Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Today we leave Sorrento for Rome. We were up and had breakfast by 9. We packed and checked out of the hostel and placed our luggage in the storage room. We had a couple of hours before we needed to catch the train so walked into town. We bought stamps at a tabbachi and mailed some postcards and found a bank machine as we need a little more cash to pay for the apartment in Rome. We went into the cathedral which appears to be comparatively modern and into the church of Santa Maria della Carmine in the centre of town. We walked along a street which has been in continuous use for 2000 years and looked at a store with local products. We went to pick up our luggage and walked to the train station. There was a line-up for tickets – there had been a strike earlier in the morning to protest a development in a national park and ours would be the second train of the day.
The train left on time and arrived in Naples on time – with more than an hour to spare before our train to Rome was due to leave. Our train was listed as 20 minutes late coming in from Milan but with an on-time departure for the return trip. The trip to Rome was 70 minutes through various types of countryside but nothing really spectacular. On arrival in Rome we easily found the Metro and had no problem buying our tickets. The way to our train was something else. It is very grungy and there is a rabbit warren of passages with stairs up and down through construction zones with few escalators. Eventually we found our platform and were on our way the two stops to Barberini.
We easily found Via Tritone and then Via Crispi and arrived 30 minutes after our arrival in Rome. Our contact was waiting for us outside the apartment. Unfortunately she spoke no English so we received little useful information from her. The apartment is fairly spacious overlooking Via Crispi from the bathroom and front door and the very busy Via Due Macelli from the bedrooms. Below us is a gelato shop. The living room and kitchen are in between so have little natural light. There is a big screen TV but only Italian stations. We are about 5 minutes from Trevi Fountain and slightly more from the Spanish Steps.
We settled in and then went out to explore. We were looking for a supermarket and eventually found a Despar about 3 blocks away. We picked up a few things – we plan to eat at home more than we have done so far. The supermarket had a good selection of wine and we bought a Sicilian Syrah for a change from Chianti. It rained a little as we walked back to the apartment.
We went out for dinner around 8. About a block away is a recommended restaurant – Restaurante Pizzeria Sacro e Profano – whiich occupies an old church and has frescoes of devils and cherubs. It was fairly atmospheric but prices were a little higher than we have become accustomed to – not sure if that is the restaurant or typical of Rome. I had grilled lamb with roasted vegetables and house wine and Gloria had a pork dish. The lamb was not as good as I’ve had in Victoria but passable.
We returned to our apartment and watched yesterday’s “National” on the computer.
We got up to clear blue skies and the promise of a warm day. We had breakfast of cereal and fruit with juice and coffee – nice to more or less have what we are used to at home. We decided to go to the Pantheon today. It’s no more than a 15 minute walk from the apartment and we had a Rick Steves audio tour when we got there. It is amazing to think this building has stood here and been continuously used for 2 millennia. I’m learning a little Italian history that I recall learning in school and have since forgotten. Original statues in the Pantheon have long ago been replaced and two major niches house tombs of Victor Emmanuel and his son Umberto (and wife Margherita) from the 19th century. The dome is amazing. It is open at the top and sunlight pours through which lights up the entire structure. When it rains, the rain comes in.From here we headed for Piazza Venezia, one of the focal points of the city. We stopped off at the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva which houses a statue by Michelangelo “Christ bearing the Cross”. I’m still awestruck that it is possible to see works such as this in the setting that originally housed them. There is little apparent security. By putting 50 cents in a slot you can light up the statue for a minute or so to take a picture!
A couple of blocks further on and we were in Piazza Venezia in front of the massive structure housing the statue of Victor Emmanuel. This is the biggest equestrian statue in the world - it is visible from many parts of the city – later today we saw it as we left the Spanish Steps.We headed for home and stopped by Despar to pick up something for lunch and tonight’s dinner. Then we had lunch at home and our siesta. Around 6 PM we set out for an evening stroll that would take up from Piazza del Popolo to the Spanish Steps. We caught the Metro at Barberini to Flaminio – just 2 stops. Once at Flaminio we found our way to Piazza del Popolo. It has a huge gate which was once a main entrance to Rome, and an Egyptian obelisk . the square is fairly symmetrical with pairs of domes at each end. We popped into the church of Santa Maria del Popolo which house works by Raphael and Caravaggio, but a service was beginning so we didn’t linger.
We walked along via del Corso which is lined with exclusive shops and after 6 PM becomes a pedestrian mall. We walked the length of the pedestrian portion, enjoyed a gelato, and then headed for the Spanish Steps along another street lined with stores with designer names.
Everything in Rome seems to be bigger than I expected. This was true of the Trevi Fountain, the memorial to Victor Emmanuel, and was also true of the Spanish Steps. We sat at the foot of the steps beside the sinking ship fountain for a while then took the elevator to the top, observed the scene, and walked down the steps. It was crowded as was everywhere else we went tonight.
We left for home and 5 minutes or so later we were back in our apartment preparing a pasta dinner.
We continued on to St. Peter’s Square and joined the long line to enter the Basilica. This line moved at a slow walking pace and since we were listening to our audio guide explaining St. Peter’s Square the 15 minutes passed quickly. Soon we were at the security gate passing through a scanner and then it was straight through to the Basilica. We resumed our audio guide inside. The Basilica is obviously very impressive. As always in Rome, the sheer size of the place is overwhelming. The most memorable features for me are the bronze canopy over the main altar, gazing up at the dome, the red-robed body of Pope John XX111, and Michelangelo’s Pieta.
