Roman Holiday

Day 7: An Unexpected (but very welcome) Detour

On the morning of April 15th, we left our hotel in Florence bound for our final destination as a group– Rome!  We boarded our bus and headed out into the countryside.  Ferdi, however, had a surprise for us along the way– a stop over at Tenuta Le Velette, a vineyard in Orvieto owned by Cecilia, another Rick Steves guide!  Her vineyard is located in a gorgeous, hilly area that has been home to winemakers since the Etruscans called it home more than 2,000 years ago.  In fact, some of the cellars below the house can be traced back to Etruscan times!  Cecilia graciously showed us around her property, then treated us to a wonderful wine & food tasting.  We were then free to walk around the property for a few minutes before once again boarding the bus for Rome

When we arrived in Rome a short time later, we checked in to our hotel, Hotel Sonya, which is located near the Termini Train Station, and is just a short walk from many of the ancient Roman ruins.  Having a few hours to ourselves before taking our first tour, my family & I walked a couple of blocks to the Santa Maria Maggiore Church, which, built in the early 400’s, contains wonderful artwork put up just as Rome fell.  I’m amazed that this church doesn’t get more attention– if it was in the US, I’m convinced it would be THE historic site to see, but in Rome, surrounded by flashier giants, it sits quietly, waiting to be discovered like a diamond in the rough.

That afternoon, we met back up to take a tour of Rome– passing ruins, ancient structures and churches as Ferdi told us a bit about the city’s history.  We then stopped for another spectacular group dinner consisting of more courses of wonderful food than room in our stomachs.  Rome was definitely in the running against Florence for best food! 

In order to prevent a food coma from all that we had just eaten, we set off on a night-time walking tour of some of the city’s best sights– The Pantheon, Trevi Fountain &, of course, Gelato! 

Rome definitely has a different feel than Venice & Florence– it’s louder & busier, but the colors, the foods and especially the history of this city make it unique and exciting– I can’t wait to see more! Look for yourself: Rome Webcams

Day 9: The Vatican & Trastevere

Day 9 was the last day of our guided tours, so we started early with a Subway Ride under the Tiber River to Vatican City.  Being small of stature, I found myself unable to elbow my way onto the packed train (it was rush hour) and the train, with the rest of the group, left without me…  Luckily, I knew where we were going, and actually enjoyed hopping on the next train alone, surrounded by Romans on their way to work.  I think I was the least worried of our group, but it definitely pays to know what stop you’re going to, even if you’re with a group!  We then headed towards the Vatican.  I myself am Catholic, but the art, architecture and historical significance of the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter’s Basilica make it well worth the trip for anyone and everyone!  The Museum has thousands of priceless pieces of art on display, including the Laocoon & the Belvedere Torso, among others.  It’s hard to hold back your excitement, however, for what you know is up ahead: the Sistine Chapel.  In fact, many tour groups disregard the other art completely and barrel through the museum (and over those who stop to look at the other art) in a desperate effort to reach the Sistine Chapel as quickly as possible.  Perhaps no one told them that it’s been there for hundreds of years and is unlikely to leave before the end of the day… 

Impatient tourists aside, the Sistine Chapel really is amazing– Michelangelo’s ultimate painted masterpiece.  Wow!

After staring breathlessly at the Sistine ceiling, we moved our way towards Saint Peter’s Basilica, which was much more crowded than usual, being only a week after Easter (a major time of pilgrimage).  If you see an unusual number of people wearing yellow, it’s because that is the color of pilgrimage, so many devout Catholics come to the Vatican wearing yellow shirts, hats & scarves.  Saint Peter’s is not only adjacent to the Pope’s residence, but it is also the burial place of Saint Peter himself.  If you’re not familiar with the story, Jesus said “You are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church”- since this is where Peter was buried, this is where the earliest Roman Christians built his church.  My time here was made even more magical when, as I stood near the front, priests entered to start Mass, and they started singing an Italian version of one of my favorite  hymns…  Amazing.

After we left the Vatican, we, Ferdi’s loyal band of followers and copy cats, followed him to lunch at a great restaurant nearby.  Ferdi, we knew by now, has excellent taste in food, so we all just wanted to see where he was going so that we could follow!  I also thought that our tour group got along together really well, so we were always happy to spend more time as a group! 

After lunch, my family & I headed for the Castel Sant’ Angelo, originally built as Hadrian’s Mausoleum but later converted to a Papal Fortress as Rome crumbled.    This round castle has a variety of historical items, a café and great views of the city. 

Next, we walked towards the Spanish Steps.  As we arrived, a dark hail storm was approaching, leaving the steps and the castle behind it in sunlight, while the sky behind them was almost black.  That contrast, along with the beautiful pots of flowers set all up and down the stairs, was amazing to look at while it lasted, but we soon had to run for cover to avoid giant hail stones!  It didn’t bother us, though– the weather had been beyond perfect for the entire trip up until this point.  We were also exhausted, so the storm gave us a nice excuse to take a cab back to the hotel instead of walking!

