Vatican City & Rome (Italy) - Michelangelo did what?

VATICAN CITY / ROME (ITALY)
11 April - 12 April 2017

Back in Rome after spending a few days in Amalfi and I must say, we were quite satisfied with our decision to have our wedding location set as Amalfi on the Sorrentine Peninsula. Now it was going to be all about the logistics and doing wedding fine tuning, getting into all that small stuff that binds the big day together.

Before our flight back to Belgrade was had a full day available  to us and decided to visit another country so that we could add it to our list, so we took a step onto the territory of the Vatican City. The idea that we had was that we'd take a guided tour through the grounds of the Vatican, take in the museum, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peters Basilica.

Rome - Italy

On the border of Rome (Italy) and the Vatican City

Vatican museum - Vatican City

Vatican museum - Vatican City

....And what a freakin' circus that turned out to be !! The crowds were just insane. There didn't appear  be any rhyme or reason as to the manner of entry, no restrictions on numbers, tourists groups absolutely everywhere. I recognise that as a tourist I contributed directly to the lunacy and the uncomfortable position that we were all place in, but hell, there needs to be some sort of regulation about access the Vatican museum and the Sistine Chapel. Crowds, stuffy rooms, lack of access to bathrooms, its truly awful.

Vatican museum - Vatican City

Vatican museum - Vatican City

Vatican museum - Vatican City

Vatican museum - Vatican City

Vatican museum - Vatican City

The Sistine Chapel of course is impressive. It's an absolute highlight and without the throngs of people overcrowding the one room and being farmed into the equivalent of a viewing pen and then shoved, aggressively corralled and addressed in a demeaning fashion, not only diminished the experience but left more than a bitter taste in our mouths.

Sistine Chapel - Vatican museum - Vatican City

Sistine Chapel - Vatican museum - Vatican City

Sistine Chapel - Vatican museum - Vatican City

Sistine Chapel - Vatican museum - Vatican City

St. Peters Basilica - Vatican City

St. Peters Basilica - Vatican City

Access to the top of St.Peters Basicalla was far more pleasurable that few hours we spent i the depths of the Vatican torture chambers. The building is unquestionably grand but when you peer to the vast space below from viewing points at the top of the dome you can't help but marvel in awe at the engineering feet to create such a structure. As a human dedication to an unworldly God, I'd say that it would probably impress the deity more than enough knowing the capacity it imbued us with. From that perspective, we could say that 'maybe' our hearts and minds were in the right place. That's not me showing you my hand at what I think of the Vatican and the Catholic brainwash mechanism, it's just an observation that the driving force to create can also come from a righteous place (although yes, there are arguments against that too).

View of Rome from St. Peters Basilica - Vatican City

St. Peters Basilica - Vatican City

St. Peters Basilica - Vatican City

St. Peters Basilica - Vatican City

View of Rome from St. Peters Basilica - Vatican City

St. Peters Basilica - Vatican City

St. Peters Basilica - Vatican City

St. Peters Basilica - Vatican City

The Tibris - Rome - Italy

Spanish steps - Rome - Italy

Rome - Italy

Rome - Italy

Rome - Italy

Rome is an interesting city. I think over rated in some ways and under rated in others. There's certainly a link to a behemoth past that is undeniable and for a modern Rome very much build on the foundation of that past is impressive to see.

Amalfi (Italy) - How dare we?

AMALFI (ITALY)
08 April - 11 April 2017

The Lattari Mountains Regional Park (Parco Regionale Dei Monti Lattari), occupies a great part of the Sorrentine Peninsula in the Campania Region. It's about a 4.5 hr drive south of Rome but the real challenge of arriving is when you make it to the frontier of the National park. The distance from one side to the other, via the shortest route available, only takes 38.5kms ,but, it takes over 1hr to complete the drive. Doing a quick calculation, what this means is that 13.7% of the distance takes 25% of the total drive time duration...and there's no secret as to why that is the case.

