I landed in Rome back on November 3, which seems like ancient times. It was the beginning of 2 months in Italy which were so wonder-full that I got two months behind in this blog. It didn't help that the weather was so great. It is really quite impossible to force oneself to sit at a computer when the sun is shining so beautifully and the streets are beaconing you to come and explore. I highly recommend Italy in November and December; fewer tourists, and weather similar to fall at home, or most places in the northeast.Like a lot of people back home, my favourite season is fall, and I planned my trip hoping that I could make autumn last four months...and it did!
The first couple of days were spent walking around the city and taking in some of the sites, like this one, above, named after the colossal statue of Nero that once stood beside this brilliant amphitheatre.
The Pantheon, below, is one of the best preserved of all Rome's ancient monuments. Somewhat understated from the outside, it really is a breathtaking space inside.
Looking up you will see the engineering marvel of its massive concrete dome. The Pantheon still holds the record for the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the history of architecture. The interior of the roof was possibly intended to symbolize the arched vault of the heavens. The Great Eye at the dome's apex is the source of all light, except for what comes in through the front doors. Architects, like Brunelleschi, who used the Pantheon as help when designing the Cathedral of Florence's dome, looked to the Pantheon as inspiration for their works.
2 comments:
Burke,
What more have you been exploring -- I wonder -- in Rome, surely more than the Pantheon.
What about the fact that the mere act of living in Rome amounts to an aesthetic proposition of the highest order. And I don't just mean lean bodies clad in Roberto Cavalli, although I'm all for expressing joie de vivre on the canvas of human anatomy.
So what is it about the buzz of mere living in Italy? I have never been able to deconstruct it and was hoping for some additional clues. One thing for sure, it has NOTHING to do with the utopic ideals authored by Frances Mayes.
It does have something to do with the fact that a tomatoe tastes like a real tomatoe... but beyond that, I'm flummoxed.
I was on a walk on New Year's day, and I came upon such a thing of horror -- a 1989 Ford Taurus in Avocado Green -- that I thought of you, and how you would react (a toaster isn't just a toaster...)
The mere act of making this particular car constitutes a diabolical and subversive act against humanity. I came home and spent an hour googling the Taurus, and its hideous pedigree through the bombastic 80s. I know I know, it's the same people who created the 1964 Mustang in Wimbledon White and red vinyl interior. But the mere existence of the frumpy Taurus in this shit green annihilates decade of genius in the auto sector.
Anyway, I digress. Continue your deep dive into the aesthetic of living in these faraway places, and bring us home to where we all want to go. Thanks Burke. AA
Hi Burke
Having just returned from Rome in January ... I would have to say the weather in January is also amazing.
I'm all excited to read your blog and relive my short stay there.
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