Rome, Italy: 7 heavenly things and 7 challenges by Ton van Zutphen

　

By Ton van Zutphen

nedineurope.blogspot.com

　

Living / Working in Rome 2011-2012...7 heavenly things and 7 challenges:a definite personal opinion and experience by Ton van Zutphen

As of June 2011 I work, walk, talk, pray, eat and live like the nearly 3 million people in and around the Italian capital. Here are my impressions / strictly personal / and these are likely to differ sharply from most Romans and the tens of thousands of temporary guests like me.

More or less on a priority base:

Rome is heavenly when and if:

You can take part in or have a keen eye toward family life..a strong foundation and binding factor in Rome. Although I live by myself in an apartment in Battistini, my landlord and his family are great in every aspect: helpful, charming, invitations galore. As was the case with my Italian language teacher. Family matters, and that is a good thing..a rock so to speak. So much of this disappeared in my own country the Netherlands. It is still here...and of course families here meet on weekends...and stroll around town...and have lunch together. It is wonderful to see children taking their visibly very old parents to the 'ristorante' for 'pranzo' on Sunday noon... And the parents take care of the 'bambine'...always with a smile!

　

Food is being served; first of all the variety and composition of the meal, then the environment..eight months a year eating outside ; again within a family it is a bit better. Mama's cooking always has the reputation. What can come out of small kitchens is amazing. Definitely the food in Rome is the best I had all over the world. The seasonal variety is stunning. The delicatessen 'Castroni' in Prati / Cola di Rienzo is well worth a visit. And the wines...also exceptional; nearly as good as the French ones. The 'grappa' though is special..with what I drink: 'macchiato lungho'! And last but not least: ice cream always with a free plume of whipped cream. 'Lavazza cappuchino' brings memories to me as well. Finally...the pizzas by Gianni just around the corner are heavenly...his own recipes...like broccoli, shrimps, eggplant, porkmeat....most of these with 'mozarella di buffalo'. Delicious!

　

You can go, pray and feel the Vatican / 'Citta del Vaticano' ...the special atmosphere and the St. Peter's basilique where a long climb offers you one of the prime views over Rome; seeing Pope Benedict XVI nearly every Sunday is God's gift to the Romans and to the thousands of pilgrims. He blesses us all after his Sunday welcome. Singing in the choir of the 'Friezenkerk' next to the Vatican has added a special flavour for me. True....the beauty of the basilique and the State of the Holy See with all its museums and churches are worth a visit by itself.

　

You realise that the Romans are charming...not always when you approach them in a brusk manner...but when you use the words 'Scusa me....and Per favore'..with a smile, it is my experience that all are willing to help you. Even the notorious drivers do stop and try to avoid running over passengers....when you / as they themselves break the rules crossing the streets. And yes..Italian men do smile a lot in public to the ladies whereas the ladies do remain discrete.

　

You visit the huge number of historic sites, museums.....'old stuff'...some beautiful pieces right there in the streets...the 'Fontana di Trevi' at seven o'clock in the morning...just sit there and let it work its magic...Bernini was the sculptor. A complex, one in a life time beautiful piece of art; one wonders how man has been able to craft this out of marble. 'Piazza di Venezia'....and so on.....I became a specialist walking along the Tiber....a 21 kms foot and cycle path. The via Appia antica with the catacombs...and so on!

You enjoy the weather...always pleasant. Hot in July-August...cool but sunny around Christmas...bits of rain in March-April...never problematic. This year we had lots of snow for the first time in twenty years! Using my 'terrazzo' every day.

You know where to buy the better goodies...unfortunately there is no consistency in Rome...you can have a bad meal costing you a lot of money as well as the other way around. Italian (hand) made goods are still easy to find..and are often available in the sales. Tall men...watch out: all Italian shirts are slim fit... And my Italian dark blue handmade shoes are really beautiful; only I can't walk in them for more than an hour or so... painful!

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Rome is a challenge when and if:

　

You think that it is pretty everywhere...certainly not, since the streets are full of cars...too many of them / a real nuisance / often double parked...who cares?? Incredible..I guess that 1% of the parked cars never moves anymore...perhaps 5% of the cars drive around uninsured... No, the cars have created havoc all over Rome

You think it is clean...forget it. All the garbage containers for all households plus 'ristorantes' are in the street / parked that is. And once a day or night with a lot of noise these are being emptied. An archaic system. Smelly as well. Takes up huge space in the streets. Definitely needs to change...I guess the Romans are used to this sore sight. Pity / 'peccato'!

You wish to use transport...only the limited two metro lines are on time. Tram, bus, trains..often late / not good enough for a world city. The 'Leonardo da Vinci Express' train from the Fiumicino airport to the Termini railway station in the city gives you the impression to ride a train in Belgium in 1970...although in those days there was no graffitti. Taxi drivers from the airport to town......the worst in Europe.. very dangerous. Definitely, many passengers are riding bus and tram freely without paying.. In one year I never saw a control.

　

You see all the illegal trade going on in the streets...everywhere. This must be a huge racket involving Italians (mafia?) at the top and illegal street hawkers selling cheap imported Chinese (counterfeit) goods...Interesting, also in Rome the bag-traders are the Senegalese. Recent statistics estimate over 60,000 Bangladeshis ...and you can see these in the streets; I assume many of there are illegal. I just do not get it...Expensive Italian made design ladies' handbags are difficult to sell when the counterfeit version is to be had for eight euros just around the corner...nearly every corner that is. The illegal import / trade kills Italy's renowned leather industry...under everybody's eyes...including the politicians. I simply do not understand that this is allowed to happen.

