Comments on 'The Theory of Everything'

We went to see 'The Theory of Everything', the movie directed by James Marsh and written by Anthony McCarten based on the book 'Traveling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen' by Jane Wilde Hawking.  It is a pretty straightforward biopic about the theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking -- starring Eddie Redmayne as Hawking and Felicity Jones as his wife, Jane Wilde Hawking.

The poster for 'The Theory of Everything'

Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with motor neuron disease which is related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (commonly called Lou Gehrig's Disease) while he was still a student at Oxford.  At the time, he was given a life expectancy of less than two years.  He went on to marry Jane, father three children, divorce Jane and remarry -- his nurse, Elaine (played by Maxine Peake).  Following the divorce, Jane married Jonathan (played by Charlie Cox) the young choir master and music teacher who had assisted Jane in caring for Stephen and their family.  

Professionally, Stephen became a noted scientific thinker and author, traveling and speaking extensively, and eventually founding the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology within the University of Cambridge.  The movie is framed by his investiture as a Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.  He is now 72, almost completely paralyzed, and uses a speech synthesizer to speak after a bout with pneumonia in 1985 required a tracheotomy.  At the time, the doctors asked Jane if she wanted Stephen removed from the ventilator that was sustaining him.  She refused.

While making the simplifications and elisions needed to develop the movie's romantic arc within a two-hour commercial format, the key elements of the Hawkings' remarkable story remain.  The science is not really dumbed-down so much as it is intelligently summarized -- much as Hawking's book, 'The History of Time', was written for smart laymen, not fellow academics.

Redmayne courageously tackles Stephen's physical afflictions, but more importantly portrays his sense of humour, his guileless brilliance and his sexual appetite.  Felicity Jones' blazing performance as Jane Hawking brings out Jane's strength as a wife and mother, without downplaying her frustration with Stephen's ingratitude and with the difficulties of maintaining a support system for a capricious genius.

With wonderful performances and gorgeous cinematography -- filmed on location in Oxford and Cambridge -- it's a fine, thoughtful movie that deserves to be seen and savored.

Publicity banner for 'The Theory of Everything'.

Italian Trip Diary -- Day #19 -- Rome

Sunday, July 1, 2001, Rome:

On Sunday morning we took a taxi to the Victor Emmanuel Monument on the Piazza Venezia.  The monument was erected in honor of Victor Emmanuel II, the first King of Italy.

The Victor Emmanuel Monument home of Italy's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

 It was designed by Giuseppe Sacconi in 1885 and the sculptures adorning it were created by Italian sculptors of that era.  It houses the Tomb of Italy's Unknown Soldier who was buried there in 1921.  While it is an important site, the structure -- which can be seen from all over Rome -- is widely derided as 'the wedding cake', 'the typewriter' and even 'the urinal'.

Two of the domed churches near the Piazza Venezia -- Santa Maria di Loreto begun in 1507 by Anotnio da Sangallo and completed in 1582 by Jacobo del Duca and  Santissimo Nome di Maria al Foro Traiano designed by Antoine Derizet around 1740.  Trajan's Column rises out of the Trajan Forum on the right.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

We went to the right of the monument, passed the ramp leading to the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, and climbed the ramp to the Piazza del Campidoglio on the Capitoline Hill.

Piazza del Campidoglio with statue of Marcus Aurelius.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

This beautiful square is based on a design by Michelangelo.  An equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius

Equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius at the center of the Piazza del Campidoglio.  This is a replica -- the original
is inside the Capitoline Museum.  Experts speculate that the emperor is granting clemency to an enemy
captive about to be trampled under the horse's right front hoof.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

is the central focus of the radiating pavement.  The Palazzo Senatorio

Palazzo Senatorio which was redesigned by Michelangelo by moving the campanile to the center and adding the imposing double staircase with fountains and statuary below.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

is at the back flanked by two buildings that form the Capitoline Museum (they’re connected by an underground passageway which has a spur that goes under the Senatorio to a gallery with splendid views of the Roman Forum).

