Midnite's Global Journey of Spiritual Discovery* - Tiki Travel

M midnite Member 37? 47' N, 122? 26' W Joined: Mar 25, 2002 Posts: 1230	M midnite Posted posted on Wed, Dec 31, 2008 11:14 AM ROMAN HOLIDAY ROME & LONDON CHRISTMAS 2008 Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...it's that time of year again: yuletide carols, Eskimos, rum induced frolicking. Wrapped up in a box under the glowing aluminum Christmas tree this year is a trip to the Eternal City. A week in Rome for team midnite. Ciao Ciao! (blows kiss) Obviously, in order to get to Rome one must first go through London. At least that is how I look at the map. Christmas and London go together like yours truly and a good day's work: once a year! Yes, we would stop in London for a few of my favorite things: Cocktails at Vic's and Golden Hinde for fish, room service club sandwiches served in a covered dish. Even on very short notice we were lucky to have some of the Bri-tiki contingent join us at Trader Vic's, a special treat as I consider myself an honorary member (with privileges) of that UK crowd. London Vic's was hopping, decked out in holiday cheer, it was good to see the bar area packed. Of special note were a few locals participating in a spot of long-straw drinking. I approved of that, if not of our first round of cocktails. Things did improve, with my Menehune Juice and Navy Grog being first rate. Also, I was happy to learn, with Chris' help, that the Molokai Mike is NOT the worst cocktail around. Well, least not in London Vic's where it was actually quite good. Cheers to Sian and James for the good times. We arrived in Rome a bit later than I would have preferred and thereby broke one of my travel commandments: Do not arrive in a new city after dark. That's the breaks, or as they say in Rome, "C'est La Vie!" Still, we did the best we could as we made our way to the Hotel Excelsior, our home for the next six nights. After a brief get acquainted stroll around our Via Veneto neighborhood and a ridiculously expensive club sandwich (decent, traditional, solid) from room service we were ready to explore Rome. Roam, Rome if you want to. We spent our first day visiting several famous sites of ancient Rome. A lifetime of travel can come down to a few moments: an unforgettable island sunset, that special meal, a timely bribe of the border guard. One such moment for me was the egress from the Coloseo metro station and seeing the Colosseum for the first time. Simply...Wow! For a long time I've held a deep interest in this most famous arena. I mean, there's that Gladiator movie! That, and the likely fact a few of my ancestors probably went down fighting inside the old behemoth. If one comes from, as I do on one side of the family, Central European slave stock, it sort of goes with the territory. I hold no grudge but dear old Dad was a always a bit, uh, cautious around the eye-talians. The other ancient Rome archaeological sites we visited were similarly awe-inspiring experiences. Rome offers a lot for a visitor to take in. At times there is simply too much, capice? Some of the sites demand a bit of imagination in order to fully appreciate the situation, which can be difficult. One place that was not so was the Pantheon. The majesty of the building is hard to convey in words. Its almost fully intact state is a wonder to behold. The Pantheon will go down as one of my all-time favorite travel "sees" and it is one of those places which utterly blows away all expectations. In today's over hyped world the concern for a traveler is a serious let down from a landmark's pre-ordained, and not entirely bona fide, impressive reputation. On any given Monday in Rome the vast majority of museums and sites, save the Vatican Museum, are closed. Therefore, on any given Monday the vast majority of tourists go to the Vatican. The Vatican museum is a huge mega-warehouse of antiquity in a tiny city-sized nation state. It's big all right but in some spots it can get a bit crowded. Similar to the Louvre and its star attraction the Mona Lisa, the Vatican Museum has the Sistine Chapel. It is a very popular sight, the room a mass of people with necks bent, heads back, mouths agape, gazing upward. Our visit that morning was akin to a scrum between me and thirty-seven Asian tourists. When one travels during Christmas one spends much time with Asian tour groups, even if like me, one does not wish to do so. Over the escalator and through the acres of religious art and iconography we go! Down too many to count hallways and stairs we (me and many new Chinese friends) are there. Now, as the Pantheon is to "Way cool Fonzie before he wore the leather jacket" the Sistine Chapel is to "Jumping a shark on water skis Fonz" That is to say it is a bit....meh. Now, don't get me wrong the room is impressive. I mean, it's all painted ceiling, Michelangelo, Old and New Testaments, on his back way up high, paint in the eyes, hand of God fabulous. Still, it is...in a way...a yawn. Give me the Vatican's map room and you can have the Sistine. The map room left me in awe, while the Chapel....pishaw. I know, you are thinking "midnite, you're going to hell for that comment!" Nuh uh, not this time, not by a long shot. I've got special dispensation. The Vatican Museum was a bit over the top, St. Peter's Basilica was simply the tops. I have been to my share, and yours too, of the world's most famous churches, mosques, and cathedrals. They pale, no they fade into meaninglessness, in the shadow of greatness that is St. Peter's. I'm not that much of a believer, but the place is no holds barred inspiring. Get there, check it out, come back and dare tell me you were not humbled and exhilarated at the same time. Did it get to me? Definitely. So much so that I ambled over to the Basilica's Chapel of St. Joseph and went to mass. That is to say, the whole nine yards including the Blessed Sacrament. I took communion in St. Peter's. So, I got that going for me. For just a brief moment I considered giving confession, but thought the wiser as we