Head for the Hills

Today was a day of contrasts; one might say we were Baroque! We started out the day with a visit to the Cappuchin crypt, where we saw the famous chapel covered with bones as ornamentation. Karen had said something about using the human body, and I thought this might be a formative artistic moment. I think she thought it was kinda creepy. I still think it’s a great statement. Almost feels like modern art with its potential sass. In the afternoon we caught a train to Tivoli to see the Villa D’Este. We arrived just before the storm did. We ran around and looked at a couple things before the thunder and lightning and rain began in earnest, and then we spent two hours on a little bench in an alcove watching and waiting. The gardens may make it look like man has tamed nature or God, but it’s clearly a false impression. The lightning and thunder were right over us, and although we had food and good company, none of us had a scrap of warm clothing. What bad Alaskans! We shuffled around the rest of the garden in the drizzle and then marched for the station. In the train we discovered an advantage to our light clothing was that it also dried quickly. By the time we got to Rome we were simply a bit damp in places. It’s weird to be leaving Rome. I’m ready to move on, but it’s always sad to leave a place you’re familiar with and have good memories in. Ah well. Not to further stereotypes…but so far I have had great conversations with two French people here at the hostel. And both of them have spent at least part of those conversations in their underwear. As the Italians say, there are many animals in Noah’s ark. One French man is an architect, but originally started out as a designer for dental prosthetics (the dust got into his lungs and he had to switch professions). Right now I’m sharing a room with a little spitfire of a French lady who practices homeopathic medicine. I’m enjoying myself, but I’m afraid my French has decayed pretty badly. Oh la la. Off to Cortona tomorrow – Head for the hills!