Capitoline Museum in the Palazzo dei Conservatori is a medieval palace the was redesigned by Michelangelo in the 1530's as part of the Piazza del Campidoglio project.  On the opposite side of the Piazza, Michelangelo added the matching Palazzo Nuevo to his design -- although it was not finished until 1654. 

The galleries of the Capitoline Museum contain an abundance of wonderful paintings and sculptures including 'The Dying Gaul'.  You can see photos and comments about 'The Dying Gaul' in my post from last winter here: 

http://zylopho.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-dying-gaul-at-national-gallery-of.html

There is so much wonderful art in the Capitoline Museum that I'm creating a separate post on the museum following this one.

We had lunch on a roof terrace with views out over the city to the Vatican.

View from the roof terrace of the Capitoline Museum including the domes of the Vatican (between the trees)
 and the Basilica of Sant Andrea della Valle.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

There was a wedding reception in progress, so access was restricted.

After completing our tour of the museum, we walked down the Capitoline Hill behind the Victor Emmanuel into the Forum, under the Arch of Septimius Severus

The Arch of Septimius Severus forms the entrance to the Roman Forum.  The arch was dedicated in 203 AD in honor of the victories of Septimius Severus over the Parthians in 194 thru 199 AD.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

Bas reliefs of Parthian captives on the Arch of Septimius Severus.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

and through the ruins of many magnificent temples

Temple of Vesta set against the ruins of the House of Tiberius in the Roman Forum.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

The Temple of Antonino & Faustina which the Christians repurposed as the Basilica of  Saints Cosmo & Damiano.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

and buildings to the Arch of Titus.

The Arch of Titus was built by the Emperor Domitian in 82 AD to commemorate his older brother, Titus,
and his many  military victories including the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

It was a hot, sunny day and the Forum was crowded with tourists.

From the Arch of Titus we walked to the Colosseum

Colonnade along the Via Sacra leading from the Roman Forum to the Colosseum.  Roman triumphal processions came along this route on their way to victory celebrations in the Colosseum.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

which is no longer in the center of a swirling sea of traffic and has been extensively repaired and buttressed. 

The Colosseum (aka the Flavian Amphitheatre) was built between 70 AD and 80 AD by the emperors Vespasian,
Titus and Domitian (the Flavian emperors).  It held between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

There was quite a wait for tickets to get inside, which is somewhat disappointing.  The area beneath the floor of the arena (what George refers to as “the backstage” area) has been partially covered by new floor (so the Pope can say one mass a year or something)

The interior of the Colosseum with the temporary floor used by the Pope to say mass.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

which allows visitors to walk out above the maze of cells and cages where the martyrs and lions and gladiators were kept before Nero’s spectacles. 

The maze of cells and passageways where the martyrs, beasts and gladiators were held below the floor of the
arena at the Colosseum (what George calls the 'backstage').  Photo by Blomme-McClure

Somehow this new structure interferes with the ancient sense of brutality which the place used to convey before the renovation.

The Arch of Constantine at the southwest corner of the Colosseum is the most recent of the Roman triumphal arches, built in 315 AD to commemorate Constantine's victory in the Battle of Milvian Bridge in 312 AD.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

We stopped for a drink at a café overlooking the arena and then taxied back to the hotel for a much deserved nap after an exhilarating day.  We opted for a restaurant near the hotel, Ristorante Il Giardino (now Giardino di Alvino,Via Zucchelli 29, Rome  www.ilgiardinodialbino.com/home.html).  We ate in a lovely vine-covered courtyard which had once been a handball court – a peaceful end to a long, hot day.

Thoughts on the movie 'Foxcatcher'

We went to see the movie 'Foxcatcher' on a recent afternoon.  The movie is directed by Bennett Miller (who won the Palm d'Or at Cannes for best direction) from a script written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman.  It stars Steve Carell as John Eleuthere du Pont, Channing Tatum as Mark Schultz, Mark Ruffalo as David Schultz, and Vanessa Redgrave as Jean Liseter Austin du Pont.

