Rome

Something I love about walking is that you often turn a corner or reach the top of a hill and come across whatever it might be - an extraordinary building, a park, a gallery or as often happens here in Rome you come across ancient ruins.

My first day here was spent walking - but unfortunately walking much further than I had hoped. I've been using a mix of hard copy map and google maps and have arrived at something that pretty much works - but this system took some honing down. This first day in Rome was a case in point. Using the map I can identify where I want to go but I found that when I thought I was heading for a particular place I was at times heading in the opposite direction. On the last day I found a shop that sold compasses, something I wish I would have had from the start.

Anyhow, I ended up literally walking around the Colosseum - via the related roads - hate to know just how may kms that was and I wouldn't mind seeing my face when I realized I was back where I had started. Anyhow, I walked a lot on that first day but I got to see massive war memorial - the Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele - the Colosseum, and the Pantheon. I had hoped to see the Trevi Fountain but with the heavy downpour that later set-in I dumped the plans and set off to m hotel - walking that is. The next day was luxury, I managed to get a bus to the Vatican Museum.

Vatican Museum, now, that's another story, for anyone who has been there you won't be surprised. I had seen Roman statues at other, earlier galleries and museums, but the collection here was exceptional. There was an extensive array of heads, busts, and many full length statues. There were pillars with writing and items such as a large marble item that looked like it would have been pond.

The building was filled with murals that decorated the walls and ceilings throughout. There were very large tapestries depicting historic scenes, a collection of religious art that mirrored collections I'd seen in earlier galleries and there was a collection of modern religious art, though I must say these generally weren't impressive. Finally after visiting numerous galleries we were led into the Sistine Chapel.

 


The whole time I was mindful of an earlier trip to Rome with Barry when Joey was about two years old. Barry says he remembers the pain he was in with his back but because, at the time we held the understanding that the museum closed at 1.30 pm I vividly remember being in a stream of mostly Italians who were practically running to see the recently restored chapel (I think now they stopped letting people in after 1.30). Nevertheless, we were caught in the stream, Joey in the pram, we were carrying, one at the front and the other at the back running with the stream. I was thinking I could go back once we'd seen the chapel only to find that at that time it wasn't possible to retrace your steps, we just had to leave. So needless to say I was keen to see all the riches that I'd earlier missed.

I should also mention a section of ancient relics including pots that I think may have been used to melt copper, coins, ancient christian symbols, pottery candle holders, jewelry, and many other items.

Needless to say I was appalled by the wealth that is stored here that I am sure must run contrary to christian belief?!

Later when I got to the Trevi Fountain only to find probably a thousand people thronging to get a selfie or snap of what has become an icon of Rome.

I had one more day left as my flight back to Australia wasn't leaving until 10.30 the next night but I just couldn't bring myself to visit another museum or gallery so I decided to simply take it easy, to type up my blog, to read and to watch another episode of Mary Beard on Rome.

I should mention here that I've supplemented my trip with documentaries, or travel guides on youtube, something I found helpful in identifying what I should see in each city. The two I'd like to highlight here are the BBC Rome a history of the Eternal City, a three part series, with Simon Seabag Montefiore and the second Meet the Romans, another three part series, by Mary Beard.

                              

                                 

Florence 2

I was in Florence for seven nights, and as I've said previously the bulk of this time was taken up with the conference.

Luckily before the conference began I booked tickets to visit the Uffizi Gallery and the Duomo Cathedral which included the Bapistry and the Duomo Museum.
 

                   

There are many other such galleries and museums in Flororence but these, I thought were the fundamentals. On my day walking I came, by chance, to the museum for the International Centre for Performing Arts. This was a treat. The display was dedicated to the work of Franco Zeffirelli. He predominantly designed costumes and the stage settings for opera. There were many examples of his work with costumes, posters and a couple of dioramas. There was also a full room display of video, art and music depicting the inferno. A google search on his name will bring up the huge range of Operas and other productions that he worked on.

I had one day before the conference and two afterwards, Saturday and Sunday, so on the Saturday I visited Uffizi and Sunday Duomo. I feel it was worth visiting simply to see what it was like but must say, again I found each of these, except the Duomo museum, disappointing.

The square which leads into the Uffizi was chocker block with people when I arrived. The square was grand, with imposing statues, and numerous and large tour groups. There was also a band playing classical music - nice in itself. I found out later that the entrance to the Medici's sprawling residence led onto the square as well.

The booking system worked well and there was value in booking early. I've found on each occasion that they don't allow more than a certain number to enter and so once you are in there is generally good space - that is unless you're in a room with a tour group, something I avoided.

