(29 September 2001) I woke up this morning in New York City, probably for the last time in quite a while. This morning I did laundry, getting my carefully planned backpack together. You see, I intend to carry as little luggage as is reasonable, and careful planning has gone to this end. Another goal is to look as little like an American as possible, so I'm not taking any white socks, jeans, or t-shirts with printing on them.Everything that I'm not taking to Italy got packaged up to my suitcase, which I schlepped up to Aaron's house. Six floors is a long way to walk with those suitcases. With that mission done, Johanna and I made French toast, barely making a dent in the enormous challa loaf, but polishing off all the eggs in the house. I then went to Stuffco for a bit, to get some last minute finances in order, as well as to print some important phone numbers. Around 6:30, I walked out of my apartment, handed off the key to the doorman, pausing to have him take a "before" picture.Then I boarded an "A" train, bound for JFK airport. I had a small victory as I boarded the plane with my backpack in tow, carry on all the way- pretty good for seven weeks of travel. The flight across the pond was effortless. I slept most of the way, but I did have a good meal... just one of the things that Sabena does well.

(30 September 2001) I guess today started somewhere during my flight across the Atlantic, 6 hours of time change and 6 hours for the flight will take a bite out of any day. We landed in Brussels near noon local time. I had just over five hours of layover as I stepped off the plane, so I decided to make the most of it. I passed out of customs, stowed my bag in a locker, and walked onto a train headed for downtown. Brussels is a beautiful city, from the little I've seen. The Grand Plaza is interesting, and of course, Manneken Pis (little boy peeing) is one of those famous landmarks. I visited the cathedral, and had some Belgian Chocolate sitting on the stairs outside the Congress house. I navigated the train system again, (Why doesn't America have anything nearly so convenient?) and successfully boarded my flight to Italy. There are no passport checks within most of Europe these days, so my flight to Roma operated like a domestic flight. I slept again on the plane. At the Roma Airport, I boarded a train to the Statzione Termini, after a bit of a fight with an Italian-only ticket-dispensing machine. By the time I reached the Station, it was near 9:00 local time, and I was six hours off of that. I was tired and didn't feel like trying to find a place to sleep. I got a room at a small hotel for more than I wanted to pay, but it was clean safe and comfortable.

(01 Ottobre 2001) I checked out of my too-expensive hotel, well, alright, it was only 110000 lira ($55), but that's definitely way outside my price range. I boarded the subway at Termini, buying an all day ticket (6000 Lit). I'm going to give prices in Italian Lira; you can do the math if you care. 2000 Lira is almost exactly one dollar. Rome's subway "Metropolitana" forms a big X across the city. There are two lines, and they cross at the main train station. I took the train several stops moving north and west, to Ottaviano. There I located a city bus, headed north. My destination was the Rome Youth Hostel. I suppose I should say a few words about Italian public transportation, both buses and subways. When you buy a ticket, in theory, you get it stamped by a machine as you enter a subway or just after you board the bus. Rarely does it work this way. The vast majority of people just walk right onto trains and get on buses without stamping anything. I doubt they even have tickets. However, the travel guides and stations have warnings about 150000Lit. fines for being on a bus without a valid ticket. In an effort to avoid that, I've been mostly paying. However, frequently the bus is so crowded that you can't get anywhere near the machine if you wanted to; at other times, like when I am leaving the hostel in the morning, I haven't bought a ticket for the day anyway. Whatever. I checked into the hostel, it is a big building that looks vaguely like Lincoln Center. Perhaps that's my instinctive reaction when I see dirty Travertine. I think Rome hosted the Olympics in 1960, and this building is a remnant, there are swimming pools and a gymnastics arena next door. I paid my 54000 for 3 nights, checked my bag into the luggage room, and got out of there. I took the bus back to the Subway stop, and walked from there the short distance to Piazza San Pietro, the plaza out in front of St. Peter's Basilica. It is amazingly huge, It felt sort of like stepping into Michigan Stadium, that's how far away the colonnade on the other side is. I toured the church, and here is where I begin to realize that I've run out of superlatives for describing things I've seen. The dome is 119 meters high on the inside. This is a ridiculous distance, impossible to comprehend inside a building. The frescos and mosaics, sculptures and icons are awe-inspiring. Michaelangelo's Pieta is right inside the front door. It is hard to realize that he created that by working from a block of marble in, instead of building something up. It looks frozen in motion. Behind bulletproof glass now, it was attacked with a sledgehammer in 1973. After sitting outside a bit, I got in line to climb to the Cupola. I did it "senza ascensore" (without elevator) the elevator only takes you to the roof of the church, you still have to climb some 300 stairs to the top. It is the sort of thing they would never let you do in America, the stairs start our normal, and get smaller and smaller, changing angle all the time. At one point there is a 16-inch wide spiral staircase with a vertical rope in the middle for a railing. Once at the top, the view is spectacular. Finally I am able to get some idea of what Roma is really like. I'm struck by the red roofs and white of the buildings. The Vatican gardens are behind us, amazingly manicured. I wasn't really aware until now that Roma was warm enough to grow palm trees, but they are pretty common. After leaving St. Peter's, I walked along the river (Tiber), not a very nice river anymore, and it looks like it should have more water. I found my way to the Piazza Navona, was enthralled by a street performing mime, imitating pedestrians. I was wandering lots of side streets, mostly in an effort to avoid the noise of Roman traffic. I happened upon an outdoor restaurant, I had an excellent meal, with no English language at all, Spaghetti Carbona, obscenely good bruschetta and a half litre of vino rosso for 26000. After that, I made my way to an internet cafe and did the last update. I went to the Hostel on the now familiar bus 32, and fell asleep.

