Travel to Rome
Breakfast was once again served on our balcony overlooking Positano. It was the perfect way to spend our remaining time in Positano before beginning the journey to Rome.
Our plan to get to Rome was to take the ferry to Salerno in order to get a different view of the Amalfi Coast. From Salerno, we would take the train through Naples and up to Rome.
The ferry took about 70 minutes and hugged the Amalfi Coast, providing a beautiful contrast to the previous day's drive along the coast. We both spent the majority of the ferry trip hanging out the window watching the coastline pass by.
After arriving in Salerno, it was a short walk from the ferry dock to the train station. Before long we were boarding our car and pulling out the sandwich and melon prosciutto salad from the Delicatessen in Positano. This train picnic would be one of the better lunches of our whole trip.
It took about 3 hours, stops included, to reach Rome's Termini station. Debarking from the train car brought us right into large crowds, which was quite different from our time on the Amalfi Coast.
After getting our bearings, we quickly took off for a 15 minute walk to our B&B, Nicolas Inn. We had printed a picture of the front doors because we had read online that the address could be hard to find. Sure enough, the front doors were large and did not easily indicate that an amazing B&B was within.
The owner, Melissa, is an American Expat and was an extremely helpful and friendly host. In addition, it was a great home base to explore Rome, with the Colosseum and the Forum only a few blocks away.
It didn't take long before we were off to get our first glimpses of Ancient Rome and it's many historical sites. After seeing the Colosseum from afar, we turned and passed by Trajan's column on the way to this afternoon's focus - the Pantheon.
It was crowded both inside and out, despite being late afternoon. However, that still couldn't take away from the grandeur of the only continuously used ancient building in Rome. Inside, the lone light source (other than the open doors) was the skylight high above. Beautiful sculptures near the pillars accentuated the architecture. It's no wonder that Renaissance artists came here to study the dome and supporting architecture.
It was then back to our B&B's neighborhood to try some of the local pizza recommended to us by Melissa. We wanted to keep it quick tonight so we could get started on Rick Steves' suggested Night Walk Across Rome. Starting from the Forum, we walked past the
Victor Emanuel Monument as the sun dipped behind buildings both new and old.
Evenings in Rome bring cooler temperatures and many of the locals come out to slowly stroll and chat along the many pedestrian friendly zones and plazas. Piazza Navona was one of these plazas and had a beautiful and popular fountain located in the middle. Tourists and Romans walked slowly by, some stopping to sit and enjoy the parade of people.
Our true goal for the night, other than enjoying the streets of Rome, was to visit Trevi Fountain. We were both somewhat surprised by just how crowded and commercialized (large advertising on building walls) Trevi Fountain was at night. It did, however, provide for some great people watching while we enjoyed the magnificent fountain. Before leaving we completed the famous tradition of tossing a coin over our shoulders into the fountain to ensure a return to Rome.
It was a similarly pleasant walk back to our B&B. Today had only been a small taste of Rome, but it was already exceeding our expectations. Tomorrow would be a full day of visiting many of the historical sites of Ancient Rome.
Ancient Rome
We experienced breakfast as the Romans do - standing at a counter eating a croissant and sipping a cappuccino at a popular spot near our room. It was fun to watch someone come in, order an espresso or coffee, slam it down quickly, and then run back out the door to work. We, however, took our time.
Leaving the B&B for the Forum, our host Melissa warned us that it would be a very hot day and to frequently use the drinking fountains located in and around Rome's most popular sites. It would be good advice.
Before heading to the sites, we purchased a Roma Pass, which we highly recommend if you plan on visiting at least two major sites and/or using public transportation while in Rome. The Pass includes the cost of public transportation, free entry to your first three Roman sites, discounts on visits to remaining sites, and you get to skip the entry/ticket lines. It is valid for three days and costs around 25 Euros. You can purchase one at any of the major sites or at tourist stands (TI) throughout the city. Since we planned on taking the Metro to the Vatican and visiting many of the ancient Roman sites, the Roma Pass was the perfect choice for us.
