Rome Where You Want To - Part 1

For my birthday last year Liz agreed to send me and David on a trip to the continent; any destination we chose for a few days. 

It was going to be the first time I'd ever gone to continental Europe, and so I really thought hard about where I wanted to go.  Sort of the "which chocolate do I pick first" out of a new box of See's assorted.  I wanted them all, but you can only pick on and you can't really tell which ones you'll like the most, so . . . you're really going to have to guess and hope it's not the mallow-marzipan-pineapple. 

 

So, where will it be?  Paris?  Berlin?  Barcelona?  Well, it turns out I picked Rome, Italy to be my first big city trip.

 

There's a lot of reasons why I picked Rome.  It's always been an interesting place to me.  In many regards it was the capital of the world for hundreds of years, and is even today in a religious sense.  Romans made so many contributions to art, science, literature, philosophy, and of course, warfare.

 

Rome's involvement in the persecution and subsequent adoption of Christianity was also of keen interest.

 

The trip itself would span four days, two half days and two whole days and two nights in the city to soak up as much art, culture, and history as we could.  Oh yeah, and try to speak some Italian along the way.

 

The trip was basically divided up as follows: 

Day 1 would be get settled and reconnoitre the area, maybe take in a few shops or random sights. 

Day 2, Vatican City and the Sistine Chapel.

Day 3, ancient Rome, Colosseum, and (completely inadvertently, the Altar to the Fatherland).

Day 4, Galleria Borghese and some shopping, the head home.

 

Monday, early morning flight lands us in Rome on a beautiful afternoon.  Sun shining, about 75 degrees Fahrenheit.  In Ireland it was about 40 degrees and raining; I can already tell I'm going to like this place.  OK, first order of business: figure out how to get to the train station and find our hotel. 

 

 David wasn't used to so much sunshine.  It made him happy, though. 

It didn't take long for disaster to strike.  Our plans to take a train from Ciampino to Termini was a bust.  We couldn't find the connection to the trains and no one obvious (who, coincidently could speak English, but many thanks to those who tried!) to ask.  So, luck was with us and we found a bus on its way to Termini for half the cost of the train.  Disaster averted!
 

Finally, we arrived!  The streets of Rome; Rome, Italy!  Wow, I still can't believe it.  I have friends who are well-travelled who'd roll their eyes at my boyish exuberance, but I never imagined in my life that I'd ever have to visit Rome like this.  It was (and still is) awesome.  Yeah, I'm going to use that word, what is it? Epic.  Yeah, epic.

 Hey, YOU! Yeah, you down there! You're in Rome!  Whoo-hoo!!

Our first stop for food.  Some fast food joint.  One thing we figured out pretty quickly was that Rome prices are HIGH.  For this small platter of mysterious fried objects was about 8 Euros ($10 USD).  We also figured out that most people speak a few words of English, and those who didn't sure tried to.  We didn't meet a rude Roman our entire time there.

Our 5 start luxury accommodations in the heart of Rome included this grand elevator big enough for David and another person half his size.  I had to go up in three trips.

Our 5,000 square foot penthouse included this 87'' plasma high-def 3D big screen and Dolby 5.1 digital surround sound.

 

After hoofing around the city for half the day, we stopped for our first true Italian dinner!  This was just an appetizer.  What did we order for the main course? Why, pizza, of course!  Yum!

 David, ever the connoisseur of fine Italian cuisine, relishing his tomato toast.

One of the more famous icons of Rome:  The wolf who nursed Remus and Romulus, the traditional founders of Rome.

Potato chips!  From Italy!  In all seriousness, without them David would have starved to death.

Wow, David.  Don't get tired yet, bro, it's only our first day!

Our breakfast in the hotel courtyard included poached quail eggs, truffles, foie gras, caviar, couscous with a sprig of parsley and lemon spring water (sparkling, of course).

The trains of Rome are well . . . decorated . . .

OK, first stop, Vatican City!  Here it is, St. Peter's Square! 

All the chairs lined up to accommodate the faithful for the Pope's weekly address (I think).

The Vatican Swiss Guard!  In color!

The Holy Door. According to the Vatican website the Holy Door or 'Porta Sancta' is only open during a Holy Year (Jubilee), which occur every 25 years (the last one in 2000).   On the first day of a holy year, the Pope strikes the brick wall with a silver hammer and opens it to the pilgrims.  The message imparted by the Holy Door is that God's mercy reaches out to mankind's frailty.  From inside the basilica, the door is walled up.

St. Peter's Basilica; in a word, amazing.

This poor chap travelled all the way to Rome wearing this terrible shirt.  So. Sad.

A list of all the Popes.

The Dome; where we're going next!

Up the staircase, David!  Follow the light!!

A spectacular view of the square and Rome at large.

The Vatican gift shop.  The hand-carved nativity scene allows you to get each piece separately.  The Christ child is only 802.50 euros (about $1,000 US dollars)!  Hopefully that includes the manger.