On leaving the Basilica we decided to take the elevator up to the roof of the Basilica as the line-up did not look too long. What we didn’t know was that the line outside the Basilica is only about ¼ of the total line – inside there are sections of the line organised in a way that you don’t know until about 75 minutes later how long the line really is. We had decided to just go the roof as it is another 300+ steps to the top of the dome. This was a mistake as the roof itself has so much security fencing that you really do not get a very impressive view of Rome from anywhere. For that you would have to go to the top of the Dome. However it was late and we were ready for lunch. Had we realised we would have saved it for another day.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
We ate breakfast and left for the Vatican around 9:30. Our first task was to find the Canadian Pontifical College near the Vatican where we were to pick up our tickets for Sunday’s Canonisation Mass. We did this with no problem. The College is one of the cleaner buildings in the area and we were quickly invited in and given our tickets. They could not answer Gloria’s question about availability of washrooms for the 4 hours or so we will be there but we are hoping there will be facilities within the secured area.
We continued on to St. Peter’s Square and joined the long line to enter the Basilica. This line moved at a slow walking pace and since we were listening to our audio guide explaining St. Peter’s Square the 15 minutes passed quickly. Soon we were at the security gate passing through a scanner and then it was straight through to the Basilica. We resumed our audio guide inside. The Basilica is obviously very impressive. As always in Rome, the sheer size of the place is overwhelming. The most memorable features for me are the bronze canopy over the main altar, gazing up at the dome, the red-robed body of Pope John XX111, and Michelangelo’s Pieta.
On leaving the Basilica we decided to take the elevator up to the roof of the Basilica as the line-up did not look too long. What we didn’t know was that the line outside the Basilica is only about ¼ of the total line – inside there are sections of the line organised in a way that you don’t know until about 75 minutes later how long the line really is. We had decided to just go the roof as it is another 300+ steps to the top of the dome. This was a mistake as the roof itself has so much security fencing that you really do not get a very impressive view of Rome from anywhere. For that you would have to go to the top of the Dome. However it was late and we were ready for lunch. Had we realised we would have saved it for another day.On leaving St. Peter’s we made a small diversion and ate lunch at Hostaria dei Bastioni. This place is not only listed in our guide book, but two other people have recommended it to us. We had a set lunch of salad, Pizza and fruit salad and I added an Italian beer. It was very good and the service was excellent.
On the way back to the Metro we passed some market stalls and Gloria was able to pick up some more scarves – this time only 1 Euro each. We returned to the apartment for our siesta and caught up on some laundry – the apartment has a washer - and other tasks. Around 8 PM we went out for dinner – this time to Osteria da Mario, very close to the Pantheon. We sat outside as the weather continues to be warm. The restaurant was busy and we chatted to a young couple from South Carolina – he was on his first visit away from the US East coast.
We ordered bruschetta, rabbit, roast potatoes and roast egg plant along with a litre of vino rosso. As usual it was excellent. We ended with Tiramisu. As usual it cost more than our budget allows.
On the way back to the apartment we walked via the Trevi Fountain and sat for a while enjoying the ambience and watching people. Night time is definitely the best time to be in Rome.
I am getting behind with downloading my photos as well as with posting them to the blog. I’m not sure when I will catch up. Tomorrow we plan to go to Ostia Antica – an ancient Roman port outside of Rome.
We spent well over 3 hours there and had a quick lunch at the cafeteria. It makes an excellent day trip from Rome and we may come down here again to visit Ostia Lido, Rome’s beach resort.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Shortly after I woke the door buzzer sounded and I looked out the bathroom window to see a police car and two policemen at our front door. When they saw me at the window they yelled something which I didn’t understand and I answered that I didn’t speak Italian. We went through this several times then they were distracted by someone on the street and I closed the window, and that was the end of it. I have no idea what they wanted.
After breakfast we left the apartment around 9:15 and took the metro to Termini then changed to the “B” line to Piramide. From there we took another train to Ostia Antica – about a 30 minute ride. All this was on a single ticket for 1 Euro each.
As we got off the train at Ostia Antica the first thing we noticed was the silence. In Rome there is always noise and it was very refreshing to be in a more rural area. We had about a 10 minute walk to the site and bought our tickets. We had an audio guide which we started. Ostia Antica was the port of Rome about 2000 years ago. Subsequently it went into decline, in part because of silting, and eventually it was abandoned. It became buried in silt which preserved much of it, and it has since been excavated and partly restored. We found it very enjoyable to visit – in many ways a better visit than Pompeii because it is much less crowded. It has most of the elements that Pompeii has although its demise was much less dramatic. We saw houses of the rich, apartments for the labourers and port workers, a theatre, a tavern, public baths, temples, a flour mill, and a necropolis. Much of this is standing to one storey and some buildings are several storeys. The theatre is still used.
After breakfast we left the apartment around 9:15 and took the metro to Termini then changed to the “B” line to Piramide. From there we took another train to Ostia Antica – about a 30 minute ride. All this was on a single ticket for 1 Euro each.
As we got off the train at Ostia Antica the first thing we noticed was the silence. In Rome there is always noise and it was very refreshing to be in a more rural area. We had about a 10 minute walk to the site and bought our tickets. We had an audio guide which we started. Ostia Antica was the port of Rome about 2000 years ago. Subsequently it went into decline, in part because of silting, and eventually it was abandoned. It became buried in silt which preserved much of it, and it has since been excavated and partly restored. We found it very enjoyable to visit – in many ways a better visit than Pompeii because it is much less crowded. It has most of the elements that Pompeii has although its demise was much less dramatic. We saw houses of the rich, apartments for the labourers and port workers, a theatre, a tavern, public baths, temples, a flour mill, and a necropolis. Much of this is standing to one storey and some buildings are several storeys. The theatre is still used.
