Itinerary:
- Thu. Arrive, get scammed, eat pizza and gelato
- Fri. Vatican, St. Peter’s, pizza, Castle, gelato, gnocchi
- Sat. Forum, pizza, Coliseum, gelato, Chinese food
- Sun. Spanish steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Black Truffles, Circus Maximus, spaghetti, tiramisu
- Mon. Return, lunch in Zurich, picnic in Bern
Details:
Thu. After meeting MC’s sisters and nephews in the airport, we were headed for the train, but we found ourselves by the taxi stands. We were approached to take a taxi, but of course said “No thanks, we’re taking the train.” “O, it’s only 20 Euro each, just a little more than the train and if you take the train, you still have to take a taxi from the train to your hotel and then you’ll be paying more.” “O, no we’ll walk, we’re strong and it’s not far.” “O, ha ha, I’m sure you are, but we’ll make a deal and give you a price on the return trip if you call us.” Well, it wasn’t quite that simple or straightforward, but it seemed with 6 of us, perhaps it would be easier, so we agreed.
This despite the research 3 of us had done, saying taxi rates from the airport to Rome have been set at 40 Euros flat. It was almost worth the extra just to share the thrill of riding in a car in Rome, which has been declared the most dangerous city to drive in.
On arrival at our hotel, neon signs gave us all the info we needed our first night: where to get pizza and gelato.
Fri. MC’s sister Margie was our tour guide and primary pre-researcher for Rome. She had purchased our tickets for the Vatican Museum online ahead of time so we avoided the block-long line for buying tickets and walked right in. Crowds were thick, far more than at the Louvre, so if you pass something, don’t plan on turning back to see it. Fortunately, like the Louvre, it is so dense with artwork, statuary, relics, and wall/ceiling/floor decoration that even those of us who had been there before enjoyed the visit. The Sistine Chapel was, for us, a letdown. You expect to be awed. Yes, the paintings are excellent and large–they cover the upper half of the 2-story-high walls and the entire ceiling. But this is a chapel and not awesome-sized, even compared to some of the rooms you have just walked through. Perhaps without the crowds and the guards standing on the altar to hush us and prevent pictures, it may have seemed less claustrophobic and dark. But I think there is simply too much build-up.
St. Peter’s is free so we did have a long line to wait in, but it moved quickly. This cathedral definitely serves its purpose, assuming the builders wanted to display the power and wealth of the Catholic Church. Humongous. Tons of marble. Make sure you’ve seen it all before you step outside; the guards don’t let you back in. And don’t go on Sunday.
Castel di Angelo was something we had not heard of. Close to the Vatican, at one time an underground passage was dug between the two to provide an escape route for the pope in case anyone attacked the Vatican. Small fee, not crowded, nice views, lots of steps.
Sat. Again Margie’s research paid off, as she knew which entrance to the Forum complex would have a short line. MC rented the audio guide, but while it does provide some interesting stories, it’s hard to follow the map and orient yourself in the ruins. The book Anne had from DK Eyewitness Travel provided as much information on the Forum (and on all the other sites we visited). The Forum is a much larger, more complex, and more ruined place than we had expected. While we have information about what was here at various times, what we are left with now are a few columns, broken stones, and bits of wall, except where at some point buildings were re-cycled into churches. Do try to make your way into Santa Francesca Romana which has a lovely and peaceful interior. It was nearly empty but for us.
The Palatine Hill is another challenge for the imagination. Remnants of walls, reminders of gardens, a bit of mosaic are all that remain of the palaces of Augustus, Tiberius and Domitian. Seeing in person how the Romans constructed buildings was interesting. Walls were very thick piles of stones held by concrete (which the Romans invented). Then they were lined with thin red clay bricks which were next covered with slabs of marble.
Our Forum/Palatine ticket also included the Coliseum, so again, after lunch, we avoided the line and walked right in. While it is much in ruins, there is–as you have seen in pictures–much left and it is not hard to believe it held 75,000 people. With the floor gone, you can see the two stories below where animals and gladiators awaited their fate.
Sun. Free day–we freely strolled the city seeing lots of free stuff. We chose a walking route which emphasized Bernini’s works, including the Fountain of the Triton and the Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona. We were duly awed by the Trevi Fountain, climbed down the Spanish Steps (the better direction to go), gasped at the Pantheon’s dome, lunched on black truffles in the Piazza Navona, strolled beside the Tiber, wondered at the 300,000 people who could watch the games at the Circus Maximus (now just a grass field), and ended the day with Tiramisu and Profiteroles (the latter drowned in chocolate whipped cream sauce!). A lovely end to a lovely visit.
