Roma!

Ah, where do I even start?  Rome was a sight to behold.  Or rather a million sights to behold.  As my husband said, Rome is like the Disney World of old, Roman ruins.  And he’s right.  They are everywhere!  There are so many that you need a map and a tour guide to figure out what you’re looking at.  Obviously the Colosseum is easy to pick out, as well as some newer sites like the Trevi Fountain or Spanish Steps.  I found it amazing that we would just be strolling along and come across a recent archeological dig where temples and homes are still being excavated.  It’s better to describe our visit with pictures.

We actually drove to Orvieto, a small town outside of Rome, where we parked in a free parking lot and took the train into the centro.  Due to the language barrier we were unable to 100% determine if our car would be safe but with our train coming in 3 minutes we really didn’t have a choice.  We decided to trust Rick Steve and hope for the best.

Once we arrived in Rome we had a 4-block walk to our hotel, a small bed and breakfast.  Of course it took a few back and forth’s on the street to actually find it, but it all worked out in the end.  We’re sort of getting used to everything taking a little extra time and being a little bit more complex than at home.  J

After we checked in we headed towards the Colosseum.  We figured it would be easy to spot, and it was.  It was a surreal experience when seeing this famous structure that I’ve only seen in pictures or movies.  It’s real!  Not made up!  We bypassed the long line of tourists due to our smart purchase of the Roma pass, and began our first Roman sight-seeing adventure.

So….on the inside it really wasn’t what I imagined.  It seemed much smaller than the movies make it appear.  Especially the arena floor space.  They did have some interesting exhibits to walk through which told of the history, how it was built, then came into ruin and finally excavated and preserved.  When Rome converted to Christianity the colosseum was considered a reminder of all the evil Rome endured previously so stones were removed in order to build new churches.  Little did they know that one day the colosseum would be considered an archeological artifact!

The other thing we found while walking around was that we needed to be on a guided tour in order to get to the top level of the colosseum or in order to go into the ‘basement’.  The arena floor is missing so you can see the passageways for the animals and gladiators that existed.  Also the lifts which would bring the animals up to the arena floor.  I find this sort of thing fascinating so one day I’d like to go back for a full tour.

After the colosseum we headed towards the Roman Forum.  On the way we took pictures of the Arch of Constantine.  This arch was built b Constantine, self explanatory I guess.  It commemorates his victory of the Maxentius.  It was with this victory that Constantine made Christianity the state religion of the entire western world.

Next up was the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.  I hate to say it but I really have no idea what I was looking at.  But I loved it anyway!  I tried to follow my tour book but one can’t look at the ruins and read a book at the same time.  So I just decided to try and figure it out best I could and enjoy it.

I tried to eavesdrop on a tour given by a British group.  I found the gentleman’s voice lovely to listen to.  My husband thought differently and he chose to give me his own tour, with his own fake British accent where I proceeded to learn nothing but made-up stories and laugh hysterically.  Who knows what the other people around us must have been thinking!

The place where Caesar was killed.

The home of the Vistal Virgins

The Arch of Titus

Palatine Hill

After this fun-filled afternoon of Roman ruins we headed back to our hotel to rest and get ready for our evening.  We took the subway to the Piazza del Popolo where there is an obelisk that was taken from Egypt by Augustus.  There had been an event of some sort in the square earlier that day so areas were blocked off and there were numerous police cars parked.

From that point we took a leisurely stroll down the Via del Corso.  We tried to see into the Mausoleum of Augustus but there were so many trees and some construction obstructing our view.  We did see into the Ara Pacis, “Alter of Peace”, which is a shrine marking the beginning of Rome’s Golden Age.