With our Roma Pass in hand, we set off towards Ancient Rome. The Forum was a short two block walk, and we were one of the first few tourists to enter today. We relied on more of Rick Steves' audio guides (and maps) to explore the Forum, Palatine Hill, and the Colosseum. These worked out great for us and provided a free alternative to see these sites at our own pace with an informative guide talking us through the history of the key places of interest with a touch of humor. Due to the condition and how old many of the structures were in the Forum, it was often difficult to determine what you were walking past or looking at unless you had some sort of guide and map.
Ancient columns and blocks were strewn about, but we could still imagine important Romans walking these streets 2000 years ago. In the picture below, notice how elevated the structures of modern day Rome are compared to the Forum, which is due to continuous rebuilding over the course of 2,000 years. Archaeologists started excavating in the 18th century and it is still an active excavation site today. We actually saw some excavation in progress during our visit.
On a side note, don't underestimate the strength of the Roman sun. The Forum offers little, if any shade, so it is easy to get sunburn while touring the area. Make sure to apply your sunscreen.
We took a connected path to Palatine Hill, which overlooks the Forum. In Ancient Rome, the emperors and other elite lived on Palatine Hill and visitors can see remnants of their grand palaces. From the highest point, you can also see the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.
The palaces even included their own stadiums for entertainment. Speaking of stadiums, we also caught a glimpse of the Colosseum from Palatine Hill. Between the personal stadiums and the nearby Colosseum, the emperors had only to go a short distance to witness the spectacles of that era.
Walking down from Palatine Hill, we were greeted by the Arch of Constantine as we made our way to the Colosseum. As expected, there were crowds of people in this area. We had been warned to pay close attention to our valuables in this area since pickpockets frequent the attraction. While the men dressed as gladiators outside the forum may provide a fun photo opportunity, they could actually serve as a way to distract tourists for nearby pickpockets. Fortunately, despite all of the warnings, we had nothing but positive experiences with the people of Rome during our visit.
From the exterior, the Colosseum seems as large as a modern day stadium, which is especially impressive considering the building tools and materials available at the time it was build. It was exciting to walk up to one of the most recognizable ancient structures in the world. Since the structure remains intact, it is easy to imagine crowds of 50,000 Ancient Romans in togas approaching the stadium for good old fashioned violent fun.
With our Roma Pass, we bypassed the long ticket lines and went immediately to the entrance turnstile. Once inside, we listened to another handy (and free) Rick Steves' Audio Tour, which guided us throughout the interior.
Even with the first glimpse of the main arena, you understand just how intricate the large scale productions must have been. Although you can no longer see a field or floor, you see the underground network of tunnels that allowed gladiators, animals, etc. to move about seamlessly before being released to the crowds' delight. On at least one occasion, they even flooded the arena for a mock naval battle.
The inside concourse includes exhibits explaining the history and art of the Colosseum. When were there, there was a special exhibit about Emperor Nero (known for exceptional violence even by Ancient Roman standards). As we walked through the concourse, we saw numerous frescoes depicting gladiators in action. Perhaps, they served as the ancient "coming soon" posters.
One good vantage point from inside the Colosseum provided an excellent view of the Arch of Constantine, the Forum, and the crowds of tourists below.
Sweaty and with tired feet, we left the Colosseum for our air conditioned room. After cleaning up and relaxing inside for an hour, Melissa (our host) recommended dinner at Ristorante Santa Cristina (reservations strongy recommended). It was a pleasant fifteen minute walk to this family owned restaurant tucked away into an easily missed alley. We both felt like the only tourists stopping in, which is what we were looking for. Served by the adult children, we both our enjoyed meals of pasta with zucchini flowers and green gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce. According to Nate, the gnocchi was the single greatest entree of our entire European trip.
Happy and full from a wonderful meal, we made a quick pit stop at our room to grab our camera equipment for some night time photography of the Colosseum. Even at night, there was still a small but sizable crowd observing and photographing the ancient structure. With some patience and trial and error, we were able to find several vantage points that resulted in a few favorite shots. Seeing the Colosseum lit up at night is a very different, but must-do and worthwhile experience.