The poster for 'Foxcatcher'

This is a seriously weird movie.  John du Pont, a descendant of the du Pont Chemical family, is portrayed as an arrogant nut job who decides to devote his life and fortune to the U.S.A. wrestling team as it prepares for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.  He befriends Mark Schultz a wrestler who won a gold medal winner at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and convinces him to come to the du Pont family's Foxcatcher Farm to train.  John also tries to persuade Mark's older brother, David, also an Olympic medalist to come to Foxcatcher, but David initially rejects the offer.  David is married and has two children.  He has basically raised Mark after their parents divorced when Mark was just two years old.

John has issues with his mother.  He counters her love of thoroughbred horses with his devotion to wrestling, which she feels is 'low'.  John also has an unhealthy interest in law enforcement and weapons.

The movie is basically a love triangle between John and Mark and David.  The homoerotic undertones run throughout the story mostly in the form of men wrestling.  John tries to supplant David in Mark's life -- offering him money and cocaine as well as friendship and guidance.  When David finally comes to Foxcatcher, John and David vie for Mark's affection while Mark tries to sort out his confused feelings for them.

Steve Carell's bizarre performance, complete with prosthetic facial transformation, will surely net him an Oscar nomination (the Academy has a thing for fake noses).  For me, the more engaging performance is Mark Ruffalo's as David.  Although Vanessa Redgrave has very few scenes, she is vivid as John's mother.  Channing Tatum in the central role of the hapless Mark is a cipher -- probably intentionally malleable and unformed. 

Thoughts on the movie 'Rosewater'

One afternoon we went to see 'Rosewater', the movie written and directed by Jon Stewart based on Maziar Bahari's memoir 'Then They Came for Me'.

Movie poster for 'Rosewater'

Being a fan of 'The Daily Show with Jon Stewart' on Comedy Central, I had seen the interview that Jason Jones did with Maziar Bahari in Tehran in the days leading up to the Iranian presidential elections in 2009.  It is still amazing to me that the Iranian authorities allowed The Daily Show to film that segment inside Iran.

The movie, which stars Gael Garcia Bernal as Bahari, starts with Bahari bidding goodbye to his pregnant fiancee in London and heading to Tehran to cover the elections for Newsweek.  In Iran, Bahari is shown reporting on the fervor of the opposition 'green' movement, which felt that they would defeat the conservative incumbent, Ahmadinejad.  In what most felt was a rigged vote count, Ahmadinejad instead won over 64% of the vote.  The 'green' movement refused to accept the official vote tally and demonstrated against the government.  Bahari's film coverage of the demonstrations was aired on the BBC.

Using the pretext that the satirical Jason Jones interview portrayed Bahari as a spy, he was arrested and held in Evin prison for 118 days.  During his imprisonment, Bahari was held in solitary confinement and subjected to harsh interrogations about his connections to Newsweek, to the CIA, to MI6 and to Mossad.  Since he was usually kept blindfolded, he came to recognize his chief interrogator by the scent of rosewater that he used.

The best part of the movie is the heady days immediately before and after the Iranian election when Bahari is moving among members of the opposition with his 'driver' -- actually a guy on a motor scooter.  Once Bahari is imprisoned the movie tends to lose impetus and focus as he succumbs to the effects of solitary confinement and interrogation.  He has hallucinatory encounters with his father and sister, both of whom were imprisoned -- his father by the Shah and his sister by the Ayatollah.  It's never completely clear if he confesses to espionage or what leads to his release.

The performers are uniformly invested in their characters, but the writing and especially the editing could be better.  It's clear why Jon Stewart was drawn to this material, but it's less certain that he has done it full justice with this film.   

Italian Trip Diary -- Day #18 -- Rome

Saturday, June 29, 2001, Rome:

Still somewhat dazed from our botched-up arrival in Rome, we decided to tour the local area, starting with the Villa Borghese.  

The Villa Borghese from the side.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

The building and the surrounding gardens were built by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, a nephew of Pope Paul V, beginning in 1613, based on designs by the architect Flaminio Ponzio.  

The symmetrical entrance facade of the Villa Borghese.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

Cardinal Borghese used it as is 'party' villa -- just outside the walls of Rome.  The Cardinal continued to expand and improve the Villa until his death in 1633.

