GARGANTUAN steps
Monday, December 12, 2016
honeymoon - lots of honey on the moon
caput mundi
capital of the world
They say that Rome was never built in a day, and more poignantly for me, Rome cannot be savoured in a single trip. And I've been to the Eternal City three times now, and was now back for a fourth, despite never having thrown a single coin into the Trevi Fountain ever since coming here ten years ago. Whatever the legend may say about being guaranteed a return to Rome should you throw a coin into this mystical fountain, the pure historical glamour and religious grandeur will forever endure this city to me. And I suspect that this will not be the last time here for me.
Chun Yi's honeymoon destination has always been Venice (and mine is actually to take selfies with the emperor penguins in Antarctica), but with the Pope granting a special audience for newly married Catholic couples, there was no fighting about where we were headed to as our honeymoon destination. As the saying goes - happy wife, happy life. And I'm never too adverse to going back to Rome (and Italy), of which I've had many fond memories of!
Days 1-3 - Rome: Castel Sant'Angelo, Vatican City and audience with the Pope, Church of St. Louis of the French, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps
After being barely married for 24 hours, we were on our flight to Rome. It has been a busy year just past for the both of us, planning for our big day as well as for our honeymoon. More intriguingly, we actually had to look up Pope Francis' schedule to see when he would be at the Vatican before we blocked our leave and booked our flights. We even had to bring our wedding suit and gown along for this trip so that we could be granted this special audience. It was to be one last hurrah in our wedding attire!
On our flight to Rome
After depositing our luggage at our accommodation, (a first for me renting via AirBNB), we headed out to take in some sights of Rome at dusk before settling for dinner. We both had a bucket-list of things we wanted to accomplish in Italy - for Chun Yi, it was to meet the Pope, to visit Venice and Cinque Terre, to have a typical Tower-of-Pisa pose, and to have a daily serving of gelato, no matter the weather. For myself, I definitely wanted to sit on a gondola (having been to Venice twice and not sitting once at all), and to visit all the many museums in Venice and Florence that I had missed previously. I must say that the both of us were immensely satisfied at the end of the trip (though I'm not too sure whether Chun Yi found the museums a tad too overkill, but it is something to definitely get used to).
At Castel Sant'Angelo
At St. Peter's Square with St. Peter's Basilica as a backdrop
Being serenaded
Our first morning in Italy began with a tour of the Vatican Gardens. One derives a certain amount of satisfaction bypassing the more-than-an-hour-long queue into the Vatican Museum (which is the starting point for the tour), and I would highly recommend the additional charge for pre-booking your tickets, even if it is just to tour the museums and the renown Sistine Chapel.
The Vatican City is the smallest sovereign state in the world, and the common denominator amongst its residents is their Catholic faith amidst an amalgamation of nationalities. In fact, they have yet to have an Italian pope for nearly half a century, with the last three popes coming from Argentina, Germany and Poland respectively. The Vatican City sits within the city of Rome itself, and once upon a time, the Pope used to rule the Papal States. This covered an extensive geographical area of what is now known as Italy, before being forced to cede back territory, in exchange for money, to the fascist Italian government led by Mussolini in 1929, in what is now known as the Lateran Treaty. Many of the popes in the past were narcissistic and self-serving individuals who engaged in nepotism (this knowledge known courtesy of Chun Yi who bought me a book on the history of the papacy - 'Absolute Monarchs'). Though they were unable to marry nor have children, their nephews in particular were able to rise quickly through the ranks. To further substantiate, the word 'nepotism' derives from the Italian word 'nipote', meaning 'nephew', which arose from this papal practice of favouring relations. These descendants of St. Peter, though, can be credited for the splendor and magnificence of St. Peter's Basilica, as well as the riches and beauty within the Vatican Museums.
The tour of the Vatican Gardens itself was a new experience for me in Rome, and walking through it brings a certain sense of serenity away from the hustle and bustle of Rome, and even of the Vatican Museums itself. The Vatican Gardens is a favourite place for contemplation for the Popes as well, and they are accorded absolute privacy when they about their morning walks to meditate and pray and spend time with the Lord. The gardens are separated into various styles, including American, Italian, French and English (which is the least kempt of the lot). Interspersed within various areas of the gardens are colleges and residences, the Vatican Radio transmission centre, the Pope's own helipad, a multitude of fountains, and most importantly, areas of prayer.
In the Gardens with St. Peter's Basilica for a backdrop
In full bloom
Lourdes Grotto
This is an exact replica of the one in Lourdes, and is apparently Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's favourite spot in the Gardens
Shrine of the Madonna della Guardia
This is Pope Francis' favourite spot in the Gardens, and he comes here every morning and prayers at the stone bench which you can see here in the foreground of the picture on the left
We spent the next half of the day exploring the main sites of the Vatican itself. With too many tourists and too many paintings, the Vatican Museum definitely wasn't the highlight of Chun Yi's trip. Though having been there for a fourth time, I still had that growing sense of anticipation as I paced along at snail's speed through the hallways and multitudes of paintings and statues, each step inching closer towards the Sistine Chapel. And one can't help but just be awestruck again and again by Michelangelo's oeuvre - the ceiling depicting stories contained within the book of Genesis, and the wall behind the altar depicting the Last Judgement.
