The Eternal City: Rome

October 29, 2013

Rome Day 1:

Southern Italy welcomed us with warm sunny weather; especially wonderful for the month of November. We are staying at a campsite that offers a convenient shuttle to the metro station that will take us to Rome. Today we just allowed ourselves to get lost,we wanted to rome around Rome! The only thing on our agenda was finding the hop on hop off bus tour so we could get a layout of the city.

Entrance to the Piazza del Popolo

Disembarking the metro we were greeted by a giant arch representing the entrance to the walkable part of the city. Inside the arch is a huge plaza, the Piazza del Popolo. There are no shops just a monument and a fountain surrounded by open space. This wide open space is taken over by street performers and “looky looky” men trying to hustle tourists.

Inside the Piazza del Popolo

Odd way to make a living!

Michelangelo's Stairs

The rest of the day we stumbled upon a few notable destinations in Rome. For example the Piazza del Campidoglo where Michelangelo's famous stairs are located. He built them in 1534 and today the stairs are used as the entrance to the Santa Maria Aracoeli; which was built in 1885 to honor the King of Italy.

Santa Maria Aracoeli

Teatro Di Marcello

While waiting for our bus to come we saw an intriguing archaeological site open to the public. As we wandered through the site we learned we were looking at the Teatro Di Marcello, the only ancient theater left in Rome. This theater was built in 13 BC by Augustus Caesar; the architectural style inspired the construction of the famous Roman Colosseum.

Some of last original architecture left from the great fire of 64 A.D that destroyed Rome 

View from double decker bus

The bus tour was a real treat, on top of saving our feet it offered us a different perspective of the city. After learning to ignore the graffiti and the trash that blankets the city we enjoyed the breeze and the view on the open air bus.

There are over 900 churches in Rome; so we couldn't help but notice them on every corner. They illustrate the history of the city from growth to destruction over the ages. A religious presence is felt even in the streets of Rome; clergy dressed in their religious pageantry are seen in the pizzeria's and the coffee shops. Ross and I were almost ran over by a Priest in a Prius.

The Roman Colosseum 

We rode the tour bus for almost an hour before hopping off at the Roman Colosseum. Standing tall, the largest open air amphitheater in the world is well cared for. Unfortunately for us 75% of the structure was covered with scaffolding for restoration work. Regardless of the limited view, the history of this structure though time captured our attention. This amphitheater once held 50,000 to 80,000 people, who gathered together to watch gladiators, mythological dramas, re-enactments of sea battles, and much more. It stands as an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome.

Restoration work on the Roman Colosseum 

Arco de Constantine

Next to the Colosseum is the Arco de Constantine, which was built in 312 AD as a victory arch. Its design was copied by the French when building the Arc de Triomphe.

Trevi Fountain

For the evening we got back on the bus for a view of the city at night. We wound up at the Trevi Fountain with hundreds of people admiring the almost mythological looking pool. The baroque style fountain is located in a trendy restaurant/shopping district so we enjoyed at delicious meal before making the trek back to the camp ground.

October 31, 2013

Rome Day 2:

Vatican City & Saint Peter's Basilica 

Today's tour of Rome was a little more structured because we had set an appointment for our tour of the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. Our tour was scheduled for 12:30 pm, so we had a few hours to see the Pantheon and Piazza Navona before.

The Pantheon 

The Pantheon was originally built in 27 BC as a temple to worship all gods. Pagan beliefs were practiced here until 609 AD. The first construction of this structure was burned down as well as the second Pantheon in the first century. The current building has been standing since 125 AD; therefore it represents the pagan and christian beliefs. The ceiling is the largest un-reinforced cement dome in the world. Today the Pantheon is the best preserved ancient Roman building in Rome.

Altar inside the Pantheon

Dome of the Pantheon

Piazza Navona

On our way to Vatican City we found Piazza Navona; which was built in the first century AD. This square once held the city market each Saturday and Sunday. Then in the 1800s it began being used for performances, and today it is visited by millions of tourist who come to see the baroque style fountains and architecture. Our favorite fountain in this square is the Fountain del Moro; the basin is decorated with four Triton's, standing tall over them is a Moor wrestling a dolphin.

Fountain del Moro

At this point in our journey we try to avoid the typical tourist sights because of crowds and over done souvenir shops. Not to mention the advances in technology creating virtual tours of places like the Sistine Chapel at a fraction of the cost. We went against our gut feelings and booked online tickets for the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. The perk of booking in advanced online was not to wait in line but when thousands of people are booking online you cannot avoid a crowd. 

Hallway in the Vatican Museum 

The museum was quiet overwhelming because there is not a single surface without art. Religious images are painted, carved, or sewn on everything. The hallways are long and elaborately decorated. Bright vibrant colors surrounded us as we walked through detailed paintings of the stories in the bible. We moved like a herd of cattle from one room to another as we made our way toward the Sistine Chapel. 

Ceilings of the Vatican Museum

Altar and Fresco's

Wood Carved Shutters

Inside the Chapel photography is frowned upon, (we took some politely) you are not suppose to talk, and you must keep moving because there are so many people waiting to enter the space. Ironically inside the religious space where silence is demanded out of respect, there is a conveniently located gift shop. The beauty of Michelangelo's work was worth all the hassle, although it was upsetting to see profiteering in such an inappropriate place.

When it comes to rating different cities Rome is our second favorite, with Paris as number one. The city is rich with history, everywhere you look the transition through time is evident. The way this city blends the old and the new together is remarkable, defiantly a must see.