had a flight to catch in only four days. You may know of my affinity for attending Christmas Eve midnight mass around the world. Well, here it was, the Big Kahuna so to speak. The Vatican, the ultimate midnight mass. Little did we know that one has to make a reservation, actually get tickets, to attend St. Peter's on Christmas Eve. Well, we effed up that one, Sarge! Our last minute fax to the Holy See was answered by the prefect, "No room at the Basilica." Christ! This blows. Then I recalled, as may you, my time on the Vatican City Bocce Team back in the mid to late eighties. The Holy See Rollers, ecclesiastical league champs three years running. Well, after a few visits to the Rome Offices of the North American Bishop we scored two tickets to midnight mass. Not the front row mind you, but St. Peter's Basilica nonetheless. Hot dog, we're in business! Then, the other shoe dropped. Judas! There's a catch, always a catch. A ticket gets you to St. Peter's, and it will get you inside St. Peter's, but apparently one must get in line early as these tickets do not guarantee a seat inside. So, the pilgrim is instructed to arrive at St. Peter's several hours, the sister told me six, before midnight and hope, but certainly not pray, that one gets inside. A few hours standing out in the cold Rome night for a one in three, or so, chance at a seat? Where I come from that is a bit bait and switch. Pappa, we're going to pass on your mass. We'll take our tickets but we'll head to the Excelsior Hotel bar for my own personal "midnite mass": cocktails and club sandwiches. Praise the Lord. I tried the Planter's Punch. Was this drink a tiny spot of tiki in greater Roma? No, more like a small bit of rum in a great sea of grenadine. Ick! Well, I tried. Christmas dinner (also a club sandwich) and cocktails the next day were much better as I imbibed in my traditional Xmas Old Fashioned. The fair Michelle had a daiquiri. Both were yummy. Hallelujah! Team midnite was back at Vatican City Christmas morning for the Urbi and Orbi blessing. The faithful do arrive early in order to secure a good vantage point in St. Peter's Square. What started as a decent-sized crowd soon became a huge all-encompassing mass of pilgrims. A virtual sea of believers crowding up front where I wanted to be. Dammit, I flew 6,000 miles and I wanna see the Pope! My two years parochial matriculation is just not cutting it here. I had to go public school on them. Survival of the fittest, if not the faithfullness, means a well-placed knee jab "casts aside" a junior pilgrim and I secure a spot for us right up front. Pope Benedict XVI came out, spoke a lot in Italian, and then gave the blessing in over sixty languages. That means along with the Blessed Sacrament received at St. Peter's I also scored a Papal Blessing. Oh yeah, I'm golden. Find the midnites in the photo! This one is easy. More Rome? Why of course, more Rome! The Capitoline Museum is a must visit. One has to go see the big hand, the huge foot, and the decent-sized head. Seriously though, it is one of the best museums I've visited and should be tops on your list. The Caracalla Baths were something else, too. A bit tough to envision past the crumbled ruins they are now, though. However, the massive scale and virtual remoteness of the baths lends one to undertake a contemplative mood that is otherwise hard to achieve while beating back the crowds and craziness of modern Rome. One favorite moment during our stay was a Christmas morning stroll, mainly along Via Coronari, near the Tiber. It was Rome as one would hope it could always be: ancient, beautiful, quiet, precious. The bad? The Trevi Fountain is a dump. Go very early on Christmas (or any other morning) otherwise not at all. Third world refugees hawking any manner of shite and, if you're lucky, a Peruvian flute band. The depression I feel from encountering the world's great sites ruined by crass commercialism is worsening. The same goes for the Spanish Steps...avoid at all but the earliest morning hours. Oh, one more thing, the number 116 bus is an annoying little ice cream truck of a public conveyance dead set on tormenting my mortal existence. It is evil I tell you! My final impressions are Rome is big, frenzied, and not the cleanest place in the world. It takes some getting used to and for some personalities the city may be a bit volatile, perhaps too frantic. I fit in pretty well as I lean to the obnoxious, agressive, and overtly hostile. Nonetheless, Rome is one of the world's great cities. Yes, all roads do lead to Rome and seemingly each one ends up paved in hard uneven cobblestones that mess up your feet something awful. Roma, I love ya anyway (blows kiss). We departed Rome and jetted back to London. At this point I was exhausted and my feet were threatening seccession after countless hours walking five of Rome's seven hills. I wanted nothing more than to visit my favorite city in the world and take in the waters at my favorite Trader Vic's. Well, it seems Boxing Day is too sacred for Vic's to be open. In a spell of sweet irony that befits my earlier 2008 travel plans Trader Vic's was closed for the day. Boxing Day...what the? I traveled six thousand miles, I want a Navy Grog! Sigh. As very little consolation we did visit a first ever Christmas market cum carnival in Hyde Park. Bit of a surreal scene it was. All the bright lights, rides, it's part German, part British, is that a Roman centurion? That's it, let's go play in traffic. Look right, mind the gap, no egg on the club, please. The year ends with a long posting but it was a special trip and my only international excursion for 2008. The trips of aught eight were filled with much tiki and many tasty sandwiches. More importantly, my travels meant fine times with good friends and family. From Minnie's to London Vic's, from a warehouse in Richmond to St. Peter's in Rome. Ft. Lauderdale to Alameda, Wisconsin to Georgia. Life is good. No, life is glorious. A new year beckons and new adventures are already planned. Ciao Ciao! midnite

