High times at the High Line

New York -viikonlopun otokset keskittyvät sunnuntaille, koska lauantaina satoi k-o-k-o päivän. Medeski, Martin & Woodin ilmaiskonsertti Keskuspuistossa oli kyllä silti reissun arvoinen. Metropolitan Museumin Alexander McQueen -näyttely oli myös ihan mieletön. Harkitsin hartaasti upean näyttelykatalogin hankkimista, mutta se jäi kuitenkin ainakin toistaiseksi vielä hyllylle. 

Sunnuntaiksi sää selkeni ja päätin jättää shoppailun väliin ja keskittyä joutilaiseen oleiluun Chelseassa/Greenwich Villagessa. Oli todella ilahduttavaa nähdä, että toisin kuin muualla Amerikassa, newyorkilaiset osaavat arvostaa ulkoilmaterasseja. Brunssipaikaksi valikoitui - täysin terassin perusteella - Le Pain Quotidien -ketjun Greenwichin haara. Jaettu napostelulautanen oli oikein maukas ja prosecco (kerrankin) halpaa ja hyvää.

Jälkkäriksi minileivokset :)

Loppuiltapäivä kulutettiin maleksimalla High Line Parkin päästä päähän. Tämä ihana viherpromenaadi kulkee katutason yläpuolella Manhattanin West Sidella, Gansevoort Streetiltä Meatpacking Districtiltä pohjoiseen. Se oli saanut tänä vuonna lisäpituutta aina 34th Streetille asti. Kyseessä on siis vanhan junaradan urbaani makeover julkiseksi viheralueeksi. 

Tällaista toivoisi Suomessakin harrastettavan enemmän! Loppuun asti lampsittuamme olimme sen verran nuutuneita, että hurautimme pirssillä takaisin autolle :)

Tänä viikonloppuna onkin sitten pyykinpesun ja kasaantuneitten kotitöitten paiskimisen vuoro... Miten kämpän voi saada tähän kuntoon parissa viikossa??? 

Tavarataivas

Arki vaan jatkuu. Tylsyyspäissäni olen ajellut viikonloppuisin Isoon Omenaan  - tuonne materianpalvojan mekkaan. Tilin sileäksi laittaminen voi olla joskus hyvin terapeuttista ;) Mutta tänä vuonna on kerrankin kaikki joululahjat pukin kontissa hyvissä ajoin. Ja Hampsteri näyttäisi olleen eniten kilttinä säkin sisälmyksistä päätellen...

Union Squarella oli jo joulumarkkinat pystyssä:

Kävin myös pienesti taideriennoissa: työkaverin suosittelema Die Neue Gallerie "museomailin" varrella on todella mahtava uusi tuttavuus - eikä vierailu pienen kokonsa vuoksi vie koko päivää. Jos fanittaa Klimttiä tai Egon Schieleä, niin paikka on ehdoton. Jälkimmäisen Liebespaar kohahti allekirjoittaneelle ihan kympillä.

 En ottanut kameraa esille kuin kerran, joten tässä sama otos väreissä...

Jep. Opettelen kuvashoppausta...

Parties and papal museums

It's time to get serious with the seminar paper so I can get it out in time before the deadline on Friday (preferably even a bit ahead of time, as I plan to be done with it before I get visitors). So, no time to mess around this week.

The past week I've been mainly working away on the Gianicolo. Latest excursion was to the Vatican Museums:

And then there was, of course, vappu. We threw a theme party at the institute:

The theme was all things Dionisian - we thought it befitting. These were supposed to look like grape clusters.

Lovely.

Radio silence

The past few days have been dedicated to research - save a few trips to the museums, and some to local eateries.

Third attempt at carciofi alla giudia:

This time we tried a place across the street from Giggetto called Ba''Ghetto. Compared to the former, the place was sleek and much more polished, in a sort of Scandinavian way. Different atmosphere altogether, but, yet again, mostly frequented what looked like well-to-do locals (Jews, judging by the kippah-ratio among the males). The carciofi was excellent. In fact, everything was so good we ended up staying for the whole shebang. While this not exactly cheap, we felt it was well worth it :)

This (Israeli) Pinotage was especially good.

I'd say, at this point, it's a tie between the more traditional and rustic Giggetto and this place. Depends on the kind of setting you prefer ;)

A glimpse of Marcellus's theatre on the way home from the Ghetto.

In fact, why not compile a photo series of my usual walk home:

(A "bar" in Italy means a lot more than a mere venue for alcohol consumption :D It's aplace to get your coffee in the morning and crab lunch in the afternoon, too.)

Tomorrow we take off for a field trip to the northern provinces. Ravenna and Aquileia, to be exact. The weather report says it will rain again... typical.

Back on Friday! :)

Napoli

Tomorrow I'm off to Naples for a few days - back in Rome again on Friday :)

Made several attempts to see the Caravaggio show this weekend - without any mentionable success. We came quite close yesterday, with only about 5 metres and a custode separating us from the show. The mission is now approaching epic proportions. The first attempt got sabotaged by an ex tempore-decision to have carciofi on the way. Two delicious deep-fried treats and one bottle of wine later we realized there was no time for Caravaggio after all. Yesterday things fell much in the same vein. After two utter failures we finally learned our lesson and yesterday cleverly planned to see the exhibition before dinner. This ingenious idea got squashed when we arrived at the queu at 6.30 pm, only to find out the stop letting people in at 7:00. Oh, well. The dinner was nice, though.

A propos; the carchiofi. This time we tried the famous Giggetto - and I must say they were almost worth missing Caravaggio (the show is on for a good few more months, so there's plenty of time...).

Perfection.

Here's how they are done alla Romana:

Not quite as decadent as the Jewish version, but nice too.

Been also walking around Trastevere a lot, taking romantisizing photos of decaying buildings... and exotic-looking foods. Touristing.

(This is the doorway to where my friends are going to stay in April - about 5 min walk from the institute. Can't wait :))

Wish me luck in Campana (it seems as though I might need it; people keep warning us about the pickpockets)!

Cemetery tourism

Saw a lot of nice Etruscan tombs today. Intriguing stuff. I mean, the kind of images they chose to decorate the walls of their eternal resting places is just fascinating. Things we'd often call mundane, macabre, or downright crotesque. (Sorry, no photos of the actual things here.)

Tarquinia:

(This is modern, of course: one of the tombs was under a small cemetery.)

Vulci:

Their museum is in a neat little Medieval castle:

Tomorrow, it's back to the library for me:

Who's to complain? :)

I've been smiling lately

...thinking about the good things to come. Namely, the visits of a) two very good friends, and b) my mom and my sister. So many cafés, restaurants, and ice-cream shops to visit... :)

Undeniable proof that spring is, indeed, here:

This early in the year, these things just make my heart swell every time. Feels like this time I somehow cheated my way through the long months of winter and arrived at May on a time machine. Ach!

Our closest neightbours are a colourful bunch.

Their Master.

Tomorrow, I think I'll go see the Edward Hopper show in the Fondazione Roma Museo on Corso...