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Published: April 12th 2024
Roaming on Roma Roads
I put a lot a mileage on the cobble roads of RomeAh. Solo travel.
I’m back bay-bee! Not that I didn’t enjoy the company of my fellow travelers while exploring Egypt & Jordan, but I do get a certain thrill of independence when going it alone.
Besides, I enjoy all those crazy idiosyncrasies from traveling that burble up to the surface. Like. Trying to decipher a train schedule in a different language. Washing my smalls in a sink. Getting ripped off by a taxi driver. Getting caught up in a photo deluge of Asian tourists. Having a communication breakdown with the Carrefour cashier. Ordering something off a menu without knowing what it is. That familiarity of confusion when I’m by myself somehow feels so strangely comforting.
So. Italy. What an absolute gem.
Interestingly enough, my plan to wait until I officially retired before visiting Europe…one of my biggest travel faux-pas.
As it was, I was nearing pensionable earnings and preparing to conquer all 44 countries on the European continent when that pesky Covid pandemic made landfall. That, and the death of my best friend Shell put a serious delay into my European plan. Bucket List paused. By the time the pandemic dissipated, I had already moved on
Quintessential Roma
I always try to capture how Rome felt so I can remember the feeling later, I think this picture feels like Rome. to other exotic places. Like the Middle East.
But even that was halted suddenly when Hamas decided to throw hands with Israel, so instead of going to Tel Aviv and Lebanon, I’ve doubled back to my European conquering. I have some serious catching up to do.
Five European countries down, 39 to go. Ah, Rome. I'm slightly disappointed it took this long for me to visit you.
But. I just knew a more older, wiser, Andrea would truly appreciate all the historical shenanigans of the Roman Empire, as well as the simple joys of strolling through endless museums, ruins, landscapes, palaces. All the while peacefully viewing art and fountains, and fully indulging in the food and wine culture.
Twenty-something Andrea wouldn't have noticed any of Europe. Or been able to afford it. Fate intervened back then and directed me towards a GAP year to Central America instead. It was all salty boys and sunburns, hostel bedbugs, scooter rashes, and alcohol poisonings. No regrets.
Arriving in Rome via Istanbul, I blindly booked a budget hotel in an Italian suburb close to a metro station, with local grocers and cafes to browse. Interestingly enough, my chosen lodging
Picnic in the Park
Restaurants were too expensive so I brought a little picnic to enjoy in the parks all over roam. was in the annex of a fully functioning church which rang its bells wonderfully all throughout the day.
Perfect. My room had those glorious floor to ceiling windows I could open fully and spy through wispy curtains onto the pedestrians as they passed obliviously underneath, their animated sing-songs accents bend my ear, the sounds and smells of Italy filled my room daily with bakery waft and belching scooters, children yelling back and forth at each other as they walk to primary school, and of course, the wee-da wee-da wee-waahs as they’d rumble up the black cobblestones on route to save a life. I even had a young lovers quarrel right under my window ledge.
Poor Juliette, what ever Romeo did, tragic. Wandering the suburbs. I felt like a real Roman, queueing up at the local panatteria behind a gesticulating Nonna. When my number was called, I pointed to what I thought was a simple slice of Margherita pizza.
Um. Hello? Stuffed with prosciutto ham?? After being in an Islamic country for over a month, I almost passed out with glee.
The first couple of mornings, I’d stroll the entire outer wall of the Holy See before settling
Mamma Mia
Gotta love being in a local bakery behind a gesticulating nonna. in at a nice cafe to people watch and wait for my Vatican tour to commence. The crowds were unbelievably thick. But with a strong cappuccino, I was prepared mentally for the innevible scrum.
Answer me this. Is there even an off-season in Italy? We (me, and the million other Vatican tourists) crammed through the museum, and went room for room while our lovely Italian guide described everything in sordid detail, I was mesmerized by her mamma-mia cadence, and her ability to keep the flock together and focused.