ROMAN HOLIDAY

ROME & LONDON CHRISTMAS 2008

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...it's that time of year again: yuletide carols, Eskimos, rum induced frolicking. Wrapped up in a box under the glowing aluminum Christmas tree this year is a trip to the Eternal City. A week in Rome for team midnite. Ciao Ciao! (blows kiss)

Obviously, in order to get to Rome one must first go through London. At least that is how I look at the map. Christmas and London go together like yours truly and a good day's work: once a year! Yes, we would stop in London for a few of my favorite things: Cocktails at Vic's and Golden Hinde for fish, room service club sandwiches served in a covered dish. Even on very short notice we were lucky to have some of the Bri-tiki contingent join us at Trader Vic's, a special treat as I consider myself an honorary member (with privileges) of that UK crowd. London Vic's was hopping, decked out in holiday cheer, it was good to see the bar area packed. Of special note were a few locals participating in a spot of long-straw drinking. I approved of that, if not of our first round of cocktails. Things did improve, with my Menehune Juice and Navy Grog being first rate. Also, I was happy to learn, with Chris' help, that the Molokai Mike is NOT the worst cocktail around. Well, least not in London Vic's where it was actually quite good. Cheers to Sian and James for the good times.

We arrived in Rome a bit later than I would have preferred and thereby broke one of my travel commandments: Do not arrive in a new city after dark. That's the breaks, or as they say in Rome, "C'est La Vie!" Still, we did the best we could as we made our way to the Hotel Excelsior, our home for the next six nights. After a brief get acquainted stroll around our Via Veneto neighborhood and a ridiculously expensive club sandwich (decent, traditional, solid) from room service we were ready to explore Rome.

Roam, Rome if you want to. We spent our first day visiting several famous sites of ancient Rome. A lifetime of travel can come down to a few moments: an unforgettable island sunset, that special meal, a timely bribe of the border guard. One such moment for me was the egress from the Coloseo metro station and seeing the Colosseum for the first time. Simply...Wow! For a long time I've held a deep interest in this most famous arena. I mean, there's that Gladiator movie! That, and the likely fact a few of my ancestors probably went down fighting inside the old behemoth. If one comes from, as I do on one side of the family, Central European slave stock, it sort of goes with the territory. I hold no grudge but dear old Dad was a always a bit, uh, cautious around the eye-talians.

