SPQR

Looking outside the house at the fresh snow on the ground, I find it hard to remember the warm days we spent in Sorrento and Rome in early October. I do remember that I liked Rome more than I thought I would and the Amalfi Coast a little less. Overall, the trip was fantastic: Jim took his first vacation in over a year, we began our explorations of southern Italy, and we traveled with two of Jim's sisters, Marilynn and Alice. Traveling with them can be described in one word: laughter. Whether it's chasing geckos around their hotel room or posing for photographs with ancient statues, they both bring a lighthearted and laid back approach to seeing the world, while still appreciating the incredible art and history we were experiencing.

So Saturday morning, we dropped the dogs off at the kennel, picked Jim's sisters up in Florence, and drove the 6 hours to Sorrento. We listened to a gripping audiobook about Ed Viesturs mountaineering exploits while Jim drove us through Naples in the dark and the rain. It was probably the wrong thing to listen to because when we finally reached our hotel, our hearts were racing as much from the story as from the crazy southern Italy drivers. The hotel was simple but had wonderful views across the bay of Naples. It also came with a hotel clerk that spewed information like lava from nearby Vesuvius. From Sorrento, we took the train to Naples to visit the National Archaeological Museum, which has amazing exhibits of Roman statues, frescoes, and mosaics. This is a world-class museum that although badly in need of a dusting is jam packed full of artifacts from Pompeii including the finest mosaics I've ever seen. It also houses the Farnese Collection (Cardinal Farnese became Pope Paul III): room after room of Roman sculpture, mostly copies of Greek originals that were unearthed in excavations around Rome during the Renaissance. Sadly, the Egyptian collection was closed during our visit.

Also from Sorrento, we drove along the Amalfi Coast. Despite a fantastic lunch in the small village of Rapallo, the drive was disappointing. I imagined a long, rocky coastline with a road that clung to the cliffs above the sea. That was all true, but the only reason it was long was because there were so many cars and the traffic was stop-and-go through each little overrun village. The scenery was stunning, but there are too many people trying to share too small of a space. I'd like to see more of this area, but perhaps from the trails in the hills or from the seat of a kayak.

If the Amalfi Coast was disappointing because it was smaller than I had envisioned, the opposite is true of Pompeii. The scale of the place is hard to describe. Our legs gave out on the rocky, uneven roads and sidewalks before we could see the entire site. Pompeii, which was sealed up by the 79 AD eruption of Vesuvius, is a well preserved window into Roman life. The mosaics, frescoes, courtyards, chariot-width roads, amphitheatre, baths, brothel, bakeries, fast-food restaurants... all paints a picture that you can't find anywhere. Large ruins remain in Rome, such as the Coliseum and Forum, but Pompeii shows you how middle-class Romans lived their day-to-day lives.

I didn't expect to like Rome. I expected to tolerate its crowds, its noise, its Vespas, but I loved it and can't wait to return. Marilynn rented a small apartment outside of Rome, which worked out perfectly. Each day, we'd ride the train into the city and visit any number of blockbuster sites. The Coliseum, magnificent. The Pantheon, timeless. Michelangelo's Pieta in St. Peter's Basilica, a tear jerker. The Vatican Museum, opulent overindulgence by a long line of power mongering and outrageously wealthy popes, but an extraordinary collection, nonetheless. The Sistine Chapel, soul stirring. The list goes on, but the one place we hadn't visited before that took our breath away was the Borghese Museum. This small museum houses some extraordinary art treasures, including many of Bernini's works. The museum lets 200 people enter at one time for a 2-hour period. If you get out of synch with the other 199 people, you can be alone in a room with a masterpiece, such as "Apollo and Daphne," and marvel at how Bernini captured Daphne's metamorphosis into a laurel tree, her fingertips transforming into delicate leaves of white Carrara marble.

SPQR is seen throughout Rome (it's on every manhole cover in the city). It is the latin abbreviation of "Senatus Populusque Romanus," the senate and people of Rome. Western politics, religion, law, medicine, philosophy, and culture owe much to the Roman Empire. Spending some time in Rome helps make that connection. (And if you can't get to Rome, or even if you can, watch the HBO series "Rome" to see what life might have been like around the time of Julius Caesar in all its gory details.)

More photos of our trip.