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PEOPLE & ARTS Wednesday 30 May 2018
A dare: Skip the Colosseum and Vatican on a trip to Rome?

By RAF CASERT legendary Bernini on the
Associated Press Piazza Navona? Head to
ROME (AP) — There was slightly out of the way Santa
no escaping it. Try as one Maria della Vittoria and see
might, there was no way perhaps his greatest work,
out but to go with the dense the sculpture depicting
flow of sweaty humanity. "The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa."
This was the Vatican I won't say more, but read
Museum with its endless the accompanying text in
galleries of some of the the church and you'll find
finest art Western civilization some religious writing which
had ever produced could put "Fifty Shades of
— scores of highlights Grey" to shame.
obstructed from full view by You might even switch
fellow journeymen, many cities on your itinerary.
of whom were trying to Instead of Amsterdam and
make the most of a once- its choc-a-block crowds
in-a-lifetime experience. clogging the uneven
One hapless tourist took streets, pick nearby Utrecht
pictures of the explanatory as your base. The canals
panels, unable to stand still have a charm all their own
and actually read them, and you will find a similar
before being swept up and waft of weed coming out
moved along, up to the In this photo taken on April 11, 2018 people visit the baths of Caracalla in Rome, Italy. of its many "cafes." In Italy,
next masterpiece hidden Associated Press instead of Florence, spare
from proper view. a thought for Ferrara.
Michelangelo was a suffocating zombie or country. But what you for floor mosaics there. When in Belgium, bypass
visionary genius for painting experience at the Vatican will lose in namedropping —Seeing 10 great paintings Bruges and go for nearby
not only the walls of the Museum, you might be — "I was at the Uffizi" — up close beats seeing 100 Ghent, and what you
Vatican's Sistine Chapel, forgiven for furtively looking you will gain in true travel behind a forest of selfie lose in quaintness, you
but primarily its ceilings. over your shoulder at the experience and a sense sticks. So head for the win in student grit. Instead
Over half a millennium Palazzo Massimo alle Terme of adventure to go off the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj. of ubiquitous chocolate
later, it does allow for museum and wonder, beaten track. Lore goes that when shops, you get state-of-the-
an unobstructed view, "Where is everybody?" Here's how that philosophy Pope Innocentius X saw art bakeries.
however tightly packed the The art is as unbeatable as plays out on a visit to Rome, Velasquez's portrait of him But stop! Last time I
masses are, however tense at the Vatican. Try finding a even if it might sound there, the pontiff is said to checked this spring, it
the neck muscles become. better 2,000-year-old discus sacrilegious to some: have exclaimed "Troppo seemed the hordes had
This was a weekday in early thrower, and wonder how —Skip a visit to the Vero!" — too true — and discovered Ghent's scenic
autumn, when travelers in so much human expression Colosseum. Don't worry, kept it away from the public Graslei waterfront and had
most destinations expect could be put in a bronze you will get plenty of eye for far too long. Many tourists almost spilling into
high tourist season to finally like the boxer. And here great views of it from all so consider it the finest portrait the river.
give way to a semblance you can circle it from every many streets around there. in history, though the tourist It is a cautionary tale since
of civility. Not in Rome, not angle with nary another Instead, try the Baths of hordes don't know about it. the last thing an intrepid
at the Vatican. tourist in sight. Caracalla. The ruins of the —Rome is so saturated with tourist now needs is to
It captivated in a few What it comes down to is baths, where 1,600 were the greatest art that the list have someone tell them
claustrophobic moments an acceptance that you served at once in Roman goes on forever. Too many where to go. That is exactly
the challenges top tourist might not see every top- times, are awe-inspiring sweaty shoulders to get a how tourism turned into
destinations now face five attraction in a city and you find better patterns great view of statues of the overtourism.
across Europe — be it For 19th century Twain,
Amsterdam, Venice, Rome the "noblest delight" on his
or Belgium's Bruges. grand tour was "to be the
"Memories which someday first — that is the idea." Then
will become all beautiful he came to Rome and
when the last annoyance realized the impossibility
that encumbers them shall of his quest. "What is there
have faded out of our for me to touch that others
minds," Mark Twain wrote have not touched," he
in his famed travel report asked. The challenge for
through Europe, the Middle the 21st century is almost
East and North Africa, "The the inverse: Instead of
Innocents Abroad." With the traveler touching
overtourism gripping the something, the challenge
great treasures of humanity, is how to be touched
it seems a lot of amnesia is by something, to find
in order for memories to something inspiring in this
truly shine. overwhelming world of
But hold on. There is another mass tourism. Just head off
way, and you don't even the overly trodden track.
have to give up a visit to a And with a bit of
place like Rome. In this photo taken on April 10, 2018, visitors walk through the Villa Borghese in Rome, Italy. imagination, that can be
One day after the Associated Press done even within Rome.q