David had to stop and think about it all for a while . . .

If you're wondering why I haven't included any photos of the Sistine Chapel it's because THEY WON'T LET YOU TAKE ANY PICTURES AT ALL inside!  Well, I guess I'll just have to take some off the internet.  Just try and stop me, Vatican Policia!

In all seriousness, the Sistine Chapel was one of my favorite stops.  We spent a lot of time looking up and around at the amazing frescos.  It took Michelangelo only about four years to complete the project, only in his early 20's and he didn't even like working with paint! 

The day is done.  We have some time now to take in some shops and see Rome in action in the evening.  This was an Italian grocery store with the quintessential meat section!

Street vendors selling their wares.

And to finish off part 1 of the trip:  whatever the heck this thing is.  A guy with a branch growing out of his head.  I guess even the Vatican museum has a few clunkers in its collection.

 

Stay tuned for Part 2: The Revenge!

Resolutions

So, I've been meaning to get back into the swing of things with this blog, mostly because it is something I feel is important and will be valuable in the distant future, something of a journal more than anything.

One thing for sure, the posts are going to be reduced in size, but hopefully increased in number.  The 7 month gap I had in posts was too long.  So much transpired in that period that should have been documented but wasn't.  Lots of thoughts and feelings, highs, lows; they need to be captured.

So, I'll repent, get back into writing.

Should I mention that I have a new little tablet computer that will make updating the blog ever-so easy?  It's something I can take with me anywhere, take pictures, access the internet, etc.  Liz got it for me for Christmas and now I really don't have any excuse for not documenting the Ireland experience.

But where to start?

Why not with an ordinary Monday?  Monday, January 6th, 2014 to be exact.  We're all back into school and work now, the holidays are, after today (the Feast of the Epiphany) officially over.  It really does feel like we're just . . . living here!

It has been a slow but unmistakable transition, going from American tourists to American residents in Ireland; then what comes next?  That's a very hard question to answer right now.  I honestly don't know where I'm going to go after the two years here are concluded.  It could be possible that we stay but at this point there's no indication we will, or even can, stay.  Not unless my job is extended and my immigration status is upgraded (and a pay raise to sweeten the deal wouldn't hurt, either).

To that point, I should say that Sariah and Aaron both repeatedly claim to miss America.  I think Aaron just doesn't like school, which he'd have to go to no matter where we lived, ha ha.  Sariah seems the most homesick, which really isn't missing the US as much as she misses one of her best friends, her cousin Eve.

The rest of us are content with our situation right now, and the complete unknown of where we'll go next year is of little concern.  You'd think that should bother us, but it doesn't; we feel good that something will come along at that time and the transition will happen as it should.  Hopefully I'm right!

We are hoping that as the weather improves this spring we'll begin doing our weekend getaway trips again.  Liz and I spent a few minutes yesterday compiling a big list of places in Ireland that we either haven't seen or want to see again.  As we were doing so we had that stark realization that this could be our last summer in this beautiful place.  Better make the most of it!

We've also had a lot of verbal commitments from friends and family to come out and visit us.  So far, nothing certain, but I hope that someone does because we'd love to share this place with them.  Give them a taste of what we've experienced.

Liz and I also have a list of places we want to see outside of Ireland.  We both got one big trip last year, and I'm hoping we can double it this year, each.  I'm also hoping to attend my 10 year business school anniversary in Seattle this summer.  Needless to say, it's going to be a very busy year if all these plans come to their fruition. 

Now, sort of a random experience I had while talking to a co-worker who was sharing an experience he had with his boys around Christmastime.  Classic Irish storytelling, I only wish I could capture the accent in his words here.  He basically described taking his boys to mass for Christmas, and while they were there . . .

Priest:  And our Saviour, Jesus Christ . . .
Son: DAD! He said Jesus!
Father: it's OK, we're in church, he can say  that here.
Priest:  . . . who redeemed us from hell . . .
Son: DAD! He said HELL!
Father: No, it's ok, we're in church, we can say that here
Priest:  . . . and saved us from damnation . . .
Son:  DAD! He said damn!
Father: No, really, it's OK, that's a bible word, it's ok!
Priest: And Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus and fled into Egypt . . .
Son: DAD! He said eejit!  That's NOT in the bible!

I laughed so hard at this story, one of my favourites so far.

I have so many stories just like this, snippets from an awesome Irish life I get to experience for a short time with some wonderful people.  It's almost like serving another mission, one I get to share with my family and one where I can sleep in on weekends.  I still have to wear a suit 5 days of the week, though, interestingly enough . . .

OK, so I promised to keep it short, and I will.  I'm hoping to write more, with pictures and commentary as I have done.  Till then, good night!

