malick's new movie "To The Wonder."  I was incredibly psyched when I saw this past weekend that it is now showing in Roma in inglese.  What a disappointment.  Malick's last movie -- 2011's "Tree Of Life" -- is one of my 10 favorite movies of all-time.  This new one is in much the same vein.  The primary difference is that it sucks!

The highlight of the night was on the walk home.  At 1:00 a.m., I saw this couple standing outside the museum that I'm just 3 blocks from, and they were practicing their dancing.  Very cute!

Do Go To Orvieto:  Orvieto is about 75 minutes from Rome by train.  It's a delightful little town in Umbria.  I spent the day there Saturday with some friends and had a great lunch followed by some gelato and a stroll around Orvieto.  The highlight is definitely the Duomo, which took almost 300 years to complete.  OK, it might not be as fantastic as the Duomos in Firenze or Milano.  But it's pretty damn impressive and is much easier to get to.  I was wow'ed by it as well as by the views of Umbria from the top of the clock-tower.  (It's a long walk to the top.  And you don't even get that many Nike fuel points for the climb!)

July = Music Month

I didn't plan it this way, but Luglio is turning out to be chock full of concerts and excellent music.  It's kind of surprising that I'd be going to so many concerts given that Manilow is not going to be in Italia anytime soon, T-Swizzle's current tour is North America only, and Katy Perry's last European show was in early April.  Despite the absence of any of these all-time faves, there's right now a lot on tap.  

This Thursday is Bruce in Roma.  It'll be my first Springsteen concert and I can't wait to see what all the hubbub has been about for these past 30+ years.  Then, this weekend, in Tuscany, I'm going to see Andrea Bocelli sing at an outdoor concert in his hometown of Lajatico.  That should be amazing, si?  And then, on July 25, I have tix to see Ennio Morricone directing an orchestra right here in Roma that will be playing his own compositions.  That is I think going to be the highlight for me.  

The Boss, the most popular Italian singer in the world, and perhaps the greatest composer of film scores who has ever lived.  It's a combination to which I look forward!  You'll hear about it right here, so stay tuned.  

Learning Italian In Mussolini's Shadow

That could be the title of a novel, couldn't it?  It'd be set in post-Fascist Italy.  The prose would be spare, almost Hemingway-esque.  Actually, it could also be the title of a David Sedaris book.  Either way, the film would be in black-and-white.  Eastwood could direct it.  Jake Gyllenhaal would play me.  

In reality, the title of this posting refers to my first language lesson in a month.  I can't blame myself for the delay.  There was the trip to NY and Istanbul.  When I returned to Roma, there was devastating news.  Paola had gotten a job for the summer in Puglia, and she had no choice but to take it.  That left me tutor-less and clueless.  Luckily, Paola has a friend who was willing to take on the grueling task of teaching me Italian from nearly the ground floor.

Valentina and I started this past Tuesday.  Paola and I both explained to Valentina the pattern and practice we'd established over the past few months.  Valentina would have to prepare a lesson involving vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, etc.  We'd meet at an interesting location that is off the tourist track, that would give me an opportunity to reach a part of the city I don't know (maybe by mass transit), and that has some intriguing cultural, political, artistic, or social aspects to it.  That way, when -- after 15 minutes of the actual lesson -- I inevitably said that I was experiencing cerebral overload, and that maybe we should (a) have some espresso/cappuccino/pastries, and (b) walk around and explore the gardens/architecture/museum/church/park/ruins/etc., it would be without an overwhelming sense of guilt or self-flagellation.  I am pleased to report that Valentina picked up on this routine without a hitch.

We met Tuesday at Villa Torlonia.  I doubt this is a place that any tourists visit.  But it was nifty.  The Villa Torlonia used to be owned by the Torlonia family, who I understand were like the Italian Rockefellers of the 19th century.  The villa and its palace became Mussolini's home during the 1920s.  He rented it from the Torlonias for 1 lira per year.  (As Mel Brooks would say, "it's good to be the dictator.")  The villa is now a big public park.

The grounds are nice enough -- and they are an oasis on a hot summer day, as they provide a temporary escape from the heat, humidity, noise, and commotion of the city.  But the best part by far is the fairy-tale-like cottage called the Casina dell Civette, or "Little House of Owls."  This funky house is representative of the Art Nouveau movement in Italy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  The movement here was called Stil Liberty.  The house is great: filled with color, stained-glass, owl motifs all over the place, porticos, and turrets.

All in all, it was an excellent first lesson with Valentina.  We went over the Italian words for all the forms of the verb "to be."  Not bad after 4 months, si?

Happy Independence Day, Stati Uniti!

True to the American spirit, this Statue of Liberty impersonator demanded a coin (see the container at bottom of the pic) after I snapped my photo.  

An Unsung Museum That Is Worth A Visit

One of the advantages of spending so much time in Roma is that I get to visit spots for which the normal tourist does not have time.  That includes museums.

The Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna is Italy's National Gallery of Modern Art.  It is not anybody's list of top 5 museums in Rome.  It's not anybody's top 10 list, I don't think.  It's not even the best museum in the Villa Borghese (Rome's Central Park).  But if you want to avoid crowds (I doubt there's ever a line to get into this museum) and still see a very impressive collection of modern(ish) art, I totally recommend it.  This museum is an unheralded gem!

The museum's exterior is cool and the first thing you see when you enter is fantastic.  The floor of the huge room through which you pass at the start is completely mirrored and full of cracks.  The mirrored floor alone is nice, and the cracks make it really unique and interesting.

I couldn't get a better picture of the floor.  Actually, I'm not sure you're supposed to take pics of the floor.  

The museum's permanent collection focuses on Italian artists from the 19th and 20th centuries.  But stars from outside of Italy make appearances too, including Van Gogh, Monet, Cezanne, Rodin, Pollack, Mondrian, etc., etc.  The collection overall is far from the best assembly of modern art that you can find -- but the collection here is quite good, is very accessible, and is a nice break from the crowds and lines.  

This is not a photograph -- it's a painting.  But so realistic!

There was also an incredible temporary exhibit of Hungarian paintings from the early 20th century.  I loved this collection.  Made me want to move Budapest from the "maybe" list to the "definite" list.  We'll see.

The other temporary exhibit was by a very recent Italian artist.  This didn't blow my socks off.  But it wasn't bad.  Some cute pieces of a political nature.

If you're here for more than a few days -- and especially if you can't get into the Musei Vaticano or the Galleria Borghese -- you should consider a visit to the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna.

Spot Check

Yesterday was a banner day down on the banks of the Tiber.  I was walking around the Lungo il Tevere Roma (the little festival about which I posted yesterday), and ran across -- not one -- but two Dalmatians.  

This was Lucy:

This was Marcello:

It got me wondering whether all these people think it's weird when an American who's a total stranger stops them to talk about their dog.  I think not though.  Out of all the dog breeds on earth, you don't get a Dalmatian if you're not seeking attention.  (I'd know.)