For a little more history, the Sistine Chapel is, first and foremost, a chapel, a room for worship. Hence, why the minders in the room constantly prohibit people from talking and taking photographs. Named after Pope Sixtus IV, who commissioned it, the chapel is built in the exact same dimensions as the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, which was where Jesus once preached and worshipped in. This celebrated chapel is also where the cardinals gather when it is time to elect a new Bishop of Rome, who is also the Pope. To become pope, one must win by a majority of two-thirds plus one vote. After each vote, the voting papers are burnt and the colour of the smoke that arises from its chimney tell the faithful in St. Peter's Square the results - dark smoke represents a failed vote; and white smoke, together with the ringing of bells, indicates the election of a new pope. Popes, upon election, have to choose a new papal name - this is to follow the tradition set by the first pope, Peter, who was so named by Jesus himself, before which he was previously known as Simon.
Amidst the throngs of crowd
The School of Athens
by Raphael
The Last Judgement
by Michelangelo
The Creation of Adam
by Michelangelo
The most famous of all the ceiling frescoes in the Sistine Chapel - this depicts the creation of the first human by God, and it shows Adam's finger almost touching God's. They are depicted in such a way to be almost a mirror image of one another - a reminder that man is created in the same image and likeness as God. Also, there is a hypothesis that the background shape around God (the bearded figure on the right) actually depicts the anatomy of a human brain, such was Michelangelo's expertise in human anatomy. Interestingly, there is a question about why Adam has a navel if he was created and not born.
The next stop was a visit to St. Peter's Basilica, which is, in my opinion, the most beautiful church in the world. Built over the site where St. Peter was buried, the original area beneath the basilica is actually a cemetery. When the first church was built (the current one is the second version), the area was scattered with graves cramped against one another, all surrounding a single, revered tomb, believed to be that of St. Peter. The high altar of the Basilica is built directly above it. Interestingly, St. Peter's Basilica is neither the Pope's official seat nor the first in rank amongst the basilicas in Rome - the title belongs to that of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, which is deemed the true mother church of all churches. St. Peter's Basilica though remains its most recognised, and most used by the popes.
Pietà
The first of many by Michelangelo we were to see on this trip, this one sculpted by him at the tender age of 23
Inside St. Peter's Basilica
Caressing the right foot of St. Peter
Pilgrims traditionally touch or kiss his foot (which is now worn and shiny)
The baldachino (canopy) covering the high altar, beneath which is buried St. Peter
View of Rome from the top of the dome
View of the Vatian Gardens
Gelato after a hard day's endeavor
Rosary session at St. Peter's Square
Every Wednesday, if the pope is in the vicinity, he conducts a general audience in which he greets the faithful after a short discourse on a Bible passage. Catholic couples, who are within two months following their marriage, get to sit near the front. After the pope has gone through the crowds on the square, the couples are then invited forward to receive a special blessing from him. This was what we had planned our entire trip around, and we got up early the next morning to don our suit and gown (and heels) to head to St. Peter's again. It was not early enough.
Previously, when there were less couples who knew about this event, also known as 'sposi novelli', one could get a one on one blessing from the pope. However, now with more than fifty couples each session, all the couples get crowded behind a barrier, and if you were lucky (and early) enough, you will be right in front to get into close proximity with the pope. If not, you may be stuck behind a few couples (which was what happened to us), and all you get, which is still special, is a handshake through an outstretched hand. And that is what we managed to get - an opening appeared through which he stuck his hand out, and fleetingly did we manage to grasp it. According to Chun Yi's friend - our hands are now second class relics. It was a very special moment for the both of us. Seeing Pope Francis so close-up, he appears to be like anyone's grandfather (just a very special one), and his smile is particularly infectious, though you could hardly tell the weight of the world (Catholic and non-Catholic) that he carries upon his shoulders. I suppose with the backing of God, nothing is impossible, hence his perpetual smile!
Amongst the many newly weds
The audience awaiting the pope
Blessing the couples
As you can see, we were easily behind a three-four people thick crowd. At that point in time, I felt this must probably be how people felt when they were struggling to get near to Jesus, and to have been happy enough to have even touched his clothes. I would have climbed up a tree if there was one nearby.
Pope Francis
Together 'with' Pope Francis
Our third wedding photo-shoot - in St. Peter's Basilica
In St. Peter's Square
People were genuinely very nice to us, and we had random strangers congratulating us along the streets or even singing for us as we went by
After a blessed sun-burnt morning, it was time to head out of the Vatican to visit the other touristy attractions. The Castel Sant'Angelo, formerly known as the Mausoleum of Hadrian, was, as it name says, the tomb of the Roman emperor Hadrian. Following the decline of the Roman empire and the rise of the papal power, the popes converted this building into a castle, and a covered fortified corridor linked it to St. Peter's Basilica. Whenever the Vatican and the pope was under siege, he would flee through the corridor to the castle where he would remain protected by his Swiss Guards. It now functions as a museum after being decommissioned, though we gave this one a miss.
At Castel Sant'Angelo
Fountain of the Four Rivers at the Piazza Navona
This fountain represents four major rivers of the four continents through which papal authority has spread - the Nile representing Africa; the Danube representing Europe; the Ganges representing Asia; and the Rio de la Plata representing the Americas.There is, unsurprisingly, no Australia in it.
A caricature of Pope Francis in Piazza Navona
The Calling of St. Matthew by Caravaggio
This painting, housed within the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi, is Pope Francis' favourite painting. It depicts the moment in which Jesus calls out to St. Matthew and asks him to 'Follow me'. And Pope Francis always likens himself to St. Matthew in the picture, where there is an element of surprise and shock at being called upon by Jesus to serve, him being a sinner and being so unworthy. But yet the Lord has turned his gaze upon him.
