ITALIAN JOURNEY January 23

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ITALIAN JOURNEYJanuary 23 February 5, 2003

• By Wen-Chung Chiang

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Rome (Roma, ??) I

• Dear friends,
  
  February, 2003
• Chia-Wei and I just came back from a two-week
  vacation in Italy. We went to Rome, Florence, and
  Venice -- same places where I first visited in
  Italy fifteen years ago. It's Chia-Wei's first
  time in Italy, and I was as or even more
  fascinated than I had been during the first
  visit. I am not going to write much in this
  letter. The beauty of Italy is beyond any
  description that words can deliver. I believe
  everyone in his life should at least once
  experience the illustrious past of Rome, the
  great display of Renaissance in Florence, and the
  legendary existence of Venice. Winter seemed to
  be a good time traveling in Italy. There's no
  tourist crowd, the weather was still shinny, and
  the temperature was not too bad in Rome and
  Florence (Venice was quite cold though). The
  stores had a lot of clearance items -- shoes,
  leather and decorative goods, were gorgeous and
  inexpensive. The only drawback was the short
  day-light time. The sun was normally set before 5
  PM. Compared with the 9-10 PM sunset time of
  summer, the sightseeing hours were quite reduced.
  But there're evening activities too. For
  instance, we attended an opera performance in the
  Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. It's one of the best
  we've been to. The program was "Faust" by French
  composer Charles Gounod (too bad it was not Verdi
  or Puccini). It was brilliantly produced in a
  semi-modern costume, the casts were beautifully
  sung, and the acoustics of the opera house was
  heavenly.

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• The planning of this tour was quite successful.
  All transportation and connections were smooth.
  The hotels we were accommodated in were very nice
  and conveniently located. The average quality of
  restaurants in Italy, I must say, was better than
  I had previously experienced in France. We
  enjoyed a lot of good meals, coffee, and of
  course, the famous Italian dolci (desserts) and
  gelato (icecream). Italians were friendlier too.
  But English-speaking Italians were fewer than I
  had imagined. Thanks to my two-month practice of
  Italian prior to the trip. I was able to handle
  very simple conversations with local people, and
  that turned out to be quite helpful.
• Italy surely touched our hearts. We were moved by
  the great ancient architecture and the
  masterpieces in the museums. The experience of
  sitting in a quiet cafe, having a cup of hot
  cappuccino after a walk in the chilly weather was
  all unforgettable. In Italy, time seemed to
  advance more slowly. The magnificent history
  imbued the places with a special glow. To immerse
  ourselves in the glow and to practice my Italian
  again, we have decided to go back next year, with
  possible destinations of Milan, Siena, Lucca, San
  Gimignano,and Naples.
• Best regards,
• Wen-Chung

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Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II (day night),
Rome. This huge memorial is the landmark of Rome,
facing Piazza Venezia. All roads lead to Rome,
and all major roads in Rome lead to Piazza
Venezia. Many photographs taken this time under
dim light with shutter speed up to 1/2 second
without using a tripod came out fine. Not bad,
wasn't it?
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Pantheon, Rome an ancient building (founded in
27 BC) perfectly preserved. The interior of
Pantheon is a masterpiece of harmony and majesty.
Raphael was buried here.
6
The fountain at Piazza Pantheon. One of the best
Cafes in Rome, Caffe Tazza d'Oro, is nearby.
Don't forget to get a cup of fine coffee next
time when you are in Rome!
7
Villa d'Este, Tivoli. Tivoli is a charming small
town on the lower slopes of the Apennines about
one hour northeast of Rome by bus. Villa d'Este
was founded by Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este in
1550. The elaborated terraced gardens with
statues, pools and fountains enhance its natural
beauty.
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Villa Adriana, Tivoli. This was probably the
richest building project in antiquity and was
designed entirely by Hadrian (AD 76-138)
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Rome (Roma) II

• Hope you are not bored yet. I have tried to cut
  down the sizes of these image files (they were
  scanned from the original photographs taken by a
  conventional SLR camera), therefore the picture
  quality is not up to the normal standard. You are
  welcome to view my photo albums if you have time
  to stop by. There are much more than the ones
  shown here.