(02 Ottobre 2001) I woke up this morning, after a fairly fitful night's sleep. My body is still adjusting to the time change. I haven't stayed in very many hostels yet, but I have a feeling this isn't a particularly nice one. There are six people in each room, on three bunk beds. There are also six lockers, each about 3x3x3, which is great, because your stuff is safe all day. I brought a good Master combination padlock with me, and I'm very glad. The bathroom is down the hall and in pretty poor shape. Stall graffiti in at least 6 languages...still, it is cheap ($14/night), serviceable, and I don't need much more than a place to crash each night. I know that some of the other hostels I'm going to visit on this trip will be far better. Breakfast is included, a bowl of cereal with milk, and a glass of juice. If you want more, including coffee, you pay extra. People are friendly and very international; I had breakfast with a couple from New Zealand this morning. Almost everyone is speaking English here. This morning, I set off on the bus, without a ticket this time, for Piazza Risorgimento, from there I walked to the entrance of the Vatican Museum. This is an amazing place. I am a huge museum fan, and I've visited hundreds. This is definitely one of the best. One thing that's amazing is that it has been a museum since about the 16th century. Many of these statues were discovered, then moved here, and haven't moved since. Of course the highlight, and the place that all the tour groups head straight to- Cappella Sistina, the Sistine Chapel. I think that something far more than any mortal hand was working on this project. It brought tears to my eyes. I think this must be a glimpse of what heaven looks like. Tour groups are amazing, I cannot imagine for one instant that people are enjoying themselves. "Ok, here we are, Sistine Chapel, now on to the Forum. Tomorrow we go to Florence." I spent about 45 minutes in the Chapel, probably more time than those people spend in all the museums on their whole trip. After I finished in the Museum, around 5:00, I walked down to the Castello San Angelo, this is an interesting building, built as a Mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian, and later used as a fortress by the popes. It was interesting, but I had used all my energy in the Vatican Museums. I didn't see a modern day Antinous walking around, even though I had my eyes peeled ;-) . Later, I walked around an area of town called Trastevere, it is kind of hip, and full of chic stores. The guidebook calls it "Rome's Greenwich Village" but I don't buy it. I order dinner, a beautiful salad with lots of olives and cheese, in another side-street restaurant, again about $12, with wine and bread. Beat that, New York.

(03 Ottobre 2001) This morning, after breakfast, I rode the bus to the subway, but instead of boarding, I walked back to the Piazza San Pietro. It was about 9:45, the Pope was giving mass in 45 minutes. I did not have a ticket for a seat, so I staked out a spot right near the obelisk in the center of the plaza. There was music before the mass began, plus a parade of cardinals and the thousands of spectators streaming in. Eventually, the pope showed up, in his Popemobile. He circulated all around the crowd, waving and giving peace. The cheers from the crowd were amazing. I think I have some photos of the scene. The mass itself was relatively uninteresting, although he did speak of his recent trip to Kazakhstan and Armenia. He is certainly getting to be an elderly man. Being there on that beautiful Wednesday morning is a memory that I won't forget.

