(I've been keeping notes and updating a text file every night)
29.1.10
12:18pm local time in Rome.
Well, I made it!!! There was a while in London when I really didn't think that I was going to make the train to Paris (which would have meant missing the connection Rome. MAJOR problem!!) But, I made it! And even managed to drop off stuff at Ellie's flat! I'm SOOO thankful to her for agreeing to hold the bag for me!
The hostel in Rome is nice! I have no idea how many other people are here, but I have a room to myself. It was kinda awkward when I checked in and they asked when the other person was getting here. uhhhh it's just me, mister. Oh well, we thought it was a couple! No worries ...
Whatever, my door locks. AND I feel human again because I got to take a shower! I really have no idea WHAT to do first! I know that the last admission to the Vatican Museum has already passed, so I'm think that I will wake up tomorrow morning and do the Vatican (or Monday). I need to make a reservation for the Borghese Museum. So, I think that I'm going to do the NON reservation required stuff now! I think that I will wander over towards the Colloseum and have lunch! What do Romans eat for lunch? Well, I'm gonna go find out!!!
Arrivederci!!
5:52pm
What a day! The weather was GROSS but that's ok. It's why there aren't many tourists this time of year!! I stumbled onto some great tour groups at just the PERFECT time to get a tour of the Amphitheater Flavium, or as it's commonly known, The Colosseum. Included in THAT tour was a tour of the Palantine and Roman forum. The tour guide for that portion ALSO does a tour of the Vatican museums on Saturday morning. Same price as I WOULD have paid online at the Vatican but this guy I KNOW is funny. Major score. It's SO weird standing in front of the Arch of Titus and having people be proud of it ... you definitely get a very different feeling when you're coming from Jerusalem. So much of classical Rome was paid for by the sacking of Jerusalem (the Roman Forum, the Coliseum) ... it's hard for me to separate in my mind what they destroyed from what they built. I also took a hop-on-hop-off bus tour of the city to get an idea of the place. Rome is HUGE but most of the major sites are all packed in together near the center of the city. Completely within walking distance!! I'm going to stick close to the hotel (there is a chinese restaurant RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET -- and no, I'm NOT going there) tonight. Dinner is late here so I'm going to do some planning for my other three days here so I have an idea of where I want to go! Now what about dinner ... I'm in freaking ITALY! Pasta please!!!! And yes, I will try the local cheese. :D BRING IT ON!
8:35pm
Well, the weather here in the "Eternal City" is perfectly dreadful! I feel that an investment in an umbrella might be a necessity!! Had dinner at a perfectly lovely little cafe. I'll be honest, it's mainly a bakery that also serves food. The bakery/cafe portion was MUCH better than the restaurant portion. Must do better next time (though, I thought I was going to DIE when I had the cannolo (aka canolli) and the cafe latte. OMGSOGOOOOOD!!
I think that I'm going to make a bit of an early night of it so that I can really get a lot done tomorrow! For sure going on the tour of the Vatican and Museums at 10:15, but I think that I might want to see a few sites before that and CERTAINLY a bunch afterwards! I'm only in Rome for 3.5 days, so I really want to see it ALL!
30.1.2010
10:21pm
I went on a tour of the Vatican today which was expensive, but definitely worth it!! The museums there are just incredible. There are literally entire hallways that are just crammed with statues and busts and all other things that you can't WALK down because they are so full! The tapestry's are beautiful and there are simply not enough words in the English language to describe the Sistine Chapel. STUNNING is about as close as I can get. Also awe-inspiring is St Peter's Basilica. I wasn't ready for how BIG it was!! I knew that it was large, but it completely took my breath away. I don't have a lot of pictures because it's hard to get good photos of the paintings and tapestry's because no flash is allowed ... and photography is forbidden in the Sistine Chapel because some Japanese company paid $180 million to have the place cleaned in 1981 in exchange for exclusive photographic rights. Jerks.
I took an open bus tour around the city after that to see some more of the sights and figure out where the heck everything is!! The ticket was good for 24 hours so I was REALLY upset when I lost it! Oh well, looks like I'm just using my feet tomorrow ...
I decided that I was going to explore for dinner and ended up wandering down some random side streets on the advice of a street vendor. Probably not the safest thing I've ever done ... but the food was definitely good. I had some yummy pasta (house special). The price was still a bit high ... I think that I'm going to have to rework the budget a bit ... Rome is MUCH more expensive that I thought :( Hopefully I can save in other places ...
