Rome #5

Clearly the weather forecasters around here also get it wrong around here. Up at 6:15 on an apparently clear day, showered
and into a cab at St Peters at 7:00 (that would be just me). Had plenty of time to wander St Peter’s. Other early arrivals mostly headed for various chapels for mass. The church is still impressive in its massiveness (if there’s such a word) and decoration but doesn’t have the impact of somewhere like a Ely. But there again maybe it’s something to do with not being a catholic. Pieta stunning behind its protective glass. Then to the entrance for the cupola climb. Would have been first up had I not stopped to take a photo and thereby allowing four Germans to get past. The climb wasn’t that difficult and fortunately didn’t
produce the need to change my undies feelings of Köln Cathedral. Got a good look down into the body of the church from the interior at the base of the dome. Then out onto a roof area behind the statues you see from the square. Then climbing up within the dome. Great views over Rome from the top – except the apparently fine day in the centre of the city was actually quite smoggy and of course the sun was rising from that direction. Still those photos will be all ethereal and atmospheric by the time photoshop and I are finished. Around the rest of the dome clear views especially into the Vatican gardens and around.

Once down headed back towards the hotel along the Tiber.

In the meantime Ju had headed over to the Victor Emmanuel memorial which she had missed last time around. As happens most parts of the interior were closed off so she missed the joys of Cavours death mask etc.

We met on a bring over the Tiber and then walked through to Campo de’ Fiore which was a large flower, fruit and veg, other foodstuffs market. That rounded out the morning.

At 12:30 we headed off to Castel Romana which is an amazing sort of cultural centre about 45 minutes drive from the centre of Rome. A chance to check out and buy if you want all sorts of Italian products. There really are some amazingly talented people in this country. Forgot to take my camera!

Drive out and back also served to remind us that beyond the centre there are some pretty ordinary apartment buildings etc. Sometimes it was a bit Brazilian. Countryside very dry – not many signs of agricultural activity. Drove through EUR on the way back – a massive 1930s interpretation of Roman grandeur.

Plan to pop around the corner for dinner tonight. A restaurant with an outlook over Trajan’s forum.

Rome #4

Today we started out at Trajan’s markets / forum. Whole new area which wasn’t open for access last time we were here. One of your early multi-storied shopping centres really. Sort of Trajan does North City. Rows of little shops. Can see the grooves at the front for their folding doors – although I thought it might be more logical for them to have blinds. Massive construction. Some original, some restored, some incorporated into buildings of later eras. And of course the ubiquitous gatti di roma around the place. Quite a bit excavated in the 1920s and 30s when Benito was trying to recreate the imperial glories. Except when he flattened some stuff to make way for grand roads.

After that I headed over to the Palatine while Ju headed elsewhere  - all the side streets of the Corso between the hotel and the Spanish steps I believe. The excavations on the Palatine are vast and in places the building remains are 4 or 5 stories high. Also really hot!! From there wandered down into the forum for a roam around. Stopped off with assorted walking tours to listen to their commentaries (the English ones of course) at points that I was interested in! Again assorted school groups – it’s certainly the time for schools from down-under. Also the German schools seem to have sent a
whole lot off to Italy as soon as the school year has begun.

After the forum headed back to the hotel via the Mamertine Prison – but it was closed. I think for lunch. It was nearly 2 p.m. by then. Which of course was important for me as well. We discovered a place next to our hotel which advertised a 10 Euro lunch – a bruschetta (ahh the garlic), a margherita pizza, chocolate brownie and espresso. Great. Might try their 15 euro dinner!

After a break and a blog we caught a cab up to the Villa Borghese. Was quite keen to pop in on Pauline. But alas limited tickets per day and all sold till Saturday. So a good 2.5 hour wander through the gardens to Piazza del Popolo along to the Spanish Steps and home via Trevi Fountain etc. Saw a bride arriving at a venue in the gardens. We think it was a bride –
maybe arriving for a civil ceremony as wasn’t in full bridal regalia, but certainly in white, a small bouquet and big hair. Ahh, the old amore strikes again.

Rain forecast for the next three days. Alarm set for 6 a.m. so hopefully the forecasters are wrong! 

Rome #3

Grabbed a cab over to the Vatican. By the time we got there at 9:45 the queues were supposedly 2 – 3 hours long to get into church and hence the dome climb. So decided to leave that to the faithful for the day. Looks like a 6 a.m. alarm Thursday morning to be there when the church opens at 7 and the dome climb at 8.

Walked around to the Castel Sant’ Angelo which was quite amazing and much than we expected. Spent the rest of the morning there having a good explore. Managed to miss a couple of bits due the interesting signage and lack of a map. Some cool frescoes in the later papal chambers and along with the bathroom facilities clearly the pope wasn’t too badly off when trapped there by Charles V.