The Vatican City itself is a wonder. Honestly. I went back to the museum once more before I left Rome. With all that stunning architecture, the endless art, sculptures, tapestries, wall decor, ceiling frescos, I had to.
Plus, always being eye-level to the endless marble statue’s tiny twigs & berries, a comedic bonus.
According to whomever told me, the pontiff was in residence, but had no scheduled viewings.
He must not have gotten word I was in town. We moved as a tsunami of humans, and were ushered right into the Sistine Chapel. Told in hushed voices not to speak or take photos while we admired
Roman Glory
What a spectacular ruin left for all of us to marvel at so may year later. the roof art, I glanced over to see a few Italian-Americans arguing loudly about how to get a insta-worthy photo of the ceiling. This entire church is tiny but stunning, Michelangelo's fresco is the celebrated masterpiece and portrays the creation of Adam, with paintings of the Last Judgment. Wall frescoes depict the life of Moses and Christ.
I got my entire fill of religion in just minutes, only to be moved on to the Super Bowl of churches, St. Peter’s Basilica. The sheer size of it, ominous. The marble exquisite, the art, mind blowing. I was drawn mainly to Michelangelo’s ‘Pieta’, a sculpture that actually makes you feel Mary’s anguish holding her dying son.
Lovely. I stayed long after my tour was over and wandered around the grounds in awe. Many of the queues for specific experiences were far too long, like getting your passport stamped with the Holy See, or climbing up to the dome for an eagle eye view. My patience even impressed me.
Upon exiting, the amount of pilgrims camped on the outskirts of the Vatican wall was alarming, I watched a few of them bath in the water fountain while tourists strolled by with
Nuns with Attitude
Gotta love the sisters, we ate gelato while we waited our turn at the Pantheon. their gelatos, pretending they didn't exist.
Were they here for a pilgrim’s blessing? Or did they have no where else to go? I sat in a cafe and googled about it, the current Pope apparently welcomes their presence and is attempting to eradicate this particular social calamity by offering free sleeping bags, free showers nearby, and most importantly, free food.
Once I got the Vatican out of my system, I was excited to experience the rest of Rome. Enjoy, I did.
Food culture is always top of my agenda when visiting a new foreign country, so I made sure I ate cacio e pepe and those fried rice balls, and braised artichokes. I also ate gelato for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Fact. I didn’t know Ancient Rome was right downtown in Rome, Rome. I know right? What a fascinating day I had walking amongst the actual ruins of the city.
Besides, it’s a lovely autumn day and apparently, it’s also torrential downpour season. I should have taken notice when I was accosted by several umbrella and rain poncho salesmen the minute I came out of the Colosseo metro station.
But no. I was too
Vatican Art
Look up, look way up, the Vatican museum had too many treasures to take in in one tour. I went back a second day to see things I missed. This Michael Angelo ceiling was stunning. dazzled by the 2,000 year old Colosseum sat before me under a perfectly dramatic sky. With just a smidge of dire humidity, it was nothing my jeans and shell jacket couldn’t withstand.
In my entire life, how may times have I seen photos of this stunningly preserved amphitheater? Hundreds. I couldn’t help but spend the better part of a morning walking round and round it until I was able to queue up for my tour of the insides. As the tour guide spewed statistic and witty repartee, the skies organized overhead.
I had no idea my day was about to get wetter. No need for Google maps, I just followed the masses of tourists along the Via Dei Fori Imperiali and we all went past the Foro Traiano and then stopped to admire the massive Piazzo Venazia with its stunning facade. Purposely, me and the pedestrians all continued on towards the Pantheon.
Startled by the sheer number of lineups to get in, I panicked and went tablecloth shopping instead. When I finally regrouped after a strong caffe at a local shop, I found myself lined up amongst a flock of Nuns, so we all ate gelato
Right out of the Sears Catalog
Striking a pose during their smoke break while waiting our turn. This was when I felt the first rain drop hit my forehead.
I noticed the umbrella and plastic poncho salesmen circling ever tighter.