The upper section of the mail facade is covered with sculpture in the Baroque manner.
Inspiration for a wedding cake perhaps?  Photo by Blomme-McClure

Cardinal Borghese was a patron of both Bernini and Caravagio.

Gian Lorenzo Bernini's 'Apollo and Daphne' captures the moment when the nymph, Daphne,
was transformed into a tree by her father to avoid being burned by the touch of the sun god, Apollo.
Photo from Expedia.

The core of the gallery's collection was assembled by Cardinal Borghese, although later occupants including Napoleon's brother-in-law, Prince Camillo Borghese, added (and subtracted) works.

'Princess Pauline Borghese' (Napoleon's sister) by Antonio Canova.
Photo from Expedia

The galleries require reservations, which we made for noon from the hotel.  Upon arrival, we found that we could not even purchase tickets until noon.  Visits to the picture galleries on the top floor are supposed to be limited to 30 minutes, so we immediately climbed the stairs to find a dazzling array of Caravaggios,

'Saint Jerome Writing' by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, oil on canvas, circa 1606.  Photo from Expedia

Raphaels,

'The Deposition of Christ' by Raphael, circa 1507.  Photo from Expedia

Titians,

'Sacred Love and Proface Love' by Titian, circa 1514.  Photo from Expedia

and several other wonderful works.

'Madonna and Child with Saints Ignatius of Antioch and Onophrius' by Lorenzo Lotto, circa 1508.  Isn't this mischievous baby wonderful?  Photo from Expedia 

No one was keeping track of the half hour time limit, though, so we stayed longer and circled back to savor the dazzling array of Italian masters.

Coming back down stairs we found that to get to the sculpture and antiquities we had to leave the villa by one door and walk around to the other side to the main entrance in the hot mid-afternoon -- very strange and not worth the effort given what is available elsewhere in Rome.  After a lunch in the overcrowded cafeteria we took a look at the formal gardens (pretty meager, but nice)

Fountain in the formal garden of the Villa Borghese.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

and then walked through the park

Walk from the Villa Borghese through the gardens to the Il Pincio.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

to Il Pincio on the prow of the Pincian hill overlooking the Piazza del Popolo and the domes and turrets of Rome beyond.

Domes and turrets of Rome from the terrace of Il Pincio.  Photo by Blomme & McClure

The views from the top are breathtaking and they constantly changed as we descended to the square below.

The Piazza del Popolo is a large oval with an Egyptian obelisk surrounded by fountains at the center. 

The Piazza del Popolo from the terrace of Il Pincio with the Egyptian obelisk and fountains in the center.
The dome of St. Peter's basilica is on the horizon.  Ristorante Rosati is under the awnings on the left.
Photo by Blomme-McClure 

Three major streets, the Via di Ripetta, the Via del Corso (one of Rome’s chic shopping streets which runs to the Victor Emmanuel monument), and the Via di Babuino, radiate out from the south side.  Between these streets are two seemingly twin Baroque churches.

The 'twin' churches of Santa Maria dei Miracoli (left) and Santa Maria in Montesanto were initially designed by Carlo Rainaldi and completed in 1681 and 1679 respectively by Bernini working with Carlo Fantana.

Except for two small corners, the square has been cleared of traffic. 

The Egyptian obelisk of Seti I was brought to Rome by the emperor Augustus in 10 BC.
It was originally erected in the Circus Maximus and moved to the Piazza Popolo in 1589.
The terrace of Il Pincio on the Pincian Hill is in the left background.
Photo by Blomme-McClure 

We stopped in the sidewalk café at Ristorante Rosati (Piazza del Popolo 4, Rome, 3225859) for a leisurely drink looking out on the square.

We opted for a taxi back to the hotel and a nap, while Carl went on to the Piazza di Spagna

The Spanish Steps with the church of Santa Trinita dei Monti at the top.
The steps are a favorite gathering place for tourists and shoppers taking a break from the
Via dei Condotti, which has become a pedestrian street, leading away from the steps.
Photo by Koiveneumi

and climbed the Spanish Steps back to the hotel.