Climbing up, over and then down the Lattari mountains is a challenge. The roads in these parts are narrow, the drivers commonly insane for Italians, and then, on the other side of the equation there was me, driving on the side of the road that was still uncommon to me. Turn after turn, with a heightened level of alertness, we inched over the range until we broke out on the coastal side and plunged head first into the Tyrrhenian Sea. But my, what a spectacular scene. The sun beating down on the blue azure water as the road zig-zagged down the mountainside, seemingly beneath our feet, and then, when you finally hit the coastline and take to the main road you can easily discern why this area is considered to by many to be Europe's my beautiful and dramatic stretches of coastline.

Amalfi coastline - Italy

Amalfi coastline - Italy

The corniche road winding around towering cliffs that appear to slip directly into the sea whilst also punching through quaint villages takes in the terrain that includes terraced vineyards, orchards and pastures. It feels like another world entirely, almost like the inhabitants here decided to dream up their own version of paradise and come up with a mighty satisfactory result.

Slowly winding down the coastline, with the blessed sun-kissed water below, the clusters of small towns morphing into the natural rugged beauty of the cliffs. I was already forming the opinion that our choice for a wedding in these parts was going to be an absolute winner.

We stayed in Tovere on our first night, a short 8km drive from the town of Amalfi. The next day we had an appointment at the Town Hall in Amalfi where we needed to take the Atto Notorio and Nulla Osta  and also lodge our declaration of intent to marry. Now, as per my last entry,  it says the Declaration of Intent to Marry, which in this case was to be lodged at the Town Hall in Amalfi, would be followed by a Civil Ceremony. Now when we were at the Town Hall we had an offician 'read out' all our marriage obligations in a rather terse proper manner  and then had two witnesses sign the Intent documents, plus some other administrative documents. At the end of the hoopla the the official said to us, Congratulations, now you are married... and then when Inga and I looked at each other, feeling kind of odd and somewhat duped, they laughed and simply said in a somewhat disconcerting fashion, 'No, no, no....we are only kidding'....but really, were you??? I don't even know anymore. So it could very well be that we had a covert, clandestine wedding in a somewhat stuffy office of an official in Amalfi village on 08 April 2017. How's that for dreamy and romantic!?

Amalfi Cathedral - Piazza Duomo - Amalfi - Italy

Main street - Amalfi - Italy

View of Amalfi from the Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi - Amalfi - Italy

Amalfi - Italy

The village of Amalfi itself is so damn charming and picturesque. The road into the town has two buildings that arch over the road,and then the town itself you enter via a type of gated entry that draws you into the main town square. Piazza Duomo is the heart of Amalfi with the Amalfi Cathedral overlooking the down, accessed by a grand staircase from the piazza.

Terraced pastel coloured buildings of differing heights surround the piazza and indeed the foreshore of the town. Entering into the town there is one main thoroughfare that moves up and back into the valley where the town lies. Buildings are terraced up both sides of the valley slopes with the rugged cliffs of the town standing imperiously above it, offering both protection and another scenic marvel. Beautiful, charming, stunning, all the superlatives you would want to identify with a place such as this are completely justified.

Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi - Amalfi - Italy

Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi - Amalfi - Italy

The Cloister - Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi - Amalfi - Italy

The Cloister - Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi - Amalfi - Italy

Understanding very quicjkly that Amalfi as a destination was going to be a complete hit for both us and our guests, what we needed to do now was test our venue and see if it passed our suitability threshold. 

The NH Collection Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi was located only a short distance up the road from the town itself. When driving into Amalfi, and also from the shoreline of the town, this hotel is obvious to anyone and has to be one of the most distinctive landmarks of the town, if not the entire coastline. 

