Viterbo: What a Joy to See this Town!

Viterbo is about an hour from Rome--a train ride from Vatican area station.  The guide book said Viterbo is the best example of a walled, medieval city left in Italy (for it's size). Looks like the Land of Romeo and Juliet, doesn't it?  It was magical; clean, very little trash and graffiti; not very crowded on this cool May Friday.

They produce wonderful ceramics here in Viterbo. A local friend from our home town spent 2 years learning and teaching mosaics here. Beautiful stuff.

The city sponsors a major religious event in September (next week, actually) Feast of Santa Rosa. Crowds will arrive for that! The men of the town carry a huge towering structure through the streets, in honor of the sweet Saint of Medieval times, whose shrine is in the town.  Sometimes, there are accidents while the structure is being transported. People have died!

But not today.  We strolled away the day. Every alley and court yard contained an architectural wonder, great and small.

Not much graffiti but evocative walks, courts and passages all over town. Many Italian and international films are made here.

Charm abounds. Look at that sweet bell tower. And my favorite everywhere: hearing the genuine, old fashion or ancient church bells tolling the hours. Loved that so much.

 Dripping with antique wonder. The people we see here today are tourists, mostly. Or locals like the nun? Who would we have seen 500 years ago? What would they have done? Worked hard, probably.

The next couple of posts will show more of this wonderful town. So glad we could visit!

The Day of the Long March..about 17 miles.

We started very early this clear, cool May day; walked and walked.  Our son was involved with a service project at the American Academy in Rome (our daughter-in-law was a Fellow). We could have joined the project, but didn't want to somehow exceed our welcome.  More about this in a later post; it was a "missed opportunity" to meet and work along side a famous author.  But it was OK as it was.

Lots of interesting little alleys and lanes on the way to the Vatican. We didn't linger, since the plan for the day was a long walk through the streets of Rome to the Forum, etc.

The usual view of Vatican Square.  It was about 7:00 AM by this time.  Looking for the usual too: coffee and a bathroom.

Lovely fountain with it's share of the usual litter that is everywhere in a city this big with so many mindless tourists.  Sad for the Roman people.

Vatican workers on their way to work. Just another workplace?

This style cute little trucks were everywhere.

We walked so long that day--perhaps 17 miles in all--I made it, just barely. Stopped taking photos, but it was a good day. Tired at the end. Had gelato for dinner and fell into bed.

One thing that helps with walking in Rome: if possible, with a decent map, follow back streets and quieter lanes rather than the main, clogged streets.  Far less congestion and more scenic vista.

I loved scenes like this; even in harsher light like this.  A cloudy day produces better photos, certainly.

The Kids of Rome

With all the photos I took, I actually made a point not to include too many "child photos" ("out in the wild", as everyone is suddenly saying). But here and there, some spunky, exuberant or stylish little kid would appear....

From reading, I understood there is a scarcity of kids in Italy, but I saw kids everywhere; facilities for children, too. Schools, toys stores, kids clothes and furnishings, etc. Parents out strolling with little kid and a toddler in arms as well as baby in stroller.

 
If you can't find real kids, your can find them as statues in museums. The baby above is strangling the bird, not cuddling with it!

This young family enjoyed the rose garden we saw  on one of our first long walks.

At Ostia, I think it was a school field trip day; the place was (almost) crowded with school classes visiting the ruins. The kids were well behaved (of course) but loud and boisterous, talkative, energetic and interactive with there teachers and each other; definitely not bored with their magnificent heritage.

At Piazzo San Cosimato playground, near our B&B, there were always so many brave, thrill-seeking toddlers on the (dangerous looking? old style?) equipment. Rocking back and forth as hard as possible.

Last Impressions of Ostia Antica...(but there was so much more)

Example of the use of the arch structure, filled in, for added strength; as we saw at the Pantheon a few days before.

I love these glimpses we get of what street scenes in Ancient Times may have appeared, in part.

We are reminded constantly that we cannot go back in time, we cannot know what it was like, see what they saw; but surely the sky and landscape surrounding the towns and villages were similar, the atmosphere. 

Who worked, sat, slept, lived or died in these spaces?

A few months ago, I read a book ("Surprised by Joy" by C. S. Lewis ); my understanding was pitifully inadequate (I am leaving my post as written to show how shallow I can be, sometimes. Not always, but sometimes.

The visit to Italy has helped me understand what Lewis meant by his "Joy"-- a wonderful, unattainable longing. As a younger person, his "sublime unattainable" was for "all things Norse": cold sea air, Vikings, Norse legends, etc. 

Anyway, wandering the foundations and dust and bricks of their Ancient Port Town--(a logistical center, like their version of an Amazon, FedEx, Walmart-Hub!)--makes them feel closer? And very far away all at the same time.

Ostia Antica: The Antiquities Museum

One of my favorite images from the entire experience.

Sky lights enhanced the presentation of the relics in this museum.

I wish these statues were not damaged so badly.

A Happy Child

And, alas, a Sad Child

As lovely and impressive as the statuary halls were, after 3 or 4 in a few short days, we were "museumed out"; though I took enough photos that I can enjoy the images at my leisure.

A Few More Bricks at Ostia Antica. Then we will go to the Museum.

Could those horizontal lines be intentional? Ancient or more modern?

The lettering above is obviously intentional. Who did it, I wonder. And when? It appears carved in the finished surface. I was excited to find this, however.

Interesting composition. Looks "organic". Toothy.

 Deteriorated. Exploring the bricks was fun. And there were millions more to see.