As 2013 Draws to a Close

It's been several months since I've posted anything in this blog.  That doesn't mean I haven't forgotten about it, but as is often the case, real life seems to overtake us and builds an ever-increasing list of priorities over the "write in my blog" task.

Since I've last posted, Liz has travelled to Paris, I've visited Rome, we've seen plays, movies, travelled around Dublin and Ireland, enjoyed parties and felt the joy and excitement that comes from living in such a wonderful place as Ireland.  The kids are enrolled in the Irish school system, Liz is busy with helping the kids on a daily basis, and I'm neck deep in work, church, and other activities.

Grand as it is, life here does come with its share of knocks and bruises, because honestly, that's real life, and it comes at you full force regardless of where you live.

But I don't think I nor any of us would trade the experience we've had for anything.  We're eagerly looking forward to 2014, in what is likely our last full year in Ireland.  And as we take it one day at a time we'll try to put on our tourist hats and head out and see this grand place, soak up the local customs and culture, and if we can, try to be as Irish as we can get.

As part of that, I hope to get back into the habit of posting updates at least weekly.  They probably won't be the long updates, but I hope to catalogue our journey here as much as possible.  Alternatively, if you're not already friends with us on Facebook, a lot of what we experience is captured there, if perhaps in not as much detail as what is afforded on the blog.

So, here's to a wonderful 2013, and looking forward to what promises to be an even better 2014!

Bull Island

Less than a half mile away from our home is a sandy beach front, Bull Island.  Geographically, it's pretty interesting, it's actually man-made, though completely inadvertent, the effect of seawall construction to protect the Dublin bay.

Fortunately for us, it's easy to get to and for an ocean lover like myself, perhaps one of the greatest elements of living in Ireland.  Here's a collection of pics I've taken since I've arrived.  

Now that summer has (sorta) arrived, we hopefully will be spending more time here. 

Hopefully we can get him out of that hole!

 The kids were all dressed, walking along the beach.  Can we walk in the surf,dad?  Oh sure, but just up to your ankles, OK?  Oh sure, dad, no problem . . . .

 Hmmmm, a little deeper than the ankles, I think . . . .

 Yeah, that's a lot deeper than the ankles.

 Fully dressed and soaked (and freezing).

YOU KIDS!  I SAID ANKLE DEEP! Oh look at those faces .  . . oh you know I can't stay mad at you!

 

Guess who's feet those are?

 Now, on a much sunnier and warmer day when they were actually supposed to get wet . . .

 Playing in the sand (which is a very fine, silty sand.  Makes for cleanup nightmares)

 This was a particularly windy day; the tide was going out and the wind was blowing out to the ocean, so the water receded so fast you could see it.

 Star of the Sea statue.

 Some swimming shelters and steps, though on this day it was highly advisable to stay out of the water.

 The Pizza Hut of Bull Island didn't do too well, I guess.

 This lovely yellow wildflower is called Gorse, but you don't want to cuddle its inch-long thorns.

 The wind brings out the windsurfers and kite surfers.  It was cold that day, so these fellas were the real deal.

 Howth as seen from the sea grass and dunes.

 A ferry in the distance.

Poolbeg power station and its very prominent smokestacks.

Happy 4th of July

This was something of a reflective holiday, the first US Independence Day where I have not stood on American soil to celebrate it.

Luckily for me I have some very thoughtful Irish co-workers who were thinking of me . . .

 I didn't wear this to work, but I wanted to!

 The bank's restaurant featured "Philly-style hot chicken hoagie with American-style fries, ketchup, and mustard"  Awww, that's so thoughtful!

 The service kitchen was even flying Old Glory herself!

 But the best of all, my desk was decorated to the max!

You guys are the greatest!  Thanks to the whole AIB team who did something really nice for me, it meant a LOT!

Trim

If there's anything in Ireland you'll never run out of it's rain.  But if there's TWO things, it's castles.

While all the castles are in various states of repair and interest, there certainly are a lot of them.

Of course, with that many castles, there's bound to be a few that are famous for one reason or another.

Maybe Mel Gibson playing a Scottish rebel?

FREEEEEEEEDOOOOOMMMM!!!!!

anyway, I digress.

Trim castle was actually used in the movie Braveheart, mostly because I'm assuming it's in overall pretty good condition.  It still has the original castle walls and the keep is great shape too.

A view from the top.

Now, this isn't Trim, this is St. John's Priory near Trim.  It's not nearly in as good as condition but the kids loved it because you could CLIMB on it!

Forget those stuffy tour guides and velvet ropes to keep everyone in line.  Go ahead, climb around!  Do what you want!  No rules here!

I can practically hear the angels singing . . .

Actually, the Priory was really cool because the cathedral still had the original arched window frames.

Sariah standing in the rain; caught mid blink, I'm assuming .. .

Don't fall, Cookie!  We don't have castle insurance.

Hello, beautiful!

Now, finally, look at this flower picture.  Is it not the most amazing pic you've ever seen?  I love it!