Every time I arrive in Rome I am struck by how the cityscape
is punctuated by the ruins of the days of the Republic and Empire. The
Colosseum, Palantine and Forum are
obvious landmarks, to be sure, and the centrepiece of this vibrant city. But it
is the drive-by viewing of the Baths of Caracella, the sudden appearance of the
Pantheon as you turn a corner, or the stumbling upon of ancient tenements as
you pass by the Capitaline Museums that strike me. In this city, the past is
almost bubbling up from the cobblestones of old streets; always in wait to be
discovered.
One of my students asked “Why don’t we have something like
this in Canada?” A naive question, obviously, but we went into a discussion
about how young Canada is. Then the next logical question is “Why would people
come to Canada if we don’t offer monuments to look at?”
But we do. They are just not three thousand years old and
made of stone. Sure, we have the man-made testaments of our ingenuity,
circumstances and adaptability. The wall of Quebec City, the Canals in Ontario,
and the railroad come to mind. And we have the statue of Terry Fox near Thunder
Bay and the memorial to the Famous Five on Parliament Hill. And don’t forget
the museums that are spread across this land.
But I really think what attracts most tourists to our
country, as a generalisation, is the land. The very geography that defines us
as a people is, I believe, the great monument we offer the world. One of my
students is from Cold Lake, Alberta. I think she is very much aware that she
lives in a beautiful place. But I am not convinced that she understands that
she lives in a very valuable place. There are no hinterlands left in Europe. Humanity
has encroached throughout the spaces between urban centres. To drive for hours
and see only nature is unheard of here.
When I tried to explain that to some of them they listened
politely, but I am not sure they were convinced. I hope so, though, for it is
their generation who will need to work hard to not only maintain our greatest
offerings to the world, but to recover it as well.
We toured the Colosseum, the Forum, the Palatine and then
visited the Pantheon. It was a hot, challenging morning but it was worth it. I
love the fact that there are fountains everywhere for us to refill our water
bottles and that the water is pretty much the same stuff they package up and
sell to us in North America. The Colosseum was a resounding success. The
Palatine was “interesting” and the Forum, while really cool, was very hot. We
had some gelato and found our way to the Pantheon.
My partner and I on this trip have managed to organically
create this system wherein sometimes she leads and sometimes I do. She is the map
master and is constantly trying to make sure we are going the right way. I am a
“feeler”. I know the general direction I need to go and I go that way. At first
it was a challenge for us to blend our methods, but now we have it down to a
science.
After feeling our way through the streets of Rome I stopped
and let the kids pass me by so that they can watch the Pantheon appear from
behind a corner. It is an imposing figure within the square and I felt
satisfied when they all reacted with surprised excitement. Inside we walked
about and gazed upon the tomb of Boticelli. Above us the opula, a circular hole
in the roof, allowed the bright sun to pierce the dimness of the sanctuary (for
it is a Christian church today) and shine upon the marble floor. Around us are
the spaces where once stood the whole Pantheon of Olympic gods. Today, they are
replaced with the Virgin Mary, Joseph and the Disciples.
Our group is a nice group, but they are very much a crowd of
posers. Except for a few exceptions, every little thing is a reason to get
dressed up and get our photos taken. We
are going to the Trevi Fountain! Get some photos taken! We are going to see the
Forum! Get some photos taken! We are walking by a public washroom! Get our
photos taken! It seems that between the bathroom breaks, the water breaks, the
cash machine breaks, the other bathroom breaks, the choosing of the wardrobe,
and the photo shoots it is a bloody miracle we managed to leave London!
Oh well. At least they take good photos.
I should point out that I have had the following flavours of
gelato thus far: straweberry, chocolate, hazelnut, coconut, vanilla, bacio,
orange (Sweet Jesus! This was awesome!), egg cream, straciatella, tiramisu,
lemon, lime, nutella, nutella cream, and caramel. There was one in Paris called
Sweet Velva.
I think I knew what they meant but I was really too freaked out to
actually try it.
I will admit to having about a half dozen canolis and about
four tiramisus. I think I have accidentally signed on to the Diabetic Tour of
Rome. The good news is I am almost avoiding my salt intake as per my doctor’s
orders! So I should be okay.
Basically, I will die if I stay on this trip one moment
longer than I have already committed to.
I took the kids to see the Borghese museum. After the National
Gallery and British Museum in London and the Louvre in Paris, I figure it was
time to challenge the kids to see how they would do as gallery patrons
attempting to ascertain and interpret a work of art. I must stay that I was
pretty impressed that they were pretty impressed with all of the pretty
impressive art work. After showing them the Caravaggio paintings in the gallery
portion, though, I have come to the conclusion that my class is pretty much
sick of my love of Caravaggio.
Hehe. Too bad for them.
In any case, they each picked a sculpture and discussed it
with me. They were, as a whole, very impressed with Bernini, stating that every
time a sculpture dominated a room or grabbed at them it always seemed to be a
Bernini creation. Apollo and Daphne and the Rape of Persephone were the two
standouts for them.
I really advocated for this gallery visit and my employers,
Global Journeys, were very gracious to allow it as it significantly increased
the cost of this section of the trip. It was worth it, though, to see young
people embrace great art.
We are approaching the final stretch of the trip and the
class instruction is pretty much over. The next few days promise to be busy
ones.
I am looking forward to going home. I have had a blast but I
am now anxious to return to my favourite village and see the ones I love. Soon.
Until then, the gelato...and the marking...continue.
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