Trip to Rome

There were several public holidays that fell around Easter this year so it was a perfect time to take a vacation for Mark and not miss much work.  Originally we were going to do a family trip but then I asked my mom if Mark and I would pay for her flight over from America would she consider staying long enough to feel comfortable if we went on a couple’s trip and she watched the kids.  We were thrilled she said yes as this opened up the possibilities of where to go.

I don’t think there is a place Mark and I don’t want to visit but there are some more easily done without kids so we looked at the weather, travel time, time zone changes, and came up with Italy.  We had 10 total days to spend and planned to visit Rome, Florence and Venice. 

Our first stop was Rome.  We arrived in the afternoon, made our way through the most insane customs cattle line I have ever seen, and that evening we went on a four hour food tour.  

Fiori Piazza boasted a lively nightlife

Starting in the Jewish Ghetto and making our way through the central part of Rome we stopped at 6 restaurants tasting all sorts of delectable dishes and gaining insight on Rome from our guide.  The restaurant Nonna Betta served the best fried artichokes and Anthony Bourdain agrees.  

  The best pieces of information we learned was how to pick restaurants and gelato shops.  He advised to never eat at a restaurant that lured people in with a waiter outside, that provided free wifi and had pictures of the dishes on the menu.  For gelato he said if the colors of the gelato don’t occur naturally then it is not real artisan gelato.  Look for muted colors and pistachio should almost be brown.  With these suggestions we ate very well on our trip, sometimes going into places and walking right back out or venturing on a 45 minute quest for the perfect place, but our taste buds were happy.

On our first full day we took a 4 hour tour of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum.  I am thankful we did an organized tour as we learned way more than I could have soaked up from a book.  We added on the 3^rd floor and the underground tour which provided amazing viewpoints of an epic time in history.

Underneath the main floor which
 has deteriorated away were tunnels where the
animals and fighters were kept. 

How the Colosseum originally looked with a retractable roof. 

The ground floor as you walk into the Colosseum.  The main floor has deteriorated but they built a small remake of it so you can get an idea of the magnitude of the place. 

Looking down from the 3rd floor, the center floor would have been fully covered with trap doors letting up the fighters and animals. 

In the underground area they have made a replica of the pulley system used to bring up animals into the ring to fight. It was amazing to me that the entire floor of the Colosseum was done using stone in a herringbone pattern. 

 

After viewing the Colosseum we toured the Roman Forum and saw the Circus Maximus. 

That afternoon we did a little shopping, surprised that the prices were actually very reasonable and enjoyed the tourist packed Trevi Fountain. 

 My favorite meal during our trip was this evening at a mom and pop restaurant where I enjoyed a seafood linguine.  I also have a new love of sparkling water which the country seems to enjoy more of than still water.

During our first day we learned that Italy mostly works on a cash system, though it was tough to find an ATM in Rome.  There are water fountains everywhere that you can fill up a bottle at or plug up and drink out of regularly.  Everyone we encountered spoke English but most people we encountered were tourists actually.  We easily walked to most venues, taking taxis which were quite cheap when necessary.

For our second day we set out early to tour the Vatican and St. Peters Basilica.  Again an organized tour was the way to go, we got in early before the crowds, learned an amazing amount of info and enjoyed the company of three other couples.  I really don’t have words to describe the Vatican.  Every inch of the place was covered in art, including the tops of the windows.  

It was unlike any other museum which hangs pictures on the walls, here even the walls, ceilings and floors were adorned with art.  We were not allowed to take pictures inside the Sistine Chapel but it was surreal to stand inside and admire Michelangelo’s work. 

From paintings to tapestry and sculptures there was more than your eyes could even take in.   The beautiful ceilings were my favorite and every hall seemed to be better than the one before. 

The Vatican and St. Peters Basilica were packed, probably since it was Easter week so everyone was touching everyone, though people moved gracefully and no one seemed to mind.  I did not care for the countless curio shops inside the Vatican that would be mixed in with the beautiful artwork.  I would be looking at a painting then there would be postcards and calendars for sale when I turned my head.  I was surprised at the size of St. Peters and since it is the year of the Jubilee we were able to enter through a special door.  While hundreds of people walked around the Basilica there was actually a mass going on in one corner of the building. 

The Pope no longer lives in the Vatican but a home within the city walls.
His office is the second from the right of the darker tan building on top with the door open so it has a black background. 

After our tour we crossed the Tigris River and enjoyed a lunch at a very local restaurant as even the menu did not include English (most menus have English and Italian) but the helpful owner just ordered what he thought we would like.  He was spot on and it was nice to be only among the locals.  

All of the walking was tough on my pregnant body so we would rest for a bit every afternoon to ease my back.  But not for long as there was too much to see. 

Inside the Pantheon, the dome of inspiration for St. Peters

Pantheon

We visited the Pantheon, Emmanuel Monument to see the city from high up, ate more gelato, and saw too many Piazzas to count. 

Rome's version of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers like in the US

Colosseum in the back

Vatican in the back left. 

Another beautiful Piazza

 We stopped for dinner at one of the restaurants we visited on our food tour and strolled back to our hotel in the sky lit city for our last night.  

Victor Emmanuel Monument

One interesting aspect about Rome is that there are ancient ruins everywhere.
We would be walking down a street and stumble upon these magnificent relics.

Up next, our trip to Florence.