The Great Train Robbery
The train from Nice to Rome was a pleasure. The nine and a half hours passed quickly with changes at Ventimiglia and Genoa. It was a clear sunny day and the panorama unfolding outside my window was relaxing. I had placed my suitcase in the designated baggage compartment at the end of the train car, not far from my seat, and checked on it frequently. And yet. . .when we arrived in Rome and I went to fetch it, the compartment was empty! My stomach did a flip-flop. Yes, I had all documents, money and electronics with me but only the clothes on my back. Suddenly I was no longer tired or hungry but angry and apprehensive. I immediately notified the nearest conductor who called over the shift supervisor. She took detailed information, including passport number, address and email, and then directed me to the polizia in the train station. The cop who opened the door seemed furious that I was there and informed me that the “system was blocked” and no reports could be taken. He couldn’t wait to get rid of me and could not have been more unpleasant. He acted as though I was interrupting an important … Continue reading →
Easing into Rome
First order of business–a toothbrush! Then, the local polizia. I got out of the hotel early with instructions on how to find the police station. The Casa S. Giuseppe di Cluny was in the Monti neighborhood, convenient to the train station, the historic center and the Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore. The majestic basilica fortified me for the coming day. The police report duly filed, I headed to the Trenitalia office to tackle the paperwork there. The reimbursement should happen in one to three months. As one of the kindly Cluny Sisters remarked “Always quick to take the money. Very slow to give the money”. Along the way, I picked up some socks, underwear, toiletries and a down jacket. Rome was chilly! Although rattled, I had already booked a tour of the Forum, Colosseum and Palatine Hill for mid-afternoon and was determined to concentrate on the Roman story. Dinner was at a local joint, Pescetto Fish Ristorante, which served up imaginative fish balls and fish lasagna at a reasonable price.
Continue reading →
Rome: Sights and Shops
Although I picked up the bare clothing necessities yesterday, clearly I needed to change my shirt and slacks every so often! Also, I needed to prepare for the warmer temperatures of Sardinia. Fortunately Rome’s historic center was teeming with stores, mostly chain stores unfortunately. So I combined visits to the glorious Bernini fountains with a tedious but necessary stop at Zara. I’ll never get that hour of life back. For dinner I continued my studies of cacio e pepe at Ristorante Pizzeria da Michele right in the neighborhood.
Continue reading →
Ostia Antica
Ostia Antica was a great way to get out of the bustling Eternal City and step back to the Roman days. The ruins were far more extensive than I had expected and presented an evocative display of how upper middle-class Romans lived. The transport connections were far more straightforward than the rats nest of buses connecting Rome’s sprawling neighborhoods. Every day was spa day in ancient Rome. Why don’t we have public baths? Why are we relegated to lonely showers? Bathing should be an enjoyable public ritual. Free baths, free public entertainment: life could be good in ancient Rome. Temples, tombs, shops, villas, warehouses–and very few tourists. I poked around most of the day and then headed to the trendy Monti neighborhood, northeast of the Forum for a Prosecco and–more shopping! This time it was fun. Monti is the hipster neighborhood with vintage and used-clothing shops lining the cobblestone streets. It was the perfect place to round out my little wardrobe.
Continue reading →
Trastevere and the Tiber
For my last day I decided to check out Trastevere, immensely loved by tourists. Too loved. Shop, pizzeria, trattoria, shop, pizzeria, trattoria, shop, pizzeria. . .I wasn’t impressed. Trastevere is a vivid example of the destructive power of AirBnB. Almost nothing remained of the old neighborhood except the magnificent Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere. There was a wedding that day which meant the visit was limited. The wedding gift was parked right outside: a gleaming red Ferrari with a bow on top. A far cry from Trastevere’s working class roots. Much more charming was the bridge linking the Tiber island with the river banks and the stunning riverside promenade. Later, I picked up a new suitcase from the “Coveri Collection”. Have you heard? It’s the latest accessory and only costs €38. Spoiler alert: it lasted until the end of the trip. Then on to Civitavecchia and the overnight ferry to Cagliari, Sardinia.