That evening we dined at the charming Ristorante L’Eau Vive (Via Monterone 85/85a, Rome, 68801095) tucked away in a street behind the Pantheon.  It is run by an order of Carmelite nuns who come to Rome from all over the world.  They cook and serve the food and also perform religious songs and dances.  You haven’t lived until you’ve seen two nuns (one from the Philippines and one from Vietnam) en pointe performing a tribute to the Virgin.  The nuns who served us were very sweet and after dinner they showed us the upstairs dining room which has an arched and frescoed ceiling.  It is reserved for non-smokers.

Ballet Odds & Ends . . .

I just wanted to share a few bits about ballet that have recently come to my attention.

Wendy Whelan's farewell evening in her own words:

Here's a slide show of photos by Henry Leutwyler from Wendy Whelan's farewell evening on October 18th along with Wendy's comments on each:

http://www.vulture.com/2014/10/wendy-whelan-last-performance.html?mid=facebook_nymag#photo=1x00012

I was really impressed with the range and depth of her thoughts on her retirement from New York City Ballet.

Wendy Whelan's shoes for her final performance.  Photo by Henry Leutwyler

Second Season of city.ballet on AOL:

The second season of city.ballet is now up on AOL at:  

http://on.aol.com/show/517887470-city-ballet/518489161

There are 12 segments, each from 5 to 9 minutes long, covering various aspects of New York City Ballet.  The clips were taken during the company's preparation for the Fall Season that ended October 19th.  They feature several dancers and cover their lives both within the company and in the outside world.  Each segment is a small gem that can enhance viewer's understanding of what it's really like to be one of the exotic creatures that we see on stage a few times each year.  Gee, they're not so different from the rest of us!

city.ballet 'logo' from AOL

SAB Workshop on PBS 'Live from Lincoln Center:

PBS has announced that it will broadcast the School of American Ballet's June Workshop Performance on Friday, December 12th, at 9:00pm (hardly live, but certainly worth the wait).  The all-Balanchine program includes 'Serenade' (to Tschaikovsky's 'Serenade for Strings in C'); excerpts from Act II of 'Coppelia'; 'Swan Lake' (Balanchine's 1-act version); and the fourth movement of 'Western Symphony' (to Hershey Kay's music based on American folk themes).  You may recall my post about this program which you can read here:


http://zylopho.blogspot.com/2014_04_01_archive.html

There's a short PBS 'tease' clip of the students in 'Serenade' here:

http://video.pbs.org/video/2365363809/

You'll recall that I wrote about the workshop performances in my posting here:

http://zylopho.blogspot.com/2014/06/school-of-american-ballet-workshop.html 

By the way that's my most popular post so far -- thanks for your support.

Addie Tapp (now a Boston Ballet corps member) and Preston Chamblee (now an apprentice at NYC Ballet)
performing George Balanchine's 'Serenade' in the School of American Ballet Workshop last June.
Photo is a still from PBS Live from Lincoln Center broadcast to be aired on 12/12/14 at 9pm.

'Ballet 422' coming to movie theaters near you:

The documentary movie 'Ballet 422', which was well-received at film festivals this fall will be opening in movie theaters in February, 6, 2015.  It provides a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of New York City Ballet's 422nd original ballet -- Justin Peck's 'Paz de la Jolla'.  You can see the movie's trailer here:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1484789521803444&set=vb.1400931226855941&type=2&theater

Look for movie theaters near you displaying this poster.

Nutcracker couples rehearse:

Finally, around the Rose Building (where both the School of American Ballet and NYC Ballet have their studios) we're starting to see George Balanchine's 'The Nutcracker' taking shape for its annual season (this year from November 28th thru January 3rd).  Ballet master Albert Evans was rehearsing with Teresa Reichlen (Sugarplum) and Ask la Cour (Cavalier) on Tuesday afternoon.  On Thursday afternoon Ashley Bouder and Joaquin De Luz were rehearsing the grand pas de deux before a studio doorway packed with rapt students plus the School's Executive Director, Marjorie Van Dercook, and me.  And many of the younger students are busy rehearsing to be guests in the Party Scene, Mice, Angels, and Candy Canes.  And the older students are learning the Dewdrop and Sugarplum variations and the grand pas de deux from the wonderful faculty -- many of whom have danced those roles themselves.

