Travel Tip #56 - Dealing with Jet Lag

     If you've never experienced jet lag, then you probably haven't traveled very far. Although it is associated with changing multiple time zones, that isn't the only factor. Part of it comes from just traveling for long periods of time. If you are like me, you can't sleep for an extended period of time while traveling - especially when cramped into a seat on a plane with no room to stretch out your legs. If I could afford to travel first class, it might be different, but as it is, I usually sleep in 10-15 minute increments on planes before I'm jostled, woken by an announcement, or have to adjust my position because I have a crick in my neck or a cramp in my leg. By the time I arrive at my destination, I need a nap - and I never take naps. For this reason, traveling a couple of hours east is nice because when it's time for bed, I can go right to sleep.

     The difficulty comes when you travel west, or to another hemisphere. I'm sure I experienced jet lag when I went to Chile, but since I was also dealing with culture shock and a language barrier, it isn't something that sticks out. The first time I recognized the symptoms of jet lag was when we went to Hawaii. Hawaii was four hours behind Utah, so we were exhausted by the time 6:00 rolled around. We went to a movie with my aunt and uncle, and I could barely keep my eyes open. The next morning we woke up at about 4:00 am, so we went out to see the sunrise. It was awesome, but the that evening we were tired again and went to bed early. It took several days to finally get fully acclimated. 

     When I went to Europe, the effects were even more pronounced. However, I was better prepared to deal with it. I was with a group each time, and the group leaders had dealt with jet lagged tourists often enough to know what type of activities would keep us up and moving. They also made us stay awake until the locals were getting ready to hit the sack. It meant a really exhausting first day, but by the next day we were rested and ready to go. That is the key, get on track with the local time your first day there. It will be tough getting through that first day, but it will be worth it.

Spotlight: Rome - Trevi Fountain

Spotlight: The world-famous Trevi Fountain was designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi. Ironically, when Pope Clement XII organized a competition in 1730 to choose an architect to design a new fountain, Salvi lost to Alessandro Galilei. However, Salvi won the commission following a public outcry that a Florentine had won. Work began in 1732, but Salvi died before it was completed in 1762 by Pietro Bracci. Bracci made several changes, including featuring his statue Oceanus "God of all Water" in the central niche. Measuring 26.3 meters tall and 49.2 meters wide, it is the largest Baroque fountain in Rome. The fountain is located at the junction of three streets and the end of the modern Acqua Vergine - one of the aqueducts that supplies Rome with fresh water. The Acqua Vergine replaced the ancient Aqua Virgo, which served ancient Rome since 19 BC.

Location: Trevi Fountain is located in downtown Rome in the Piazza di Trevi.

Cost: free

Time: Since it is in an open air piazza, the fountain is never closed unless under repairs. It is a quick stop, so plan on spending 15 minutes - 1 hour, depending on if you feel like shopping among the various souvenir stands or shops in the area.

Description: Trevi Fountain is the most famous fountain in Rome. It is made of Travertine stone, quarried near Tivoli. The fountain went through extensive restoration from June 2014-November 2015, which included the installation of 100 LED lights to make it more visible at night.
     Oceanus, God of all Water, is featured in the center niche. Flanking him are Abundance, spilling water from her urn, and Salubrity, who holds a cup from which a snake drinks.

     One of the main traditions at Trevi Fountain is throwing a coin over your shoulder into the fountain - popularized by the movie Three Coins in the Fountain. Supposedly, doing so guarantees that you will return to Rome someday. A second coin will bring you love, and a third will guarantee you a wedding. An estimated 3,000 euros are thrown into the fountain daily. It is illegal to take coins from the fountain, and the money is used by the charitable organization Caritas to fund supermarket vouchers for needy Romans.

     Also facing the Piazza di Trevi is a quaint church called Santi Vincenzo e Anastasio a Fontana. Since we were right there, and had some time, we stepped inside. Even though it isn't near as famous as dozens of other churches in the area, its architecture and artwork were impressive. It is definitely worth a look.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: - Trevi Fountain has appeared in numerous films including: La Dolce Vita, Three Coins in the Fountain, Roman Holiday and the Lizzie McGuire movie.

Nearby:  Giardini del Quirinali, Palazzo Colonna, Fiumi Fountain, Spanish Steps

Spotlight: Rome - Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri

Spotlight: The Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs is a church that was built within the ruins of the Roman Baths of Diocletian. It is located in the Piazza della Repubblica. On 27 July 1561, Pope Pius IV ordered that a church be built in honor of the Virgin and all the angels and martyrs. The impetus for the order was a vision that a Sicilian monk experienced with the ruins of the Baths regarding the Angelic Princes - martyrs who were supposedly Christian slave laborers who had worked on the Baths. The Diocletian Baths were Ancient Rome's largest bath complex, covering 13 hectares and able to accommodate 3,000 guests.

