Italy, Day 8: Ancient Rome
We're back in Ipswich now. We've had some chance to shower, unpack, relax, and watch the new Doctor Who episode, and now I'll take on the task of writing about the remaining three days of our trip.
So. Day Eight. Thursday. After breakfast (my stomach showing more interest in being fed by now) we found a nearby entrance to the Metro subway system. For such a large city, Rome's Metro is puny: just two lines, which intersect at the Termini railway station. We changed at Termini from line A to B and got off at the Colosseum, our first stop of the day. We'd been warned in guidebooks and elsewhere about pickpockets on the subway and outside attractions like the Colosseum so I was once again on edge.
When we'd arrived the day earlier we'd purchased a Roma Pass each at the train station. For 18 euros we got free entry to the first two of a list of exhibits, plus reduced fees at any further ones, plus three days of travel on subways and buses. We used our Roma Passes to get into the Colosseum.
The flooring is being rebuilt in the lower right. I'm not sure if the plan is to rebuild the entire floor.
We bought Sarah some figurines at the gift shop and she wanted to play with them as we rested outside.
Nearby is the Arch of Constantine.
Behind the Colosseum lay many ruins including Palatine Hill and the Forum. We entered that area, first wandering over to the massive Basilica of Constantine.
We took in the ruins of the Forum, and climbing out, looked back on it all.
Climbing over Capitol Hill and admiring Michaelangelo's stairway on the other side, we then made our way a few blocks onward to The Pantheon.
I especially wanted to see this because of its influence in architecture. It is the single best-preserved piece of Roman architecture, and its dome influenced Brunelleschi's Duomo in Florence, Michaelangelo's dome for Saint Peter's Basilica (which we'd see the next day), and arguably most of the domes that followed, including Saint Paul's Cathedral in London and the U.S. Capitol Dome. The interior is just massive, and very overwhelming.
Margo and Sarah had a sit-down lunch in the piazza in front of the Pantheon while I got a slice of pizza nearby.
Sarah finished early and joined me by the fountain.
At this point I should write a bit about being a tourist in Rome. We took precautions against pickpockets by, well, not carrying anything in pockets, and being conscious of people in our personal space as we walk. But another annoying aspect of being a tourist is how often strangers approach you for money. Some are panhandling, and some are aggressively selling things like those little metal balls that make insect-like noises, or flowers, or sunglasses. Just sitting here at the fountain for a few minutes, we were propositioned several times. Sarah learned to ignore them.
We returned to our room for siestas. I wasn't sure the other two would wake up in time for dinner. When they did, we agreed to go ahead with an earlier plan to have dinner in the shopping area around the Spanish Steps to observe people taking the traditional early-evening stroll and enjoy La Dolce Vita. Because, when in Rome ...
It seemed every street in the area was full of people strolling. The streets were a mix of shops, especially fashion shops, and dining.
We had dinner at a trattoria. We got an appetizer of zucchini blossoms stuffed with ricotta, then breaded and fried. Sarah had her pasta pomodoro. Margo had a tasty dish of pork and nicely salted potatoes. I tried saltimbucco - a dish of veal and prosciutto in a tomato sauce. I liked it a lot. I also ordered asparagus, which arrived below two fried eggs. Margo ate my eggs, but we admired the darkness of their yolks.
After dinner we wandered until we found the Trevi Fountains. Sarah made a wish by throwing a coin over her shoulder.
I should add a few words about Rome itself. It has a rivalry with Milan to the north; Milan is the sophisticated, clean, career-oriented city; Rome is the family-friendly city of brutality and beauty. Me, I'd probably prefer Milan. I just didn't feel at ease in Rome, though Margo did. I thought it was noisy and dirty. Streets and sidewalks and buildings are crumbling. I saw graffiti everywhere, not just on old buildings, but important newer ones, and subway cars were completely covered. Traffic is a mess, and the air is unclean. There is marble and sculpture everywhere, but it is pitted and stained, and you have to imagine what it might have been like to see past its current state. But I did appreciate the massive history of the city. Margo and I had been reading a lot before and during our trip about the historical events in the city and the empire it sustained for over a thousand years. My Clarks are still lightly covered in historical Roman dust and I can wonder about its origin.
