It all started at 3:10 in the morning. We had a sleepy trip off to Vienna airport. Only drama was being asked if our final destination was Frankfurt, eh? We landed the window seats and had a nice flight that seemed to end on the world’s longest runway. No passport checks, we got our bags with no worries and followed the signs to the train. E22 later and we were on our way. Ah, bustling Rome. Very, very busy. We walked out of the main train station and found our street was right there. Some 200m up the road was out accommodation, the Beehive. We paid up and stashed our bags all by the early time of 11:00. Very nice digs indeed.
Then it was back down to the station to get our 7 day metro pass, a quick survey of the map and off we went. After walking a little distance Zuz said, “should we really see the biggest thing first up?” We took 2 more steps, looked up the street to the left and there it was. The Colosseum: ) Very impressive, very big, old and lots of people. So up the street we went. As it was Sunday, the main drag was closed off and we walked up and down it with hordes of other travellers and tourists. We went past the Roman Forums and then back around the Colosseum and sat down for some people watching as surprisingly so, we were fairly tired. Sustenance required, in the form of what else, a pizza. When in Rome…… It was BEE-UTE-A-FULL!
We walked back down the road again to the ‘typewriter’, around and up Capitol Hill, now overlooking the Roman Forums and near the statue of Romulus. By this stage we were walking like zombies and as our room would now be ready we headed to the hostel via the metro and treated ourselves to a very, very nice ice cream. Why do all the really nice things in life have to be so far away from home? Got back into the room and the plan was to have a small afternoon siesta until about 4:00pm. We woke up at 10! So we turned over and went back to sleep until the morning.
Up with the sun due to the early and long night. Decided to go back to the Colosseum and Roman Forums and do them some justice today. But first we started with a wonderful breakfast from our Roman home. French toast and scrambled eggs would give us ample energy for a while. Off to the metro and two stops down the track saw us at the Big House. As it was first thing, the line for entry was fairly short. We did not have to wait long, got ourselves an audio guide and away we went. A group of little words on a paper cannot be used to describe what it was like. The photos wont do it justice either. Truly a sight you need to experience. It was amazing and what one would expect from arguably one of the most famous structures in the world. No more can or needs to be said.
After that, it was off across the piazza to the Palatine Hill. Basically the rich suburb of Rome where the Emperors lived. Lots of grand dwellings, especially considering their age. We walked throughout the gardens, across to get a view out over the Roman Forums. Zuz had another 6th sense moment. “I really could use a toilet” and no more than 2 steps later we saw one. But it was not marked. Just a cue of people, waiting. The bad thing about this loo was that it was unisex. That meant the men had to line up with the women. That was not all, it had a fountain a mere 6 feet from the line. Trouble! With our pressure relieved onward and down into the roman Forums. A little imagination was required to see what it would have been like. But again realising its age, would have been most spectacular in it day.
We headed back to the Santa Maria in Aracoeli church next to the capital hill via the back streets and through the Jewish area. Back up that long flight of stairs and into the church, which had a statue of the baby Jesus. Now fair dinkum people, if a baby had that much gold and bling on them in their cot, then they aint going to be breathing and would have probably been crushed to death. After that we walked up over and through the typewriter and down the steps at the front. Then it was time for tour guide Neil to take hold. Walked down past the crypts (cant see everything and have to save something for next time) and bumped into the cat sanctuary, Area sacra di Largo Argentina. Yet another set of ruins where the cats are the caretakers. Funnily enough, we did not see to many pigeons here?
We continued on to find ourselves at Campo de fiori, and then up through a bit more of the roman maze and hit the piazza Navona. Unfortunately they were fixing the big fountain in the middle. But other than more pesky little Indians selling crap and blowing bubbles, it was a lovely area. Plenty of pubs and eateries could see you spending many a meal here. Our next waypoint was to be the Trevi fountain. But as we turned one of the corners SMACK! We were standing in front on the impressive Pantheon. Wow! Of course I planned it that way. Inside we went and yet again I was impressed. Possibly the highlight of the day, believe it or not. The hole in the roof was incredible. Even Raffael was buried here. After hearing that even engineers are not sure why the roof is still standing it was exit stage left.
