April 27, 2014 - Our Mediterranean cruise ended in Civitavecchia which is about an hour and a half from Rome depending on traffic. We had a private transfer that basically followed the cruise line's free bus to our hotel in Rome. Bad planning, I know. We would have been just fine on the FREE bus. On this particular day in Rome they were canonizing two Popes, John Paul II and John XXIII. There were millions of people in Rome as Pope Francis declared them Saints. We had decided to spend a few days in Rome, so there we were, a Methodist and a not-very-good-Catholic, trying to blend in with millions of devout Catholics. Of course, we didn't venture to the Vatican. We opted to watch the ceremony in the hotel bar with the other guests. It felt kind of strange to sit and have a drink and listen to the Pope in italian.
We started the afternoon off with a walk. We stayed at the Intercontinental De La Ville conveniently located at the top of the Spanish Steps. So we were in the heart of Rome. Oddly, it wasn't very crowded. They had bigger fish to fry at the Vatican.
Traveling is liberating. You can be whoever you want. David was channeling Rocky Balboa.
The obligatory ambulance picture, David has to check them out.
Pizza and eggplant parmesan in Rome. Doesn't get any better than this!
We decided to try to walk off dinner and headed over to the Trevi Fountain. We ended up getting gelato instead! So glad we went because we went back the next day and they were cleaning it. It was empty. It's really magical at night and yes, I did throw my coins in the fountain ensuring I'll be back. Coins are to be thrown backwards using your right hand over your left shoulder. Fun fact - an estimated 3,000 euro (about $4500) are thrown in the fountain every day! The money has bee used to subsidize a supermarket for the needy; however, there attempts to steal them.
Who knew religious memorabilia could be so gaudy?
We were only in Rome for two nights, so we made the most of our second day with a private tour. They kind of get you coming and going with this process. You hire the driver/car and additionally hire a guide because the driver stays with the car. At first I thought it was ridiculous. After a day of touring with our guide, we saw and knew more about Rome then the first time we were there for four days. She was an art historian so she was able to give us a wealth of information. As you can see, the fountain was empty the next day but still beautiful.
Going to the top of the Victor Emmanuel Monument was big on our list. The last time we were here in 2009 this wasn't an option. They built an elevator, Rome from the Sky, on the outside of the building from the mid level to bring you to the top. You still have to manage very many steps to get to this point. The view from the top was incredible and worth the steps. It was built in memory of Victor Emmanuel II, first King of a united Italy. We were told that the locals don't like it, calling it the "wedding cake" because of it's size and color. We thought it was magnificent.
St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican...
Roman Forum...
There are always two guards at the altar at the monument. You are prohibited from approaching the altar or speaking to them.
Next stop, The Pantheon... Originally built in 27 BC, it was a temple dedicated to all of the Roman gods. After a couple of fires it was completely rebuilt around 120AD. Still old! The columns are 40 ft. The dome is made from concrete that gets lighter and thinner as reaches the top. The dome is as high as it is wide, 142ft. Imagine a basketball placed inside a wastebasket with just the bottom touching the basket. The oculus or eye-in-the-sky, is the buildings only light source and is 30ft wide. The 1800-year-old floor has holes in it and slants towards the edges to let rainwater out. The mathematical prediction of the dome on a base design is a testament to Roman Engineering.
Next we headed over to Piazza Navona. This long oval piazza retains the shape of the original racetrack built around 80AD. Its a fun place with many restaurants.
Bernini's Four Rivers Fountain...
Church of St. Anges, Piazza Navona
We had never really walked through the Roman Forum, I brought along a great guidebook. It has a picture of the ruins with a plastic overlay that shows what it looked like in it's heyday.
This is what we saw...
Pic of the ruins in the book...
This is how it would have looked...
Another before and after...
Touring the coliseum with a guide was especially nice. We had been before, but to have her undivided attention was very informative. We try to watch tv shows or movies about the places we go before we leave. This paid off. We had watched a documentary about the Coliseum and When we were standing inside I closed my eyes and I could almost hear the cheering crowds.
After all that touring it was time for lunch. We went back to our hotel and headed sown the Spanish Steps to Ristorante Alla Rampa - I'm guessing Restaurant at the Steps!
A little vino and fried mozzarella! Delizioso!
I would like for you to believe that we walked up and down these steps for two days. Full disclosure is that there is an elevator to the left of the steps that most tourists don't even know about. I actually researched this before I made a reservation at our Hotel. I mean it's a lot of steps!
Cin cin to Roma! We'll be seeing you!
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