The other ancient Rome archaeological sites we visited were similarly awe-inspiring experiences. Rome offers a lot for a visitor to take in. At times there is simply too much, capice? Some of the sites demand a bit of imagination in order to fully appreciate the situation, which can be difficult. One place that was not so was the Pantheon. The majesty of the building is hard to convey in words. Its almost fully intact state is a wonder to behold. The Pantheon will go down as one of my all-time favorite travel "sees" and it is one of those places which utterly blows away all expectations. In today's over hyped world the concern for a traveler is a serious let down from a landmark's pre-ordained, and not entirely bona fide, impressive reputation.

On any given Monday in Rome the vast majority of museums and sites, save the Vatican Museum, are closed. Therefore, on any given Monday the vast majority of tourists go to the Vatican. The Vatican museum is a huge mega-warehouse of antiquity in a tiny city-sized nation state. It's big all right but in some spots it can get a bit crowded. Similar to the Louvre and its star attraction the Mona Lisa, the Vatican Museum has the Sistine Chapel. It is a very popular sight, the room a mass of people with necks bent, heads back, mouths agape, gazing upward. Our visit that morning was akin to a scrum between me and thirty-seven Asian tourists. When one travels during Christmas one spends much time with Asian tour groups, even if like me, one does not wish to do so. Over the escalator and through the acres of religious art and iconography we go! Down too many to count hallways and stairs we (me and many new Chinese friends) are there. Now, as the Pantheon is to "Way cool Fonzie before he wore the leather jacket" the Sistine Chapel is to "Jumping a shark on water skis Fonz" That is to say it is a bit....meh. Now, don't get me wrong the room is impressive. I mean, it's all painted ceiling, Michelangelo, Old and New Testaments, on his back way up high, paint in the eyes, hand of God fabulous. Still, it is...in a way...a yawn. Give me the Vatican's map room and you can have the Sistine. The map room left me in awe, while the Chapel....pishaw. I know, you are thinking "midnite, you're going to hell for that comment!" Nuh uh, not this time, not by a long shot. I've got special dispensation.

The Vatican Museum was a bit over the top, St. Peter's Basilica was simply the tops. I have been to my share, and yours too, of the world's most famous churches, mosques, and cathedrals. They pale, no they fade into meaninglessness, in the shadow of greatness that is St. Peter's. I'm not that much of a believer, but the place is no holds barred inspiring. Get there, check it out, come back and dare tell me you were not humbled and exhilarated at the same time. Did it get to me? Definitely. So much so that I ambled over to the Basilica's Chapel of St. Joseph and went to mass. That is to say, the whole nine yards including the Blessed Sacrament. I took communion in St. Peter's. So, I got that going for me.

For just a brief moment I considered giving confession, but thought the wiser as we had a flight to catch in only four days.

You may know of my affinity for attending Christmas Eve midnight mass around the world. Well, here it was, the Big Kahuna so to speak. The Vatican, the ultimate midnight mass. Little did we know that one has to make a reservation, actually get tickets, to attend St. Peter's on Christmas Eve. Well, we effed up that one, Sarge! Our last minute fax to the Holy See was answered by the prefect, "No room at the Basilica." Christ! This blows. Then I recalled, as may you, my time on the Vatican City Bocce Team back in the mid to late eighties. The Holy See Rollers, ecclesiastical league champs three years running. Well, after a few visits to the Rome Offices of the North American Bishop we scored two tickets to midnight mass. Not the front row mind you, but St. Peter's Basilica nonetheless. Hot dog, we're in business! Then, the other shoe dropped. Judas!

