The Global Fellowship Ends in Rome

Now that I've been back for a month, it's probably a good idea to put up my final post for the Robert Pinsky Global Fellowship.

Two nights before I left Rome for Boston, my friend Alyssa told me she was going to be in Rome with her family for a few days. It was perfect timing. Brenda's flight left Saturday morning, and the Wiests were going to be doing their touristy stuff on Saturday evening.

So I saw Brenda off, visited the two patriarchal basilicas I hadn't seen yet, wrote a couple of "last" poems, and then hung out with Alyssa and her family for my last night in Europe.

Pics.

San Giovanni in Laterano

Obelisk outside SGiL

Fancy.

Fancier.

Ceiling.

The main hall is lined with statues of the apostles.

St. Bartholomeu.

St. Phillip.

St. Peter.

The altar only the Pope is allowed to use for mass.

Love.

San Paolo Fuori le Mura.

Clock tower.

Not-so-pretty side of SPFLM.

Love this pic.

Pillar.

Wall murals depicting scenes from St. Paul's life and ministry.

Love.

Fancy.

The burial place of St. Paul.

Awesome.

I want one of these in my house when I grow up.

Detail.

For some reason I paid to go see the garden.

But the tiled pillars were sweet.

That's a lot of relics. Including a bone from Mary Magdalene's arm and a piece of Paul's staff.

Then I went outside.

And holy crap am I glad I did.

Oh, hey, St. Paul.

This might be my favorite church front ever.

Later I walked to the San Clemente church.

Under that 13th century church is a 6th century church.

They didn't know the 6th century church existed when they built the one that now stands.

Then the monks got bored and started digging.

They found a pagan temple under the 6th century church.

This pic (way up there now that I'm talking so much) is of a pagan altar.

Yay for not-allowed pictures.

Steph, Megan, Alyssa, Sierra, and Jeff at the Forum.

I couldn't find a pink purse that I liked.

Dana in one of my favorite Italy pictures.

We had dinner here.

 

I love Bernini's Four Rivers fountain.

The Pantheon.

Random man, Steph, Alyssa, Dana, Mark, Sierra, Jeff, and Megan.

I heard the Trevi is better at night.

I disagree.

~

To say that the Robert Pinsky Global Fellowship was the opportunity of a lifetime would be an understatement. My translation project was fantastic, the opportunity to travel and write was phenomenal, and the things I got to see and do were unbelieveable.

I guess suppose it is fitting to end the account of my fellowship with a poem I composed along the way. This one was very much influenced by the work of Alberto de Lacerda (for example, I used his title) and I think it is a good representation of the type of poem I worked toward while on this trip.


I Am Leaving

          --after Alberto de Lacerda

I am leaving
Don't tell anyone

How easy it is
To go quietly

Without saying goodbye
I am leaving

Don't tell anyone
How easy it is

To go quietly
Without saying goodbye

Pompei

On Brenda's last full day in Rome, we decided to visit Pompei. We got up early and boarded a train to Naples, where we grabbed another train out to Pompei. It was different than I had imagined (larger and more intact), and I absolutely loved it.

Oh hey, Mount Vesuvius.

Temple with the volcano in the background.

Sun dial. Awesome.

The Courthouse.

A few mosaics are still around. (More to come.)

A street in Pompei.

Houses of the well-to-do were very colorful.

Detail.

Artistic.

The few statues that survived are in a museum in Naples.

But the copies are pretty well done.

Altar depicting a bull sacrifice.

They were much more happily made than bear sacrifices.

Twelve pillars that held up some type of altar.

Interesting, isn't it?

Wall art.

Archaeologists discovered a few holes where people had been buried alive in ash.

The bodies had decomposed and were gone, but the imprints were still there.

The head archaeologist had workers pour plaster into the holes.

After drying, the plaster was pulled out of the ground.

You can even see the folds of the man's clothing.

Amazing.

This guy wasn't interested in being preserved in plaster form.

They've restored the Pompei Pizza on Main Street.

Community bath, anyone?

People looked at me weird when I got naked and tried getting in to the tub.

No one appreciates the way I appreciate history.

On a similar note, my first time in England I made use of the oldest preserved Roman latrine.

Dog mosaic.

Gate.

Have (pronounced Ave, like Ave Marie) means welcome.

The little statue in the pool at the House of the Fawn.

Rich people had gardens.

This is what I thought all of Pompei would look like.

Depiction of a pagan god in the town brothel.

Trees.

There are two stadiums. This is the larger of the two.

Statue at the smaller stadium.

This is a crosswalk. No, seriously.

Notice the grooves made by the wheels of carts.

Temple to the Egyptian goddess Isis.

Again.

And again.

Engraving on a bench near the front of the large stadium.

Pretty.

South gate.

Romans had their dead buried outside the city walls.

Family graves.

What do you want on your tombstone?

Crossing the bridge to the arena.

Inside the arena.

Long live Pompei. Or...well, you know.