We spent well over 3 hours there and had a quick lunch at the cafeteria. It makes an excellent day trip from Rome and we may come down here again to visit Ostia Lido, Rome’s beach resort.We arrived back in Rome around 4 PM and decided we’ll eat in tonight so we picked up a few things at the supermarket.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
When I got up this morning I went to the computer to check my email and my bank account. My bank account had three withdrawals dated October 15 and totalling over $800 that were not mine. I tried to call the bank using their international 800 number but the cell phone would not allow it. I called the toll number using my phone card which only had about 10 minutes on it and was put o hold for about 8 minutes. When I finally got to talk to someone even though I told him I was running out of time and could I give him a number to call back he refused and started to go through the validation procedures. Eventually I gave him my number and asked him to call back just as my time ran out. I didn’t get a call back, however I also noticed that cell phone service was not available for part of the time. After I dressed I went out to buy some time on my phone – the online arrangement insists I have an Italian address with postal code – then called the bank and everything was sorted out in about 15 minutes. Someone has been using my number and pin – with a fake card – in the Chicago area. The woman at the bank said the information was likely collected before we left home, although my card is only about 2 months old. My debit card has now been cancelled but for our remaining time we can still use Gloria’s, or credit cards to get cash, so we should be fine. Interesting that this never happened to my bank card before I had one with a chip!
We decided to use this as our shopping day. We’ve found we are in a prime shopping area with several department stores along Tritone within a few minutes’ walk. We spent the rest of the morning shopping for gifts to take home. We didn’t find much of what we wanted for Robyn and Zoe so in the afternoon took the Metro to Termini where there is an Upim department store with a good bambini section. There we found most of what we wanted.
This evening we went for dinner at Trattoria der Pallaro, near Campo de’ Fiori – one of Rome’s many squares and about a 15 minute walk from our apartment. This restaurant was special. For 25 euros each you get a 5 course meal including wine – the only catch being that there is no menu; you get whatever is being cooked that night. We were welcomed at the door by the owner, Paoli, who saw we had the Rick Steves guide and proudly turned to the page with her photo. We started out with antipasti which consisted of 6 items – salami, ham, artichoke, olives, something like curried peas and a breaded vegetable cake. For the primo piatto we had two types of penne – one in tomato and one in a white sauce. For secondi we had veal with spinach and homemade potato chips. For dessert there was some kind of custard flan – not so good – and an orange liqueur. It was an excellent meal and by the time we left the restaurant was packed and more people were coming all the time.
We did part of a night walk from our guidebook on the way home – Campo de’ fiori which in the mornings is a produce market; Piazza Navona which is a huge rectangular Piazza with a massive fountain by Bernini in the middle; lots of people everywhere. We walked home from there via the Pantheon which is still busy in the evening.
Tomorrow morning we leave early for the Vatican and the canonisation mass. I hope it doesn’t rain!
At 8:00 AM the gates opened and the line began moving forward. Within about 20 minutes or so we were passing through security similar to airline security and soon after 8:30 we had good seats ten rows back from the front of the second section. The crowed continued bursting into periodic chants and cheers as people took their seats.
St Peter’s Square had transformed from when we were here last. More seats had been added and St. Peter’s Basilica had 6 banners with pictures of the new saints draped in front. A red velvet curtain hung in front of the main entrance to the Basilica and in front of that was the pope’s red velvet and gold throne. Interestingly the banners immediately to the right and left of the Pope depicted the two male saints and throughout the proceedings theirs were the first names called. I do not know if this was based on gender or there was some other reason.
Shortly after this the Pope concluded the mass with comments in each of the languages of the saints and made specific reference to groups who had travelled from Canada and Australia. Then it was all over – the Pope left through the Basilica and we left ahead of most of the crowd in time to get the Metro home without a long delay. We ate lunch at our apartment before siesta.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
We woke ahead of schedule at 6:15 and were on our way to the Vatican around 7:15, arriving at the considerable line outside St. Peter’s Square at 7:45. On the Metro we met a priest from Florida who asked if we were from Montreal. We struck up a conversation and walked with him to the Vatican. This was his third canonisation mass. When we reached the line he kept walking saying there was usually more than one entrance. Suddenly he hopped into the line near the front! Not having the benefit of Confession, we opted to return to the end of the line. Later we noticed a group of nuns who did the same thing as the priest.
The feel of the crowd was more like a sports event than a religious one. The Australians in particular were very numerous and very vocal with lots of flag waving, balloons, and scarves. There were also plenty of Canadian and Quebec flags in evidence but much more subdued – and several huge Spanish flags.
St Peter’s Square had transformed from when we were here last. More seats had been added and St. Peter’s Basilica had 6 banners with pictures of the new saints draped in front. A red velvet curtain hung in front of the main entrance to the Basilica and in front of that was the pope’s red velvet and gold throne. Interestingly the banners immediately to the right and left of the Pope depicted the two male saints and throughout the proceedings theirs were the first names called. I do not know if this was based on gender or there was some other reason. At about 9:30 speakers began introducing each of the 6 people to become saints. Throughout the event, any references to these six was in their native language including French for Andre Bessette and English for Australian Mary MacKillop. This was completed by about 10:00 AM when the empty popemobile drove by from the left in front of our section. fter we had cleared security we were handed a good quality booklet with 180 pages with biographical notes on the 6 saints and the full text of the proceedings in the language that was to be used (mostly Latin, some Greek, and the languages of the saints) and in Italian. This was very helpful as the Mass proceeded as we at least understood where we were at in the proceedings and what was to come next. I had expected much of the proceedings to be dull but in fact it was not. There was a lot of music with several choirs and there was usually something to watch – in addition to having a good view of the area where the speakers were, there were two TV monitors at the front.
