The Little David and Underground Adventure

We saw "Big David" in Firenza. He is massive and Renaissance. But today we move on to a more human-sized David and the Baroque.

The Villa Borghese is just outside the walls of Rome. A metro ride to the Spanish Steps and a walk across the grounds brings us to the Villa proper, which houses the Gallery.


You have to make reservations to get inside, so do so as soon as you arrive in Rome. We joined the English-language tour. This because you are limited to two hours in the Gallery and we wanted to maximize our experience.

There is, once again, too much to take in in one visit. But the two items that stand out in my memory are Bernini's Apollo and Daphne and David. Momma was impressed by the latter, preferring it to Michelangelo's. But it is the Apollo and Daphne that I am most impressed by. The guide carefully walked us around the sculpture, showing us how from the four cardinal points, a different part of the story seems to told. Fascinating.

We then re-board the Metro to travel to south-east Rome (Momma declined to ride the Hot Air Balloon, which would have given us a wonderful view of the city). In a busy commercial centre we board a bus and travel through the outer limits of Rome to the end of the line. We get off and walk a little way to an old stone road: Via Appia Antica. Momma, by now, was beginning to suffer from all the walking we had been doing. So her recollection of this walk is less favourable than mine.


Cypress-lined and just shady enough to keep the worst of the heat off of us. We walk through an ancient gate and on toward St. Callixtus' catacombs. We find some shade and wait for the English-language tour.


Then down into the world of ancient Roman Christians

We then continue our adventurous ways and board a bus to see if we can get to San Giovanni in Laterano on it. I was there in '72 and remember the front. When we get off the bus however, it doesn't look familiar to me.


Later we realize that we have entered by the side. Inside we are suitably awestruck.


When we exit from the front I now recognize the view. We have now visited all four of the four major basilicas of Rome.

We cross the street to visit the Scala Santa. Momma wanted to do the traditional thing and go up the steps on her knees. Perhaps, I was being too worldly, but I'm worried about her arthritic knees and talk her out of it. (This is traditional in Lent and on Fridays--guess which day this was.) So we walk up the side stairs and visit the Sancta Sanctorum. We find our way to a Metro station; back home for Chinese.

"Tomorrow" we travel to Capri.