Now it was up a few more streets to the trevi fountain. This spot was extremely crowded, but a definite treat for the eye. A very pretty fountain indeed. As you do, we threw our coins in. Zuzi bought some roasted chestnuts, still piping hot and incredibly delicious before we headed off to the Spanish steps. Yet again, through a maze of streets and after passing some of Rome’s finest shops, Prada, Gucci, Dior etc, etc we sat on the Spanish steps for a rest. The azaleas were out and it all looked very pretty, but yet again very busy and full of those pesky Indians trying to flog postcards, roses and anything they could.
It was now time for dinner so we walked a few more streets until we hit this funky looking restaurant. Brochette, 2 pizzas and 2 half litre’s of sangria later had us very pleased with our decision and rather happy from the sangria. On to the nearest metro station and back to the beehive. Zuz was asleep by the time I got back from the shower.
Another start in the beehive café. The waitress was 5 years old and as cute to boot. With fuel to go, it was back to the metro. Today we were off to the Vatican. We got to the station and followed the tide of people. Luckily they were all going to the Vatican too. We got to the museum in good time and the line was non-existent. Straight in, got our tickets and headed for the Sistine Chapel. You just have to walk through 40 other rooms along a designated route with a sea of people to get there. The opulence and dare I say greed of the Catholic Church is there to see by all. It also shows a down side to human nature that all that the previous ages wanted to leave for generations to come as their mark was constant images of bloody wars. Fighting under the banner of religion making it right and just. But on a lighter note, the room of maps was awesome. Huge woven maps, about 4 m tall, of all the regions of the time. All very detailed. Did I say we went through more rooms that I can remember? The later ones containing more modern art. Some of it, I even liked.
Finally we got to the Sistine Chapel, probably after an hour of walking. It was huge and full of people / sardines. Oh yeah, it had the odd painting too. The rules were simple. No photos, no video, no farting, no noise and if you have to breath, make it shallow. I thought they were a bit over the top on that. I though it was ‘when in my house, my rules’ not some tosser in a uniform. There I go again. Finally we inherited a seat, sat down, read our smart books and enjoyed the marvel that was all around (other than said tossers picking people up for the odd photo shot and giving the big Sh!! every now and then). Fancy people looking at arguably one of the most famous pieces of art in the world and wanting to discuss it with their loved ones. God Forbid!! Well obviously he did not, as I saw no lightning bolts. Then there was the customary exit into the gift shop where posters sell for E10. We decided to send some postcards, one to Nana especially.
Then it was down the nice round staircase to the exit below, where Zuz suggested we better eat our apples, as food would be scarce. Yep, Zuz strikes again. The food vans were parked outside the door. We even had a laugh when we saw the pesky little Indians had adapted and were selling umbrellas. At least today there was a need for what they were selling.
We went around to St Peters Square, and straight into the Basilica. This is absolutely HUGE. Again words cannot describe. They say it can hold up to 60,000 people. There must have been at least 5000 in there at this time. Some very nice sculptures and paintings etc. as nice and as lavish as it was, it left me with a my **** is bigger than yours feeling. They even have marks on the floor of how big the next 10 biggest churches are. All this bling just goes away from what religion should be about. Anyhow, then we headed up to get a little closer to Huey, up to the famous dome. We took the lift half way up and climbed the rest of the way to the top of the dome. One section travels on the inside of the dome, some 50m above the basilica floor. Then through tight alleys and staircases until you get to the top. The rain had gone and left clear air. The view was spectacular through the gridlock of people. After our fill of the vista, we came back down. Deciding to go into the souvenir shop. Low and behold, they had Vatican shot glasses. Laughing, I’ll take one of those to add to the collection thanks. We also coped a naughty nun behind the counter as she gave us a few extra bags the size of a pack of smokes to smuggle out as a pseudo souvenir.
Then from the top to the bottom and into the grotto where many a pope is entombed. Including Pope John Paul II. There were still many people praying and crying at his tomb. As I was buggered, we decided to head for home, but only after an ice cream at the station to aid the energy levels.
We relaxed and nursed our sore limbs until we went for dinner. Still sore we did not go too far and picked a chain looking place that at least had a good menu. Grumpy waitress and loud Yankees……Warning…..But we ordered anyway. My food was lovely, top-notch spaghetti and clams with chilli. Did they say chilli? Must have missed it in the food. But it was nice none the less, even if the bill did take ages considering the food arrived seconds after ordering it. Not so roman, but a nice food experience. A few lindt balls from the lindt shop on the way home and ready for a well deserved shower and rest.