After the disappointing commentaries I was keen to hear this one, which turned out to be disappointing in a different way. It was factual and clinical with no context. I could have equally just read the discriptions and been just as well informed. I noticed quite a few people using their guide books, which may well have been much better. I also found out later it is possible to view a guide to the gallery on youtube by Rick Stein.

I wasn't keen to go on one of the tours. An added value would have been the opportunity to ask questions but then with so many people I don't think there would be much opportunity for that.

I was left with quite a few questions like, did the Romans and the Greeks produce art - paintings? There may have been something of this there but if so not much. There were loads of marble statues, which the audio guide had little, if anything to say something about.

When I think about the art, there were few, if any, that impressed me. Nothing like Picasso's Gurnica.

Many of the rooms were filled with religious art, early depictions of Jesus, Mary - the Madonna - the holy family, John the Baptist, the priests and the Christian story. If there were so many Christians -who was being killed during the Spanish Inquisition?

This, to me, exemplifies the point - history is written by the victor.

There is so much more to be said of these years and this was totally missing. The black plague, the Spanish Inquisition, the burning of witches, the rural poor and the expanding bourgeoisie. I expected so much more.

I wondered if the presentation was moving, or held significance for many people? Lots of people were taking children through and seemed to be retelling the story, simple and uncomplicated - this is the truth - but were they - I don't know - not speaking the language is such a disadvantage.

We were led through rooms which featured artists such as Raphael, Correggio, Leonardo, Tiziano, Caravaggio, Rembrandt and Rubens these were mostly images of saints, rich people and a sprinkling of varied characters. I tended to take pictures of the women, being on my matricentric tour.

The commentary mentioned this era being the birth of humanism - something that interests me and something to learn more about.

The Duomo is incredibly grand on the outside but relatively simple inside. The Bapistry is something different with gold paint highlighting the christian story and features a large depiction of Jesus.

I'd love to know what the locals are thinking about all this religion but then the fact that there are small numbers who attend church these days might say it all. I've got to remember this is confronting to me but they've grown up with it - the stories that underlie their culture.

I had an interesting conversation with a young French woman while waiting in one of the lines, she made a distinction between the French and Italian's attitude to religion, and then there are the Spanish, the English, the Germans, the Scandinavians, the Russians and the Eastern Block.

I became friendly with a couple of fellow presenters from the conference, Katie and Myra. Funnily enough when Myra and I met and she said she was working at Binghamton University, there was an immediate basis for conversation, we had been to the city in 2008 on our Rod Serling tour.

Anyhow, over the next days Myra and I got to know each other and over the weekend shared dinners and a long walk looking for Belloguardo - which turned out to be just too far away. Myra, who teaches psychology, loved the conference and is excited to pursue work on the experience of women as mothers. We've shared our details and plan to stay in touch. It's wonderful how organisations such as MIRCI can bring together like minds.

My travel to South America has served me well. I am confident and prepared and am moving through the transions smoothly. I've heard about the dangers and am taking precautions but so far so good.

I was 1 1/2 hours early at the station going down to Rome but once I got writing I soon discovered that time had slipped by and there was only 15 minutes to spare.

Florence

Well here i am in Florence. I've been here for just on five days with most of these taken up with the MIRCI conference.

Travel means pretty much heaps of walking so as usual this has been my pass-time. I spent much of the first day familiarizing myself with the area, and using a combination of a hard copy map and google maps i found the university campus - along the way being stunned by the Duomo.

Today,  Saturday I'll be visiting the Ufizzi gallery and tomorrow have a look inside the Duomo, the Bapistry and the associated museum.

But first up thought I'd give some overview thoughts on the conference. As per usual the conference was packed and intense. The organisers are strict about time and so generally after a quick coffee and snack the papers begin. There are usually parallel sessions with three or four papers in each. There is a fifteen minute break inbetween and one hour for lunch.

The keynotes Petra Bueskens, Genevieve Vaughan and Andrea OReilly were all engaging and had much to say. The parallel sessions cover a wide array of topics, disciplines and perspectives - all on the experience of women as mothers - theory or practice.

There was terrific energy and enthusiasm at the conference which leaves one with the feeling that there will be no holding back of such a movement.

I was delighted to have touched base with either health professionals or professors who are concerned with maternal health and wellbeing and as it turns out this is the theme for the next MIRCI conference that will take place in Toronto, Canada next year.

But i was also delighted to hear about the work of younger women, be they activists, artists or working on a PHD in literature who are all taken up on related topics. I've got to know new colleagues from Canada and the USA and strengthened connections with others I've known for some years.

Overall a wonderful experience and so glad i came.