A short time later, a procession of dignitaries appeared from the right in front of our section followed by the popemobile, this time with the pope standing in it – close enough that we were able to see the Pope and get some recognisable photos. When they reached the centre aisle, the procession turned right and headed for the steps of the Basilica. Up the centre of the steps is a ramp and the vehicle drove up this and parked about half way to the top.
 |
| The Pope arrives |
A short time later, a procession of dignitaries appeared from the right in front of our section followed by the popemobile, this time with the pope standing in it – close enough that we were able to see the Pope and get some recognisable photos. When they reached the centre aisle, the procession turned right and headed for the steps of the Basilica. Up the centre of the steps is a ramp and the vehicle drove up this and parked about half way to the top.
One thing I had not realised was that communion would be offered to all of the visitors.
Part way through the Mass maybe100 priests in white joined the set in front of the Basilica and after the Pope blessed the bread and wine they proceeded to come down to strategic points where people could line up to receive communion. Assistants held yellow and white umbrellas over the priests so they were clearly visible. The whole thing took about 15 minutes or so.
One thing I had not realised was that communion would be offered to all of the visitors.
 |
| Priests prepare to offer Communion |
Shortly after this the Pope concluded the mass with comments in each of the languages of the saints and made specific reference to groups who had travelled from Canada and Australia. Then it was all over – the Pope left through the Basilica and we left ahead of most of the crowd in time to get the Metro home without a long delay. We ate lunch at our apartment before siesta.Monday, October 18, 2010
We had no plans for today so decided to take a trip to Ostia Lido – a seaside resort just past Ostia Antica. Lido is to residents of Rome what Skegness is to residents of the English Midlands. It was developed by Mussolini in the 1920s and an electric rail line built to provide easy access. Technically it is part of Rome and the train connects with the Rome Metro.
The weather forecast wasn’t great for a jaunt to the seaside – 18 and cloudy – but we planned to look around rather than lie on the beach. We arrived around 10:30 and headed towards the beach. We passed an amusement park which appeared closed for the season. About a block from the beach is a wide pedestrian mall with stores and restaurants, many of which were closed either for the season or because it was Monday. Much of the beach is private and access has to be bought. We walked along a public pier where there were a few men fishing. Apparently there is a marina and promenade about 1.5 kilometres to the north but we opted not to walk there. We discovered a tourist information office by the beach but the door was locked. A sign indicated daily opening 9:30 to 19:00 but the lone employee inside indicated it was lunch time (it was just after noon).
We decided to go for a coffee and each had a cappuccino. We talked to the assistant who told us about the town and provided us with a map. There was a shopping area nearby so we decided to go there. We found an excellent indoor produce market with some interesting products. One that we bought was a Appassite Cheese. It is a white smoked cheese about the size and shape of a large hamburger. The vendor didn’t speak English so we know little about the cheese and have since found a little about it on the Internet. We will probably eat it in the next day or so.
Outside there were numerous market stalls selling clothes, household goods and jewellery etc. We browsed these and made a few purchases. Then we went for lunch at a place that has a buffet and sells food by weight. I had tortellini followed by octopus with baked anchovies – probably not everyone’s favourite lunch but it was very tasty. I washed it down with a dark beer in a fancy bottle – maybe a microbrewery and if so the first we have seen.
We caught the train home and arrived home soon after 3 PM – in time for Siesta.
For dinner tonight we planned to return to the place where we went on our first night in Rome in an old Church, but we had not noticed that it is closed Mondays. Instead we walked in the direction of the Trevi Fountain and found a touristy restaurant with a fixed price menu. I had penne with spicy sauce and chicken breast in wine sauce with vegetables and a half litre of vino rosso. While this one was less authentic than most we have been to it is nice to get vegetables included, which seem to be lacking in most restaurants here.
We passed through a gallery housing the Belvedere Torso. It’s 2000 years old and it inspired Michelangelo. 
Then a very long gallery or corridor with frescoes of maps of different parts of Italy. After that was a narrower hallway again with tapestries on either side and frescoes on the the ceiling. Then we came to the Raphael rooms.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Today we have reservations for a tour of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. We were up and headed for the Metro soon after nine and arrived at the museum in plenty of time for our 10:30 tour. The line-up of people who had not reserved was several blocks long along the Vatican wall but we were able to walk right by them and enter with no line. We were supposed to check in 20 minutes early to pick up our tickets then we waited for our tour guide. We were handed a small receiver and ear plugs. There were a few late arrivals and the tour began around 10:40. The first half hour was a review and explanation of the Sistine Chapel since our guide advised us she would not accompany us for this part of the tour.
The tour itself was mostly through courtyards, galleries and hallways leading to the Rafael rooms and eventually the Sistine Chapel. The first courtyard – Cortile della Pigna or courtyard of pine - was very large and we learned it was actually cut in half by the construction of a palace across the middle. There is a huge bronze pinecone at one end more than 1000 years old. After that we came to a small octagonal courtyard surrounded by statues.
We passed through a gallery housing the Belvedere Torso. It’s 2000 years old and it inspired Michelangelo. 