There's a catch, always a catch. A ticket gets you to St. Peter's, and it will get you inside St. Peter's, but apparently one must get in line early as these tickets do not guarantee a seat inside. So, the pilgrim is instructed to arrive at St. Peter's several hours, the sister told me six, before midnight and hope, but certainly not pray, that one gets inside. A few hours standing out in the cold Rome night for a one in three, or so, chance at a seat? Where I come from that is a bit bait and switch. Pappa, we're going to pass on your mass. We'll take our tickets but we'll head to the Excelsior Hotel bar for my own personal "midnite mass": cocktails and club sandwiches. Praise the Lord. I tried the Planter's Punch. Was this drink a tiny spot of tiki in greater Roma? No, more like a small bit of rum in a great sea of grenadine. Ick! Well, I tried. Christmas dinner (also a club sandwich) and cocktails the next day were much better as I imbibed in my traditional Xmas Old Fashioned. The fair Michelle had a daiquiri. Both were yummy. Hallelujah!

Team midnite was back at Vatican City Christmas morning for the Urbi and Orbi blessing. The faithful do arrive early in order to secure a good vantage point in St. Peter's Square. What started as a decent-sized crowd soon became a huge all-encompassing mass of pilgrims. A virtual sea of believers crowding up front where I wanted to be. Dammit, I flew 6,000 miles and I wanna see the Pope! My two years parochial matriculation is just not cutting it here. I had to go public school on them. Survival of the fittest, if not the faithfullness, means a well-placed knee jab "casts aside" a junior pilgrim and I secure a spot for us right up front*. Pope Benedict XVI came out, spoke a lot in Italian, and then gave the blessing in over sixty languages. That means along with the Blessed Sacrament received at St. Peter's I also scored a Papal Blessing. Oh yeah, I'm golden.

*Find the midnites in the photo! This one is easy.

More Rome? Why of course, more Rome! The Capitoline Museum is a must visit. One has to go see the big hand, the huge foot, and the decent-sized head. Seriously though, it is one of the best museums I've visited and should be tops on your list. The Caracalla Baths were something else, too. A bit tough to envision past the crumbled ruins they are now, though. However, the massive scale and virtual remoteness of the baths lends one to undertake a contemplative mood that is otherwise hard to achieve while beating back the crowds and craziness of modern Rome. One favorite moment during our stay was a Christmas morning stroll, mainly along Via Coronari, near the Tiber. It was Rome as one would hope it could always be: ancient, beautiful, quiet, precious. The bad? The Trevi Fountain is a dump. Go very early on Christmas (or any other morning) otherwise not at all. Third world refugees hawking any manner of shite and, if you're lucky, a Peruvian flute band. The depression I feel from encountering the world's great sites ruined by crass commercialism is worsening. The same goes for the Spanish Steps...avoid at all but the earliest morning hours. Oh, one more thing, the number 116 bus is an annoying little ice cream truck of a public conveyance dead set on tormenting my mortal existence. It is evil I tell you!

My final impressions are Rome is big, frenzied, and not the cleanest place in the world. It takes some getting used to and for some personalities the city may be a bit volatile, perhaps too frantic. I fit in pretty well as I lean to the obnoxious, agressive, and overtly hostile. Nonetheless, Rome is one of the world's great cities. Yes, all roads do lead to Rome and seemingly each one ends up paved in hard uneven cobblestones that mess up your feet something awful. Roma, I love ya anyway (blows kiss).

We departed Rome and jetted back to London. At this point I was exhausted and my feet were threatening seccession after countless hours walking five of Rome's seven hills. I wanted nothing more than to visit my favorite city in the world and take in the waters at my favorite Trader Vic's. Well, it seems Boxing Day is too sacred for Vic's to be open. In a spell of sweet irony that befits my earlier 2008 travel plans Trader Vic's was closed for the day. Boxing Day...what the? I traveled six thousand miles, I want a Navy Grog! Sigh. As very little consolation we did visit a first ever Christmas market cum carnival in Hyde Park. Bit of a surreal scene it was. All the bright lights, rides, it's part German, part British, is that a Roman centurion? That's it, let's go play in traffic. Look right, mind the gap, no egg on the club, please.

The year ends with a long posting but it was a special trip and my only international excursion for 2008. The trips of aught eight were filled with much tiki and many tasty sandwiches. More importantly, my travels meant fine times with good friends and family. From Minnie's to London Vic's, from a warehouse in Richmond to St. Peter's in Rome. Ft. Lauderdale to Alameda, Wisconsin to Georgia. Life is good. No, life is glorious.

A new year beckons and new adventures are already planned.

Ciao Ciao!
midnite

Post #426508 by midnite on Wed, Dec 31, 2008 11:14 AM