Continue reading →
Cagliari
The ferry from Civitavecchia to Cagliari was 15 1/2 hours but comfortable and pleasant, especially since I splurged on a reasonably-priced cabin. Here’s the first look at Cagliari: I checked into the delightful Palazzo Fulgher, a beautifully restored and decorated old villa right in the center of town. While waiting for my travel companion, Chiew, to arrive I ambled around the old streets. It was a lot easier to get my bearings than in Rome. The following day, we set out to explore the Castello district, high over the city with medieval streets winding around towers and walls, opening on to sweeping views of the city. That night I discovered the Sardinian pasta known as fregula, often served with seafood and bottarga. Yum!
Continue reading →
Cagliari: Su Nuraxi
One of the major highlights of Sardinia (besides the beaches) is the archaeological heritage. The island was once the center of the Nuragic civilization which developed from 1700 to 600BC. Not much is known about the Nuragic age (sounds like the headache age) except that these Bronze Age folks were traders and they built thousands of stone structures known as nuraghe. The one in Su Nuraxi is the best preserved and is a Unesco world heritage site. Getting to Su Nuraxi from Cagliari But how to get there? We had determined to get around by public transport which presented some challenges here. The site is about 1 1/2 hours drive from Cagliari. A tour company offered to take us out there for €60pp which seemed excessive. Diligent research revealed that there was bus transport to Barumini, the adjacent village with a change at Sanluri for a total travel time of 2 1/2 hours. It sounds like a lot but the buses were comfortable and we got to see some of the countryside which was mostly flat and dry. The ancient Sardinians provided grain to the Roman empire and even now we saw a lot of cultivated land, mostly grains, vegetables, olive … Continue reading →
Cagliari to Iglesias
Cagliari’s Archaeological Museum was the perfect follow up to yesterday’s visit to Su Nuraxi. The museum displayed a number of finds from the neolithic period through the nuraghic and on to the Romans. Particularly interesting were the bronze figurines from the nuraghi and the clay fertility goddesses from the same period. It was well displayed with explanations in English. In the afternoon we caught a train to Iglesias. (Contrary to stereotype, I found Italian trains and buses highly reliable and comfortable). The town seemed curiously underpopulated but it was a center of Spanish rule and the medieval Pisan and Spanish architecture made it worth a stop.
Continue reading →
Cabras
They said it couldn’t be done but we decided to do it anyway. That is, try to get around Sardinia without renting a car. Mostly it worked pretty well as the Italian bus and train system is highly reliable except on Sunday when buses virtually stop functioning altogether. Our only real challenge was in getting from Iglesias to Cabras which would have been a 1 1/2 hour drive. Instead we took a 2 1/4 hour train to Oristano with the idea of getting a bus to Cabras, only 11km away. Poor planning. The Oristano bus station is nowhere near the train station. After waiting a while for a bus to a bus station, we snagged a taxi to Cabras for only €20. It was a pleasure to check into our B&B Torremana The modest village with plain, low houses and wide streets had an easy charm but for some reason the street layout made no sense to us and we were constantly lost. The treeless streets all looked alike. It was like being caught in an under-designed video game. Pleasant and slightly disorienting. The best part of town was the tranquil lagoon (pond) that was a protected wildlife habitat and … Continue reading →
Alghero
It took four buses to get from Cabras to Alghero which sounds more complicated than it was. The buses came like clockwork: Cabras-Oristano-Macomer-Sassari-Alghero. No changing of stations; just get off one bus and on to another and watch the scenery go by. The Zia Amalia Villa Asfodelo (what a stupid name. Who can remember it?) was ideally located near the bus stop and the old town. The room was slightly musty but the hospitality was first-rate. We were immediately taken with the walled Spanish town and spent several hours wandering the streets. Even though there were plenty of shops (mostly selling red coral from the Red Sea which is apparently legal), somehow the medieval palaces remained as impressive as ever. Even better was a walk along the port. But the piece de resistance was a walk along the bastions at sunset. After a morning stop at another Chinese merchant for more cheap but necessary stuff, we boarded an afternoon boat for “Neptune’s Cave” despite the chilly, cloudy skies. It was exhilarating to be on the sea and the cave was majestic. It was like the backdrop to a Russian ballet. I could easily imagine white tutus to come fluttering from … Continue reading →