The Vatican
After another breakfast of croissants and cappuccinos in the cafe next door, we embarked on our journey to Vatican City. We walked to the closest Metro stopped and used our transportation Roma pass to take the subway to Vatican City. The public transit was clean, uneventful, and rather easy to navigate. Once we stepped out of the Metro, we headed to the Vatican Museum with our prebooked e-tickets. The lines at the Vatican Museum can get quite long so we strongly advise booking your reservation ahead of time on the website and printing your tickets before you leave home.
Our ticket let us access the Vatican museum, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica (which actually free to the public if you aren't interested in visiting the other parts of Vatican City). Once again, we used a Rick Steves' audio tour that we downloaded at home before leaving for our trip. The tour highlighted many art treasures including
School of Athens by Raphael.
After wandering around the various wings of the museum, we headed into what is probably the highlight of the entire tour...the Sistine Chapel. We made sure to take a seat along the side to stare up at the magnificent ceiling. Unfortunately, we do not have any photographs as they are forbidden and we are rule followers. It's hard to forget this rule as the security guards constantly yell out "NO FOTOS," but even this could not detract from the experience.
After exiting the Sistine Chapel, we stopped in St. Peter's Square to refill our water bottles. Rome is filled with free drinking fountains that have fresh, clean water, which really helps in the heat of summer. Plus, the usually look more like decorative fountains than our boring silver water fountains at home.
Before heading into the Basilica, we spent some time walking around St. Peter's Square. We were both surprised by just how large of a space it was. When we see it on television for papal audiences, it is filled with people. We didn't realize just how many people pack the Square until we saw it in person. We even had to break out the wide angle lens to fit it all in a frame.
If you plan on visiting St. Peter's Basilica, you need to know about the dress code, which is strictly enforced. No shorts, miniskirts, or bare shoulders for men, women, or children. If you arrive unprepared, vendors sell scarves outside to cover your shoulders or wrap around your waist. Otherwise, when you enter, you'll have to wear paper-towel type cover-ups. It's easiest (and respectful) to just dress appropriately for the day.
One of the reasons we spent some time in the Square before entering the Basilica was because we were waiting for the sun to lower in the sky. Our guidebook recommended entering St. Peter's Basilica in the late afternoon in order view the beams of light coming in through the windows. We are certainly glad that we waited because the lighting inside the Basilica was breathtaking at this time of day and it added a mysterious ambiance to an already majestic structure.
Once inside, we plugged our headphones into our phones to listen to the Rick Steves' audio tour of St. Peter's that we downloaded before we left home. The tour took us into the various side chapels to admire great works of art such as Pieta. However, we were often distracted by the grand size of the church (largest in the world) and the light beams that seemed more impressive from any angle. The main aisle of the Basilica marks where other famous churches end (such as St. Paul's in London and Notre Dame in Paris), which really makes you appreciate the scale.
Before heading home, we took one last look from St. Peter's Square and chuckled at the uniforms of the Swiss Guards who protect Vatican City.
On our way back from a full-day of sightseeing at the Vatican, we got off at the Metro stop (Flamanio) closest to Piazza del Popolo. Our handy Rick Steves' guidebook included a map of a recommended nighttime stroll through Rome called the Dolce Vita Stroll, which would take us From this Piazza to the Spanish Steps. Before starting the stroll, we detoured into Santa Maria del Popolo to view works by Caravaggio (sometimes the Art History major in Ashley takes over). After exiting the church, we started the stroll. Most evenings, some of the main streets close to traffic and become pedestrian only zones, which was one of our favorite aspects of Roman life. Locals and tourists all slowly strolled along the walkways window shopping and enjoying the night air with a cone of gelato. Our walk ended at the Spanish Steps. Like the Trevi Fountain, it was crowded but we were still able to find a small spot to sit down on the steps to people watch and enjoy the atmosphere. Definitely a memorable way to spend our last night in the eternal city.
While sad to leave Rome, we both looked forward to studying the Renaissance in Florence tomorrow.