From there we wandered along the Tiber to the Museo Ara Pacis. Opened in 2006 to house the huge altar Augustus had constructed (not for sacrificing virgins as my wife says) to honour the gods and to boost the profile of the Julian Dynasty. Quite a cool building and the first new build in central Rome since 19469. Also a display of the entries for a contest to design a new logo for Rome. We have yet to see any evidence of the winning entry in use. The mausoleum of Augustus is next door. Massive but desperately in need of some tender love and care!

From there walked to the Spanish steps and then through smaller streets towards the Trevi fountain. Passed some nice menswear shops along the way. Now have a rather nice cashmere coat for next winter!! Trevi foundation rather busy.

After a standard late lunch caught a cab up to Termini. Tried to work out train tickets to Herculaneum. Thought about driving but the car places looked at us as if we were loco and basically said no cars til next week some time. So decided to flag the idea. The list of things to do here is still extensive and we can be a little less rushed. Next time we come to Italy (??!!) we’ll spend less time in Rome and more time south!

Oh my goodness – sitting in the hotel lobby writing this and a couple checking in have just informed the clerk and all around that they got married yesterday. Love is in the air. Then there was the couple at the table behind us at lunch today – she much older than him but definitely not his mother!!

But back to yesterday. So from the station we walked down to Santa Maria Maggiore which has the most amazing frescoes and decoration. Even Ju was into it!! Massive statue of Pius IX in praying position in a chapel below floor level in front of a most amazing silver requiliary. Apparently I got the evils from a couple when I popped Frodo up for a photo. Oh well.

From St M M we ambled our way through various streets back to the hotel. My combination of caffe, latte and tiramisu gelato was to die for. Ju’s strawberry was real strawberry!

Bit of a rest before we headed out for dinner. Walked down the Corso and found a quaint place in the Via della Croce. The stall on the corner sold good fruit and great liquorice. 

To Come in Rome #4: 

1. Trajan’s Forum and market
2. The Palatine Hill
3. The Forum
4. The Mamertine Prison (oops no – sorry closed!)
5. 10 euro lunch
6.  Villa Borghese

Roma #2

Today caught the Archeobus and headed out of the city along the Appian Way. Got off at the first set of catacombs. Hadn’t realised that you could only go through in guided groups – not surprising really when you get underground and realise the opportunities for getting lost! But the groups are organised by language. Shortly after we arrived a group set off but it was Polish so deciding not to bother with that – just as well as not only do we not speak Polish I think they were having a much more Catholic experience that we wanted. So hung around but when we discovered that the English group wasn’t going to be going for a while we attached ourselves to a German group. After all following two weeks in the country I’m quite fluent! It was basically a high school group so quite entertaining to see the usual behaviours occurring as you’d find in any school group at home.  Didn’t really need to speak the lingo to get a feel for the place. Went deep underground – huge number of burial cavities – now empty. Unlike one of the adults accompanying the school group I obeyed the signs instructing you not to take photos. Also stopped off at the Metella Mausoleum but its closed on a Monday. Ended back at the station so walked the length of Via Nazionale back to the hotel. Bought some shoes to replace the ones that had started to fall apart. Lunch. A wander over to the Pantheon and then a late afternoon rest. Walked over to the Piazza Navona for dinner. Yum. Then man at next table proposed and presented a ring to his lady. Ah, amore. We wondered if the restaurant would discount their meal of do something special for them but no! If they had thought it could be a good scam! 

Roma #1

Roof Terrace View #1

So I left Hamburg on Sunday morning after a full-on busy but successful day at the fair on Saturday. Flew to Munich and got delayed there for an hour. Arrived at Rome and waited for the baggage, and waited and waited and waited and eventually it arrived. Then waited for the shuttle and waited and waited and eventually it arrived. Driving into Rome was the quickest part of the process and I arrived at the hotel just under three hours after landing.

Hotel is great. One of the smallest showers known to mankind (don’t drop the soap cos you’ll get wedged trying to pick it up) but literally a 3 minute walk around the corner to the Victor Emmanuel monument and great views from the roof terrace.

Roof Terrace View #2

Roof Terrace View #3

Got sorted. Went for a walk over the Capitoline and around. Three days of celebrations have been going on over the weekend to mark 150 years of Rome as the capital of Italy. Decided to have dinner at a little restaurant across the road from the hotel. Discovered the rudest waiter in Italy. I tried to order an antipasti and was told that whole section of the menu was not available. So in a nice clear voice (and pointing at the item in the menu) I ordered Bucatini and Ju ordered spinach cannelloni. What arrived was neither. When we complained we were told it was my fault because he couldn’t understand me. When we tried to order something else suddenly the while pasta section was unavailable. Needless to say we paid for the wine we had ordered and drunk and left! Then went around the corner and found a much more welcoming establishment

Frodo finds the Forum