After stopping by the Piazza Navona, the former Stadium of Domitian now converted to a public space, and subsequently the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi (St. Louis of the French) to appreciate the current pope's favourite painting, we made our way to another of Rome's favourite son, the Pantheon. A former Roman temple, the Pantheon remains one of the best-preserved ancient Roman buildings. Built between between the years 118-128 A.D., the Pantheon is Greek for 'temple of every god', and it has now been converted to a church, for the one single God. The bronze ceiling was melted down to make 80 canons for the Castel Sant'Angelo, and to provide Bernini with bronze for the baldachino in St. Peter's Basilica. All this melting left a big gaping hole in the ceiling of the dome, and Chun Yi's famous last words in the church were 'what happens when it rains?" before her question was answered by the gods (or rather, by God). The rain falls right through the open dome and pools around these small holes on the floor hiding a drainage system beneath them. Having accomplished my job as a tour guide, we next headed to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps, before making our way to dinner.
At the Pantheon
The Pantheon's massive dome with a massive gaping hole
The Trevi Fountain
Chun Yi throwing a Malaysian coin into the fountain to ensure her return to Rome
Just prior to this, she had been hit on the forehead by an errant coin-thrower, whose aim was impeccable from a distance and height of just four metres away from this monstrosity of a fountain. She still had the cheek to ask us to pick the coin up and throw it into the fountain for her, without having the least bit remorse to come down and apologise. Having almost had my wife blinded in one eye, I was unreservedly furious. At least Chun Yi saw the funny side of it!
At the Spanish Steps
View of Rome at dusk from the peak of the Steps
Days 4-5 - Venice: Jewish Ghetto, Walking Tour, Gondola ride, St. Mark's Basilica and Square, the Doge's Palace, the Bridge of Sighs and the Rialto Bridge
Its downfall came not on its own merits, but through the devastation wrought by plagues, as well as the opening of other sea trade routes and the discovery of the Americas leading to the bypassing of its ports. Interestingly, from an infectious diseases point of view, the word 'quarantine' came about because of the Black Plague in the 14th century, when during the epidemic, ships arriving in Venice were required to be isolated for 'quaranta giorni' (Italian for forty days) off-shore before the passengers and crews could come ashore.
Venice subsequently reinvented itself to become an artistic centre in Europe, being renown for its art, opera, as well as prostitution. Over the many years since, it has now become one of the major tourist destinations in the world, spurred on by regular threats of its existence due to rising sea levels. Sadly, the main threat are the tourists themselves, who easily outnumber the inhabitants of the island. With every part of the island geared towards tourism, the island is slowly losing its identity. The local inhabitants have been displaced by the high cost of living on the island, and their property sold to make way for accommodation for tourists; original Venetian produce such as the Murano glass and the Venetian masks are replaced by cheap imitations from China (bought by the Chinese themselves who come to visit the city). There are even talks of making this into a Venice-land, something akin to Disneyland, a historical European city/theme park. With its history and reputation at stake, it may soon become a modern-day version of Atlantis.
Along the canal outside our gorgeous apartment
At the Jewish Ghetto
This area in Venice was used to segregate the Jews from the rest of its inhabitants, though this was subsequently abolished following the arrival of Napoleon Bonaparte
Our first evening in Venice consisted of a short exploratory walk, passing by the Jewish Ghetto, and subsequently ending up at St. Mark's Square or Piazza San Marco. This area in Venice has been called the 'drawing room of Europe', so claimed by the great man Napoleon himself after being taken aback by the sight. The square itself is an excellent place to people watch, and with live music being played at a couple of the restaurants lining the square perimeter, there is perhaps no other area in Europe more European-isque than here itself.
With St. Mark's Basilica in the background
At St. Mark's Square with the Bell Tower dominating
Sunset by the canal
Dinner at Trattoria dalla Marisa
Possibly the best meal that we had in Italy, and we undoubtedly experienced many good meals - the picture depicts only our starters for the night, and it was delectable. Little did we know we still had a main course to go.
We started the next day with a sprightly walking tour, exploring various parts of Venice one might otherwise not come into contact with if you toured by yourself. Venice is a city without cars, and you travel about either by boat or by foot. What makes the city particularly romantic are the countless canals whose waters whisper at your feet to keep moving forward and explore the next bend ahead. And inadvertently, you stumble across the next picturesque street or waterway, or, the next hoard of tourists heading towards St. Mark's Square. What makes Venice a class above other romantic cities - sitting upon a gondola and enjoying a quiet (but exhorbitant) side of Venice with no one else but your loved one (and a, hopefully, quiet gondolier).
Two symbols are synonymous with Venice - the lion of St. Mark, which shows a winged lion holding a Bible; and a gondola. The lion of St. Mark is perpetuated throughout Venice, and it can be found on almost every building in the city. Symbolically, if the Bible held by the lion is closed, it means that the building was erected during a time of strife; and if it was opened, then peace was the order of the day when it was built. St. Mark is the patron saint of Venice, and one of the authors of the Gospel (the rest being Matthew, Luke and John). Not to confuse, Mark is not one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, but one of the writers of the four Gospels.
