Regional Travel - Tivoli, Naples, and Pompeii

            Buonasera!  I’ve spent these past few days travelling regionally here in western and southern Italy.  It’s hard to keep up with the plethora of new sights, sounds, and delicious aromas I find assaulting my senses at every twist and turn of the cobblestone pavement, but I will attempt to unpack them all here!  This post is a narrative of my adventure the past few days with an emphasis on the historical sites we visited. 

            Yesterday, the Rome Center students and staff traveled as a full group to Tivoli, a beautiful country town about one hour east of Rome.  The bus ride out of Rome was pretty neat, as we passed beneath the ancient Roman city walls (which run mostly still intact for some 19 km around the city).  The first stop we made before getting to Tivoli was at Hadrian’s Villa – a second century extravagant country retreat built by the notoriously prolific builder, Roman emperor Hadrian (who also ordered construction of the Pantheon in Rome, and what is now called ‘Hadrian’s wall’ in northern England).  Everything Hadrian did was done in excess.  After all, he did rule at the height of the Roman Empire, from 117-138 C.E.  Here’s a picture of me near what is called the ‘Canopus’, Hadrian's grand pool surrounded by arched pillars and statues. 

            In the afternoon, after eating some delicious lasagna in downtown Tivoli, we walked to Ville d’Este, the lavish Renaissance garden estate of Cardinal Ippolito d’Este.  No doubt frustrated at failing to garner the office of the papacy (his father was a Pope), d’Este may have built the estate as a consolation prize for himself.  The exterior landscape of the estate is touted as a quintessential Italian style garden – symmetrical, and impeccably ordered.  The estate as a whole is most famous for its Mannerist frescoes (interior), and its many fountains, including a water powered musical fountain (pictured below - along with a segment of the 'Hundred Fountains' close by).

            I was exhausted yesterday after climbing up and down the steep hills of Tivoli, but after a quick nap on the bus ride back to Rome, my roommate, Jacob, and I, ventured back out last night to visit with some friends and plan for today.  We ended up deciding to try for a visit to Naples and Pompeii, and that is exactly what we ended up doing. 

            It took two bus rides, four train rides, and some 12 miles of walking to accomplish our goal, but it was entirely worth it.  We managed to explore Naples and try some of the city’s famous pizza for lunch, explore the ruins of Pompeii, and take some beautiful pictures in the process (see one of these below). 

Selfie with my incredible friends and the ruins of Pompeii

            I’ve gained a lot of confidence the past few days about my ability to travel independently – and in a country where English is not the first language!  I must say though, as far as language goes, a lot of Italians do speak at least some English.  Almost everyone in the service and restaurant industry does.  I have a lot of respect for these young multilinguists.  In many ways, the United States is very accepting of foreign cultures, after all we are a melting pot of people who hold incredibly varied political stances, religious ideals, and language skills.  However, it seems to me that we – myself included – can be quite cold toward people who don’t speak our language well.  This simply isn’t the case at all in Italy.  Everyone I have encountered has been very welcoming and compassionate – willing to struggle through the language barrier with me.

Just this morning we met a nice man on the train to Naples who spoke some English, but with a thick accent and some Italian phrases mixed in.  Despite the language barrier, he still carried on a conversation with us, welcoming us to Italy, and pointing out landmarks through the train windows.  The Italian people are brave, and I want to be brave too.  I want to find the compassion that the man on the bus had – the compassion to welcome foreigners into my own country in their native tongue, as their host, their guide, and their friend.  But I digress.   

            In other news, my street here in Trastevere, Vicolo del Cinque, has been crazier than ever lately!  I woke up last night at 3 am to singing in the streets.  I absolutely love it though.  There’s so much to do here, and the party-like atmosphere is feeding my will to learn more!  As I type this post, sitting next to my window on the third floor, I can hear a steady hum of conversation and music down below. 

            Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the contemporary culture here that it’s hard to focus on all the history that is weaved so seamlessly into the fabric of the city.  Each morning when I step out my front door, I have an intense moment of realization.  I’m in Italy!  I still can hardly believe I’m really here.  The combination of Italy’s enthusiasm as a nation, and its beauty as a landscape never ceases to amaze me.  And it’s those two characteristics that have been sustaining me these past several days.  Exploring is a need here, not a want.  The more I see, the more I want to see, the more I yearn to see with every fiber of my being.             

As always, thank you very much for reading!  I hope to post again early next week.  My plans for the next few days include site visits with the Rome Center to the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Vatican Museums.  Until next time,

Ciao,

Brock