Tag Archives: ancient history

All Roads Lead to Rome

7 Feb

Many different paths can take one to the same goal.  I think that reasonably sums up our time in Rome.  Tourism abounds and is clearly at the core of the Roman economy.  Somehow Rome retains its mystique amid the chaos of people who flock to iconic city center and wander along its ancient walls in search of secrets from a civilization past.  You can so easily loose yourself in the grandeur of the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill, and all the legends that are a part of the experience.  My imagination gets the best of me and I am taken back in time.

I wonder… does Kai also slip back in time with me?  Without knowing the history, having read the books, or seen images of what life was like in ancient Rome, is it possible?  Is there something innate within us that gives us the ability to ‘live’ history? One will never know.

Photo of the ancient Roman Colosseum

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We walked and walked.  Explored the ubiquitous Roman Colosseum from the outside in.  We felt the crevices of the cold smooth stone carvings with out fingers.  Kai touched – and felt – everything we did.  I even think he may have found an opportunity (or two) to taste the walls of the Colosseum, after all it is through the sense of taste that babies (and adults) experience the World.  Just as the heavens opened up and brought down the rain, we found ourselves a quaint café for a dry lunch, warmth, and rest.  I had my first real Italian lasagna and it was divine… followed by the most satisfying (and huge!) cappuccino a jet lagged Mama could ask for.  And I got to savor every moment of the cappuccino as Kai decided to take his afternoon nap right there in the café, and my husband and I enjoyed good conversation (in Spanish) with a couple traveling from Germany.

afternoon Roman cappuccino

Roman pizzas

The sun came out.  We walked and walked.  We pondered the half buried ruin throughout the expansive Palatine Hill, temples, and the Roman Forum.  It was magical.  We even took some time to play in a grassy knoll amidst the ruins.  It was a lovely afternoon in Rome.  One breathtaking moment after another.  As the sun went down we walked and we walked.  We continued past down the main roads where people posed in the most bizarre costumes and statue-like positions.  Yogi that “magically” hold themselves cross-legged and floating mid-air.  Perfectly poised people draped in gold spandex looking like the perfect Egyptian mummies.  I can only imagine what is going through Kai’s mind.

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We proceeded past the Piazza Venezia adorned in much gold and the intricacies of more modern architecture.   On some small cobblestone side road we found ourselves inside a truly ancient Church and it just happened to be evening mass.  Then we headed to the Pantheon – the structure known as the temple to all of the Gods.  We walked and we walked.  Stopping in a dozen little shops selling everything from Italian spices and olive oil to Absinthe and leather bags.  We walked all the way to Trevi Fountain where we stopped for a while.  Kai was completely mesmerized by the statutes and of course the water all lit up against the night sky.

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Finally our adrenaline began to wear off and we realized just how exciting the day had been.  We found our way back to the subway and headed towards the hotel.  We had done enough for the day.  On our “home” to the hotel we stopped to see if our favorite family run Italian eatery was open – Osteria Gran Sasso.  Much to our disappointment it was closed, so on we walked some more until we found our selves at the Ristorante Mimosa Fiorita.  Kai loved this place too, and couldn’t get enough of the waiter and the chef.  It was another  r authentic and divine Italian indulgence.  Freshly made cheesy risotto balls.  Pork cheeks cooked in a delicate sauce. Fresh tagliatelle pasta with vegetables in the chef’s special sauce.  And of course a half bottle of Chianti to wash it down.  Another magical day in Rome came to a close.

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Welcome to the Dolci Vita!

27 Jan

This is the first post in the series – Kai’s Travel Adventures.  More to come!

Some 10 hours after we departed cold Washington, DC we felt the plane hit the tarmac in none other than Rome, Italy.  It was a cool December day and the sun was shining.  Kai was bright-eyed and excited as he peered out the airplane window and marveled at the vista, he had no idea what lay ahead for the next 10 days.  In fact none of us knew what would lie ahead, this was our first real adventure to an unknown land since Kai was born just 10 months ago.

Just getting off the plane, I got a sense of the food that Italy had in store for us.  There was a picture perfect antipasta bar with fresh buffalo mozzarella, plump red tomatoes, white bean salad, and perfectly grilled fresh artichokes dressed with lemon.  A food lovers dream come true!  And this is just airport dining.

We travelled light (which made it so much easier!) with one backpack for each of us (which included Kai’s stuff), plus Kai’s car seat & diaper back pack.  So in no time we met our driver and headed across Rome to our hotel.  The hotel (Villa Morgagni) was great, historic and very accommodating to families – we’d stay there again. Despite the jet lag, we were so excited to be in Rome and were operating on adrenaline, so off we went by foot walking the streets of Rome.  First we stopped for lunch at this amazing local restaurant that became our favorite eatery in Rome.  We feasted on a plate of house made meatballs in marinera, giant prawns (with the head on! Yum!) cooked in garlic and sherry, and of course a caprese salad – simple and completely delicious!  They don’t call Italy the ‘Dolci Vita’ (Sweet Life) for nothing!

