Rome Trip Day Three: March 7 2006

R set the alarm clock to 7am this time, and we got up on time. We took showers. Speaking of showers, I have a few complaints. First of all, the only mirror in the apartment is one foot by one foot, and hung so high that I can see my whole face only if I stand on my toes. To make things worse, the only light in the bathroom comes from behind my back when I look into the mirror. This lighting is flattering in the same way webcams are flattering. It makes every mole/acne scar/broken capillary/early wrinkle/enlarged pore on my face disappear, magic airbrush it is. Of course, there is also no way to tell whether my sunblock was applied unevenly and left white streaks on my face. I could also ask R, but R might be even more unreliable than the Magic Mirror.

Not that I still cared about my appearance. Assuming warmer weather, I had only brought a coat and a few long sleeve sweaters, none of which is thick. Now on the third day of our expedition, I'm wearing 2 of those sweaters, then an oversized sweater of R's, finally the coat. The coat, cut for a smaller waistline, developed a crease at each of the 3 large buttons. I just couldn't become concerned about it. My awareness of fashion is slipping quickly under the cold.

I remember after spending my first winter in Beijing, I told my friend Yin Li that on a day out, I'd be perfectly content if I had three things:
1. enough clothing to keep my warm - preferably a huge down jacket
2. enough cash in my pockets for the day's activities - always being able to take a taxi and have a quick retreat
3. enough facial tissue so that I wouldn't be embarrassed by my runny nose, which is a given out on a cold windy day.
Now 12 years later, my needs have been reduced to the same three things.

We went to the nearby grocery store. In a place I least expected it, we found DanActive, my favorite drink. We also bought some prosciutto. The best one cost Euro32 per kg. After the shopping, I went into the "bar" (same as cafe) next door with Max. R took our loot back to the apartment and joined us later. When you have a toddler in tow, most things in life become more complicated.

We took a bus to Vatican. There was no need for the map, because the St. Peters' majestic edifice was visible from 3 blocks away. There was a queue for security check. The stroller wasn't allow in St. Peters, so Max walked with us.

I don't know where I got the idea that climbing the dome of St. Peters with a kid would be fun. Probably they didn't mean a 2 year old kid. The stairs are in a spiral around the dome. Max walked the first 1/4, R carried him for the next 1/4. These were very easy. Then the spiral tightens. For a while the stairs are in a 2 meter diameter cylinder, curling steeply up. It felt like forever. The first lookout was at the base of the dome, looking inside. It made me appreciate the scale of things. The final lookout was near the top of the dome, looking outside. The view is great. We set up the tripod and took a few photos of the whole family. Some of those had only the sky as the background, so it's hard to tell where we were.

We went down and went inside the basilica. We were exhausted after the climb with Max. After some more sightseeing, we exited St. Peters and went to lunch. The place is targeted towards tourists, with English-speaking waiter and bad food.

The Sistine Chapel appears to be right next to St. Peters from the map. In reality, they make you walk outside and around the walls of Vatican for 15 minutes to the entrance of the Vatican Museum, which leads to the Chapel. This time it's the tripod that's not allowed. We checked it at the entrance. The exhibits were a little overwhelming. They have too many things for their space. Max had a peaceful nap in the quiet and dim Sistine Chapel. He looked like an angel. I sat on the bench and enjoyed the priceless moment. Energetic R walked around, trying to figure out which structures on the roof were fake.

We exited Sistine Chapel and found us in the same place after the St. Peters visit. We were confused for a minute. The passageways in Vatican are like a cow's digestive system in reverse. Anyway, we ended up nearer our next destination, so we were not complaining. That is, until R remembered his tripod was still checked at the entrance of the Vatican Museum. Some more walking around the walls.

We then walked to Castle Sant'angelo. The mere sight of some tourists standing on a platform high above the ground gave me muscle cramps. We decided to come back another day.

We crossed the river and took a nice stroll on Via Condotti, the 5th Ave of Rome. A lot of high fashion brands are there. We went into the LV store, just to check it out. It was crowded. 90% of the customers are Asian. Our stereotype was confirmed. We went to a famous cafe, Antico Caffe Greco, a "premier literacy cafe since 1760", just to get warm and kill some time.

We walked all the way to the Spanish Steps, a long flight of stairs leading into Villa Borghese. From there, we went north into Piazza del Popolo, "people's square". On our way to dinner, I saw a shop for socks and stocking, and bought 4 pairs. It's my first fashion purchase in Rome, and probably the last. I was just not in the mood. Maybe next time, when Max is not in tow, and I weigh 5 pounds less.

Dinner was at Edy. The food was good but not outstanding. We took the metro home.

My favorite soccer club, Juventus, was trailing 0-1 in the Champion's League match against Werder Brema when we got home. Magically, they scored 2 goals and advanced. This is a perfect day after all.