As many of you know, Mr. Wadas is the consummate special events planner hence he handcrafted a trip par excellence to Italy. As we fly back, a vibrant kaleidoscope of images undulates before me. View the gallery.
Landing in Rome, music filled the air of an exquisite café, Harrys Bar on the Via Vento across from our hotel that reminded me of La Jolla’s Whaling Bar in San Diego – a meeting place for locals and lovers where impeccable service is matched by spectacular presentation. The piano player sounds a bit like Lou Rawls as the whispery voice of a blonde singer breathlessly filled the room. Picture Sophia Loren, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Audrey Hepburn.
The first historical find – and there is a treasure trove in this ancient city – are the magnificent Spanish Steps. Built in the 1700s, the steps are a testament to the grandeur of the Spanish Embassy at the top. And of course John was patient while I dashed in and out of all the high end stores across from the steps – the Via Borgognona and Via Del Corso -Rodeo Drive of Rome.
We stumbled into a beautiful church and of lit a candle for Mamma Dorothy and Pappa Harry and honored the newly anointed Saint Mother Theresa. The ornate design and handcraft of the church was breathtaking. Hard to imagine how many hands, how many years went into its creation.
We spent a week in Rome immersed in history. The juxtaposition of pagan art with Christianity was fascinating. At the Palladium we discovered Roman Art with well-rounded woman intricate flowing robes which one thought were silk and wings of victory whose feathers were soft as the finest quill until you realized that was carved out of Marble. These figures stood in sharp contrast to the masculine woman which Michelangelo created that adorn the Sistine Chapel. How was all this crafted, how many many years it took and the attention to detail was intoxicating to the impressionistic mind.
We happened upon the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, a palace-turned-art gallery built in the 1500s and filled with glorious family art of the 1600 and 1700s. The walls and furnishings were mesmerizing. Velvet wallpaper draped the walls and not a space was empty as art dotted the ceilings. The coat of arms was a dove flying over flowers, which joined two wealthy houses together. The craftsmanship was indescribable. And a beautiful bust of Pope Innocent X by Botticelli, an Italian Renaissance painter, was commanding. The good Pope was quite a wheeler dealer. We learned he was good friends with the Young Widow Carvecio whose family owned the palace. She was quite the business woman as The Pope gave her all the lady of the night houses to run in exchange for allegiance to the papacy!
Walking through cobblestone streets, passing fountains and statues, churches and monuments made me so tired and hot I wanted to jump into the Tivoli Fountain! Instead I threw 3 Coins in!
We visited the United States Embassy which was down the street from where we were staying. It is over two blocks long and guards stand every few feet armed with high powered rifles. I am proud to be an American and one must thank the soldiers as we walk by. Europe is on high alert as Italian guards stand boldly at the gates of churches and large attractions reminding one of the tensions in our world.
While in Rome, history permeated our beings The Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore was laden in gold, marble and images of long ago. The riches in art and reverence for the church were opulent. In stark contrast, there were parishioners taking confession in large diagonal wooden boxes that lined the side of the church.
While there were many significant pieces of history and art and architecture, the one that struck me the most was an oval-shaped glass inset in golden tone on the ceiling of a great hall. Cherub angels danced around what can only be described as an evil eye, looking down on all who passed. I discovered that the eye has many different meanings from the occult to divine providence. The glow of sunlight emanating from the photo captured my imagination into spellbinding obedience.
My eyes have a knack for seeking out the unusual, the quirky. I laughed with delight when I discovered The Elephant statue in the middle of a square, which was built reluctantly by Bernini. As a way of showing his displeasure to the cardinals for forcing him to create the elephant, the elephant’s hind quarters is turned toward the cardinals’ windows and the elephant’s face is twisted with disdain. Talk about payback!
Vatican City was overwhelming from Michelangelo to Bernini. One can feel the power almost narcissism of the Popes through the ages from the ostentatious statues they created for prosperity. I was surprided to learn the photo rights of the Sistine chapel are owned by the Japanese so one is not allowed to take photos. One of the most amazing sites was a hallway lined with wall high precision maps which show the land from far and wide. How did they survey out the land in those days , there were no ariel shots did they walk everything off I learned the Vatican is a separate state and they even have their own license plate, security, money and American Ambassador. What happens in the Vatican stays in the Vatican!
We traveled to the heart of Roman entertainment – the Coliseum, or Flavian Amphitheater for as it is called. It’s towering – like an ancient football stadium – built on the backs of slaves, many of whom were Jews.