Rome Day 1 by Foot

Our journey continued on foot towards city center, Kai was mesmerized by the all the new scents, people, new language, and really everything that we were just as equally fascinated by.  It made me realize that we really aren’t any different after thirty than we are at just 10 months.  We wandered and wandered, found ancient city walls dating back before Christ.  Ancient stone churches in every niche of the city that are still operating today, with centuries of family tradition still attending weekly mass at the same churches their ancestors did.  We made our way to the train station, got our Roma Pass’ and spent some time checking out the map and subway.  Kai and I found a little kiosk selling nothing better than authentic gelato, and there in the chaos of the train station we devoured out first (of many) real Italian gelato.  Yes, we literally ate our way through Italy… more to come on the food.  Then we headed to the iconic ancient Roman Colosseum right in the heart of Rome.  In all its grandeur and magic.  All its windows and crevices were lit up against the indigo sky just after dusk.  This is Rome…  We were all breath taken.

We strolled around the grounds of the Colosseum for a while, admired the Arch of Constantine, and a few of ruins in Palatine that were within sight. We knew the day ahead so much yet to be discovered.  We headed back towards our hotel, grabbed a couple of glasses of Chianti and our first authentic Pizza, which was also divine!

It occurred to me that evening as we found our way back to the hotel via subway that travel has a different meaning now than it had before baby Kai.  Now traveling is more about showing Kai the world, its about guiding him in truly experiencing the world.  He is also teaching me how to look at the world differently.  I pick-up on the very things he marvels at, and in turn marvel with him at things that would otherwise be unseen.  And with that, it was time to rest.  More on Kai’s Italian Adventures to come!

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Childhood Daydreams to Angkor Wat

29 Apr

I’m finally back blogging after a 6 month “break”. I can find a million reasons (and excuses) for taking this break but the biggest one is that I needed the mental space to focus on other changes going on mostly with work, that had me, well you could say… mentally preoccupied.

And then I realized that I started this blog exactly 1 year ago, as it was one of my “new years resolutions” that I make during my birthday month. I can’t believe an entire year has passed. And I can’t believe all that I’ve done in just twelve months, I’m truly grateful. Where to begin? Lets journey back to Cambodia…

Landscape color image of the Ancient Temples of Ankor Wat

Afternoon Rain in the Temples of Angkor Wat

The mystery and grandeur of Angkor Wat had been a vision in my mind and in my dreams since I was a child. I would lay down in the grass on the banks of Edinboro lake in front of my house and daydream away that I was exploring these distant temples in Cambodia. At the time I didn’t know where the temples were, nor was I even able to read about them yet, I had only spent hours pondering photos of them in the National Geographic magazine in my Kindergarten class – and I knew I would someday experience them and the distant land they exist in.

I’ve already shared with you some of my reflections from my journey in Cambodia but this one memory in particular has fleeted back in my mind from time to time. It tends to find its way back to me when I’m in need of purity, and a reminder of the beautiful moments in life. It was summer in Siem Reap when my plane hit the runway for its landing. As we exited the plane, the thick hot air hit me in the face and the paved air strip was all a mirage from the heat… welcome to Cambodia! Here I was, finally, after over 25 years of daydreams. We made our way to the quaint Siddarta Hotel/B&B that was located on the road that connected Siem Reap and the massive temple complex known as Angkor Wat. The sun was already setting by the time we got settled, just one more day of anticipation. We awoke very early, had breakfast, and headed off by bicycle along the forested roads that brought us to the temples. As we meandered along the roads, other bicycles would pass by carrying large baskets of deep-fried insects, chickens in rattan baskets, and even whole pigs tied to the handle bars. As we entered the temple complex monkeys would run out from the forest and into the road attempting to get our attention. I’d gaze out into little clearings in the trees and spot a number of makeshift shrines with buddha statues of all sizes amid tall grass and trees. It was enchanting, and already my childhood daydreams had come true.

Stone Carvings at the Temples of Angkor Wat

The complex of temples and ruins in Siem Reap is massive, consisting of 20+ square miles of ancient ruins spread out in different areas connected by a system of ancient and modern roads. After getting my 3-day “all you can wander” pass, we headed off to the first (and most renowned) temple complex – Angkor Wat. We locked our bikes together just outside the entrance and off we went wandering around by foot. As I stared out over the moat while crossing an ancient stone foot bridge my mouth dropped in awe. History and daydreams came alive before my eyes. We spent several hours making our way through this incredible temple complex. Tucked away in little nooks and crannies were the most ornate stone carvings of buddhist and hindu figures. Occasionally we’d come across a giant stone buddha statue adorned in yellow garment with gold and green decor, giving the statue a distinct aura.

After several hours of wandering around, clouds began to roll over the skies and before I knew it, rain was pouring down from the heavens. This was a moment I wanted to savour forever. I found a spot on the cold stone temple floor and laid down for a rest. There I was, in the middle of the temples of Angkor Wat, taking a moment of solitude as the rain came down and cleaned away any sense of worry. I watched the raindrops soothe as the journeyed into the porous ancient stone that surrounded me. The music of the afternoon rain soothed my mind. Life suddenly came into perspective and my heart was at peace. This very moment, now a memory of an experience lived, was one I had never dreamed of. The simple beauty of a surprise.

Entrance of the Ancient Temples of Bayon

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