You want to go for a walk? Rome is not the place to be ..contrary to what many people/visitors think. The 'Centro storico' is quite astonishing...though cars are everywhere, and you'll be walking over unevenly laid and badly maintained cobble streets. Walking..an early walk is good..streets in the centre really get crowded with tourists as of ten o'clock onwards to seven in the evening. Better go for a long stroll or jog along the Tiber river...hardly anybody there!

Rome is tuning down...not doing well....its economy sliding....no money for maintenance...never nice to be in a place that does not improve; unless you are born and raised there..or you come for a few days only.....Many long term expats continue to adjust but dislike the 'running downhill' situation that they see all over. Nevertheless the eternal city attracts forever new generations of visitors....

　

Well I ran out of challenges....I guess this is a sign that Rome definitely remains a good place to be!!

　

Ton van Zutphen

13th June 2012

Roma, Italia

ton_van_zutphen@wvi.org

Via Francigena / a 2 days walk from Viterbo to Formello / Italy section 3-4 April 12

The two days walk from Viterbo to Formello along the ancient Via Francigena (VF) / Italy section

I must say I was not well prepared about the route.   My knowledge prior to this walk was pretty thin. It is not now!

One lesson from life in general and living in Italy in particular is that there is always a solution...and Italians indeed are ready to help...I even drove a km or so in a Lamborghini.....( a tractor...never knew that company made anything else than exclusive sports cars).

Arriving at the Tourist office in Viterbo..there was no info available for walkers like myself. I was handed a print-out from the web for the route Viterbo-Vetralla. And so I started.....nice weather, the usual gear, good mood.   I managed to understand the Italian info on the route map, however the combination of measured distances to specific topographical points, with the signs indicating the route itself soon led to confusion. In the end I did not use the print-out from the Tourist office and relied on my common sense.

Problem nr. 1  along the Via Francigena is that there are at least 7 different signs used that mark the route itself...at times conflicting...or not readable anymore. And where one must expect to see signs (crossroads...and where trails split... ) quite often there were none. Pretty chaotic. I got lost twice: pretty soon close to the autostrada 7 kms. out of Viterbo, where all signs had disappeared. I finally reestablished contact with the VF 4 kms. later after having taken a road that I thought would be going into the direction of Vetralla... The second time late in the afternoon on my way to Capranica where I lost track in the hazelnut groves: again all signs disappeared and I wandered for at least 30 minutes but could not find the VF. So I had to go to the main road leading into the town of Capranica where there was no hotel..... For 1 euro the bus and on to Sutri where day one ended with the best 'penne a la carbonara' I ever had in my life (ristorante l'Antitheatro). Interestingly, I never saw anybody walking the VF , not on day one, not on day two.

The first leg of day two from Sutri to Monterosi was fast in the cool morning; beautiful weather...the landscape though in general and throughout  is not exceptional. There is little agricultural activity..farms seem not buzzing. Lots of olive  and hazelnut groves. Watch out for the Maremma white big sheepdogs. At one time I had a 'sixpack' coming after me...just in time the farmer cried out to stop them approaching further. The second time one got close to about one meter and I was ready to jump across a fence. Again the farmer had heard the noise and came driving his car at full speed to help out. He apologised and offered me a drink on his farm, which I politely declined at 11 in the morning.

The walk through part of the Parco Natural di Veio is disappointing...the parc is now so natural that at some places I had to use my arms to get through the path. A pity; in fact the VF itself is not maintained at all. Worse is that I must have come across over 100 illegal dumps where furniture and all sorts of plastics etc. is disposed off. Disgusting and it clearly will stick into every walker's mind that the VF needs to be cleaned up. Walking up into Campagnolo from the valley is breathtaking. I arrived at the back of its medieval section....and was astonished to see all those tiny houses still being lived in. Want to buy cheap property, prepared to invest 50 thousand euro to do it up...? Campagnolo is a beautiful historical town! Loved walking through it.  

Another 10 kms. on to Formello where I was told there would be a hotel...very nice road, rolling hills, clean area....and when I arrived at 16.30 hrs...no hotel...so I decided to call it a day took the bus for 2 euros to travel the last 10 kms. to Rome and was back in my apartment at 7 in the eve.

Tired? Yes, an indicator of tiredness and the intensity of the day is when in the eve and after a shower you still feel that you have your cap on!!

Some stats:

Viterbo-Rome as the crow flies: 75 kms. / per autostrada 90 kms. and walking along the VF about 115 kms. all the way to the Vatican. I estimate my walking from Viterbo to Formello a total distance of 90 kms.

Equipment: Lowa Renegade light and high closing hiking boots with goretex and vibram soles, and my 'Feetures USA brand' socks proved a perfect choice. And  the  Rohde Hirschtalg cream to use before and after this 2 day's heavy duty walk. Feet need to be looked after!  I carried 5-6 kgs. of essentials in a cheap backpack

Please fellow walkers do note that except for the towns of Viterbo, Vetralla, Caparanica, Sutri, Monterosi, Campagnolo and Formello...you cannot buy anything along the road...and I saw no public drinking taps either... and the streams all looked polluted, and are full of discarded garbage.

Finally, and yes, since a lot in Italy is about food....I had my best ever 'cioccolata calda' in a whole in the wall cafetaria in Monterosi....

Ton van Zutphen

Via dei Sampietrini 19

00168 Roma, Italia

tonvanzutphen@gmail.com