By the Grand Canal
The Grand Canal is the aorta of Venice, bisecting the the main island into two with a reverse-sigmoid shape, and where all small canals eventually lead to
One of the many small canals we stumbled upon
Walking tour
At Dorsoduro
With St. Mark's Campanile and Doge's Palace across the Grand Canal
With our gondolier on our gondola
There used to be nearly 7000 gondolas in Venice about half a millenium ago. Currently, there are just slightly more than 400, and it is fueled mostly by the tourist trade. Each gondola costs early the price of a cheap car in Singapore - €40,000 - which equates to $63,0000. To make up for this, each ride costs a minimum of €80 for a 40-minute ride, though a gondola can sit up to 6 people per ride (which makes it worth going as a group if you're really keen). Most gondoliers evidently won't be able to afford such a luxurious form of transport, and so most gondolas are rented out like taxis by various gondola companies. It really is quite an experience gently streaming down the small canals and learning a little from our guide/gondolier about various architectures and famous buildings in Venice, till we ended up along the hustle and bustle of the Grand Canal where larger boats rule the roost. After fighting the choppy waves and taking in the atmosphere of the Grand Canal, we headed back into the small canals where our gondolier expertly guided the boat through the narrow alleyways with many ninety-degree bends, back to our starting point. It was now time for us to head to the main attractions in Venice - it was back to the drawing room of Europe.
Through the narrow canals
Our gondolier
Chun Yi with the Rialto bridge spanning the Grand Canal
St. Mark's Basilica used to the be the private chapel/church of the Doge of Venice, with a passageway linking the palace beside it to the interior of the basilica. St. Mark is honoured to be the founder of Christianity in Africa, and he is said to have founded the Church of Alexandria. The legendary story always rehashed in Venice is of how two merchants stole the body of St. Mark out of Egypt to Venice, back in 828 A.D., when Egypt was, by then, ruled by a caliphate. To get pass the authorities who would have otherwise put a serious dent to their endeavors, they hid his body beneath a layer of pork, and managed to smuggle him back to Venice, where his body is now interred within the basilica itself. This particular story has gained so much traction that it is even depicted as a mosaic on the front of the basilica itself. My own thoughts on hearing the story are that - St. Mark, being a Jew, would have had his body defiled by being covered with pork.
Interior of St. Mark's Basilica
The high altar
Which contains the relics of St. Mark beneath
Pala d'Oro
The altarpiece, also known as the 'Golden Pall', is 3 metres by 2 metres, and made of gold and silver and littered with precious gems.
The Palazzo Ducale, or Doge's Palace, is the main residence of the Doge of Venice, who was the ruler of Venice. The doge, once elected, held the seat of power for life, though the average age of an elected doge was typically past the age of 70. Despite huge perks of wealth, their position was largely ceremonial (not unlike our Singaporean president), and their movements restricted to mostly within the palace. Still, they lived in a state of opulence, that is, till the arrival of Napoleon who promptly deposed of the very last ever doge, in 1797. Venice has since become a Republic.
Doge's Palace was one of the places I failed to visit in my previous two trips to Venice. Just like any palace in Europe, this was a show of wealth and might by the powers governing Venice, with the intricate columns on the exterior facade barely betraying the grandeur that one experiences as you roam from room to room. One can feel pretty overwhelmed with the next room always bigger than the previous, the next painting outdoing the previous one in terms of size and scale. The whole palace is designed to make you feel small. Looking back, I conclude that the old doge probably couldn't get out of the palace, not because of the intense scrutiny and restrictions, but because he would have exhausted himself just by walking from his room to the front gate.
Palazzo Ducale
Sala del Maggior Consiglio
Chamber of the Great Council - the largest and grandest room of the palace
All forlorn across the Bridge of Sighs
View from the top of the Giant's Stairway in Doge's Palace
The exterior of the Bridge of Sighs
So named because as prisoners were brought across the bridge from the interrogation rooms in the palace to the prison across the canal, they would sigh as they caught one last glimpse of Venice before being taken down to their cells.
Sunset at St. Mark's
Sunset on the Rialto Bridge
The Rialto Bridge is one of four bridges spanning across the Grand Canal. Made of marble and completed in 1591, this heavyweight Venetian icon was the only way you could cross the Grand Canal on foot till the completion of the Accademia Bridge in 1854.
By the Grand Canal
Seafood galore at Osteria ai 40 Ladroni
All too quickly, our time in Venice came to an end and we set off to the heart of Tuscany and the home of the Medici the following day - Florence.
Days 6-8 - Florence: The Duomo and Baptistery of St. John, the Galleria dell'Academia and David, the Uffizi Gallery and the Piazzale Michelangelo
If Rome can be described as raw and powerful, and Venice as romantic, then Florence is definitely classy. Florence is known to be the birthplace of the period in human history known as the Renaissance, meaning 'rebirth', and it is the cultural link between the Middle Ages and modern history. It was a period of intellectual and cultural evolution, with major developments in the arts (the era of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael etc.), scientific inquiry (of Copernicus and Galiloe fame), invention (including the printing press), religion (Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation) and geography (with the 'discovery' of the New World by Christopher Columbus).
Florence was first founded by Julius Caesar in 59 B.C., and was initially named Florentia. It gradually grew, over the centuries to become one of Europe's leading financial, banking and cultural centres, and was a major player in the wool, silk and leather trades. Some would credit the Medici family for bringing about the Renaissance period. The House of Medici were essentially a banking family, and the Medici bank was the largest in Europe during the 15th century, thus allowing them substantial political and religious powers. The Medici family itself even produced three popes and two queens of France. Wandering about Florence brings a different feel to that from Rome and Venice - the architecture, the art, the restaurants, and even the pavements - it all feels a class above.