That evening, we met at a restaurant next to our hotel for the last group dinner of the trip.  We ate, joked and talked for hours– unwilling, it seemed, to give up our new friends that we had made over the last 10 days.  I am, of course, terribly biased, but I can’t imagine a tour group having more fun than we did! 

To the Papal Audience & Ostia Antica!

Day 8: Monuments of Ancient Rome

This morning, Brian & I again set out early to see what the city looked like pre-crowd, only to find that you have to get up pre-dawn in Rome to do that– by the time the sun came up, it was already rush hour in this bustling city.  In spite of this, we still got the chance to see the city as the Romans see it– full of people going to work and setting up shop, rather than swarms of tourists with cameras. 

We soon met back up with the rest of our group at the Hotel and set out to see Ancient Rome.  Ferdi guided us first to the Colosseum, which, in spite of seeing it in countless pictures, movies and TV shows, is still spectacular to see in real life!  It’s hard to imagine it filled with tens of thousands of spectators cheering on gladiators and other shows.  It’s also hard to imagine that, for hundreds of years, the Colosseum was reduced to little more than a shelter for the poor, who huddled in it’s recesses, wondering why their people had lost the knowledge to build such amazing things.  The Colosseum & the Forum were not dug out & cleaned up until recent centuries, when their historic (and tourist-drawing) value were realized.  To help you better picture what these places looked like in all their glory, I recommend buying one of the little “Rome Past & Present” books you see for sale on every street corner.

Next, we went to the Forum, Rome’s once-grand gathering- & market-place.  Don’t be fooled by what’s left– although the ruins themselves are incredibly impressive, the original structures were even vaster, higher and more ornate than you might picture in your head (again, the little books are a must!). 

From the Forum, we walked to the Pantheon, an amazing round, domed church originally dedicated to all the gods (thus the name).  The mathematics that the Romans used to build this amazing, sky lit structure were so advanced that our own ‘modern’ society lacked the knowledge to replicate it until computers were invented to do the calculations for us!  The Pantheon was actually Brunelleschi's inspiration for the  Duomo’s dome, and he spent years in Rome studying this one before proposing his own. 

After the tour of the Pantheon, the rest of the day was ours, and we decide to head first to Trajan’s Column and Market.  The column is massive and intricately carved with a historical account of battle & conquest.  The market is also fascinating, letting you imagine the millions who once shopped here. 

Our next stop was the nearby Mamertine Prison, where Saint Peter was held captive before his own crucifixion.   You can even see and touch the pillar to which he was chained and which, according to legend, water sprang out of, allowing him to baptize his captors. 

We then walked towards Circus Maximus, which was once the site of Ancient Roman Chariot Races.  This stop was, however, a bit disappointing, because it now is similar in appearance to a running track (the runners running around it didn’t help the impression).  If I had it to do over again, I’d try and see the Circus Maximus from atop the Palatine Hill, which has better sites of it’s own. 

After stopping for some great Roman-style pizza, we next headed towards the Capuchin Crypt, stopping at the Bocca di Verita to re-live “Roman Holiday” for ourselves.  We decided against sticking our hands into the carving’s mouth, however, once we saw the massive line of tourists waiting to do so.  Instead, we continued on to the Crypt, which was unlike anything we’d seen so far.  The Capuchin Monks of olde arranged bones into intricate (and sometimes a little bit creepy) designs within their crypt, to remind us that we all return to dust in the end.  This may not be the best place for little kids, but it was certainly interesting to see! 

By the end of all that walking, we were ready for some dinner, and stopped at a nice place right by our hotel before heading back to get some sleep before  Day 9.

The view of Orvieto from Tenuta Le Velette

Why it’s  good to pack light in Italy!

Early Morning in the Oltrarno before we left

Pickpockets having a morning meeting to discuss how best to get your belongings from you.  I’m proud to say none of us became their victims!

Ancient Etruscan caves put to good use storing wine

Cecilia hosts a wine tasting at her estate

Linda surveys the ruins of Ancient Rome

The Pantheon & Trevi Fountain by night

The Colosseum!

The group stands in awe of Rome’s Might, 2000 years later

Linda & Brian at the Forum

The Pantheon’s Oculus, or ‘eye’ shines down– but why does it make me think of “Lord of the Rings”?

The Pope shops here!  No, really!

The cell where St Peter was kept captive

If this thing bites off liars’ hands, then why was the line so long???

Stefano guides us through the Vatican Museum

The Laocoon

It’s hard to  fathom the immense size of St Peters until you see how small the people are in comparison

Like white ghosts, the priests enter to perform the Mass

In Italy, only ‘Tradition’ can trump fashion!

Bud & Linda atop Castel Sant Angelo

At the Spanish Steps

Ferdi makes sure we can all find our way without him tomorrow

Special thanks to all of my new friends from the tour!  There isn’t a single person among you that I wouldn’t be thrilled to travel with again and again!