TRAVEL SPECIAL - Rome around with Keats

Rome around with Keats   Testaccio has shed its slaughter house image, with the help of street art, museums, food and even cemeteries, which serve as the final resting place for many a literary great My rendezvous with Testaccio begins with a desire to visit the Protestant Cemetery to pay homage to two of my favourite poets from the Romantics clan, John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley. The Cemetery is one of the  biggest treasure troves located in the heart of Rome, but tends to get overshadowed by other, more popular tourist spots in the city. I reach the cemetery quite early in the morning. Also known as The  NonCatholic Cemetery for Foreigners in Testaccio, the cemetery is one of the oldest burial grounds that has been in continuous use in Europe. While there are a great number of Protestant and eastern Orthodox graves, the cemetery also hosts remains of people from many other faiths as well. Once inside the cemetery, I am surrounded by beautiful graves and many cats, lying peacefully in a wellkept garden exploding with cypress and pine trees. The graves also include intricately carved out sculptures, while the rest are simpler, decorated either with small keepsakes, flowers or natural shrubs that have grown over the graves over time. The cemetery is the final resting place of many creative souls like poets, writers, artists and sculptors among others. I first spot Shelley's tombstone and spend a few silent moments by his side, in respect.There are other graves as well -of sculptors Hendrik Anderson, William Whetmore Story, and of English film actress Belinda Lee. I find Keats's tombstone in the Old Cemetery, which is adjacent to the new one. The Old Cemetery is an open park space, with a lesser number of graves. And right across it is a touch of  Egypt, in the form of the triangular Pyramid of Caius Cestius, believed to have been built between 18 and 12 BC. Once outside the cemetery, I am fascinated by the street art on the walls. I continue to walk ahead -at the expense of missing the turn for my next stop,  the MACRO Testaccio -and feast my eyes on the graffiti that adorns the never-ending walls. There are sketches of old men, a bald man in a suit and  dark glasses, men and women with some kind of storm swirling out of their  heads. There is also a building enveloped in a riot of colours lent by different  faces -their eyes form the windows of the building. I walk an entire stretch, lost in the works. As I finally hurry back to the MACRO museum, I walk past the area which once used to be the city's main industrial area and slaughterhouse. Its  tranquillity seems almost deceptive and I try to conjure up the past –the  cavernous wails of animals getting butchered and the hustle, bustle of daily  business. I finally reach the Museo d'Arte Contemporanea di Roma, or MACRO, in Piazza Orazio Giustiniani, which once accommodated the slaughterhouse. The whole piazza emanates a grungy and youthful vibe while the museum, which has borrowed the industrial architecture of the area, exhibits some of  the best contemporary Italian and international works of art, through its permanent collections (which includes works of prominent Italian artists like Carla Accardi, Antonio Sanfilippo, Leoncillo and Ettore Colla) and temporary exhibitions. I spend some time here, till the museum closes at 10 pm. Feeling hungry, I search for an authentic Italian meal. In Testaccio, ample  food produce flows into its local market almost daily. It also offers a great  range of Italian restaurants. Next to one such market, I spot a mammoth, 20metre-long mural of a she-wolf which adorns the walls of a residential  building.The she-wolf is an interesting, modern take on Rome's important  symbol, Capitoline Wolf, whose legend revolves around twins Romulus and Remus. They were abandoned on the banks of the river Tiber, and suckled by a she-wolf before getting rescued by a shepherd. Romulus eventually murdered Remus and founded Rome. Walls are also decorated with beautiful calligraphy by graffiti artist Dominico Romeo. I reach Porto Fluviale, an old industrial warehouse converted into a restaurant. I dig into a plate of spaghetti and sip some wine. Sufficiently fuelled, I end the day at the antique Roman dump Monte Testaccio -an artificial hill made  from amphorae, which are merely disposed, broken pieces of terracotta  vessels that were used to import olive oil about 2000 years ago. I learn that ancient Romans used to import olive oil and wine from Spain, Libya and Tunisia. This was unloaded at a port on the River Tiber. The vessels were  marked with information about their origin, weight and quality They could not be reused as the wine or oil had seeped into the clay. As a result, the shards were carefully stacked in the dumping ground which has now become Mount Testaccio. As the sun sets slowly, I begin to feel closer to Rome -the other Rome, that's a beautiful blend of the past, present and even the future. FACT FILE GETTING THERE There are direct Air India flights from New Delhi to Rome, so you can fly to  Delhi, and then head straight to Rome. There are several other one stop flights like Turkish Airlines, Jet Airways, Air France etc. to reach Rome from Mumbai.You need a Schengen visa to visit Italy. WHEN TO GO Avoid the months of July and August. It gets way too hot, prices soar,  and the city is swamped with tourists. ACCOMODATION AirBnb is a good resource to find accommodation in the Testaccio region  itself. Live like a local to experience the place thoroughly. WHAT TO EAT Italians are known worldwide for their delectable food and wine, so you need to have some authentic Italian meals that includes pasta and pizza.  Most places in Italy including Rome have aperitif time (or happy hours as we call them) in the evening where you can often sample a variety of delicious appetizers for free, with a drink of your choice. And of course, have as many flavours of the Italian gelato as you can. WHAT TO BUY Well, it's Italy so we suggest buying some handmade pasta, a bottle of olive oil and some wine to take back home for your loved ones. Limoncello is a very popular lemon based liqueur in Italy which you not only have to try, but also take a bottle home. Visit one of the nice food stores or supermarkets in Rome to pick up some of these food souvenirs. Payal Khandelwal MM6DEC15