31.1.2010
9:27pm
Ok, today was INTENSE. I started off at 7:15 by heading to St Paul's Within the Walls which is the Episcopalian Church here in Rome. It was ALSO the first non-Catholic church built!! REALLY pretty service and the Church was GORGEOUS. Then I hopped on the metro (which, by the way, EPIC FAIL Rome on your metro system. EPIC FAIL) and went out to Piazza Popolo. There was a crazy man swimming in the fountain (which is completely normal here????) and took a bunch of pictures. I then went into Santa Maria in Montesanto which was really pretty. I headed off down Via Del Corso towards the center of the town and veered left to check out the Spanish Steps. I must say ... I was a bit underwhelmed! To be fair, they ARE doing some renovation work which detracts from the esthetics, but still ... not all that impressive I'm sorry to say!!! What WAS impressive was Via Del Condotti ... imagine every major designer in the world ... thinking of them all? Yeah, I walked through every. single. one. of their stores in a span of about 25 minutes. *drool*
When I got back to Via Del Corso it was POURING and I decided to duck my head into a Church to stay dry. BEST DECISION EVER. It was the Basilica del SS. Ambrogio e Carlo and it was MAGNIFICENT. It's not on the maps but it should be! HOLY COW!!! The back was kinda creepy with the relic of San Carlo's heart (EW! Why would you KEEP that??????????)
I stopped for lunch (PIZZA!!!) at a cafe near the Basilica. Roman pizza is SO GOOD! It's basically on a cracker which makes it MUCH healthier than the American version. If you don't like thin-crust, however, you're not likely to be a fan. Fortunately, i LOVE thin crust.
I worked by way down to the Fountain Di Trevi (um WOW) but completely forgot to throw a coin in!!! So I think that I'm going to have to swing back by tomorrow ... anyhoo, hung out at the fountain and had a gelato (NOMMMMMMM) before making my way over to the Pantheon. The Pantheon is awesome. It's so pagan from the outside ... and then when you go in ... it's a CHURCH! That's just weird. I paid my respects to Rafael and took a bunch of pictures and decided to rest my feet sitting against a 2000 year old pillar. Once getting back on my feet (POOR FEET!!!) I headed off to the Piazza Navonna. Um, WOW. No Cardinals in the fountain for me to rescue (in fact, the fountain is currently drained and being renovated!!!!) but I still managed to get some good pictures. I popped into the Church of Saint Agnes in Agony and it was simply breathtaking. I don't think that anything can prepare you for the beauty of the churches here! A lot of the churches in Jerusalem are kinda scary (ok, um, a LOT scary) but here they are just BEAUTIFUL (even when depicting people people tortured and killed ...).
Moving on from Piazza Navonna ... I went on a stroll along the Tiber to watch the sun set over the Castel San'Angelo. Had a total nerd-fest from Angel's and Demons and took LOTS of pictures of the building and the bridge. I went to warm up in a cafe near Saint Peter's Square and had the most expensive coffee and pastry of my entire life. Seriously. RIP OFF!!!!! I decided to follow Paul's (Benedictine Monk friend who actually LIVES in Rome ...) advice and head over to Trastevere (neighborhood in Rome) for dinner. Best decision EVER. I had the best pizza and pasta of my LIFE and only paid 11.50. SCORE!!!
The neighborhood of Trastevere is super cute! It's really young and artsy and just really pretty to stroll through! I spent some time wandering around because it was just really nice and stumbled upon Santa Maria in Trastevere, which is one of the first churches ever build in Rome (in fact, many think it was the first Church where Christians were allowed to worship openly!). I poked my head in for a few minutes and it was pretty cool! It reminded me MUCH more of a Greek/Byzantine Church, though! It was during my wanderings after leaving the Church that I found Trattoria Carlo Menta. Seriously, if you're in Rome, GO THERE. REALLY good and REALLY cheap!!!!!!
I was quick to realize when leaving dinner that I was on the exact OPPOSITE end of the city from the hostel, that it was after 9pm and that I was entirely alone ... I got started walking and the Trastevere area was completely fine ... but I started not feeling so safe when I got back across the river so I decided to just eat the cost and take a cab. It wasn't actually that bad a price (9.50 Euro) so I think that it was a good decision. My feet were certainly happy!!!!
Plan for tomorrow? The theater near the Coliseum to watch Bernie Frischer's movie, tossing a coin in the Trevi Fountain (because this is DEFINITELY a city I want to come back to!), the Jewish Ghetto, Santa Maria Maggiore, and Santa Mara Vittorio. Then on Tuesday it's off to Florence!!!!!!!
1.2.2010
7:17pm
LAST DAY IN ROME!!! I decided to sleep in a little bit because when the alarm went off there was no way that I was getting out of bed!! I headed over the Coliseum to check out the Virtual Museum. It was freaking AWESOME! A bit cheesy in places, but a great way to experience ancient Rome!! After the 3D movie and tour thingy I subjected myself to abject humiliation, donned a toga and had photos of myself taken. No, I did not pay money for this privilege. This will fall under the category of NEVER TRAVEL ALONE. Things like THIS happen and you have no way out. I was kinda trapped in the gift shop because I was the ONLY PERSON THERE and every time I would weave over towards the door the guy would find SOMETHING ELSE TO SHOW ME. I took advantage of the few seconds he was distracted getting himself some water and bolted! After eating the LAMEST LUNCH EVER in from of the Coliseum I headed to Basilica San Pietro in Vincolli (aka St Peter in Chains). I got there at 12:45 ... and they close from 12:30-3pm. Bummer. ESPECIALLY since it is a MASSIVE hike (ok, massive for Rome ... not Jerusalem ... we're not talking Mount of Olives here) to get up there. So I decided that since Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore does NOT close during the day and was relatively close, that I would head there. This meant climbing DOWN the Celio Hill and UP the Esquiline Hill.