Our first stop of the day was to the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, or more fondly known as the Duomo, for mass in English. It is the city's landmark, and it dominates the skyline with its red-tiled dome. Like most churches of its time, it was paired together with a campanile (bell tower) and an octagonal baptistery. The intricate pink, white and green marble facade on all three buildings has an almost lego-like feel to it. Upon entering the baptistery as well as the Duomo, it is the ceiling that dominates your attention. Both depict the Last Judgement, for the baptistery, as a mosaic, and the Duomo, as a fresco. One is better able to appreciate that in the baptistery, mainly because the ceiling is much closer to the ground; the one in the Duomo is 91 metres high up.
Baptistery of St. John
Ceiling mosaic in the baptistery depicting the Last Judgement
At the Duomo
The Last Judgement fresco on the ceiling of the Duomo
One isn't allowed to take photographs in the church, so this was a sneaky shot after mass when no one was looking
Gelato at Edoardo, Chun Yi's sister's favourite gelato shop in Florence
I don't think Chun Yi found much of our second day in Florence particularly exciting, not till the evening at least. It was a day where most of the leg work was done by our brains, as we toured not one but two museums - much to Chun Yi's horror, but I had my museum cravings satisfied. There haven't be many holidays like this, and in fact, this was our first together where we ventured into a proper museum! But I wasn't going to miss out on two of the world's famous museums, all within Florence itself - the Galleria dell'Accademia and the Galleria degli Uffizi. You don't do justice to yourself when you tell people you have been to Florence but not visit their main highlights. A word of advice when you do visit the museums - do obtain your tickets with a timing in advance - the queues are impossibly long and you may spend half a day queuing if you don't plan in ahead.
The Palestrina Pietà
The second of Michelangelo's Pietà sculpture we were to see
Amongst many of David's admirers
Michelangelo's David
Galleria dell'Accademia's claim to fame. Admiring the original 4 metre tall statue in person is worth the admission fee of the museum itself (and the additional advance booking fee). The great sculptor started working on this at the age of 26, and his masterpiece took three years to complete. Interestingly, this was the first time that David was portrayed, in art, as a young man, rather than as a boy. This too, was the first he was portrayed prior to his engagement with Goliath, whereas typical depictions of David usually show him victorious atop his slain adversary.
The queue into the Galleria dell'Accademia
In the courtyard of the Uffizi Gallery
View of the river Arno and the Ponte Vecchio from the Uffizi
The Ponte Vechhio, built in the 14th century, is the only bridge to have survived World War I. The rest were destroyed by the retreating Nazis.
Doni Tondo
The Holy Family by Michelangelo
The Birth of Venus
by Botticelli
Chun Yi taking a breather from the museums
After we had sufficiently saturated ourselves at the museums, we made our way to Piazzale Michelangelo to catch sunset fall upon the city of Florence. Despite being quite a distance from the main city centre, and a significant climb up a hill, it offers stunning views of Florence, and the colours at dusk make it even more melodramatic. It more than made up Chun Yi's day at the museums, and she would definitely highly recommend coming here should you ever step foot in Florence. One thing she blames me for is not pointing out the bronze copy Michelangelo's David that sits atop the piazzale to her, though having seen the real one, I did not want my image of the real David to be tarnished by impostors.
Along the Arno river
One of many humourously vandalised street signs
Sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo
Florence at dusk
Our final morning in Florence was spent climbing the campanile, or bell tower, of the Duomo. A short 414 steps led us to the top of the 85 metre tall bell tower, which offered us another splendid view of Florence. For those wondering whether to climb the bell tower or the dome of the Duomo (if you need to choose one) - the bell tower is only 6 metres shorter than the Duomo's dome, and it offers you pictures of the dome itself. Of course, if you have the time, and the energy, it'd be good to climb both. Unfortunately the queues to the top of the dome were in equal measures to those of the museums, and we decided to give it a miss. Instead, we visited yet another museum, the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, which has links to the Duomo itself.
View of Florence from the campanile
Us at the top of the bell tower
Beneath us
The Deposition - the Florentine Pietà
Sculpted by Michelangelo at the ripe old age of 72, he attempted to destroy it after working on it for 8 years when he found too many defects in the marble. The figure of the hooded elderly man at the back is said to be Nicodemus, and the face of him is purported to be a self-portrait of Michelangelo himself, carrying the lifeless body of Christ
Having exhausted our museum quota for the trip, it was time to head off to the great outdoors, which is what Chun Yi enjoys most on a holiday. Secretly though, I think she does enjoy visiting museums, though she always grumbles that I don't perform my tour-guide duties up to her demanding standards!
Days 8-10 - Cinque Terre: Riomaggiore, Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia and Manorola
Cinque Terre, which literally translates to 'Five Lands', is a collection of five villages situated by the western coast of Italy, along the Italian Riviera. Each village, with their buildings decked in an explosion of bright colours, is perched dramatically along the coastal edge, soaking in the sun and sea like a typical beach-goer. And time here, when compared to the rest of Italy, seems to slow down. There is little if no traffic here (if you dare to even drive on its claustrophobic roads), and the villages are separated from each other by lush vegetation or vineyards, and to get from village to village, you can choose to either take a train (the easiest and most convenient), a boat (the most dramatic), or hike (the most tedious but rewarding). There isn't particularly much to do at each village, so the main aim of life there is to sit back, relax, and enjoy the atmosphere with a glass of wine in hand. Of course, for the traveler with boundless energy, like us, there was never a relaxing day for us.