Once inside, the 1899 year old Pantheon with its oculus eyeball roof does not disappoint. Another amazing engineering feat by the Romans, the sheer beauty and marvel of it, well worth the wait. In retrospect, I should have stayed ten minutes longer, apparently when it rains outside, it rains inside the building spectacularly.
Instead, I headed in the wrong direction for the Trevi Fountain. After a few wrong turns. Fat raindrops. Seconds later, utter deluge.
No where to run to, no where to hide.
A few local Italians waved me in towards their mediocre cover, under those weird marine pines. I dove for it. Flashes of purple lightening overhead. I knew in an instant it was the wrong decision but had no where else to shelter. After some time, the storm passed. I wrung out my windbreaker. Not as waterproof as I once believed.
The winds kicked up, so I decided to walk it off as an attempt to dry off. I didn’t get very far. Once
Nothing to see here.
But why do they have to be eye level. again. Absolute downpour. I couldn’t even see my hands in front of my face. A small bookstore took pity on me and allowed myself and about a dozen others to loiter in their entranceway.
That smug umbrella salesman popped up before me like a magician, shoving his wares in my face.
Did he actually follow me here? This time, he wrestled 8 euros out of me like a pro.
With no workable data and not a clue which direction it was to the metro, all I could think to do before the third torrent of rain was to lineup at what appeared to be a taxi stand and hope for a miracle. Most of the Italian commuters were yelling back and forth at each other already. Apparently line-cutters are not acceptable. At any age or disability. I took up proper position, and waited. It was at this moment, I realized that ridiculous looking rain poncho I turned down earlier in the day was indeed the smarter choice. The heavens opened up.
This little Nonna approached the taxi stand with a plastic bag over her coiffed hair and with her pleading eyes, I made room for
Fountains of Rome
Water for drinking if you dare. Mind the bandaids, trash, and goz. her under my umbrella made of tin foil. The wind whipped us around. The rain bounced up and hit us in the face. She tried to tell me stuff, but I didn’t understand. So we just stood together in solidarity while the crowds yelled at more Italians who tried to cut in line. Finally, it was our turn for a taxi. One pulled up in slow motion and I put Nonna in my cab and waved her off. I insisted. She and I didn’t verbally communicate, but we understood each other perfectly. We went through something, she and I.
I am pretty sure I’ll be in tonight’s dinner conversation. Back at the hotel, I wrung out my jeans and tried to dry out my sneakers with a hairdryer. An absolute success of a day in Rome nonetheless, and exactly why I like to travel. Off season. Funny thing is, I’ll probably remember that little Nonna at the taxi stand more fondly than the roof of the Pantheon.
I’m happy to report that traveling solo is such a breeze in Rome. I’d pop up at a different metro station each day and then just “roam.”
See what I did Ah the Gelato
I had way too many but I didn’t care. Lemoncello was the best there.
Getting to decide what to do each day while having a full continental breakfast in the bowels of a church. Epic! I had budgeted to eat out at restaurants in Rome, but twice a day does add up. So instead, I'd pack myself a little picnic or grab a slice from a nearby trattoria and go sit on a bench in one of the many peaceful parks around the city for lunch. Rest my feet. I'd watch men in fine Italian suits conduct phone meetings, a vagrant man pick food out of bins and collect rotten oranges from underneath a tree, and young Italians cuddle far from the watchful eyes of family members. It felt gorgeous.
After a week of exploring Rome, I think I saw everything.
Well, everything I wanted to see. So I decided to take a last minute day-tripper bus south with the sole intention of eating Neapolitan pizza in Naples.
Why not? When in Rome?
Anyways, the downtown core of Naples had a vibe unlike a prison yard and we were shuffled through it in a blur of narrow graffitied corridors to get to a famous trattoria where we queued
And the food….
OMG such a wonderful place for food. I particularly enjoyed these ham stuffed pizzas, after spending time in Muslim countries with the lunchtime crowd and shoved a slice of undercooked pizza down our gullets in record time.