As a former athletic director, John was awestruck by the Coliseum. Tears welled in his eyes as this was the moment he had waited for. I imagined he thought about what it was like to build, seat everyone and all the details of building and running a 77,000 seat stadium as well imagining what it was like to be hoisted to the arena and to perform amongst a riotous crowd. We could hear the roaring crowds and see the gleaming gladiators in the arena as slaves worked together to lift wild animals onto the stage where blood stained the floor.
We visited the Jewish museum and The Great Synagogue where we learned there are about 14,000 Jews in Rome and about 40,000 in all of Italy. While there are Sephardic and European Jews who were displaced, the majority are called Roman Jews and are Orthodox. Security surrounds the Synagogue and museum and the area called Trastevere known for its fine eateries.
And then we got some liquid sunshine –rain. We managed to make it to the Pantheon and watched as water from the sky poured through the hole at the top of the dome-shaped roof. I discovered the Pantheon was an ancient temple for the gods (‘pan’ means many and ‘theos’ means god in Greek) before Rome was converted to Christianity under the rule of Emperor Constantine. The shift from pagan to Christianity turned the temple into a Basilica – a church blessed by the Pope.
And the food! Tucked away in a corner near a fountain was the Hotel Rafael terrace – world famous for vegan cuisine and Julia Roberts’ smile. The food was spectacular and the space very intimate so much so that we had one of the funniest and most cheerful photo ops. Even the dishes were lovely – made in Tuscany and looked like Picasso’s handiwork.
From Rome, we traveled to Naples on a brand new, sleek and gorgeous red Ferrari train. What a great way to travel! Americans should take note.
Here we visited the Herculean and Pompeii – cities frozen in time. Pompeii’s been transformed with modern sculptures juxtaposed with ancient ruins. When walking through Pompeii, it was hard to close my eyes and stretch my imagination to a time so long ago when Roman baths were the social hangouts and shopkeepers strolled in togas through the city. The excavation of this city was simply divine – years upon years of earthquakes, natural disasters, Vesuvius erupting and pillage and yet underneath it all was Pompeii. I wondered what it would be like if a visitor came to see California centuries after we are all gone and unearthed automobiles, houses and freeways, homes, gardens and museums. What will be said about us?
The most amazing space for me was an auditorium which if you stood in the right spot the acoustics were so sharp the sound of your voice carried throughout the entire space. Here songs were sung, orators recited poetry and plays were performed. Of course there was an open forum where athletic events were held and you could almost hear the gladiators of yore.
At one point we ran out of Euros, which set off a chain of events because no local spot would take American Express. Our sweet tour guide, Frank, eventually helped us out. Full of story and knowledge, he made our time together precious, and – true to form – we helped Frank discover a new way to Mt. Vesuvius via a Mercedes Tank tour bus. Then John, Frank and I climbed the mountain ourselves and it was electrifying at the top. We celebrated by getting a $12.95 Black Lava Sparkling Buddha!
There was more hiking to follow and let me tell you – hiking in the rain is not the same as singing in the rain. I love hiking and walking as it is a wonderful opportunity to see the land and take in every detail of the experience. The next day we met up with our Backroads Guides Chema, from Basque country and Luca from Italy and our new walking and hiking friends and traveled to a wonderful organic farm equipped with beautiful grapes, figs and even its own bull. I thought of my daughter Shelby and Johnnie and how they would cherish all the organic foods.
On our first night in Sorrento everyone was just getting to know each other in our travel group. The nature of the group was lovely. They were all pleasant, funny, respectful, enthusiastic and energetic and we discovered pumpkins can grow on vines which hang high over your head. The trip might have easily been renamed Stepping Through the Amalfi Coast as the number of rugged stairs that folks ascended and descended were long, arduous. I patted myself for doing a 365 stair climb only to learn 1,000 steps which I respectfully declined lie in my future. The Amafia coast is magical and mystical.
In Ana Capri, we stayed at the Hotel Cesar Augustus, the most beautiful hotel I have ever seen. There was swimming, laughing and loving. I will always remember waking up and learning I was being given the 2016 Spirit of Recovery Award from Hemet Valley and Sage Recovery while looking out over the Tyrrhenian Sea. The most memorable thing about Ana Capri was seeing the sea, hiking, and meeting a vibrant 80-year-old who was still taking life by storm, handcrafting beautiful children’s clothing.
We topped our trip that off with a fabulous cooking school where we made pasta, bruschetta, and mussels and laughed harmoniously all night long
This is the first trip I have taken that I can say all was perfecto. The synchronicity of our guides Chema and Lucca and fellow travelers served us well. All was Magnificent I am most grateful to John ( Mr. Wadas) as I lovingly refer him for orchestrating this adventure . I have returned to my passionate work refreshed, rejuvenated and enriched.
Thank you Mr. Wadas!
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
– Mark Twain –