After mass, I returned to the subway, getting out at the Colloseo stop. Simple as that. I bought my ticket, and wandered around the Colosseum. Unfortunately, they don't let the public wander around all the places they used to. It is amazing, surprisingly small "playing" surface. it is elliptical, but I imagine you'd just barely fit a single tennis court on the surface. Certainly no room for chariot races (they were at the Circus Maximus) The place sat 80,000 people, but they were allowed much steeper audience rakes and smaller seat spacing than we are now. Incredible design involved in exits and audience passages. Those Romans knew a thing or two. Also cool were the small models of the elevators and ramps that brought people, scenery, and animals to the surface.

After that, I was a bit tired, and I wanted to find a place to lounge in the grass. Rome just doesn't have such places. Sure they have grassy areas, in parks, but there are lots of signs saying "Vietato Calpestare I Prati" annoying. I love Central Park for that. Although, perhaps those grassy areas look so beautiful and comfortable precisely because no one has been napping there... After taking a bit of a break, with a 5000 lira coke (!) and sitting on a beautiful but stone (grrr...) flight of stairs, I made my way to the Palatino.

This is a famous set of ruins, the Palatine hill, the buildings were mostly palaces and things, their ruins are beautiful in their own right. They have a museum with the pottery and sculpture that has been recovered. The bottom line here is that there were buildings being built on top of each other for hundreds of years, and making sense of the ruins, or getting a clear understanding of what you are looking at, is hard. Down the hill, more successful in that regard, is the Foro Romano. There, the buildings are more clearly defined, with big pieces of columns still standing. There is a group of three Corinthian columns holding a piece of pediment, in white marble, which is just stunning. Walking around down there is neat, but quite crowded.

I consider the Forum, like the Sistine Chapel, Rome's "Statue of Liberty" attractions, everyone has to visit once, no matter who you are. Getting beyond that is when things get more interesting. I spent much of the rest of the day, just walking around, checking out other monuments and stuff around town. I saw the Spanish Steps (boring), the Pantheon (!!), the Trevi fountain (boring), I also ate more gelato. In case you didn't know, the Italians make the world's best Ice Cream. Period. I won't here any arguments otherwise. [Special note to RCS- You and I would be in particular trouble here! Gelato is sold in every other store ;-) ]

(04 Ottobre 2001) This morning, I left the Hostel, as is my habit now. As I was lying in bed, I noticed that the construction of the bunk bed bore a striking resemblance to the platforms that make up the sound wings at the Michigan theatre. Some of you know what that means... Anyway, I took the subway to San Giovanni, there, I toured the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterno. It is an amazing place. I almost like it better than San Pietro. For one, there are fewer people. The baptistery is in a separate building in the back, with amazing frescos. I bought a few postcards, since I know that no photo I'd take could do justice to the place. From the Piazza outside, I took a bus, with a bunch of other people, out the Via Appia Antica. Antica means "ancient," basically this is the road that runs all the way to Bari- the one Respigi wrote his fourth movement about; it really does have pines, and I had the song in my head all afternoon. I got out with all the other tourists at the Catacombes of San Callisto.