A bit of a sleep in until 8:30 or so and yet another start in the café. Even though I have ordered the same thing 3 days in a row, 3 different chefs have given me 3 totally different meals. The plan hatched at breakfast was to see the 3 remaining Basilicas, the Appian Way and the Pyramid. Well that was the plan, but realistically, who knows?
We ventured back to the station in doing so passed last nights restaurant only to find a much nice one next door. Doh! We made our way to the Maria Maggiora church and went on inside. As one would expect form this level of a church, it was very grand. Its claim to fame is that it is the burial place of Sixtus V, who remodelled Rome and it also has pieces of J.C’s crib. They looked pretty shabby, so you never know. It could have been.
Now it was time for Zuzi to guide us to St Peter in Chains church. We were enjoying the back streets along the way that were very nice until we spotted the Coliseum, which really should not have been where it was. This told us that we were a wee bit off course. With the map back firmly in my hands, we found our way back to the church. It was very plain from the outside as it dates back to the 5th century. We walked inside and it was a fairly understated church. It seemed very simple. I liked it. Especially the skeletal statues. It’s drawcard were the chains that held St Peter imprisoned that miraculously joined themselves on return to Rome and Michelangelo’s sculpture of mosses on the tomb of Julius II. Excellent work, but I thought paying 1 Euro to light up the sculpture seemed a bit rich.
We left that church and skipped past the Colosseum for a quick loo stop. Well it was quick for me, separate toilets. Public toilets in Rome are also rather rare. Looking at the watch we discovered it was indeed lunchtime. We found a little café and pulled up a table outside in the sun. Ordered brochette – anchovies, olives and artichokes. Zuz had Tomato and Basil. Then we shared a plate of salami. It was a sensational Italian gastronomic experience. How our palates evolve. 2 years ago I would not have touched that with a 6 foot pole.
Then on to St John’s where we snuck in the back door. As this had burnt down several times, the last rebuild was in the 17th century so it was full of bling, paintings, frescos, statues and general church toppings. But saying all that, it was absolutely stunning. This impressed me more than St Peters, but maybe this could be because St Peters is just too big to take it all in. The mosaic-tiled floor was awesome. It is said that the relics or St Peter and St Paul’s head are located here. We also went outside to visit the cloisters. Very pretty with each pillar individually designed in a different pattern. There was also a block of marble that was elevated by 4 pillars to indicate the height of Christ. Which coincidently enough, was the same height as me. He must have been a very tall man back then as I would not call myself a midget, being a 6 footer. We left via the front door to a very impressive façade.
Now here is where the day got exciting. The good old Lonely Planet said jump on the 218 to get to the Appian Way. It pulled in and we jumped on. And it just so happened that when we decided to jump off we found ourselves at the Appian Way information centre. Well they say all roads lead to Rome and this one is the queen of the roads, built in 312 B.C. We got our map and went to explore. First stop was the Quo Vadis, which had a set of footprints of J.C. Although we learnt that they were only a copy and the real ones were up the road a bit.
We travelled up the wall-lined road for some distance. Obviously pedestrians were not thought of back then or roads were built only for chariots. Not to share screaming mopeds, cars, people and buses. Or maybe it was the mopeds, and buses that were not thought of then? It was more like an extreme ride at a fun park rather than a pleasant walk. We reached some catacombs that were closed (open on Mon, Wed & Sat, nice hours). So we risked life and limb to get to the ones at St Sebastian. We made it and the dude snuck us onto a tour that had just started in English. This place had 4 stories of hundreds of tunnels. All with little cut outs for bodies. To be honest it was a little creepy, but amazing at the same time. Definitely would not want to get lost down there. Some graves were miss-spelt due to literacy, some only having pictures. There was even a church down there underground where people used to practice during the banished times. Then it was up from the catacombs into the church to see J.C’s real footprints, the tomb of St Sebastian and Bellini’s last work, that being a cool sculpture of Jesus. Overall an amazing experience I could go on about for ages and well worth the walk to get there and the 6 euros for the tour.
We continued up the road past a few more ruins until we got to the tomb of Cecila Metella where we wondered how much further we would have to go to reach a bus stop. Turned out we had to back track, so back past the catacombs continuing to play dare with all the traffic. Made it back to the bus stop and no more than 60 sec had passed before one turned up that would take us past the pyramid metro. Again, another stroke of luck there.