We veered off the Via del Corso to the Via Condotti, which took us to the Spanish Steps.  If I were a college student or a teenager this would be the place to be!  Couples were canoodling on the steps, small groups were hanging out, and there were definitely a fair amount of tourists as well.  Nick was taking a photo for a woman in front of the fountain when a street vendor tried to offer me a small bouquet of roses.  I politely declined but a few minutes later he came back and insisted that I take them.  Again, I declined and finally he said they were a gift and he basically pushed them on me.  I just shrugged and took them; the woman next to me wondered where her free flowers were so I was just about to give her a few of mine when this generous street vendor came after us asking for money.  So beware….no gifts in Rome are free!

The Tiber River

Next stop on our stroll was the Trevi Fountain.  My oh my was that place packed!  I really could hardly get a good look at it and the crowds were rather suffocating so we didn’t stay long.  But it was beautiful to see….for the few minutes we could see it!

We had dinner in between the Fountain and our hotel at a small place that was about to close.  Well, about to close according to their posted hours.  However, the place was full and they seemed to have no issues seating us at that late hour.  The food was delicious….as is all Italian food.  They know what they’re doing over here no doubt about it!

On our walk home we walked through an intersection where there was a sculpture/fountain on each corner.  I’m not sure if it was the fact that it was dark or just that this intersection came as a surprise but this is my favorite crossroads in Rome.  We walked by it several more times over the course of the weekend and I think I took more pictures each time.

The next day was our Vatican and St. Peter’s Day.  We had our reservation all set for the Vatican, had not trouble navigating the subway and we inside this most famous site within minutes.  The museum itself is extensive and filled with artifacts from all corners of the globe.  The rooms themselves are beautifully decorated as many of them were once the private chambers of past popes.  The grand finale was the Sistine Chapel and it is nothing short of breathtaking.  However, the people packed into the chapel like sardines are not breathtaking.  I felt claustrophobic actually.  I would’ve loved to have sat on a bench and stared at the ceiling for 20 minutes.  That’s all I would’ve needed!  But there is little to no crowd control so the longer one stays, the hotter and more unpleasant the experience became.  So I’ll have to visit the Sistine Chapel again during the off-season. 

After our Vatican visit we headed to find some food.  We found this lovely little pedestrian street with outdoor cafes lining the way; the Viale Giulio Cesare. It was refreshing to get away from the crowds and tourists for a few minutes.  Since soon we were right back in the fray.  St. Peter’s Square was a mad house!  Apparently the pope had spoken earlier that morning so the chairs for his speech were still set up.  In addition, the trash containers were overflowing to the point where the trash was scattered all around the square.  The line to get into St. Peter’s Basilica went all around the square, back to the entrance of the church.  Um….no grazie.  As much as we wanted to see the inside we chose to settle for taking photos outside.  We’ll come back another time…hopefully on a day when the pope is not speaking.  ;)

The rest of our afternoon was spent seeing random sites.  We went to the Castel Sant Angelo which was built by Hadrian to be his tomb.  In later years it was a castle, a prison and a papal refuge.  Now it’s a museum with some incredible views from the top. Also at the top is a statue that’s noted in the Angels & Demons movie.  If I knew the movie a bit better I’m sure we saw many references to it during our visit.

Lord Voldemort??

 One of my favorite parts of our castel visit was walking across the Tiber River on the bridge leading from the castel back into the heart of ancient Rome.  Three of the arches of the Ponte Sant Angelo Bridge are Roman originals.

We wandered and wandered the remainder of the afternoon.  We saw countless obelisks, found charming pedestrian streets with shops and cafes and of course random churches.  We were quite exhausted by the end of the day so we headed home for reposo (siesta) before dinner.  Taking a break in Rome is the only way to go!

For dinner we met up with our Vicenza friends, Maggie and Kyle.  They happened to make a trip to Rome the same weekend.  Our dinner this time was average.  The service was really poor but I was out of sorts from the start.  It was raining when we left our hotel, we were running behind as it were but then we got stuck in some sort of bicycle event?  I really have no idea but there were bikes everywhere!  We couldn’t even cross the street. 