     Michelangelo was the original architect whose plan was used to build the church within the ruins of the Baths. Michelangelo designed the interior after the pattern of a Greek cross, using a dominant transept with chapels at either end, but died before the project was completed. Looking at the church from the outside, one would never guess that it was a church, since the 16th century exterior was torn down in the early 1900's to expose the original exterior of the Baths. Additional construction was made under the guidance of Luigi Vanvitelli.

     Pope Clement XI hired astronomer and mathematician Francesco Bianchini to create a meridian line within the church. The line's threefold purpose was to: 1) Check the accuracy of the newly adopted Gregorian Calendar; 2) To accurately predict the date of Easter; and 3) To give Rome greater prestige. The church was chosen as the official church of the Kingdom of Italy (1870-1946).

Location:The Basilica is located in the Piazza della Repubblica, 00185, Rome, Italy

Cost: Free

Time: It is open from 7:00 am - 7:30 pm; it will take about an hour to explore

Description: The church is filled with works of art from many of Europe's famous artists - paintings, statues, architecture, etc. It is also home to the tombs of several famous individuals including: artist Carlo Maratta, Cardinal Francesco Alciati, sculptor Pietro Tenerani, and Presidente Vittorio Emmanuele Orlando (known as President of the Victory in WWI) among others.

John the Baptist

     The Magdalene Chapel is the church's baptistery. The altarpiece depicts the post-Resurrection meeting between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. A student of Bernini, Giovanni Battista Rossi, is credited with creating the holy water font in the shape of an angel.
     The Transept contains 16 pillars - half of which were preserved from the original Baths, and the other half are copies. It houses 8 large paintings that were brought over from St. Peter's Basilica. Here you can see the Meridian Line which runs along the meridian line that passes through Rome at latitude 15*. At true noon (12:15; 1:15 during daylight savings) the sun casts its light on the line through a hole cut into the wall.

      The Chapel of St. Bruno was built for the 1700 Jubilee and is dominated by an altarpiece featuring The Apparition of the Virgin Mary to Saint Bruno. On the left hand side of the chapel is the Organ of Saint Mary of the Angels. It was given to Pope John Paul II by the people of Rome in commemoration of the Great Jubilee of 2000. It was built by Barthèlèmy Formentelli and is used both at Mass and seasonal concerts. To hear the organ being played, come to the Basilica on Saturdays at 6:00 pm, or Sundays at 10:30 am, noon or 6:00 pm.

     Other chapels in the church include the Chapel of St. Peter, the Chapel of Blessed Niccolo Albergati, the Chapel of St. Hyacinth, the Chapel of the Crucifix, the Chapel of Relics and the Chapel of the Savior, which is the oldest chapel in the church. The altarpiece depicts The Incarnation of Jesus and The Adoration of the Seven Angels. It is surrounded by 24 smaller paintings, attributed to Hendrik van der Brock, depicting scenes from the life of Christ.

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: - The Roman National Museum of the Diocletian Baths is adjacent to the church.
- There is a courtyard with some statues at one end of the church. There is also a small museum with a timeline of the church as well as various artifacts.

Nearby: Museo Nazionale Romano: Terme di Diocleziano, Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vittoria, Sant'Andrea al Quirinali, Piazza Barberini, Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore

Travel Tip #55 - Don't Miss out on "Once in a Lifetime" Opportunities

     When I went to Rome last year, I was with a travel group. There were a couple of times in which we were given free time to do what we wanted. Since we were right next to the Castel Sant'Angelo, I wanted to check it out. I had made a couple of friends, and we headed over to see it. However, they didn't want to pay the ten euros to go inside, so we just walked around it. We also walked down next to the Tiber River and around a couple of plazas, which were nice; but the whole time I was wishing I had just gone in by myself. Who knows if I'll ever go to Rome again. If I do, I'll be sure to go inside; but in the meantime, I'm regretting the fact that I didn't take advantage of a possible "once in a lifetime" opportunity.

Castel Sant'Angelo

     So the next time you are out traveling and you are faced with a decision, ask yourself, "Will I ever get the chance to do this again?" Another question you might ask is, "If I don't do this, will I regret it?" If the reason for not doing it is because it was a little more expensive than you had hoped, go ahead and do it. When you are on a "once in a lifetime" adventure, you don't want to have any regrets.