Whenever I try to explain to people how I felt when we visited Rome, my mind races and my words stampede over each other into an incomprehensible babble. No bones about it, I. Love. Rome.
From our lovely hosts Vincent and Barbara at Arena House to the waiters who remembered us a second time at Triclinium Restaurant even among the throngs of tourists that flood this truly beguiling city every glorious day.
We were based three blocks from the Colosseum which makes for an easy landmark to find your way home should you get lost and a tremendous sight to see when setting out each morning to explore. Helpfully we were also one block from a bus route that practically links all the essential sights in one daily rider ticket. Much cheaper than the tourist buses, if a little less earphone commentary and a lot more riding with nuns.
We’d prebooked our tickets for the Vatican City so skipped the by-then non-existent line-up, but hey, you can’t be too careful. It’s a common problem when moving through room after room of stupidly expensive art, sculpture, tapestries, architecture and static history that you become numb. Once you’ve seen several priceless pieces of art you seen them all and just wish there was a chair to take a load off. It’s all cleverly laid out to make you walk past e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. before you’re allowed near the Sistine Chapel. Which let’s face it, was basically all I was remotely consumed with seeing. It was another of those places that I tucked into my little brain when my parent’s came back from their big European adventure in the 1980s and tried to tell us about…when all I wanted to know was if I would have to go back to making my own school lunch without the iced vo-vo’s now that we weren’t living with nan and pop anymore?
The room is crowded, a constant hubbub of multi-national tourists blithely ignoring the signs imploring for silence and reflection. Security guards occasionally bellow “No photos!” when they spot a flash but don’t kid themselves they would be able to find the culprit – and what would they do if they did find them? Hardly comply to the silence mandate. We spent a long time craning our necks upwards, trying in vain to make out the intricate details of Michaelangelo’s masterpiece. Even from the ground it is mesmerising, with so much going on you would be well advised to take some binoculars if you want to get a really good look.
Another memorable sight in the Vatican museums was the magnificent spiral staircase down to the ground in the Museo del Tesoro della Basilica di San Pietro. A piece of art itself, it really makes you slow down as you walk and keep looking up and down and all around, it’s thoroughly beautiful.
Once outside the walls we rounded the corner to head towards St Peter’s Square, passing the most fashionable policewomen in the world. It must be the only place in the world where you’re allowed to wear colourful-lens aviator sunglasses, leave your long hair untied and flowing, plaster on the make up, look thoroughly fed up, and wear high heels. They also looked like you wouldn’t want to mess with them and they could probably chase you down, yes, even in the heels.
After the stuffy rooms inside, the expanse and buzzing atmosphere of the Square was lovely. We refreshed in the fountains, refilled our water bottles, people-watched for a while, and dismissed the idea of lining up for a VERY long time to get inside the Basilica. Had our fill of religious ostentation already thanks.
With the Vatican ticked off the list it was back on the local bus to our hotel and dinner with a commanding view of the Colosseum and a completely unplanned blazing bus fire. We got the whole show from our table including the rather delayed reaction from the fire brigade before going back to our feast.
We hit the Colosseum the next morning, touring the awe-inspiring ruins in the brilliant sunshine and stopping every few metres to take yet another photo as each turn seemed to give a different view. From how it appears from the outside to what is revealed inside, I feel the ancient wonder holds so many layers and secrets it would be impossible to know the whole story in just one visit. We rested in the shade towards the end, climbing up onto a fallen marble column, the cooling stone relieving our aching legs and again indulged in the hypnotic pasttime of people watching. Sitting in an arena dedicated to bloodshed for sport, persecution and indescribable humiliation, I can’t tell you why or how it happened, but something in the air had us both grow emotional, thinking about family and wanting to share the amazing places of the world with people we love. Perhaps it was something to do with being thankful for being alive today so we could see it as a tourist attraction, and not during the centuries when it was created.
During the afternoon we surprised ourselves at being able to navigate our way to the Red Bicycle Tour office for an afternoon city tour on two wheels. We did wonder to ourselves occasionally what on earth we were thinking when we were mixing it with the traffic chaos, however it was all worth the raised heart rate. The Imperial Palace viewed as a whole from across the Circus Maximums is massive, The Orange Garden is pure tranquility, back again to Vatican City and St Peter’s Square, the imposing Pantheon with a chance to do a round inside, the incredible Piazza Navona and over tiny bridges to Travestere, the picture in the postcards for bright earthy tones on the close walls of buildings lining narrow cobblestone alleys. Cobblestones on a bike…now there’s something I’ll never quite be able to forget. We stopped for delicious gelato in a quiet backstreet before getting back on the bikes and on the road to Castel Sant’Angelo – or Hadrian’s Mausoleum, built in 123-139AD. Literally each and every corner you turn in Rome brings you to yet another astounding view of past centuries, living history you can go up to, touch and gape open-mouthed at.
We made our own way to the Spanish Steps for an evening sitting among the flower pots put out in Spring and being serenaded by talented opera singers giving a few a capella concert on the steps. These are the times I really love traveling. Sure, you can look in a book or browse Google to see photos of places, but you’ll never be treated to a soul-soothing experience made up entirely of beautiful things. The sweeping stairs, abundant flower pots, evening air, excellent singers and complete strangers all milling about and meaning no harm to each other. Why is this such a rare thing to happen these days?
Our ride home in the night bus made us thankful we were near the Colosseum – all lit up like a glowing beacon, it makes it a lot easier to know when our stop is coming up from inside the trundling bus.
The next day the hits just kept on coming with time spent in the Forum and Palatine Hill. My god it’s enormous. We started with an entrance further down the road than the usual, and crowded, entrance opposite the Colosseum and got straight in to meander up and left to the Imperial Palace. As we’d seen from the bike tour, this ancient building is massive and though now just huge terracotta-coloured walls with grass floors and a sprinkling of poppies, the grand scale is a sign of its significance in the past. The lovely rose garden commands a great view above the main avenues and across to the Colosseum on the right and the War Memorial to the left. We made our way down to the ground, passing ancient buildings, tall trees and weary tourists while taking in panoramic views over the whole site. It’s amazing to me that something so ancient and so large, in such a crowded and popular city is still standing. And I’m eternally grateful.
As we emerged out of the gates at the far end we followed the tips from our B&B hosts and made our way through the twisting alleys to take the side entrance to an enchanting church tucked behind the massive War Memorial…which then let us straight to the viewing terrace above the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We descended the grand white staircases, moving through the museum rooms with their solemn air and enjoying the cool inside. Once you make it outside and see the size of the building, it’s truly impressive.
Even on our walk back to the B&B we were able to take a boardwalk over ruins that line the road between the War Memorial and the Colosseum. So much history survives and is made accessible all around Rome, you trip over it, traipse the same roads as those characters with almost-mythical status from ancient eras. Not since visiting Turkey all those years ago have I felt so enchanted by the life and times of long ago centuries…and still terrifically happy to be alive today to appreciate it without having to live through it. It’s all such an utterly and amazingly different perspective from which to be grateful for hot running water and electricity.
Rome is now in my Top 5 Favourite Cities and I know I will always love her. If ever you’re going, please let me know so I can meet you there!