Traveling from Venice to Roma, we caught up on our emails, blogging and enjoyed the Italian countryside from our cool leather reclining seats, let Trenitalia do the driving. We met a nice New Zealand family just starting the holiday with a stop in Venice then dropping off at Florence, halfway to our destination. We arrived in Roma Termini, found a quick cheeseburger at McDonald’s then the Metro A line to Barberini. Again the cobbled streets create roller boarding to be an above average task, although walking primarily downhill the heat is creating the perspiration to puddle and roll down the body, its hot. Bruno has a nice little apartment just outside the office of government which creates a little safety as we have a the Roma Police outside our door twenty-four hours. He sat with us and outlined our day for tomorrow, asking if 3 km was too much, are you kidding me we tally a minimum of seven miles, getting along to ten quite easily.
Our first quick stop was the Trevi Fountain, the largest Baroque fountain in the city and certainly the most beautiful. Legend has it that if you throw a coin into the fountain you are destined to return to Rome. Unfortunately a movie was being filmed there on July 7th so they started setting up for it and we did not get our chance to toss a coin…we will decide if we come back now:)
On we were to the Metro and five stops down we drop off at Ottaviano, just outside the San Pietro Church.
Hustling our way to the steps outside the entrance meeting our Angles Tour group of five, we casually bypassed the line of hundreds baking in the Italian sun to enter The Vatican City. As we walk in Maria, our guide for the afternoon, let us know we are now in a different country with its own rules and regulations. Maria was awesome with the best historical sense of humor, we are so lucky to get a great guide. Letting us know that there would be a lot of ‘nakedness’ on our tour and a few pranks by none other than Michael Angelo. We began with anticipation, really wanting to be at the end, standing in the Sistine Chapel, gazing at history and the art of the one and only Michael Angelo. But Maria wanted us to have the whole experience, understanding the history of the Vatican, how it was transformed through the centuries to its current ideology. We learned so much in one afternoon, tainted only by the fact that her favorite was Emperor Hadrian, so he of course was the leader to be followed. The stories Maria told are captioned below the photos I have included, it is important to see the reenactment along with the story.
For this time period was captured in tapestries, portraits, statues and of course wall and ceiling paintings like those in the Sistine Chapel. We ended our day with Maria in St Peters Basilica, the church of Pope’s. Its beauty and massive structure is difficult to describe if not impossible. Pictures only capture fragments of the entirety, immersion is a priority.
After freshening up at the apartment, we walked down to dinner. Taking the first opportunity to eat as we were hungry we ended up in a bust for food, not very good and as the Brit we met it was ‘rubbish’. Toby quickly engaged us in conversation and even offered to walk us to the Pantheon. Not because he wanted to see it again but wanted to show us the most magnificent gelato shop:) We walked down the crowded streets, past the Trevoli Fountain to the Plaza Pietra and the Pantheon. We stood looking at it when upon came an english speaking tour group so we sat in and listened to the facts surrounding this large 1050 year old structure that should not be standing as the roof does not have a keystone, it is open to the stars. Miraculously it has with stood that and more, open and inviting to all religions, the basilica for the people. Prior to getting back as darkness fell upon the plaza we stopped and had the best gelato, we were not disappointed with the coolness of the creme and flavors of hazelnut and berries.
Trying desperately to beat the heat we set out early this morning to see the sites of the old town Rome. We succeeded for the most part, having relatively no queues and getting to walk the Forum rather easily. We purchased a video/audio guide to learn of the various sites located within the old Roman city now called the forum. From the Arch of Titus, a controlling Emperor to the home of Julius Caesar we found the surroundings interesting and enlightening. Their world was surrounded by the Gods they created and the entertainment of the Colosseum.
Having not eaten yet, it was well past noon, we lumbered out into the surrounding streets near the Palatino Hill to find a fruit stand. A peach and banana a piece washed down by the cool refreshing water from local spouts was enough to get us down the boulevard and in front of the Colosseum.
This massive structure is bigger than any other we have in the world. They even filled it with water at one time and set about a mock battle of ships with actual sized ship of the day. The geometric properties are endless. From its symmetry of arches, seating, structure and design to the shear size we were in awe. Looking up at the top and seeing the interlocking mammoth blocks wondering how that piece was placed and how they managed to move it that high. You can still see the rooms under the deteriorated performance floor with description of their use. While all of the wooden seating is gone you can still see portions of the hard structure and most notably the higharchy of nobles and well to do nearer the stage continuing to those considered everyday citizens or peasants. We walked away amazed and enriched by the Colosseum.
Spent the rest of the day wandering through the existing relics of the past that dot the city of Rome. We enjoyed our stay but did not find the food beyond average, perhaps we were looking in all the wrong places. You can always count on good fruit, water and Gelato!
Early morning metro then a high speed train to the Cinque Terra.