A one time home to Capuchin monks, the former monastery dates back to the 13th Century and owns a piece of Amalfi real estate that has one of the most dramatic locations in the area. Situated on a cliff edge that overlooks the beautiful coastline and Amalfi town itself. there's no doubt of its regal status. Our excitement, even before getting to the venue itself was palpable just by seeing the presence that the building held. Once however we took the lift up from street level to the main reception area and headed out onto the terrace, well, our breath was simply taken away. The views were quintessentially Amalfi and quite simply the concept of breathtaking has to be understood in its most literal of forms.

Monks Walk - Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi - Amalfi - Italy

Monks Walk - Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi - Amalfi - Italy

Monks Walk - Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi - Amalfi - Italy

Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi - Amalfi - Italy

Monks Walk - Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi - Amalfi - Italy

As we were guided through the grounds we were shown the cloister, the area in the monastery around which the other buildings are built, and the area that would host our wedding ceremony on the day. Framed by cliffs on one side, large stone pillars and arches all the way around and the front drawing your eyes to a view to the sea, there is just no doubt that the venue would more than hold up to doing our big day justice. A stunning venue, plain and simple, the atmosphere encapsulated within this space was undeniable.

Our walk continued to where our reception was going to be held, a location on the other side of the monastery, an area bounded by lush terraced gardens and lemon trees. The Monks Walk, as it is termed, runs  from the monastery to where an infinity pool now resides against the face of a cliff. This area we were explained would be set up with tables for pre-dinner drinks, dinner and also post-dinner activities. Again, making our way down the walk and imagining the day and what it would feel like felt somewhat surreal. The backdrop of the sea, the fragrance from the lemon trees, the bougainvillea that would frame the arches of the walk, it all seemed like a fanciful dream. To say that we were impressed by the venue would have just been a monumental understatement. Picturing the day in our head and actually believing that it would become reality, again, felt like a flight of fancy.

The road to Positano - Amalfi - Italy

Positano - Amalfi - Italy

Positano - Amalfi - Italy

Positano - Amalfi - Italy

For now I think that's where I'll leave my description of both the hotel and Amalfi. Of course I have future entries that will discuss the days leading up to our wedding and the wedding itself. It's good however the look at the photos as they are here, as we saw it in April and then compare it to our wedding day in June when it ALL came together in the most wonderful way possible.

Positano - Amalfi - Italy

Positano - Amalfi - Italy

Positano - Amalfi - Italy

Positano - Amalfi - Italy

We did, as an aside from Amalfi, managed to make it to Positano for a late afternoon coffee. I write about Positano here as almost an afterthought but it shouldn't be, it's a stunningly beautiful town in its own right and in fact hosted Elisher drinks on the 1st of July - the first official event that Inga and I hosted together as a married couple.

Rome (Italy) - Testing the waters

ROME (ITALY)

07 April – 08 April 2017

In planning our wedding the initial concern was identifying  a suitable location. Riga could very well have been an option but tempting fate with the weather there, even in Summer, might have only lead to heartbreak and disappointment. Belgrade on the other hand just wasn’t a wedding destination draw card. A nice enough city of course but for our wedding? I wanted something dramatic and memorable. That therefore set the scene for a virtual hunt, so we went scouting for what would thus become our very own wedding destination for a destination wedding.

Initially Spain and France made our list of probable locations but due to various administrative difficulties it made the process of getting married almost impossible and unnecessarily complicated. Late one December evening in 2016 I had a moment of inspiration and clarity. Amalfi and its coastline came to me in a rush, Italy might just be the tonic that we needed. It fit the criteria of course, almost certain to have sunshine in Summer, with a  dramatic coastline that dropped startlingly into the beautifully  blue Tyrrhenian Sea, reasonable proximity to both Belgrade and Riga whilst also not being in either of those locations so that neither could have claim favouritism.

Australian Consulate - Rome - Italy

Rome - Italy

Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II  - Rome - Italy

With some research we discovered that Italy did allow foreigners to marry in their country with reasonable ease and so, with the assistance of a wedding planner on site in Amalfi, we got to planning our big day.