We made it to the metro and as St Paul’s Basilica was only 2 metro stops away and an hour from closing we jumped on the train. We made it to St Paul’s in time to sneak in the back door again. This is the 3rd largest church in the world and funnily enough, St Paul is buried here. All of the previous popes have their portraits spread along the walls. There are only 12 spaces left. A very clean marble columned church. Very impressive, even though they were currently fixing it up.
We headed back to the pyramid and the ?????? gates and went off for dinner. We found this awesome little bistro-ish place with a very charismatic host. Definitely far more a local haunt than a tourist hangout. He served us what we wanted, Zuz taking on the ‘grade’ pizza. My lasagne was delicious. The 2 glasses of red helped too. The dude also sent over some battered apple for us to try for desert. Best service I have had in years. After that, we went next door to this amazing deli. You name it, they sold it. We tasted a few cheeses and bought a wine aged cheese to take back home. They were extremely friendly and provided a wonderful experience for us. I guess that is the rewards for getting off the tourist track and meeting some locals.
Then back on the metro to the Colosseum for the express purpose of getting some ice cream. The dude gave me lemon instead of coconut. You could imagine the taste buds surprise. We took some dusk photos of the big house while fighting off pesky Indians before heading home from shower and bed.
Today we had sort of scheduled a trip to Hadrian’s villa. But due to the previous days having taken their toll on us we decided to stay in Rome and have an easier day of it. As we were on a roll, we decided to eat in house again. Today’s French toast was huge. So big, I could not eat it all. Zuzi went Muesli, fruit and yogurt.
We took the metro to Spagna and climbed up, and then back down the Spanish steps. Did to tourist thing of taking Zuzi’s brag photos in front of Dior, Prada, etc. The later soon after dropped the blinds. We then headed off to the Piazza de Popolo. Another nice big piazza that is supposed to be symmetrical and has 3 Santa Maria churches on it. Two of them, the twin churches and a big obelisk sticking out of the middle of the square. It said somewhere that there were only 2 in Rome, sure I have counted at least 6. Unless someone keeps moving them around? So then we tried to see one of the churches. The first one was closed, opened at 4. So into one of the twin churches that was open. As it was raining and the legs were weary, it was also a good place to rest. Until the priest turned out the lights and told us the church was closing for lunch. WTF?! House of god my arse. What if you were half way through your 17 Hail Mary’s from confession? Sorry, you cannot redeem yourself as it is time for my lunch. Way to convert them lads. So after being thrown out of the church (don’t think that has ever happened before, Pubs yes but not a church. I was not even drunk). We headed down the Via del Corso where Zuz popped into a few shops for some retail therapy.
Then we cam upon the open church of St Charles. Turned out this was not in either smart book and was actually and Basilica. You’ve seen one church…..but wait. You could go behind the alter and look at St Charles’s heart, in a nice heart shaped vessel. Of course that was this places relic. Definitely original.
Then we realised we needed to backtrack a bit to go and find Augustus mausoleum, which was fenced off and the other monument (Augustus monorail) that we wanted to see had a big modern building built over it and a charge of 6.50 to get in. Bugger that, the catacombs were less that that and 20 times better.
But on the good side, this route brought us to the Ferrari Shop. Cha Ching!!! Zuz finally got me out of there with the damage being contained to buying only one shirt. There were models that were 60cm long that would look great at home, except for the 7500 Euro price tag. I could have gone crazy. Next we went hunting for one of the lonely planet pizzerias and success. The only problem was that they were closing, as it was 3 o’clock. Bugger! That was going to be our loo stop as well. So we hunted and ended up at Piazza Navona. We were shown the way to the nearest loo a few streets away then Zuz had pizza from a road side stall as I went for some energy pills, smarties.
We crossed a couple of the bridges over the river and had a look at the St Angelo castle. We also had fun watching the finance police chasing the Indian and Asian hawkers. They even came over to a bloke next to us who video taped it and asked them to erase it. We walked up the road to the Vatican on our way to a lonely planet place Zuz had wanted to try for dinner for a couple of days. We got there and found that they had closed, so we ended up at a pizza Rustica. It was kind of like the place we ate at yesterday. This time a younger charismatic dude behind the counter. I had the cannelloni, Zuz had a chicken dish and some potato pizza with a beer and some red wine to wash it down. We were full, but still went back for seconds anyway. Seafood and smoked cheese pizza. Somehow we ate it all, only because it was so nice. A small bit of souvenir shopping at the station on the way home and I managed to find some room for a piccolo copetta of ice cream. So, why not? The ice cream is evil here. It is so nice, it is futile to try and resist.