At a first glance, the feeling of the place is a lot like "The Mystery Spot." There are Busloads of people, a gift shop, a field with sheep, and not much else. You have to visit with a guide, so I waited a while, while other languages were called. I am getting better at Italian, but I'm not quite ready to abandon English. We were taken down a flight of stairs, as I said, in the middle of a field of sheep. Very soon thereafter, you realize this is no Mystery Spot. There are 12 MILES of tunnel down there, on many levels, up to 70 meters below the surface. There are 500,000 graves in this one place. It is another one of those things that couldn't exist in America. It is so far from barrier free, it isn't funny. Visiting consists of climbing up and down twisting flights of stairs, walking down poorly lit passages filled with graves, and occasionally rolling your eyes at the poor jokes of the guide. There are a bunch of popes and saints buried here, as well as thousands of normal people. I was so enthralled, I walked over to a different, slightly smaller (only 7 miles) catacombe, and took another tour. It was wonderful to get out of the city and walk on that ancient road. Eventually I took a bus back to Piazza San Giovanni. On the way in, we passed by a supermarket. I decided to get lunch there. Italian supermarkets are interesting. Apparently you have to weigh and put barcodes on all produce by yourself. I didn't know that, and my oranges caused a bit of a commotion at the check out. Other than that not too interesting, excellent prices, oh, and they have automatic bagging machines. I ate on the steps of the Basilica. From there, I walked to the Terme di Carcalla, ruins of an enormous bath complex. It is here that I was blown away by the ruins. The place is so huge, each room larger than high school gymnasiums. There are still arches standing in places, and the atmosphere is unbelievable. I kept expecting to turn a corner and come upon Rhinemadiens or Baz Lhurmann making a movie. I didn't get pictures, and as I'm writing this, I'm seeing how particularly terrible words are at describing the place. It needs pictures, and music. Opera at the Met is big, but barely on the scale of this place. Interestingly enough, apparently the site was used for opera performances, but discontinued to avoid damage. I don't think I like that, I know that I, personally, could produce "no-trace" opera on the site, and there are 2000 years of scene design, painting, and distressing at work. Why try to preserve the site as a static place? Everyone else across the last 2000 years has used it as they want, including a playground and vegetable farm. Why not let it be filled with music and high drama? Still kind of breathless from my enchantment with Carcalla (I'm glad I return to Roma at the end of my trip, I intend on going back and taking at least a roll of pictures), I boarded the subway, headed out of town, South. The place I was heading is called EUR and is just about as far away from the atmospheric poetry of Carcalla as one can get. EUR was an acronym for Exposition Universal Roma or something like that. It was a world's fair, built by Mussolini, and scheduled to happen in 1942. Needless to say, the fair never happened. Apparently the thing was left half constructed, until the 50s. EUR today is a suburb, and the finest example of Fascist architecture anywhere. Everything that ever went wrong with urban planning is here. The buildings make the Chemistry building at MSU look as homey as a thatched cottage, and Lincoln Center look like a quaint village. The Palazzo of the Workers "Square Coliseum" is here, used by Julie Taymor in "Titus" (No Aaron, there weren't any black banners lying about, and yes, if there were, I would have brought you one :-) I want to go back here and take more pictures too. Fascinating-fascist place. I don't really think I hate it particularly, but in order to put the place on a human scale, humans would have to be the size of Lincoln Navigators. I found Rome's "Easy Everything" internet cafe tonight. American Rock music and cheap (3000/hour) access.

(05 Ottobre 2001) I went back to the Vatican City this morning, to send some postcards home. I'm sorry, you all aren't getting one (I don't even know who you all are!). Apparently the Vatican mail service is faster than Italy's. I swung by the Easy Everything again, but ran out of time to do much. I hopped back on the subway, to Statzione termini, and got on a train to Perugia. My train ticket cost under 20,000 lit, for a journey of about 175-km. The countryside outside Roma is beautiful. I bought my ticket at a Tobacco shop, as one usually does here. I noticed an interesting thing, guess the most popular brand of condom (profilattico). United Colors of Benneton. Really. Italy may be very Catholic, but birth control is available everywhere, in almost every bathroom, and at every little tobacco stand. Perhaps that's why the birthrate is so low. My train trip took about 2 hours, arriving at the Perugia station just as it began to rain, near 3:00 PM. I took the bus uphill to town. Perugia is one of Italy's most well preserved medieval mountain villages. A bit too well preserved perhaps, sometimes it feels like Mackinac Island. It is perched really high on a hill. In fact, if you drive, you have to park your car at the bottom and take a scala mobile (escalator!) to the city. I got off the bus, and was immediately transfixed by the town. Hill town doesn't really begin to describe it.

The streets are tiny, twisting, and very likely to suddenly turn into stairs. It is a good thing tourists aren't allowed to drive here. There are all kinds of arches over the streets. The colors are beautiful, red and creme in the buildings, marble and cobble streets, red tile roofs. When you look over the walls, you see the green of the Umbrian countryside. Umbria likes to call itself "Il cuore verde dell'Italia" (The green heart of Italy) with good reason.

I found my hostel with some difficulty. The map I was using indicated a street where there was just a twisting flight of stairs. Silly me, I didn't notice it. Tourists fill the main streets, but step only 50 feet off, and you feel like you are in some other century.

The hostel is in every way a contrast to the one in Rome. It is small, clean and very friendly. It is also located right near the center of town. I took photos out my window, because it looked like a postcard.

Oh yeah, 20000 a night ($10). After I got settled, I headed back out, to see some more of this magical town. It is quite touristy, but that does mean a large number of interesting stores. Restaurants on the main streets are expensive, but again, you step off the wide streets, tourists disappear, and interesting cafes and Osterias appear. Perugia is a college town as well, and there are lots of good cheap places near the University. I found the neatest little church, almost perfectly octagonal, practically buried in the side of a hill. I had a fabulous gelato, watched the people on the plaza while sitting on the steps by the famous 25 sided fountain.