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Arco di Settimio Severo, Foro Romano, Rome. Built
in AD 203, this Arco is one of the three
triumphal arches in Foro Romano, the remains of
the Roman Forum. The light in the dark really
brought out the splendid sculpture and carving of
the arch.
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Foro Romano -- the religious, political and
commercial center of ancient Rome. Diocletian,
Julius Caesar, and Augustus played their roles
and made contribution to the constructions here.
12
Chia-Wei and friend walking in Colosseo, Rome.
Fights between men and beasts, gladiatorial
contests, races and mock naval battles took place
in the arena.
13
Fontana di Trevi, Rome. This late-Baroque
fountain is probably the most popular one in
Rome. Tourists continue the tradition of throwing
coins into the fountain to ensure their return to
Rome.
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Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome. It's one of the four
major basilicas in Rome and its campanile is the
highest among them. Besides the outerbeauty, its
interior contains remarkable mosaics.
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Atrium of Basilica di San Pietro (St. Peter),
Vatican. The supreme head of world's churches.
Basilica di San Pietro
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Florence (Firenze)???? (??? )

• Florence (Firenze) is set in the heart of a
  serenely beautiful countryside of Tuscany in
  central Italy. Its the city where an exceptional
  artistic and intellectual movement was cradled.
  Renowned figures who have flourished the western
  civilization such as Dante, Machiavelli, Giotto,
  Michelangelo, Botticelli... were from Florence.
  It is a city of elegance and charm too. Those of
  you who are familiar with Chinese modern poet Hsu
  Chih-Muo (???) and his notes know what "Firenze"
  is about.

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Ponte Vecchio (Vecchio Bridge) Arno River,
Florence. This unique and beautiful bridge is the
oldest one in Florence. The photograph was taken
behind a window from Galleria degli Uffizi (see
the reflected light at the up-left corner), one
of the finest art museums in the world.
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Piazza della Signoria, Florence. The many statues
make the piazza virtually an open-air museum of
sculpture. The one shown in the picture is the
Fountain of Neptune by Ammannati.
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Roofs and the bell-tower of Palazzo Vecchio,
Florence. The bell-tower is one of the trademarks
of Florence. In front of it stands the copy of
Michelangelo's David (not shown in the photo).
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Palazzo e Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence.
This austere palace is a fine example of medieval
architecture planned round a majestic courtyard.
There's an exceptional collection of fine
sculptures here. Too bad that I couldn't recall
the artist of this beauty.
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Duomo (S. Maria del Fiore). This huge Gothic
cathedral is an example of the Florentine style,
with its sheer size, the predominance of
horizontal lines and its polychrome decoration.
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Venice (Venezia, ???) I

• The existence of Venice (Venezia) is legendary.
  There's no other city in the world like or
  similar to Venice. It is built on 117 islands,
  with 150 canals and more than 400 bridges.
  There's an admirable link between Venice and the
  sea, the link that made the city great for many
  centuries and that still gives it its beauty to
  this day.

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Rio Marin, Venice. A canal is called a "rio" in
Italian. Venice is all about water. See how
beautiful the light reflected from the surface of
the water! There are hundreds of similar places
in Venice. Finding ways in Venice is like walking
in a maze game. You need a detailed map, a
marker, and a good sense of direction. It's also
part of the fun in Venice.
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Basilica di San Marco (St Mark's), Venice. St
Marks combines the Byzantine and Western styles.
Visitors are often overcome by a feeling of awe,
owing to the extremely rich decoration and the
beauty of the golden mosaic.
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Basilica di San Marco, Venice. The decoration.
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Gondolas, the sea, and S. Giorgio Maggiore on
Isola di S. Giorgio Maggiore, Venice. The picture
was taken from the main island of Venice, at
Piazza San Marco.
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S. Maria della Salute and the Grand Canal,
Venice. The church is a distinctive feature with
its modillions and concentric volutes. The Grand
Canal affords one of the best views of the church
as well as many other palazzi.
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Venice (Venezia) II

• This is the final set of my Italian
  photos/reports. Hope you enjoy the lengthy work.
  If you ever need travel information of Italy
  (accommodation, restaurants, transportation,
  attractions, ...), I'd be glad to help (with my
  limited knowledge). Also, on our way back from
  Italy, we stopped by Amsterdam for a night. If
  you are taking KLM flights, it's a good place to
  rest after the strenuous trip and before the long
  flight. We attended an evening concert at the
  Concertgebouw and walked relaxedly in Van Gogh
  Museum the next morning prior to the flight time
  -- a wonderful ending, wasn't it?