Santa Maria Maggiore is gorgeous. It was the first Church ever dedicated to the Virgin Mary and every Pope since the 5th Century CE has added to the church. The bell tower and the mosaics (which have been relocated within the Church) are from the 5th century and many MANY chapels and domes have been added, all of which venerate the Virgin Mary. It's really pretty!! Unfortunately there isn't a lot of light inside AND 1/3 of the church is under renovation (are we noticing a theme in Rome for me???) so there aren't a LOT of pictures. Another reason to return to Rome!
Following Maria Maggiore I hopped a cab over to the Great Synagogue. No pictures are allowed inside, but it really is a gorgeous GORGEOUS house of worship. I then walked along the main street into the Jewish Ghetto. This location of centuries of oppression has become a vibrant expression of Jewish art and life! Lots of great restaurants (KOSHER!) and artisan shops line the street! I passed on the felafel and shwarama (and the really nice restaurants that were like 40EUR for a meal ...), but had a great time poking my head into the different shops.
I walked from the Jewish Ghetto over to Largo di Torre Argentina (or Area Sacra) which, on March 15, 43 BCE, Gaius Julius Ceasar was murdered. "Et tu, Brute??"
I then walked alllllllllll the way back to San Peitro in Vincoli and it was WORTH IT! Seeing the chains of St Peter was really cool, but absolutely AMAZING was the statue of Moses by Michaelangelo. What's truly amazing is the fact that the whole thing was supposed to be a tomb for Pope Julius II, but it was never finished and Pope Julius was burried in St Peter's Basilica (Michaelangelo got a wee bit distracted with ... what's the name of that church again??? Oh yeah! The Sistine Chapel!). Finished or not, Moses is absolutely stunning. The statue looks COMPLETELY different depending on where you stand! From one angle, he looks like he's hunched over, from another he is sitting tall and imposing! Really cool to walk around like an idiot and see him in all his positions!
FINALLY I was in the area covered by the blasted Roman Metro system so I took the train over to Piazza della Republica and walked over to Basilica Santa Maria della Vittoria. Any Dan Brown fans out there? Then you should know ALL about this church!! What about you art lovers? Then you will no doubt be familiar with the "Ecstasy of St Theresa." Yeah, it's HERE. All credit and respect to Michaelangelo, it's Bernini who wins my heart for Renaissance sculpture ... and The Ecstasy of St Theresa is my favorite. Other than the beauty of this sculpture, the rest of the church is REALLY creepy. You have have several grim reaper and skeleton statues, and then, to cap it off, you have the "Corpus S. Victor A. R. V. M" at first glance this just seems like a pretty painted monument ... and then you look closer. Please go look at my pictures on Facebook. I cannot explain this one ... just go look!!
After Maria della Vittoria I went over to Maria delgi Angeli. ORIGINALLY this was part of Diocletion's baths which Michaelangelo turned into a church! The church was redone in the 1800s and so most of Michaelangelo's work was taken out (BOOOOO). This church DEFINITELY gets the random award. One of the Popes decided that he wanted to have a meridian line run through the church ... and so there is! There are also several memorials to Galileo Galilei, a pendulum, and some odd modern metal sculpture. This is definitely a church to go back to when it's daylight, so it's on the list of places to return to when I'm in Rome the next time in my life ...
Rome Superlatives:
Best Meal: Trattoria Carlo Menta
Favorite work of art: "The Ecstasy of St Theresa" by Bernini
Biggest Surprise: Basilica di SS Ambrogio e Carlo
Favorite Neighborhood: Trastevere
Biggest rip off: Latte and cannolo off of St Peter's Square.
Most expensive: tour of Vatican Museum
Best Price: Trattoria Carlo Menta
Worst Meal: lunch at Coliseum
2.2.2010
On the train to Florence
Well, the train station certainly was an adventure! I managed to get on A train to Florence. The reservation for 1st class was the same price as the 2nd class reservation ... so DUH I got a first class reservation. At first I thought that it was trick question! I even managed to get on the correct train, which was impressive! APPARENTLY the train is ACTUALLY going to Torino ... and Florence is one of the stops. Whatever. I'm on the train. Now ... if only the train would stop going through tunnels so that I could SEE!!! Oh ... and APPARENTLY, there are two train stations in Florence ... and I'm going to OTHER one. Whoops. Oh well, I can figure out how to get around Florence when I'm there. Useful discovery: when you are hopelessly lost and don't speak the language it's much more effective to adopt a British accent. People are more helpful and roll their eyes less. So, unless I'm going to have to show my passport? I'm posing as a Brit!!!
Meanwhile, back on the train ... SHEEP! And REALLY pretty scenery. I'm shutting down the computer so that I can properly observe the scenery!!! Sorry folks, no pictures. This one's just from memory!!!!
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