Saturday, March 27, 2004
The last day.
Today was a bit less hectic than the past 3. Ran into a chatty brit called Ron who, as it turned out, spent the night of his life watching Madama Butterfly at some Roman Church. He gave me some free advice: watch an opera. Walked to the sounds of Toad the Wet Sprocket to the bookstores north of the STazione Termini, then spent an hour or two at the Plaza Massino branch of the National Museum. Walked down the Via Nazionale to try to get some opera tickets for myself. No go: the Chiesa Ludovise was as confused as I was.
Went to the via Corso in a subdued mood. Had coffee at the old haunt of Roma's intellectuals and poseursm Cafe Greco. Got rained on by the Spanish Steps and got more and more pissed off at the weather, in one of those irrational black moods that seems to just snowball into full blown depression. Rode it through at the giant Colosseum-themed Mcdonalds near Barberini. Still not completely out of it though.
The gods of Rome did compensate slightly by making the rest of the afternoon rain free. I found my way to Plaza del Popolo and watched the sunset from the Pincio hill. I then went to the Via del Babouino (one part of the Strangers' Quarter, certainly appropriate in this case) and was able to score tickets to La Traviata in the nearby Anglican Church. Found some interesting comics stores and pasta shops and basically kept myself busy until dinner, where I spent my last euro splurging on antipasto di mare and oxtail in tomato sauce. Then it was on to the opera.
I have never watched a full opera before, what an experience. The young soprano playing Violetta (Marina di Marco) was absolutely fantastic, the Alberto was competent if unexciting, and the baritone father Giorgio Germont stole the show (Clemente Franciosi). The whole dramatic over the top-ivity of the whole thing blew the cobwebs from my tired body, and for a brief moment I actually found myself on the edge of the seat.
Thank god it's my last day though. I am so looking forward to sleeping in my own bed again, to being back on familiar ground. I will return someday (the coin in the Trevi fountain never lies), but I don't think it will be any day soon...
Went to the via Corso in a subdued mood. Had coffee at the old haunt of Roma's intellectuals and poseursm Cafe Greco. Got rained on by the Spanish Steps and got more and more pissed off at the weather, in one of those irrational black moods that seems to just snowball into full blown depression. Rode it through at the giant Colosseum-themed Mcdonalds near Barberini. Still not completely out of it though.
The gods of Rome did compensate slightly by making the rest of the afternoon rain free. I found my way to Plaza del Popolo and watched the sunset from the Pincio hill. I then went to the Via del Babouino (one part of the Strangers' Quarter, certainly appropriate in this case) and was able to score tickets to La Traviata in the nearby Anglican Church. Found some interesting comics stores and pasta shops and basically kept myself busy until dinner, where I spent my last euro splurging on antipasto di mare and oxtail in tomato sauce. Then it was on to the opera.
I have never watched a full opera before, what an experience. The young soprano playing Violetta (Marina di Marco) was absolutely fantastic, the Alberto was competent if unexciting, and the baritone father Giorgio Germont stole the show (Clemente Franciosi). The whole dramatic over the top-ivity of the whole thing blew the cobwebs from my tired body, and for a brief moment I actually found myself on the edge of the seat.
Thank god it's my last day though. I am so looking forward to sleeping in my own bed again, to being back on familiar ground. I will return someday (the coin in the Trevi fountain never lies), but I don't think it will be any day soon...
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