Then a very long gallery or corridor with frescoes of maps of different parts of Italy. After that was a narrower hallway again with tapestries on either side and frescoes on the the ceiling. Then we came to the Raphael rooms. A memorable work is the “School of Athens”which depicts pre-Christian philosophers and thinkers including Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras and others. A twist is that Plato is depicted as Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael’s rival Michelangelo as another thinker I have forgotten.
After this is the Sistine Chapel. Like many of the sacred spaces I’ve visited over the years it is noisy and crowded and it is really hard to get a sense of the feel of the place. Security guards are yelling at people taking pictures and visitors are talking to each other. Then the PA system starts up telling people in 5 or 6 languages to be quiet and not to take photos. We walked through and admired the art work – Michelangelo’s ceiling and end wall as well as the “lesser” works on the other walls. Then we found a bench on the side where we could sit for ten minutes or so and admire the works.
We decided to have lunch at Hostario dei Bastioni where we ate lunch last week. I had a pasta dish with clams which was very good, and a beer. Gloria had a seafood rice dish along with an orange soda. Excellent food and prices considering we were sitting across from the Vatican wall.
We came home for siesta then went shopping in the neighbourhood and ate dinner at the apartment. I picked up two Roma Passes which provide free and discounted admissions as well as unlimited transit use for the next three days. Tomorrow we will go to the Colosseum and Forum.
My overall impression of Rome is that there is a great deal to see here but it is not a city I would want to come back to – unlike New York, Paris, London or Istanbul. It is busy, loud and there seem to be few places where you can get some tranquility. Undoubtedly the best time to be in Rome is at night when some of the streets are closed to vehicles and people are out eating gelato and enjoying the ambience. We have found that in Italy generally there is not a strong service ethic. While some restaurant staff have been extremely responsive, most service staff rarely smile or engage with the customer and many are officious.
We arrived at the Colosseum soon after 10 AM. With our passes in hand we were able to walk by the line-up and immediately enter. Unlike other major sites we have visited, there was no visible security that we needed to pass through. I was familiar with the outside view of the coliseum from photos but did not really know what to expect inside. There are four levels. The first two were for the wealthy, the third for middle class and the top level was for the poor, foreigners, and others. Events were sponsored by the wealthy and while tickets were required for admission there was no charge. There was a canvass roof that could be pulled over the top to provide shade. The “field” is all exposed to show the underground passageways that allowed performers to move from one end of the arena to the other. There were actually elevators to move material up and down and the shafts are now exposed. 
Next we headed for the Forum which is adjacent to the Colosseum. The forum was the heart of ancient Rome, packed with impressive buildings and monuments. Our audio guide started at the Arch of Titus erected in AD 81 and then moved to the Basilica of Constantine and Maxentius with three huge archways. This was the biggest building in the Forum and was used for administration and justice. While large, the remaining archways were not the biggest in the building as they lead to side niches. The main aisle was wider and higher. 
Other sights at the Forum included the Curia, the ancient senate house, which has been restored and currently contains an exhibit of Chinese terracotta warriors. This is actually a promotional tool for a much larger exhibit coming to Rome in November.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Today we went to the Colosseum and the Forum. They are both major sites adjacent to each other that can be accessed with a single ticket. Our 3-day Roma Pass includes admission plus Metro fares. We took the Metro which unfortunately involves a change of trains at the single transfer point Termini. This has to be the most dismal, crowded and badly organised transportation hub in the world. There is construction going on so things may improve and currently some access points may be closed, but to change from Line A to line B in the direction we needed to go involves about a 10 minute walk, up and down staircases, some escalators which are sometimes not working, along filthy tunnels and it is always packed with people. The trains themselves are sometimes clean and almost new and sometimes old, filthy and covered in graffiti. Graffiti is all over the place in this country and there appears to be no attempt to clean it up. Having said that, the Metro moves a huge number of people every day. Trains run every 3 or 4 minutes so there is never a long wait once you are reach the platform.
We arrived at the Colosseum soon after 10 AM. With our passes in hand we were able to walk by the line-up and immediately enter. Unlike other major sites we have visited, there was no visible security that we needed to pass through. I was familiar with the outside view of the coliseum from photos but did not really know what to expect inside. There are four levels. The first two were for the wealthy, the third for middle class and the top level was for the poor, foreigners, and others. Events were sponsored by the wealthy and while tickets were required for admission there was no charge. There was a canvass roof that could be pulled over the top to provide shade. The “field” is all exposed to show the underground passageways that allowed performers to move from one end of the arena to the other. There were actually elevators to move material up and down and the shafts are now exposed. We took the elevator up to the 3rd level and walked about half way around for a good view of the arena. There are a few marble seats for the aristocrats, which have been restored, but otherwise the seating is left to the imagination. There is a good view of Constantine’s Gate from the upper level. We spent about an hour wandering around and listening to our audio guide.
Next we headed for the Forum which is adjacent to the Colosseum. The forum was the heart of ancient Rome, packed with impressive buildings and monuments. Our audio guide started at the Arch of Titus erected in AD 81 and then moved to the Basilica of Constantine and Maxentius with three huge archways. This was the biggest building in the Forum and was used for administration and justice. While large, the remaining archways were not the biggest in the building as they lead to side niches. The main aisle was wider and higher. 
Other sights at the Forum included the Curia, the ancient senate house, which has been restored and currently contains an exhibit of Chinese terracotta warriors. This is actually a promotional tool for a much larger exhibit coming to Rome in November.The Temple of Julius Caesar at the site where his body was burnt was interesting in that people still bring flowers and notes to lay there.