Sunset in Riomaggiore
Each of the five villages of Cinque Terre - Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manorala and Riomaggiore - are connected by hiking trails or walking routes, some much easier than the others. Its most famous and easiest one, the Via dell'Amore (Lover's Lane), a flat path linking Riomaggiore to Manorala, has been shut since 2012 when rock slides closed the pathway. One really wonders whether it is just part of the Italian psyche, especially in this part of the region, to let things slide for so long. A little dose of Asian efficiency, especially Singaporean, would definitely have ensured the opening of this path in a matter days, let alone years. The hike between Manorala and Vernazza too has been closed, and so the only hikes available are between the villages of Monterosso, Vernazza and Corniglia, and those were what we embarked on on our first proper day in Cinque Terre. And if we ended the day before with a spectacular sunset, we were greeted the next morning with a proper downpour which lasted for the first half of the day.
Drenched in Monterosso
A statue of St. Francis of Assisi with the wolf of Gubbio
St. Francis is the patron saint of animals, and the story behind this is that there once was a wolf that used to terrorise the town of Gubbio, but was subsequently tamed by St. Francis himself. He apparently made a pact with the wolf. St. Francis is also quoted saying this to the town-folk in the aftermath of the incident - ' How much we ought to dread the jaws of hell, if the jaws of so small an animal as a wolf can make a whole city tremble through fear?'
Because of the inclement weather, we decided to explore the villages by train first before attempting our hikes in the afternoon. So we ended up travelling from Riomaggiore (where we stayed), to Monterosso and then on to Vernazza. But the rain was torrential enough that we spent the entire morning sitting in a cafe, without wifi (first world problems), wishing we had had a lie-in that morning instead. Thankfully the weather cleared up, and we managed to start our hikes, in a rather disjointed fashion. We first hiked from Vernazza to Corniglia, then took a train back to Monterosso to hike our way back to Vernazza. To put it simply, we went from village two to three, before taking a train to village one so that we could hike to village two.
By the quayside in Vernazza
At the start of our hike, in Vernazza
Along the way
An endless climb
The view along the way with Corniglia from a distance
Corniglia
The first hike was a pretty trying one, especially after having climbed so many steps or hills in the past few days. And I always question why we have to work so hard on our holidays, whether it is hiking in the Blue Mountains through the Valley of the Waters, or climbing Mt. Batur in Bali at 4 in the morning, or going ice caving in Iceland - we never seem to be able to have a restful holiday, not even on our honeymoon! Thankfully, the skies remained cloudy for most of our walk, which would have otherwise made it unpleasant!
A unique cross in Corniglia
The vineyards of Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre produces a white wine and a dessert wine, the latter known as Sciacchetrà. The latter comes off almost like a liquor, but with a sweet after-taste. I wouldn't claim to be a sommelier but I did particularly enjoy it.
After a short rest and a little exploration of the village of Corniglia, we took a train back to Monterosso, our initial starting point, to start our hike back to Vernazza. This is the toughest amongst all the walks in Cinque Terre, and already weathered from our first, we embarked on the next with well-worn knees and feeble legs. It was definitely the nicer of the two walks, with a more 'natural' path and scenic route. We even managed to catch sunset along the way as we entered into Vernazza, and there were only smiles, and a pat on our backs as we completed a grueling 6-7 hours of hiking for the day, over a combined distance of 6 k.m.. We treated ourselves to a nice gelato and a nice meal after (which involved further climbing to the top of Riomaggiore), and we definitely had a good sleep that night.
A different, drier view of us at Monterosso
A pale shadow of ourselves
Along the way to Vernazza
Finally heading down
Finally arriving back at Vernazza - with only smiles, and a lovely sunset to greet us
Sunset at Vernazza
The next morning, with proper weather back in place, and with still two more villages left to explore, we headed off to Manorala (hitching a free train ride and hoping not to get caught). Manorala is the village most associated with making wine, and it was here where we decided to try the white wine of Cinque Terre to make for an eye-opener. With barely half a glass drunk, Chun Yi was already feeling tipsy and couldn't walk straight - they do make pretty potent wines here, though it didn't affect me one bit. We decided to try a different route back to Riomaggiore (definitely not hiking) - we took a ferry ride back, which in my opinion, is the best way to view each of the villages. You catch them with their backs resting against the steep rocky cliffs, tanning under the glorious sunshine, draped in a rainbow of colours, their feet dipped into the clear blue waters of the Ligurian sea, with nary a care in the world. Chun Yi may disagree though - she firmly believes that hiking offers the best views - but opposites do attract!
The village of Manorala
The view towards Corniglia from Manorala
Manorala
View of Riomaggiore from the sea
Disembarking from our ferry
At Riomaggiore, which in my opinion, is the prettiest amongst all of the villages
Fried, battered seafood - this was highly recommended to us by Chun Yi's sister
Being a seaside area, Cinque Terre serves pretty good seafood, and in particular, anchovies are their speciality, and they are much larger than the ones you eat back in Singapore
Cinque Terre was definitely high on Chun Yi's list of favourites for this trip, second only to shaking hands with Pope Francis. She claims to prefer looking at God's paintings i.e. nature, especially sunsets, as compared to the countless art pieces I dragged her through in the museums. I myself do like a good outdoors experience once in a while, though I hope we won't be doing anything too strenuous for our next trip.
Days 10-11 - Pisa: Campo dei Miracoli - the Leaning Tower, the Duomo and the Baptistery
In the penultimate leg of our trip, we were off to a quick pit stop at one of Italy's most famous icons - Pisa and its infamous leaning tower. Pisa was once a maritime power which rivaled that of Genoa and Venice, but now its architectural faux pas makes it an unrivaled tourist attraction. Many people even mistake the Leaning Tower of Pisa to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World, though in modern age, that title belongs to its brother in Rome, the Colosseum. Pisa is also famous for having a world renown university, and Galileo Galilei, of scientific fame but Catholic infamy, once taught there.