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Gondola in Venice. For centuries gondolas have
been the Venetian traditional means of transport.
This picture is one of my favorites.
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Our good-looking gondola guy, Venice. Too bad he
didn't sing probably because we hadn't paid him a
good price. This picture was taken by Chia-Wei.
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A lovely window in Venice
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The splendid stairway of Palazzo Contarini di
Bovolo, Venice
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Sunset on Grand Canal, Venice. This view could
make you really want to cry. The photo was taken
from Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge), the main
crossing between the two banks in Venice.
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APPENDIX

• 2003 WINTER TRIP ITINERARY (????????????Paul)

Date Date ? ? ? ?
1/23 Thu Paul Sansan Kaohsiung (EVA BR908, 1600) ? Taipei (1650) All Taipei (KLM KL878, 1920) ? Amsterdam (0525, 1/24) ???????? (4?) ?????39 ????31
1/24 Fri Amsterdam (KLM KL1597, 0705) ? Rome (0925) Rome (??)???????? Rome Aquarium Hotel () (EUR 70.00/ room) Piazza manfredo fanti 10, Roma 00185 Tel [phone] Fax [phone] Conf 100349058, 98603638
1/25 Sat Rome Rome Aquarium Hotel
1/26 Sun Rome ? Tivoli (???) ? Rome ??????,?Villa Adriana?Villa dEstate (?????????????????) ???? Rome Aquarium Hotel
1/27 Mon Rome ????? Rome Aquarium Hotel
1/28 Tue Rome Opera at TEATRO DELLOPERA DI ROMA Program Faust by Gounod, 1930 Rome Aquarium Hotel
1/29 Wed Rome (EStrain 9432, 930AM, Roma Termini Station) ? Florence (1105AM, Firenze S. M. Novella Station) ??????????? Florence Alba Hotel () (EUR 70.00/ room) Via della scala 22, Firenze 50123 Tel [phone] Fax [phone] Conf 107206752, 106770397
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1/30 Thu Florence Florence Alba Hotel
1/31 Fri Florence Florence Alba Hotel
2/1 (??) Sat Florence (EStrain 9462, 838AM, Firenze S. M. Novella Station) ? Venice (1127AM, Venezia S. Lucia Station) ????? Venice Continental Hotel () (EUR 71/room) Lista di Spagna 166, Veniezia 30121 Conf 106288479, 105852124
2/2 Sun Venice Venice Continental Hotel
2/3 Mon Venice Venice Continental Hotel
2/4 Tue Venice (KLM KL1654, 1230) ? Amsterdam (1445) Concert at Concertgebouw Nederlands Kamerorkest Christian Zacharias, Anne Grimm, Helena Rasker 2015 Program Mozart - Piano Concertos No. 9 (K. 271) No. 23 (K. 488), Gluck - Excerpts from Orfeo et Euridice Amsterdam AMS Hotel Trianon () (EUR 116/ rm) Jw brouwersstraat 3-7 Amsterdam 1017, Netherlands Tel [phone] Fax [phone] Conf LM0006835461, 5466
2/5 Wed Amsterdam (?????)??????? Amsterdam (KLM KL877, 1940) ?
2/6 Thu ? Taipei (1750) Paul Sansan Taipei (China CI 195, 1935) ? Kaohsiung (2030)
drafted by ??? 1/3/2003
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????? ??? Tel [phone] ?????????Via
Panama 22, P.1 Int. 3, 00198 Roma,
Italia ??(002-39-06) 884-1362
????(002-39-06)8841372, 8841132 ??(002-39-06)
884-5772 ????????Van Stolkweg 23, 2585 JM, The
Hague, The Netherlands ??(002-31-70) 346-9438
????(002-31) 6549-48849 ??(002-31-70) 360-3836
Rome - EMBASSY Rome - EMBASSY Rome - EMBASSY
US EmbassyVia Vittorio Veneto 119/A00187 Roma Italy Telephone [phone]Fax [phone] or 06.4674.2356 Hours 830 AM - 530 PM
Florence - CONSULATE Florence - CONSULATE Florence - CONSULATE
US ConsulateLungarno Vespucci, 3850123 FIRENZE Italy Telephone [phone]Fax [phone] Hours 900-1230 and 200-330
U.S. Embassy in the Netherlands Lange Voorhout
1022514 EJ The Haguethe NetherlandsT 31 70
310-9209F 31 70 361-4688

• References
• The Green Guide - Italy, Michelin Travel
  Publications, UK, 2001
• ???? - ??, Discovery Channel, APA Publications
  GmbH Co., 1999