Vittorio Emanuele II Monument, Rain, an Artist's Studio, and, All in All, a Very Nice Day

Back when we were thinking about doing this trip I asked Nancy "what do you want to do?" The answer was speak to Italians (in Italian) and meet other artists. The choice of Monti, where we're staying, was to some degree influenced by the latter as it is not only central it has been one of the several areas historically affordable to artists. That was my experience when I was here last. Well Monti has gotten a little (not much) gentrified. There are studios here but most artists have moved on. I'm rambling; that's not the point. Nancy having said that I said to myself "let's see what we can do". I googled "artists in rome" or something and amazingly found an artist, Kelly Medford, who was an American working in Rome, a damn fine artist, and one who, also amazingly, has worked in Bradenton. To top it all off she actually answered my email. I got back in touch after hitting town and Kelly arranged to have us visit her studio.

Trajan's column

Detail thereof

Vittorio Emmanuele II Monument

I would imagine that at this point you were expecting pictures of an artist's studio. Patience. Patience.

As usual we futzed around in the morning, cafes in the cafe, brioche cioccolato for me. I had worked out an extensive plan where we would walk to the Trevi Fountain, arc down to the Pantheon, touch the church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, and end up at the Piazza Venezia where we would catch the tram to Trastevere where Kelly's studio is. We sat and examined this fine plan for so long that we could see the weather catching up with us and just walked towards Piazza Venezia. Note that I said "towards" not "to". About three quarters of the way there the skies opened up in a deluge. We eventually dived into a gift shop for some monument within sight of the immense Vittorio Emmanuelle II Monument, commemorating the unification of Italy and in front of which is Piazza Venezia. I left Nancy in the shop and went out in search of the tram stop. It's a pretty large piazza given the fact that most of it isn't a piazza at all but about ten roads converging. And all around this thing are stops for buses and trams.  Each of which I examined. In the driving rain. Dodging traffic. In the driving rain. Oddly enough the correct stop was the last place I looked.  I went back and collected Nancy having forgotten exactly where I had left her (don't tell her that) and we sloshed our way over the the tram which is an electric light rail system, so much more practical than the prestigious heavy rail systems like the Subway, the Tube, and MARTA.  So this took us to Trastevere, the far limb of Trastevere, off our tourist maps, and the last stop on the tram.  But this was directly in front of, I bet you thought I'd never get there, Kelly's studio.

Kelly Medford

Our plan had been to take the tram out there then wander around for a bit before ringing the bell (we had been invited for 4pm or 5pm and it was around 2:30pm) but while the rain has stopped it didn't look like it was going to stay stopped and the area didn't look conducive to wandering so we took a chance and rang the bell. Kelly interrupted her work and let us in for what was a charming and lengthy visit.  I have some great pictures of her lovely work which for copyright reasons I'm not going to post publicly; let me know if you'd like to see them.  So tea and chatter, exchanging life experiences, while I read a book, occasionally tossing in a bon mot to show that I'm not a complete philistine.  And with expressions of mutual admiration we parted.

Kelly suggested that we visit the Villa Pamphili in the large park pretty much behind her studio building but as we were off the tourist map we weren't entirely comfortable with it.  Instead we took the tram back into central Trastevere where I figured we could visit the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere, the oldest Christian church in Rome which reputedly has great mosaics (Nancy's sweet spot) on the front and the interior, and then the Villa Farnese with its decorations by Raphael and Il Sodoma. Re the former, the mosaics on the front were draped for restoration and there was a service going on which we were loathe to interrupt (not that others didn't).  And the latter closed at 1pm.  So. So we had a really really great early dinner.

Nancy had hopes of making a 6:45 meeting so my thoughts of visiting Isola Tiberina were put on hold.  We strolled back to the tram stop where a tram was waiting on a stop light.  We jumped on.  We didn't note that this tram stopped behind Vittorio Emmanuele not in front as for the outward bound trip.  Well, how bad could that be?

Vittorio Emanuelle II; note the full military presence, common at all major sites.

Take a look at a map and see all the roads that intersect and don't, which don't because they're forty feet higher that the others.  Easy for you because your map is in one piece.  My map consists of a collection of small highly detailed maps that flip out which is really great provided that where you are isn't in a corner of one and that the various corners don't line up.  Add to this that said map had gotten soaked in the previously noted rain and was not falling apart and you have crossing a large piazza turn into an epic journey.

We did not make the 6:45pm meeting.

We were however plenty early to an 8pm meeting.  We walked all the way up and were maybe forty-five minutes early so we just sat in a cafe across the street and recouped.  I remained recouping while Nancy went to the meeting after which we walked home, stopping on the way for my now customary gelato; basil-lemon this time which sounds horrible and isn't.

Another of Nancy's doors (note that I am pointedly avoiding saying that I'm showing Nancy's knockers)