Not to downplay things, but all of Pisa's famous sights can be taken in at the Campo dei Miracoli - the Field of Miracles. Here stands the Duomo, the Baptistery, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Most people only know of the Leaning Tower, but the Duomo and the Baptistery are pretty impressive themselves too. The Leaning Tower is definitely a standout (literally) amongst the three, tilting at a remarkable 3.9 degrees off the vertical, with the top of the tower displaced 3.9 metres from the centre. But what, to me, makes for more interesting viewing, are the countless people encircling the Tower, practicing various tai-chi stances. There is even this pathway providing a multi-prong support for the Tower - I termed it the walkway of shame. It was definitely one of the highlights of my trip.
Pisa ingenuity - WiPi
Mocking more art along the way
Chun Yi getting a tick off her bucket-list
Surrounded by Tower supporters
The walkway of shame
At the Leaning Tower of Pisa
The tower was already tilting halfway through its construction, and it leans due a weak foundation on one side of the tower, with a known river flowing beneath its grounds. To compensate for this, the builders attempted to construct the rest of the tower straight up from the lower levels, and hence why the top of the tower appears rather straight compared to its base, causing the tower to have a rather scoliotic appearance. Over the centuries, it continued to lean a further 1 mm a year. In modern times, it has slanted at 5.5 degrees off the vertical, and at one point had steel cables slung around it and attached to neighbouring buildings to keep it in place. Between 1990 and 2001, engineers began removing the soil beneath the Tower to rectify the tilt, and it is claimed that this will keep the Tower safe for the next three centuries.
Dusk at the Tower and the Duomo
Only 40 people are allowed in the Tower at any one time, and once again, I suggest for you to book your tickets in advance. We spent the next morning ascending the Tower (more climbing for our already tired legs), and one really does feel the tilt, swaying from side to side as you spiral up the bell tower. It is said that Galileo Galilei conducted scientific experiments atop the tower, and one of them involved dropping two cannonballs of different sizes to demonstrate that their speed of descent was independent of their mass. I'm not too sure how he managed that one without modern measuring equipment.
We then made our way to the Duomo, constructed in the 11th century and is also known as the Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary, though we were pretty church-fatigued by then. It turned out to be yet another massive church, with many artworks lining the walls, leading to the altar with yet another grandiose mosaic figure of Jesus overlooking the nave from the apse. Once you've seen St. Peter's Basilica, everything else pales in comparison (though some may argue against that). We then stopped by the Baptistery, in which Galileo was baptised in. Be sure to enter at the hour or thirty minutes past, where the custodian will then stand right in the middle to showcase the Baptistery's excellent acoustics (as well as his or her voice). After a quick stop at the nearby cemetery, and yet another museum, it was back to Rome for the final lap of our honeymoon.
At the top of the tower with a tilted bell
View of the Duomo and the Baptistery from the top
At the top
Interior of the Duomo
Interior of the Baptistery
View of the front facade of the Duomo taken from the Baptistery
Days 11-13 - Rome: Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Church of San Pietro in Vincoli, and Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
We were now back in the capital, and we decided to visit the Colosseum for some night shots, when the maddening crowds were long gone. The Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, was the largest ever built. Constructed between 72 and 80 A.D., this was where the bloodiest gladiator battles were fought in Rome, with its spectators baying for more blood and more gore. For a better appreciation, you should watch the movie 'Gladiator' to see it in all its glory (which was what we did, but only after our trip). The Colosseum subsequently fell into abandonment together with the Roman Empire, and both nature, through earthquakes, and humans, through plundering, mercilessly stripped it of its ferocity till it now appears as a rather tamed version of its previous glorious self. Yet, it still stands with pride, having been voted into the New Seven Wonders of the World, and is still thrilling the millions of visitors that walk round its famed corridors.
At the Colosseum at night
They do offer tours of the Colosseum at night, where the crowd is less of issue, though I think it it ought to be viewed during the day in its full glory under the sunlight
The arena
In the Colosseum
The next day was all about visiting the sites of ancient Rome, and as Chun Yi says after coming back to Singapore - 'Rome's history is very rich'. The morning was spent exploring the Colosseum proper, and I don't think Chun Yi was that impressed. And I wouldn't deny - it is but a glorified national stadium - and I can imagine the spectators baying for my blood with that statement. I myself was more keen to trod upon, yet again, the centrepiece of ancient Rome - the Roman Forum. Rome once saw itself as the centre of the world, and at the centre of it all was the Roman Forum. It would take a lot of imagination to see this place as it once truly was, with everything lying in ruins, but here was where Julius Caesar threaded upon, was assassinated, and was cremated; here was where Mark Anthony made his famous 'Friends, Romans, countrymen...' speech; here was where the Roman Senate used to gather and debate about politics; here was where all roads once led to. The Roman Forum was the social, political, commercial and religious hub in its heyday, and similar to the Colosseum, it lost its gravitas together with the fall of the Roman Empire. Many people have wondered how I could have explored this place for the fourth time (including my mom), and it is a combination of a failing memory and a sense of awe that keeps bringing me back. And how could I not bring Chun Yi to the place richest in Roman history, if not the Roman Forum?