After this we were ready for a late lunch and picked up a sandwich on our way back to the apartment. Then it was siesta time.
After this we were ready for a late lunch and picked up a sandwich on our way back to the apartment. Then it was siesta time.
For dinner tonight we went to another recommended and nearby restaurant – Hostaria Romana. We had no reservation but we were there soon after 7 PM so they fitted us in. They have an excellent antipasto buffet which we ordered followed by a spicy penne dish and a ½ litre of vino rosso. The antipasti was a meal in itself.
In addition to statues of the great Roman rulers there is the famous discus thrower. On another floor were frescoes and mosaics rescued from decaying palaces. A whole room with a continuous fresco of a garden on all four walls from the Villa di Livia was especially impressive. In the basement is a display documenting the history of money with coins from 2000 years ago up to the 1700s. They are impressively arranged in cases with manoeuvrable magnifying glasses for closer examination. Unfortunately more than half of the glasses don’t work - something we have come to expect in Italy. Also in the basement is a collection of jewellery and treasures of the rich, including the mummified body of an 8 year old girl along with the jewellery interred with her.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
This morning we went to the National Museum of Rome. It reputedly has the greatest collection of ancient Roman art anywhere. We rented an audio guide but they have no floorplans showing where the decribed items are, so you just have to find them as best you can. Not impressed!
In addition to statues of the great Roman rulers there is the famous discus thrower. On another floor were frescoes and mosaics rescued from decaying palaces. A whole room with a continuous fresco of a garden on all four walls from the Villa di Livia was especially impressive. In the basement is a display documenting the history of money with coins from 2000 years ago up to the 1700s. They are impressively arranged in cases with manoeuvrable magnifying glasses for closer examination. Unfortunately more than half of the glasses don’t work - something we have come to expect in Italy. Also in the basement is a collection of jewellery and treasures of the rich, including the mummified body of an 8 year old girl along with the jewellery interred with her. We spent about 3 hours on the 4 floors of the museum then returned home for lunch and siesta.
Around 5 PM we went out and took the Metro to Piazza del Poplolo. From there we walked along the pedestrian (at this time of day) Via del Corso, bought gelatos, then headed left to the Mausoleum of Augustus. There is apparently not much to see here as it is behind a fence and surrounded by trees; however what we were really looking for beyond the Mausoleum was the Ara Pacis - the Peace Altar – commissioned by the Roman Senate in 13 BC to celebrate Augustus’ Pax Romana. 
The altar lay in pieces in or under the Tiber for over 1000 years and gradually pieces were recovered with the altar being reconstructed by Mussolini in the 1930s. In this century a beautiful glass building has been built to house the altar and it opened in 2006. This is the first new construction in this part of Rome since the 1930s. The museum’s audio guide is downloadable from their website. Again they do not have a floor plan but it was mostly straightforward to figure out what was being discussed.
The altar lay in pieces in or under the Tiber for over 1000 years and gradually pieces were recovered with the altar being reconstructed by Mussolini in the 1930s. In this century a beautiful glass building has been built to house the altar and it opened in 2006. This is the first new construction in this part of Rome since the 1930s. The museum’s audio guide is downloadable from their website. Again they do not have a floor plan but it was mostly straightforward to figure out what was being discussed. We came home for a pasta dinner and bottle of 2006 Chianti. Tomorrow morning we have a reservation for the Galleria Borghese which is a 20 minute walk from here.
Some of the more memorable works are Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne; his Rape of Prosperina; and his David which shows David grimacing before he slings the stone and is very different to Michelangelo’s David in Florence.
We spent most of our two hours wandering around the gallery and left slightly ahead of the crowd so avoided line-ups to drop off our audio guide and pick up our bags. We walked back to the apartment, picking up sandwiches for lunch on our way then enjoyed siesta time.
Friday, October 22, 2010
We left early for Galleria Borghese and were there by about 9:45 – a 15 minute walk with part of it through the Villa Borghese Park. The Gallery has a lot of rules including you must reserve ahead; set admission times are every 2 hours and you can’t stay more than 2 hours; no bags of any kind allowed; no cameras allowed; if you don’t pick up your ticket ½ hour before your admission time, you lose it. This causes a lot of confusion around admission time – in our case 11:00 AM as most people don’t read the rules and expect to be able to walk in carrying small bags, which they then must check. I’m sure the whole procedure was frustrating for many, however we had given ourselves plenty of time and read the rules so we had no problem and were head of the queue to be admitted.
We rented an audio guide and used our splitter and ear buds. I had anticipated the first room would be crowded with 300 people being admitted at the same time and had planned to begin out tour half way through then come back to the beginning. However it was surprisingly uncrowded so we began our tour in Gallery 1 and worked our way through from there. This is a very beautiful building which was the Villa of a cardinal who designed it in 1605 to hold his art collection. It was refreshing to walk around without people stopping to take photos or carrying bags. While no photos are allowed they do have photos of some of their collection on their website.
Some of the more memorable works are Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne; his Rape of Prosperina; and his David which shows David grimacing before he slings the stone and is very different to Michelangelo’s David in Florence.For dinner tonight we picked an inexpensive restaurant – Restaurante Da Giovanni – about 15 minutes walk from the apartment. I had roast veal with roast potatoes and mushrooms and gloria chose the ¼ chicken with the same and we had a ½ litre of vino rosso. We ended with Tiramisu. The food was good and the price was excellent – the least expensive meal we have had in Rome. On the way home we couldn’t resist a gelato – probably overkill.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Today it’s back to the Vatican to explore the excavations under St. Peter’s Basilica. We had to book ahead as they only take about 20 tours of 12 people each day. We had to go through the huge line for Vatican security again which took about 20 minutes or so then we spent some time in the Basilica as we were early. It was extremely crowded today – much more so than when we were here last week. At 12:05 we reported to the Swiss Guard and were allowed to go to the excavations office to pick up our tickets for the 12:15 tour. No cameras were allowed.