I think too that since all Italian restaurants have similar menus, it takes a lot for a place to stand out from its competition.  If a place has some unique items on the menu or has an exceptional vibe or atmosphere, I’ll be more excited about it.  But for the majority of the restaurants they really are all the same.

After dinner we decided to check out an Irish pub that Nick and I passed on our way to dinner.  We were all enthusiastic about grabbing some drinks that weren’t wine. J  Don’t get me wrong, the wine is delicious in this country.  But sometimes I miss a good ‘ol vodka soda.

We passed the Pantheon on the way to the pub, as well as the Victor Emmanuel Monument.  Both were lit up with their evening lights which were beautiful to see.

We didn’t last long at the pub however. Rome takes a lot out of a person!  I was exhausted from all the walking and we still had one more day of it to take on.  So while the vodka soda was refreshing, one was enough and we made our way home…..passing my favorite intersection on the way.

Our last day in Rome was also the day we needed to check out of our B&B.  So we made our way to the train station in hopes of checking our backpacks for the day.  We planned to take a late afternoon train to Orvieto, retrieve our car (providing it wasn’t towed) and get home by evening.

Well, the line to check our bags was at least an hour’s wait and we were on a time schedule.  We were planning to make a wide loop around historic Rome and hit up the sites we hadn’t yet seen.  Seeing these sites was more important to me than my own comfort so I agreed to strap on one of the backpacks and suck it up. 

Our first stop was the Cappuccin Crypt. This old church was once a monastery where the monks from that monastery were also buried. The poor of the city were buried there as well. I’m really not sure how or why the crypt became what it is today but basically the underground burial rooms are decorated works of art…the decorations being the bones and skulls of the people that were buried there. It’s really quite bazaar and if you’re into seeing something sort of off-the-wall, this would be a good choice. The neighborhood where the crypt is located is actually very cute with many street cafes. In the future I’d rather go to that area for dinner and skip the bone art.

After the crypt we headed towards the Pantheon. We failed to remember that it was Sunday it didn’t occur to us that there might be a mass held there on the mornings. Of course we showed up during mass so we waited it out to then join the hundreds of other people that were waiting it out to see the inside of the Pantheon. The Pantheon was built by the Emperor Hadrian and was the first domed roof which actually inspired Michelangelo’s St. Peter’s and the Duomo in Florence. The dome has a circular opening in the middle where light shines through during the day. It’s quite beautiful and we plan to return at a time when mass isn’t just starting or ending. 

After the Pantheon was walked by the Victor Emmanuel monument in the day time.  Apparently modern Romans don’t like this structure and have all sorts of nicknames for it.  It was built to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Italy’s unification and it’s enormous!  Just the hoof of the horse in one of the statues could fit a human inside of it.  Italy’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is also located here.

Next up was Trajan’s Forum.  This was built to handle the shopping and commercial needs of more than a million people.  The columns tell the story of Trajan’s military exploits.  The site is still being excavated but it can be viewed for free and I found it fascinating.  My husband on the other hand just patiently waited for me to finish walking around it and then we were off to the next site.

Just by chance we came across an archeological site that was still in the process of being unearthed. It appeared to be 3 temples and they were all built during different periods. 

Lastly we found our way to St. Peter in Chains church.  The church was built in the 5^th century and houses the chains that held St. Peter and there is also a famous Michelangelo statue inside the church.  However, we arrived during reposo and the church wasn’t going to re-open for another 2 hours!  So we were out of luck…..and hungry at this point.

So we decided to head back towards the train station, buy our tickets and find lunch.  We were successful in all of that and to top it off we found another Irish pub to eat lunch.  However, there were hardly any items on the menu that were actually ‘Irish’. It was mainly Italian food.  J 

We made our way to Orvieto, our car was safe and sound and we drove 4 hours home in 90-degrees with no air conditioning!  I was never happier to get home and shower.  All in all, it was a great trip to Rome and we’ll definitely be going back to hit up all the places we missed.