Teresa Reichlen as the Dewdrop in George Balanchine's 'The Nutcracker'.  Photo by Andrea Mohin for NYTimes

  

Italian Trip Diary -- Day #17 -- Venice to Rome

Friday, June 28, 2001, Venice to Rome:

On the last morning in Venice we took the elevator to the top of the campanile.

Campanile on Piazza San Marco with the Basilica on the left.  The tower rises 323 feet.
It was originally built in 1514, but collapsed in 1902 and was rebuilt in 1912.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

The views of the city are splendid and just as we reached the viewing platform the sun began to break through the clouds.  The domes and spires of San Marco below bathed in early morning sunlight,

Domes of the Basilica of San Marco from the top of the Campanile.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

La Salute rising across the Grand Canal,

Punta della Dogana (left) and Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute (right) at junction of the Grand Canal (foreground) and the Guidecca Canal with the Church of Santissima Rendatore in the left background.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

and San Giorgio Maggiore

San Giorgio Maggiore by Palladio was begun in 1566.  The facade was under restoration in 2001 when we were in Venice.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

perched on its own island in the lagoon

The island of San Giorgio Maggiore in the Venetian Lagoon with a corner of the Ducal Palace (left)
 and the Piazzetta with the twin columns topped by the Venetian Lion and 
St. Theodore Slaying the Dragon.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

were all splendid sights and reminders of the delightful days we spent in Venice.

Palazzo Ducal from the top of the campanile showing the rhythmic facade on the exterior 
and the more haphazard facade in the interior courtyard.  
Photo by Blomme-McClure

Piazza San Marco from the top of the campanile.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

The evangelist St. Mark preaching from the highest ogee arch of the facade of the Basilica of San Marco,
with angels climbing up the arch toward him amid the spires.  Most of the sculpture on the facade dates from 1414 to 1419 and is by  Paolo di Jacobo delle Masegne and Nicolai di Pietro Lamberti, although some that fell in an earthquake in 1511 were later replaced by Giorgio Albanese in 1618.
Photo by Blomme-McClure 

The campanile rises above the facade of a building along the Piazetta.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

Santa Maria della Salute across the Grand Canal.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

At noon we took a water taxi to the airport,

A favorite gondolier who worked from the basin near our hotel.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

Traffic jam on the way to the airport.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

crossing the lagoon along San Michelle

The cemetery island of San Michelle in the lagoon between the city and the airport.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

and arriving at a dock right next to the airport terminal.  The flight to Rome was uneventful, but then the fun began.

We took a taxi from the airport to the Jolly Hotel (where we had stayed at the start of our trip) -- but in the confusion of getting out of the taxi one bag was left in the trunk (warning to travelers #1 -- always count your luggage during transfers).  It happened to be the bag that had all of our prescription drugs in it (warning to travelers #2 -- always carry your prescription drugs in you backpack).  Frantic calls to our doctor in New York were followed by a trip to the Farmacia Internazionale (Piazza Barberini 49, Rome) where the pharmacist spoke little English and was reluctant to give us many of the prescriptions (warning to travelers #3 -- always carry copies of your prescriptions and a list of prescriptions with generic names as well as brand names).  Fortunately for us, a proctologist from Baltimore who spoke Italian was in the store and was able to intercede on our behalf.

When we got back to the hotel, there was a phone call from the taxi driver saying that he had found the bag in his trunk and that he would drive back into the city to return it -- if we would pay him for the round trip fare.  We agreed and eventually he arrived with the bag all ripped open with the contents rifled through.  We gladly paid him an excessive 'ransom' to get the prescriptions back, but then found ourselves the laughing stock of the hotel staff for paying off 'Al Capone, the bandito'.

Exhausted from the journey and subsequent events, we stumbled across the street for pizza at Il Pomodorino (Via Campania 45e, Rome, 06/42.011.356) where we requested a table served by our friend, Emmanuela.