Our tour guide, Chris, was a theology student from St. Louis who is studying at the American Theological School at the Vatican. He is in his second year but wore a clerical collar. The tour was excellent. He explained the whole process of the crucifixion and burial of St. Peter, the different construction that occurred on the basilica site in different ages, and the archaeological digs that ended up recovering what are believed to be the bones of St. Peter.
Peter was crucified in Rome upside down because he refused to die in the same manner as Jesus. After removal from the cross his feet were cut off – not sure why but I’ll have to look into that. He was buried in a grave on the hill where the basilica stands today and his tomb was covered with six ceramic tiles. The Vatican area was outside the walled city of Rome and since burials were not allowed in Rome the necropolis developed outside the walls and gradually approached the Vatican hill. To prevent the rich from usurping the site of Peter’s grave, a red wall and some columns were built to protect it. I understand this was all documented at the time. Constantine built the first basilica on the site of Peter’s grave. Because it was a hill the ground had to be levelled so the top of the hill was removed and the mostly pagan mausoleums were buried with this soil, along with Peter’s grave. Although the grave itself was lost, it was known that it was located directly under the altar of the Basilica.
We saw the mausoleums which are directly under the Basilica and have been excavated. They have been perfectly preserved and in fact it looks and feels like a narrow street in a town with brick houses on either side. One of the mausoleums, which again looks like a house with a large living room, has over 300 bodies in it in niches and a second storey was added at some point. Family members used to spend a lot of time here celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
As the tour progressed we learned that Pius XI, who died in 1939, insisted in being buried as close as possible to St. Peter. However all of the burial spots in the crypt had been taken and there was no room. Some excavations began to create more space and a cornice was discovered which was believed to be part of the old mausoleums. Pope Pius XII was asked by archaeologists to allow a dig under St. Peters to excavate the Mausoleum. Since it was war time and he did not want publicity which might attract Hitler’s attention he allowed it only on condition that it be done in secret. It also had to be done at night and without machinery that might damage the Basilica. As the dig progressed the mausoleums were exposed and some were found to be Christian rather than pagan as first thought.
Eventually the red wall built to protect Peter’s grave was unearthed and then some bones were found and another wall on which there was graffiti. The bones were sent to Naples for testing and were found to belong to two 50 year-old men and a woman – not St. Peter. In 1950 Pius XII announced that St. Peter’s grave had been found but not his bones. However a researcher worked on the graffiti and became convinced that Peter’s remains should have been in the grave. She learned that the Vatican administrator had found some bones in a hole in the wall that was missed by the archaeologists. The administrator believed the bones were those of a saint and would not be handled respectfully by the archaeologists so had taken them and put them into storage. The researcher convinced him to turn them over and investigation found that they belonged to a large man aged 60 – 70 and there were no foot bones. It was concluded these were Peter’s bones. Pope Paul VI announced the bones had been found in the 1960s.
They are on display and we saw them towards the end of our tour. You can’t see them up close and mostly they are fragments, but there is a complete jaw bone which I could barely make out – couldn’t see if there were teeth. It was interesting to be under the Basilica. In one place there was a grill and you could see and hear people in the Basilica walking over it. Most of the time we were directly under the main altar.
This was a fascinating 90 minute tour and well worth the effort of pre-booking and payment of 10 euros each.
For lunch we decided on a recommended restaurant near the Vatican with a 8 euro lunch buffet. Unfortunately it has closed and is now a Japanese restaurant. Since it was after 2 and we were hungry we quickly decided to try Japanese which turned out to be very good. We went home for siesta then went out for a walk by the Trevi fountain and to a kitchen store we had seen earlier. Unfortunately they did not have what we were looking for. We ate dinner at the apartment.
At Trastevere we walked back a block along the Tiber to the Cestio Bridge. This is a narrow ancient bridge that connects Trastevere with an island in the middle of the river. This has always been a healing place and today houses a hospital. Along both sides of the Tiber here is a wide walkway which also accommodates a marked cycle path – the first I have seen in Rome. The avenue above the river is tree-lined and it has a very pleasant ambience although there are few if any cafe’s etc. along there. 
Our audio guide took us away from the river into an old square and then into some back lanes, past an ancient synagogue which is now a restaurant, and eventually to the Church of Santa Cecilia, where preparations were underway for a wedding. Many guests dressed in black were already hanging out in and outside the courtyard in front of the Church. We sat by the fountain in the courtyard and watched a delivery of numerous arrangements of white flowers going into the Church. Eventually we went in and listened to the history, including the grisly fate of St. Cecilia who is the patron saint of music.
We walked back to the Cestio Bridge to pick up the second leg of our walking tour – the Jewish Ghetto. This walk began under the shadow of the Synagogue which was rebuilt in the 19th century is surrounded by palm trees. We didn’t go into the synagogue as there is an admission charge and compulsory tour as well as a museum included and it wouold have taken too long. The Jews have been in this part of Rome since about the 2nd century AD. Across the street from the synagogue is a church from which the Christians over the centuries have tried to convert the Jews. We passed a square in which Jews were captured and sent to concentration camps after Mussolini’s government fell.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
For our last two days we have no definite plans. We decided to exp;ore the Trastevere neighbourhood for which we have an audio guide. It’s a fairly long walk from here so we took the Metro to Termini then an Express bus from there. A single 1 Euro ticket covers both. Even on a Sunday it was standing room only on the bus. We were fortunate that a bus was waiting when we arrived at termini but it was about 10 minutes before it left.
