Maurits Cornelis Escher
In September we saw that there was going to be an Escher exhibit at the Palazzo Bonaparte in Rome. The Tandem Spirts talked about going and then forgot about it until a week before the exhibit was coming to a close on May 5th. Fortunately, there were still tickets available, so we purchased museum and train tickets for April 27th.
The Palazzo Bonaparte always does an amazing job with exhibits. This one was no exception. The exhibit moved chronologically and stylistically through Escher’s works and included a number of interactive stations where one could insert oneself into the design. There were also mesmerizing projections showing how one can take a simple design, flip it, and fill up a space by duplicating it horizontally or vertically. Truly mesmerizing.
Check Out This Gallery of Escher Paintings!
A Delicious Lunch with the Locals
After the exhibit it was time to find a place for lunch. James had found a place he wanted to try, just a bit out of the way. We actually walked past it. Valentino is a smallish trattoria with two rooms and a smattering of tables outside. The menu was written on a chalkboard in Italian. James had Ravioli with and Virginia ordered the gnocchi with artichokes. We also split an amazing side dish of roasted artichoke and radicchio, and 1/2 liter of house wine. For desert we split a tiramisu, which was just right and not too sweet. The food was excellent, the service was good, and we were happy to be having lunch outside in Rome on a beautiful day.
The Trevi Fountain
After lunch we made a quick visit to the Trevi Fountain. It was mobbed. Even when it is crowed, we enjoy it. People are always so happy to be there, enjoying the splendor of the fountain, having their pictures taken and tossing their coins in with the hope of retiring to Rome some day in the future.
The Basilica San Vitale al Quirinale
On our way back to Roma Termini we stopped in at the Basilica San Vitale al Quirinale, (full name, The PaleoChristian Basilica of Saints Vitale, Valeria, Gervasio and Protasio, Martyrs) a church we hadn’t noticed before, maybe because you have to go down a flight of steps to get to it. It was built in 5th century and has been rebuilt a number times over the centuries. The web-site is in Italian, but has some interesting photos.
It was a beautiful day. The weather was almost perfect and the sun shining on this fountain really captures Rome’s amazing vibe! We then caught our train back to Foligno which takes about 1.5 hours. It’s a very relaxing trip!