At the Roman Forum
Chun Yi with the seagull of the Forum
The cremation place of Julius Caesar
For a little footnote, the first Caesar in Roman history was, of course, Julius Caesar, who was assassinated in the year 44 B.C. Subsequently, the term 'Caesar' was a title conferred upon Roman emperors. Hence, why in Jesus' time, the term 'Caesar' was still in use - 'Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's' - Matthew 22:21
View of the Roman Forum from Palatine Hill
Rome is made up of seven hills, and of the seven, the Palantino, or Palatine Hill, is the most important of the lot. If the Roman Forum was the place where every one wanted to be in ancient Rome, then Palatine Hill was where every one wanted to live in. Here, once again now lying in ruins, was where the emperors in Rome once used to build their palaces and reside in. It was here too, where Rome first came into existence. All throughout Rome, you see the statue of a she-wolf suckling a pair of twins. This is the statue of the Capitoline Wolf feeding the twins Romulus and Remus. It was Romulus who murdered his brother for power, to then become the first king of Rome, and it was then on Palatine Hill where he founded the city of Rome, in 754 B.C.. It takes a substantial amount of imagination to visualise how the Palatine Hilll could have once appeared, and if the Roman Forum was a chore for Chun Yi to get through, than this must have been torture. Furthermore, we had yet to have lunch, exploring one set of ruins after another, and by the time we finally got out of the ruin complex, it was nearly three in the afternoon. We quickly gobbled down our lunch, and headed off to see our next favourite buildings - churches.
Domus Flavia
The private stadium of the emperor
In the background, you can see it ruined by the artwork 'LOSER', if you can call it art (though nowadays, you can just about call anything art)
We then made our way to Rome's official cathedral and the pope's seat as the bishop of Rome - the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran. It is still the most important church in the Catholic world, and there is even a feast day to celebrate it - Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica - though the underlying meaning behind this feast day is to celebrate the church as a whole. It definitely pales in comparison to St. Peter's Basilica, but just across from it contains a not-so-hidden treasure - the Scala Sancta. This is the staircase that Jesus walked up in Pontius Pilate's palace in Jerusalem, and was brought to Rome by St. Helena in the 4th century. Pilgrims are only allowed to climb its 28-wooden-covered marble steps on their knees, and where supposed drops of Jesus' dried blood are, a small, well-scratched and well-kissed circular glass panel covers it. This was my second attempt up it, and Chun Yi's first, and it definitely brought back memories of the first painful encounter. One starts off feeling rather pious and holy at the bottom of the staircase, but by midway, we were rattling off our 'Our Fathers' and 'Hail Marys', (interjected with a lot of the word 'pain' in our prayers), in record time just so that we could quickly advance up so as to spare our knees. And by the time we were at the top, we could understand why plenary indulgence is granted for all who attempt these stairs on their knees. I'm not too sure whether we were really very holy by the end of it.
At the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano
In the basilica - the baldachino above the papal altar is said to contain the relics of the heads of Sts. Peter and Paul
The Scala Sancta
Our last dinner - at Il Nido del Pettirosso
The food was an absolute delight, but a simple 3-course meal took nearly 3 hours to complete
Our last morning was spent visiting even more churches - the Basilica of St. Peter in Chains and the Basilica of St. Mary Major. The former houses an important relic, and an important piece of art - the chains which bound St. Peter whilst he was imprisoned in Carcere Mamertino; and the statue of Moses by Michelangelo, which was to form the centrepiece of the tomb of Pope Julius II.
Moses by Michelangelo
He possesses two horns atop his head - this was inspired by a mistranslated Bible passage: the original passage said that rays of light issued from Moses' face, but the translator wrote 'horns' instead. Michelangelo deliberately used the mistranslated version for his sculpture.
The chains of St. Peter
Legend tells the story that these arrived in two separate pieces from Constantinople, but miraculously joined together when they reached Rome
The Basilica of St. Mary Major was the last church, as well as sight, that we visited on our honeymoon. It is one of four major basilicas in the world, of which we had visited two others on this trip (St. Peter's and St. John Lateran), and only the pope and his delegates are allowed to celebrate mass at the high altar. It is the largest church in Rome dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, hence its name, and beneath the altar lies a reliquary containing a fragment of Jesus' manger. We made our way through our last Holy Door of the trip (we had walked through seven Holy Doors during this trip, in this Jubilee of Mercy declared by Pope Francis), said our prayers and thanked the Lord for a most blessed and wonderful honeymoon.
Our last Porta Santa - Holy Door
Jubilee years are typically held every 25 years, and this year was the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy as it was not predetermined long before, and not held at a quarter of a century. The Porta Santa, or Holy Door, of churches are usually opened only during Jubilee years, and pilgrims can earn indulgences by passing through these holy doors and fulfilling conditions of prayer for the pope's intentions, confession, and detachment from sin, and communion
The reliquary containing the relic of Jesus' manger
At the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
With that, we came to the end of our little Italian adventure, and our honeymoon. I'm glad to have been able to bring my love to my favourite city in the world, and I think nothing beats the experience of shaking hands with Pope Francis. It was a special touch to remember, and a blessing on the both of us as we embark on our lives ahead together as one. Italy has even now more meaning and memories for me, and I'm sure for Chun Yi too, and I'm sure, with Chun Yi throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain, we will be back here sooner or later.
' With Christ as the centre of your life, you will never be disappointed.'
- Pope Francis
Labels: Art, Church, Cinque Terre, Colosseum, Europe, Family, Florence, Food, Italy, Museum, Nature, Pisa, Rome, Ruins, Scenery, Travel, Venice