At Trastevere we walked back a block along the Tiber to the Cestio Bridge. This is a narrow ancient bridge that connects Trastevere with an island in the middle of the river. This has always been a healing place and today houses a hospital. Along both sides of the Tiber here is a wide walkway which also accommodates a marked cycle path – the first I have seen in Rome. The avenue above the river is tree-lined and it has a very pleasant ambience although there are few if any cafe’s etc. along there. 
Our audio guide took us away from the river into an old square and then into some back lanes, past an ancient synagogue which is now a restaurant, and eventually to the Church of Santa Cecilia, where preparations were underway for a wedding. Many guests dressed in black were already hanging out in and outside the courtyard in front of the Church. We sat by the fountain in the courtyard and watched a delivery of numerous arrangements of white flowers going into the Church. Eventually we went in and listened to the history, including the grisly fate of St. Cecilia who is the patron saint of music.From here we walked along a quiet street, crossed the main road, and entered an area which is obviously more touristy with restaurants and souvenir shops. Eventually we came to a square with a large fountain in front of the Church of Santa Maria – the first Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. A service had just ended and people were pouring out. Our audio guide told us the fountain steps are the sofa of Trastevere and events such as major soccer games are shown in the square on large TV screens. We sat by the fountain for a while and then went into the mostly 12th Century Church which has some beautiful mosaics behind the altar.
We walked back to the Cestio Bridge to pick up the second leg of our walking tour – the Jewish Ghetto. This walk began under the shadow of the Synagogue which was rebuilt in the 19th century is surrounded by palm trees. We didn’t go into the synagogue as there is an admission charge and compulsory tour as well as a museum included and it wouold have taken too long. The Jews have been in this part of Rome since about the 2nd century AD. Across the street from the synagogue is a church from which the Christians over the centuries have tried to convert the Jews. We passed a square in which Jews were captured and sent to concentration camps after Mussolini’s government fell. There was heavy security around the synagogue – policemen with automatic weapons at several points. In the 1980s there was a PLO attack against the synagogue.
We continued on and learned that while most of the Jews were removed or fled from the ghetto during the latter part of WWII the poor remained as they could not afford to flee. In later years this has worked well for them because property values have escalated faster here than elsewhere in Rome.
We stopped for a cappuccino at a sidewalk cafe and were pleasantly surprised when the bill was presented – only 4 euros and we sat outside which usually carries a premium price. Next we went to a Jewish bakery and bought a couple of rolls for lunch and some cookies.
Our walk was over and we returned to the bus stop. We waited about 20 minutes and our bus did not come although two went by in the opposite direction. Crowds at the bus stop seemed to disappear – perhaps people decided to walk. Eventually a 2nd bus to Piazza Venezia appeared and we decided to take that and walk from there – a longer walk than we planned but at least we were on our way home for lunch. We arrived home a little after 2 PM, ate lunch, and enjoyed our siesta.
Tonight we decided to have dinner at Ristorante Pizzeria Sacro e Profano but first we wanted to check out a ceramic store a few blocks away. The store was closed but will be open tomorrow afternoon. We arrived at the restaurant at 7:40 but did not have a reservation and they told us they were full. We walked back in the direction of the ceramic store as we had passed restaurants there and ended up at Antico Caffe. I had filet mignon with roast vegetables and Gloria had turkey breast with roast vegetables. We shared a bottle of vino rosso. It was not a bad meal but the medium rare was more like rare and a little heavy going in parts.
Monday, October 25, 2010
We had no plans for today other than packing so decided to do some final shopping and get our luggage in order. It was a cloudy day, threatening rain. We decided to go back to the Jewish Ghetto where we had seen a houseware store – Limentani – that was closed yesterday. They had lots of interesting merchandise, but we didn’t see anything we wanted so returned to Toto Caffe for cappuccinos before walking home. Mostly what we have bought here is clothing which is certainly easier to carry. We were disappointed that some of the products we had seen in Tuscany were not easily available in Rome. We had decided against buying early in the trip so we would not be carrying breakables all over Italy.
For dinner we went back to Ostario Romano. This was where there was a buffet for the antipasti. This time we did not have the antipasti but instead both ordered lamb with mushrooms and roast potatoes along with vino rosso. I asked if the mushrooms were fresh as we recently were given canned mushrooms, and the waiter brought two large uncooked mushrooms which i agreed were fresh. The lamb was cooked with rosemary and was excellent. We thoroughly enjoyed the meal and struck up a conversation with the English couple at the adjacent table. She was from Stamford in Lincolnshire, near to where I am from. After three requests the bill was brought and it was more than I had estimated. When I questioned it I was told the fresh mushrooms we had ordered were 22 Euros rather than the 5 Euros on the menu, as we had specified fresh mushrooms! Presumably the norm is to serve canned as in the other restaurant. This was a disappointing end to the meal as it was definitely one of the best we have had in Rome.
This is our last night in Italy and early tomorrow we will be leaving for the airport and our flight to Victoria via Frankfurt and Vancouver. Overall it has been a good trip; we have seen all that we wanted to see, and likely we won’t be back here.
No comments:
Post a Comment