So. Day Eight. Thursday. After breakfast (my stomach showing more interest in being fed by now) we found a nearby entrance to the Metro subway system. For such a large city, Rome's Metro is puny: just two lines, which intersect at the Termini railway station. We changed at Termini from line A to B and got off at the Colosseum, our first stop of the day. We'd been warned in guidebooks and elsewhere about pickpockets on the subway and outside attractions like the Colosseum so I was once again on edge.
When we'd arrived the day earlier we'd purchased a Roma Pass each at the train station. For 18 euros we got free entry to the first two of a list of exhibits, plus reduced fees at any further ones, plus three days of travel on subways and buses. We used our Roma Passes to get into the Colosseum.
The flooring is being rebuilt in the lower right. I'm not sure if the plan is to rebuild the entire floor.
We bought Sarah some figurines at the gift shop and she wanted to play with them as we rested outside.
Nearby is the Arch of Constantine.
Behind the Colosseum lay many ruins including Palatine Hill and the Forum. We entered that area, first wandering over to the massive Basilica of Constantine.
We took in the ruins of the Forum, and climbing out, looked back on it all.
Climbing over Capitol Hill and admiring Michaelangelo's stairway on the other side, we then made our way a few blocks onward to The Pantheon.
I especially wanted to see this because of its influence in architecture. It is the single best-preserved piece of Roman architecture, and its dome influenced Brunelleschi's Duomo in Florence, Michaelangelo's dome for Saint Peter's Basilica (which we'd see the next day), and arguably most of the domes that followed, including Saint Paul's Cathedral in London and the U.S. Capitol Dome. The interior is just massive, and very overwhelming.
Margo and Sarah had a sit-down lunch in the piazza in front of the Pantheon while I got a slice of pizza nearby.
Sarah finished early and joined me by the fountain.
At this point I should write a bit about being a tourist in Rome. We took precautions against pickpockets by, well, not carrying anything in pockets, and being conscious of people in our personal space as we walk. But another annoying aspect of being a tourist is how often strangers approach you for money. Some are panhandling, and some are aggressively selling things like those little metal balls that make insect-like noises, or flowers, or sunglasses. Just sitting here at the fountain for a few minutes, we were propositioned several times. Sarah learned to ignore them.
We returned to our room for siestas. I wasn't sure the other two would wake up in time for dinner. When they did, we agreed to go ahead with an earlier plan to have dinner in the shopping area around the Spanish Steps to observe people taking the traditional early-evening stroll and enjoy La Dolce Vita. Because, when in Rome ...
It seemed every street in the area was full of people strolling. The streets were a mix of shops, especially fashion shops, and dining.
We had dinner at a trattoria. We got an appetizer of zucchini blossoms stuffed with ricotta, then breaded and fried. Sarah had her pasta pomodoro. Margo had a tasty dish of pork and nicely salted potatoes. I tried saltimbucco - a dish of veal and prosciutto in a tomato sauce. I liked it a lot. I also ordered asparagus, which arrived below two fried eggs. Margo ate my eggs, but we admired the darkness of their yolks.
After dinner we wandered until we found the Trevi Fountains. Sarah made a wish by throwing a coin over her shoulder.
I should add a few words about Rome itself. It has a rivalry with Milan to the north; Milan is the sophisticated, clean, career-oriented city; Rome is the family-friendly city of brutality and beauty. Me, I'd probably prefer Milan. I just didn't feel at ease in Rome, though Margo did. I thought it was noisy and dirty. Streets and sidewalks and buildings are crumbling. I saw graffiti everywhere, not just on old buildings, but important newer ones, and subway cars were completely covered. Traffic is a mess, and the air is unclean. There is marble and sculpture everywhere, but it is pitted and stained, and you have to imagine what it might have been like to see past its current state. But I did appreciate the massive history of the city. Margo and I had been reading a lot before and during our trip about the historical events in the city and the empire it sustained for over a thousand years. My Clarks are still lightly covered in historical Roman dust and I can wonder about its origin.
posted by Michael Nelson at 12:58 pm
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