Left only with an oily residue ring around my mouth. That was Naples. Apparently not a place you want to hang around for very long? Naples seemed pleasant enough to me especially when I saw thick farmers markets, as we made our hasty exit via the narrow streets. The Hortie in me can’t help but point out the abundance of superior, gigantic fruits and vegetables from this region. It’s no doubt the volcanic breadbasket of Italy. Impressive. I’d move here in a minute if the threat of dying in a pyroclastic flow wasn’t so real.
Next we went through a long mountain tunnel and popped out along the Amalfi coastline. Our large greyhound bus could only go so far on the twisty roads clinging precariously to the cliff side, so we were transferred to minivans and taken to Positano, where I paid $40 cdn for a slice of Tiramisu and caffe before I realized I’d paid $40 cdn for a slice of Tiramisu and caffe.
It was raining, so it didn't have that sun kissed, romantic ambiance of Positano that
Mary cradles Jesus
I’m not religious but the emotion clearly comes through in this marble statue called Pieta by Michelangelo. I imagined, the dark sand beach packed up and ugly, but I happily hoofed up and down its narrow throughways while avoiding the insanely expensive shops selling lemon-themed housewares and beach coverups.
Some fun-loving Canadian guy was on my bus with his family and kept offering me, and a few of the other riders, limoncello shots. That way we could ignore the British tourists who griped over issues that were beyond the tour director’s control. Like rain.
Disappointingly, Mount Vesuvius wasn’t visible because of the thick clouds that followed us from Rome. We skipped a viewpoint because there was no view, and we rolled into the world heritage site I’ve been waiting to see since I was a kid.
The entire story of Pompeii has fascinated me immensely. I’m also a closet Vulcanist, so anything related to volcanoes and lava. I’m in! Nearly 2000 years ago, Pompeii was a city for the posh and elite, a port city that obviously thrived and flourished when suddenly, it was covered with 6 meters of ash. Fast forward to the 1700's when it was rediscovered, and then to today where millions of tourists like me come to see what Ancient
Basilica beautiful
These domes really feel like Italy. Rome was really looked like.
How cool to walk through its narrow cobble streets, and peer into the living rooms of fairly well to do Grecian-Romans, hopping over the paving stones indented by horse cart wheels. Loaves of bread still in bakery ovens. Plaster casts of humans who didn’t have a chance to escape on that doomed day. Pots for snackables left in small fast food outlets. Bathhouses, amphitheaters, and public toilets all spectacularly preserved.
Of course, with this much wealth and opulence comes the ugly part of humanity: Prostitution and Slavery. As history shows us time and again, humans will always enjoy having power over other humans. It’s our sad legacy. But it will always be important to know what ancient humans did to other humans, even though hearing about it does make you wince.
The entire site of Pompeii is massive and there is just not enough time to take in everything. Especially on a tour. The weather cleared for a minute while we all gathered in the massive town square, and we could actually see the volcano shadow lurking in the backdrop.
They do forecast that one of the three volcanoes in this
What’s everyone doing?
I happened upon the Trevi fountain following the crowds. I managed to scrum in past all the Influencers and throw a coin over my shoulder so I can return in day. Then I went for gelato. area is well past its due date to come online. So, have the millions of Naples people learn from their ancestors? I guess we will find out.
As dusk descended, we hopped back onto our bus and headed back into the heavy traffic of Rome. The limoncello shots at the back of the bus made it all very unnoticeable. After a few wines in the Piazza del Popolo with my new acquaintances, I poured myself into a taxi.
I already know my 8 days in Rome wasn't enough. Not to mention how I need to explore the rest of Italy. But it was a great introduction. I threw a coin over my shoulder at the Trevi fountain, just to ensure I’d be back.
Tomorrow is a full travel day. I am headed to the stunning land of fire & ice.
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John and Sylvia
John Wallace & Sylvia Bowman Wallace
Positano
Hi again. You're lucky it only rained. The day I was there it snowed 4 inches and most of us were only wearing tee-shirts and shorts. Talk about cold!