stairs at end Glorioso, leading up Gianicolo
The barista at the bistro down from the majestic flight of steps at the end of Glorioso will be walking 150 KM in five days on May 27. Previously he’d done 100 KM in the same time span and this second walk will be uphill. Of course, for those who inhabit the Gianicolo with its gracious old villas nestled behind tree-shaded cul de sacs, life is an uphill climb, except when you leave for the day. Monteverde is the town "in cima," at the top. If you’re looking to escape tourism, this is where the real Italians live, at least the ones with enough money to inhabit the equivalent of a suburb. The town actually splays two ways from a fork in the road, shortly after the arch of the Porta Pancrazio, leading to the Pamphilia Gardens on one side, and the Via Carini with its bus shelter and PAM superette on the other. There's a plaque to Pier Paolo Pasolini who made the neighborhood his home when his mother moved there from Ribibbia, the last stop on the B line and the station you go to when you're visiting someone in prison. The hotel and Bar Gianicolo grace the top. If you want to have the experience of knowing and being known, the hillside provides an experience that’s hard to come by amidst the monumental pace of life in the ruins.
Read "Rome Journal: The Janiculum Hill," HuffPost
from the soundtrack of Trainspotting, "Temptation (Heaven 17)"
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