Hitting the Beach in Anzio

It turns out that Rome is only about an hour from the sea. Anticipating the future need to escape the city, especially in summer, we decided to try taking the train to Anzio, of the famous WWII landing, which is the closest seaside town to Rome. The train from Termini in central Rome takes an hour and costs less than $10 per person roundtrip.

Ancient aqueduct ruins from train outside Rome

Anzio station Madonna

The battle of Anzio was really more of a siege, with Allied forces—U. S. and Commonwealth—landing in January 1944 and then digging in for months after the Germans reinforced their defensive positions inland. The U.S. forces finally reached Rome in June (with the U.S. commander posting military police on all roads into the city to prevent British troops from getting there first). Some well-known celebrities fought here. James Arness, of Gunsmoke fame, was badly injured here and walked with a trademark limp the rest of his life. Also Audie Murphy, another actor who starred mostly in Westerns, who also was perhaps the most decorated soldier in U.S. history. It was by some accounts the bloodiest battle of the whole war. Anzio, a quiet fishing town, was almost entirely destroyed and has been rebuilt.

 

"At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them." Monument  to Sherwood Foresters 

We strolled on a very quiet Monday. The museum was closed, for example, although we met an older Italian woman from Anzio, named Carmen, who tried to get us in and who said how lucky she felt to live here. We walked along the beach in barefoot. We saw the remains of Nero’s villa (Anzio was a favorite of his apparently).

 

Very warm waters

Hanging with Nero

We also had the best meal of our trip here, starting with assorted appetizers. The first was made from two small, fresh anchovies with some mozzarella in-between, which were then battered and fried together. There was also a small chicken sausage, a grilled eggplant slice rolled around fish, and a squid ink “arancini” (an Italian croquette made with rice). Then we had a whole grilled “spigola” (sea bass)—perfectly cooked and taken off the bone tableside by our cameriere—plus a plate of grilled eggplant and zucchini. A bottle of Italian chardonnay on the side (natch) and caffe afterwards. All on a terrace overlooking the ocean. Perfetto! 

Arancini

Spigola

Ristorante Il Terzo

The train home was just as easy. We walked from Termini to Piazza Venezia to get the Tram 8 back to Monteverde. The scenery is never disappointing here!

Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II and the unification of Italy (columns from the ancient Roman forum in foreground)

Caravita

Some of you know that, before I retired in November, I joined a group called Jesuit Volunteers EnCorps (JVE). It is a new program, started in Portland about five years ago, and designed for people 50 or older who are retired or semi-retired and interested in service, spirituality, and simple living. It is an outgrowth of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, and is a kind of Catholic Peace Corps (but JVE is four years older than the Peace Corps), for individuals--mostly young people--who commit to a year of service to the poor and living in communal housing with other volunteers on a very limited stipend.

JVE has been a wonderful experience for me so far and, at a meeting in February, I mentioned to a fellow member, Elizabeth Hansen, that Brad and I planned to live in Rome in the fall. That prompted her to remember friends of hers that were currently living here. She put me in touch with them, Rose and Wayne Wentz, and they were kind enough to have dinner with us last Saturday, April 2, in the restaurant in their apartment building in Piazza di Santa Maria delle Grazie near Trastevere. They shared their experience of finding a place to live in Rome and navigating the legal system. We were amazed to learn that Conor, our first son, and Andrew, their second, where classmates at Garfield High School in Seattle, graduating the same year 2007. 

They also told us about their faith community here in Rome, called Caravita, which meets for Mass every Sunday at a 17th century church near the Pantheon called Oratory of St. Francis Xavier del Caravita. We went to Mass there on Sunday, April 3 and again on Sunday, April 10. The church is beautiful, the congregation friendly, and the homilists inspiring. Not ony that, instead of coffee and donuts, they serve Prosecco and chocolates after Mass!

  

Fontane e Nasoni

Trevi fountain

One of the many delightful things about Rome is its fountains. There are many (hundreds?) of elaborate ones, like Trevi (above) and the three fountains in the Piazza Navona.

Main fountain Piazza Navona

One of secondary ones Piazza Navona

Spanish Steps

Villa Borghese

But there are over a thousand (some sources say 2,500) smaller public fountains throughout Rome. They come in different shapes but most are squat, rounded, cast iron affairs with longish down-turned spouts. There is a little hole in the top of each spout that forms an arching spray when you stop up the open end with a finger. (I’ve tried taking a drink this way several times and have managed to get more in my face and hair than in my mouth. Will need to practice more.) 

Ubiquitous nasoni

Because of the shape of the spout on the most common ones, they are called Nasoni (long noses). They run 24/7 providing clean and delicious water. I honestly think it tastes sweet. 

         

I really like the dog-shaped ones too..

especially with dogs ... 

Nasone at Campo de'Fiori in use by a native

I would love to know more about them. If you are interested here are some more great photos and a good account.