Ok, this was our last day in Rome. The previous days had really caught up with us now, so a rest and a sleep in was required before breakfast. As usual, down to the café and served by the older daughter this time (7) and we both had the muesli. Then we sat down to read the guest book. Nothing but praise, mostly Americans, but a few Aussies. One pointed entry regarding Vatican soup kitchens pretty much hit the nail on the head.
Then it was back on the metro to go to see the St Maria de Popolo that was closed yesterday. There were 3 ?????paintings that seemed to be the major attraction. This church had explanations around the church in English, so it made it more informative. Back out in the piazza and they had put heaps of staging up overnight. Lucky I took the photos yesterday. Then back down the Via del Corso once more as Zuz saw some nice sandals yesterday and decided to buy them today. One very happy customer later, we walked past the shops up to the Spanish steps where we just sat down, relaxed and did some people watching for who knows how long. Watching the Indians do their thing, we discovered if they drop the rose in your lap, then quickly put the rose straight onto the ground and they soon get the message.
Next we took off back down the street to the lonely planet pizzeria that we had visited twice to find it closed both times. Third time lucky and we were in. We were guided around to a seat by a lady that could only be described as a typical Italian Mama, but of a smaller variety. You would not want to pick a fight with her, that’s for sure. She took our order or could you say ordered us to make a decision (in a good way). The poor little Chinese girl behind us looked a little intimidated. We got our brochette in good time and it was delicious. Soon after that the pizza came from a large pizza oven that could have cooked a whole cow at once. It was sensational. The place filled up real quick, and no wonder. So that was the end of our gastronomic tour of Rome and what a way to end it. The food here has been a terrific part of the whole experience.
We headed to the Trevi fountain to do some more people watching, but by the time we got there, we only had 5 minutes or so. Although we did have time for one last ice cream. Zuz ordered a maxi cone and he asked if we wanted 2 spoons. No thanks buddy, we were going the whole hog for the final fling here. I ordered a maxi cone too. This coconut was the nicest I had ever tasted.
Then up to Republica for a last trip on the metro. Got our tickets at the station as some dude pushed in at the auto ticket machine and proceeded to give us a run down of the whole system and followed the monkey could follow steps to get our tickets to the airport. Of course wanting rewards for his ‘good deed’. Sorry buddy. Maybe if we needed the help.
A quick walk up the road to get our bags, and back to get the 16:00 train to the airport. As usual, our check-in counter was the furthest from the train and the line was huge. It was going to be touch and go. Plane scheduled for a 17:45 take off. After several people had to push in to check-in on time we finally got our boarding passes at 17:00. Then another long line through security and a mad rush to Gate 18 passing all the shops that would have been nice to stroll through, D&G, Ferrari…. The gate said Milan? After a bit more investigation they had moved our flight to the next gate. This was Chaos at it best. We gave them our boarding passes and went down the ramp to a waiting bus, actually 3 waiting buses. One for Milan, one for Vienna and one to god knows where. No markings or anything to tell you that you got on the wrong bus except a diligent driver making sure that all the people that came from ‘his’ gate got on his bus.
In the end, a quick flight and Zuz, me and our bags all made it to Vienna. Maybe that is why Rome is full of churches. It’s full of miracles. It was a miracle that we all ended up at the correct destination and only 10 min late.
So that was our Roman experience. It was wonderful. Our holiday from responsibility. Just Zuzi and me, able to spend time for ourselves, together. We could sleep when we were tired and woke only when the body had got enough sleep. There were nights and mornings where I could not say what time we went to bed or got up to save my life. The way a holiday should be. We walked or arses off and I was surprised how well I coped. Went flat out at all the sights in the first 3-4 days and then as we got into the Italian feeling we slowed down on the last 2 days to soak up the culture and atmosphere. A perfect way to do it in the end. Not too long, not too short.
But I can see why the faithful flock to Rome on their pilgrimages as it is a place with many a holy relic. Although St Peter was buried in one place, but his head was also buried with St Paul in another church.
My take, may be a bit cynical, but it pointed out the greed and opulence of the Catholic Church and makes me wonder if they have lost sight of the bigger picture. J.C. was a poor man who fed thousands, not a gatherer and hoarder of gold, bling and material riches. Enough Said?