Administrative requirements

Weddings don’t happen without necessary administrative duties being undertaken before the  actual date. This in fact was our primary for going to Rome, and of course then, the natural follow on would be that we’d head down to Amalfi and check out our venue, which until this point we’d only seen via online photos.

Now first, let me outline the administrative requirements as a foreigner wanting to marry in Italy that need to be met in advance of the knot being tied.

The Atto Notorio – basically this is a sworn affidavit that you get need to have completed at least three months prior to the wedding. A confirmation of civil status, residential details etc. This we needed to have completed at the Australian Embassy and then have filed across town in a registry.

Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II  - Rome - Italy

Rome - Italy

Rome - Italy

Rome - Italy

Rome - Italy

Now, here’s where we had a bit of fun. The wedding planner, who wasn’t that great a planner at all, actually in this situation, assisted us a great deal. She managed to organise witnesses we needed at the Australian Consulate to have the documentation done and also accompany us in terms of the filing of the Atto Notorio. I had also, somewhat courageously, decided that whilst in Rome I would rent a car and drive us around town.

Let me say here, motorists in Rome are NUTS. They are simply unpredictable and move at such velocity that your decision making can’t be delayed. You need to act and be confident in your moves, make them without hesitation. This is where a couple of years of experience driving in Belgrade came as a trump card that I pulled out of my back pocket for just this occasion. Had I have not had that grounding in the art of irrational driving then attempting to get across the city of Rome \ would have been a nightmare. In fact, I did so well that I received a magnificent compliment from our Italian assistant when she said, ‘You don’t drive like an Australian, you drive like an Italian’. Which to me was music to my ears but I think it came more out of fear for her own safety than a comment meant to inspire and commend me on what I was actually doing.

Rome - Italy

Rome - Italy

Rome - Italy

Colosseum - Rome - Italy

Colosseum - Rome - Italy

Second administrative requirement, the Nulla Ostra – the second document I needed to provide – was also completed at the Australia embassy. Basically this is a form that needs to be filled by foreigners that want to be married in the country, it shows their intent to do so and in what time frame.

Thankfully getting the administrative components out of the way in Rome was relatively easy and only took the morning to complete. The final step, the Civil Ceremony, is one that still now I’m still suspicious of. Apparently this is the lodgement of the Atto Notorio and Nulla Osta in the marriage office, or Town Hall, of the Italian City where you plan to marry. I’ll discuss this a little more when I get to talking about our stay in Amalfi, but let me say, something inside me seems to still believe that somehow we were married on 09 APRIL 2017 in a Civil Ceremony rather than 30 JUNE 2017…our marriage certificate does say 30 JUNE 2017 but I think its suspect.

Colosseum - Rome - Italy

Colosseum - Rome - Italy

Colosseum - Rome - Italy

Rome - Italy

Rome - Italy

Fontona di Trevi - Rome - Italy

Fontona di Trevi - Rome - Italy

Administration aside, our free afternoon and evening in Rome allowed us the briefest of moments of sightseeing, which in turn allowed us to take in the Colosseum, the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II and the magnificent Fontana di Trevi. The final stop was a pretty cool experience for me. I remember back in 2008 when I came to Rome the first time I did the three coins tosses into the Trevi, which legend has it that if you complete all three, that the 1st means that you will return to Rome, the 2nd ensures a new romance and the 3rd ensures marriage. Well Fontana di Trevi, here I was again, with my fiancee in Rome completing what we needed to do in order to get married. I say legend has it pretty much spot on.

Fontona di Trevi - Rome - Italy

Fontona di Trevi - Rome - Italy

Fontona di Trevi - Rome - Italy

Fontona di Trevi - Rome - Italy

Fontona di Trevi - Rome - Italy

Fontona di Trevi - Rome - Italy

A beautiful city in its eternal beauty and chaos, sadly we only had a few hours to experience what it had to offer but we would be back in a few days. The next day we were off to Amalfi and finally we would get to see if our ‘hunch’ and having a destination wedding in this neck of the woods would pay dividends.