After a “pause” in blogging our Europe experiences, it’s time to pick that back up with our adventures in Rome.
After a night train from Milan to Rome where “First Class” included a room without shades and a lot of noise, which led to a poor night’s sleep, we made it to Rome. After dropping our backpacks at the hotel, we decided to walk to the Forum and see the Forum, the Colosseum, and Palatine Hill. We got to the Forum around 8:30 am, and ended up being one of the first ones in. That allowed us to have the place to ourselves, which we enjoyed. The Forum is about 50 feet below the current city level, it was strange to see the modern city above us and how much ground had been covered up in only 2000 years. After the Forum, we saw the Colosseum, which was more crowded by the time we got there, but not too bad. There was a neat exhibit about Roman parades up on the top level, but not too much else to see but that. Robbie would have liked to have gone below the stadium to see the multiple entrance ways to the floor, but there wasn’t a way to go down and see those. Also, the Coliseum was very full of tour groups and people trying to sell them items, whether it be a picture with a “Gladiator,” random annoying toys, or food. After the Coliseum, we went to Palatine hill, and then went back to our hotel to take a nap after our not so good night’s sleep. We got up and took a night walk across Rome, hitting the Campo de Fiori, the Piazza Navona, home of the Four Rivers Fountain, which was being renovated, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, which was crowded and full of vendors trying to “give” roses to ladies, and the Spanish Steps.
The next day, we visited the Vatican. This was our favorite part of Rome, as Margie had been reading The Agnoy and the Extascy, a biographical fiction novel about Michelangelo, which talks about the Sistine Chapel, as well as his contemporaries, Raphael and Leonardo. We also borrowed the Rick Steves’ Rome book from the hotel “library,” which had a very detailed tour through the Museum and the Basilica, which helped. The Museum itself was so incredible and full of beautiful works, like The Transfiguration by Raphael, and School of Athens, that once you got to the Sistine Chapel, it was nice, but overhyped compared to everything else. Robbie really liked The Last Judgement painting over the Altar better than the ceiling itself. The other disappointing thing about the Sistine Chapel were all the people taking pictures in the Chapel and being disrespectful of the paintings and the chapel itself. After the chapel, we went up to the roof of St. Peter’s for a great view of the city of Rome. We then went down to the Basilica itself, where we saw the Pieta by Michelangelo, the “tomb” of Pope John the 23rd (Really just the embalmed Pope under glass, in case of emergency…), and wonderful mosaics of famous paintings we saw in the Museum itself. We stayed for the 5 pm mass, which was very nice. Even though it was said in Italian and Latin, Robbie knew better than most when to stand up and sit down at the right times. That night we ate dinner, and “wandered” our way back in the rain. We got very wet and were glad to be back in our hotel after dodging raindrops, and umbrella vendors.
The last day rain was prevalent again, so we made a quick trip to the Pantheon and St. Peter in Chains, before having a low key afternoon and dinner. The next morning, we got up and took a train toward the Cinque Terre.
Overall, Rome was out least favorite of the cities. Part of that was the rain, part of that was the fact that we got lost a couple of times trying to navigate through the confusing road system, and part was the larger crowds and more tourist centric nature of the city. We were both very glad to be heading toward Vernazza.
Margie’s Thoughts:
- Although Rome wasn’t my favorite site, I did manage to eat more than my fair share of gelato and bring it home as a belly roll. Chocolate & strawberry was my standard combination, but Robbie was a little more adventurous in his choices.
- We laughed at the gladiator arriving in his chariot of a Geo metro. He did offer to have his photo taken with us.
- Circus Maximus was definitely Circus Minimus. We wondered around for awhile trying to see it from the top of Palatine Hill while cranky and tired at the end of our morning of sightseeing after very little sleep. I could have gone my whole life without seeing that.
- We threw our coins in Trevi Fountain in the rain, but we used Swiss Francs, so it may not work. I would be okay with that.
- Robbie made a comment about the mosaics at the Vatican, but what was really amazing was that everything is a mosaic. There are no “perishable” materials used. The mosaics were amazing and you really couldn’t tell they weren’t painted.
- The dead pope under glass was weird. He needs to go back in the crypt. Mass was amazing. Even though I don’t know Latin or Italian and I’m not Catholic, it is impossible to not have an attitude of worship in a cathedral that gorgeous.
- Rome was the only city that I wanted to beat Robbie with my umbrella in. For spending 24 days together, where we’re the only English speakers we deal with, I’d say that speaks pretty well of our marriage.
