Our adventure in Rome

---

After a long trip from St. Louis, MO, my wife and I finally find ourselves in Italy.

Travel

As mentioned in a previous post, both Lynda and I took separate routes to Italy due to various reasons. Lynda left St. Louis and flew through Philadelphia, PA straight to Italy and I flew through Chicago and then to Frankfurt, Germany before catching a short flight down to Rome. The flight from Frankfurt to Rome was fascinating as I had a nice window seat from which to view the Alps and central Europe before flying low over Florence and Tuscany and into Rome. After spending 10+ hours in the air it was kind of nice to see something worthwhile. Neither of our flights were too eventful but we brought enough gadgets, books, and other distractions to keep us occupied. Thanks to the generosity of our three little girls we were able to snag some iPods and Gameboy Advance's. And, thanks to modern technology, we were also able to catch 3 or 4 in-flight movies.

Once at Fiumicino airport in Rome we didn't have too much trouble finding each other (as Lynda arrived a few hours before me) and we quickly caught a train into Rome's Termini station. As it's our first time here, we weren't sure what to think of all the graffiti which covers pretty much everything visible from the train and into the center of Rome. Now that we've been here a few days we have noticed that the graffiti artists must have really focused on the train route as there isn't nearly as much graffiti anywhere else.

Upon arriving at Termini station, we unloaded our bags and hauled them into Rome's busy streets before becoming slightly lost on the way to our B&B. After much arguing my level-headed wife simply asked for directions and we realized we were very close to our destination and the trip was saved 😊

Accommodations

Once I started planning this trip I did a lot of online research as to a place to stay. Initially this trip was only going to be for myself (as I am actually just passing through Europe on my way to Bangalore, India on a business trip). For this reason I wanted somewhere smaller and reasonably priced. When planning trips I do a lot of research using TripAdvisor.com and it was on this site I ran across the B&B Giovy (find out more here. After two days I can't believe how lucky we are to have found this place and Giovanna is the most gracious host we could ever ask for. I'll post more about Giovy as our trip winds down but so far we are more than impressed.

Day 1

Ok, St. Louis, MO and Rome, Italy are six hours apart. We landed in Rome at roughly 9am Italian time (or 2am St. Louis time) and decided we didn't have time for no sleep. We unpacked and hit the road. Our first stop: Santa Maria Maggiore.



This fascinating basilica was an easy destination to start with as it is only a few blocks from our B&B. Upon entering the church, we were immediately speechless at the massive amount of art and history. Rather than me write a huge history of what this church is, I'll cheat and share this Wikipedia link. This was our first taste of the history and art that seems so commonplace in Rome and we weren't disappointed.

After leaving the Basilica we caught a cab down to the Collosseum and had our first experience riding in the crazy Roman traffic. While most people who think of Rome immediately think of the Collosseum, we didn't actually realize how impressive and large it would be. I was also unaware that it is possible to access so many parts of the structure as a tourist (even the upper levels). It was very impressive and we walked away with over 70 photos.



Finally, after spending some time out hitting the sites, the 24+ hours without sleep caught up to us and we headed back to the B&B to catch up on some sleep at fight jet-lag.

Day 2

After a great breakfast at Giovy (and some awesome Cappuccino) we headed out on foot and walked through the middle of Rome on the way back to the Collosseum. This time we used the tickets from the previous day to head into Palantine Hill and the Roman Forums. For the next 4 hours we were immersed in poking through the greatest display of ancient ruins I’ve ever seen. It was definitely like coming face to face with Imperial Rome from 200BC to 200AD. The architectural feats achieved by these people 2000+ years ago were astonishing…as well as fact that many of these structures and buildings are so well preserved today. I can’t help but wonder how well some of our current structures would hold up after 2000 years.

After leaving the Forums we headed up Via Corso, which is one of the trendiest and most popular streets in Rome. After a few miles we cut off onto a quaint side street and stopped for a Cappuccino and sandwiches at a small café before heading towards Piazza de Rotunda and the mighty Pantheon. Again, if you are unfamiliar with what the Pantheon is, please look it up. This structure was utterly breathtaking in size and scope. It is one of Rome’s most well preserved buildings and the dome itself is something that no picture or description can do justice.

Once we left the Pantheon we continued west until we came to Piaza Navona. This long plaza contains three very famous fountains and we spend a few hours wandering through the crowds, watching musicians, admiring artists, and finally stopping to enjoy a bottle of Italian wine at an outdoor café adjoining the plaza. There is nothing like people watching in one of Rome’s grand plaza’s.

After a nice break, we headed back west and saw Fontana de Trevi, or the Trevi fountain. This HUGE fountain seems to magically appear as you walk into the plaza from the little side streets and suddenly become aware of what the hundreds of other tourists in the square are staring at. We sat near the Trevi for awhile and soaked in the ambiance before finally heading north towards Santa Maria de Popolo and Piazza de Popolo. Like Santa Maria Maggiore, Santa Maria de Popolo is a true testament to mankind’s artistic ability (especially the “mankind” who lived in the 15th and 16th centuries). This church was a fascinating collection of chapel’s, naves, frescos, statues, and paintings. We snapped a ton of pictures and even spent time in the famous “Chigi Chapel” (which was undergoing some restoration). If you have read Angel’s and Demon’s recently you should be aware of this chapel.

Finally, after leaving the church, we headed up towards the Spanish Steps before stopping for more Italian wine and people watching and then heading back to the B&B.

All in all, our first full day in Rome was exhausting, fascinating, and something we’ll never forget. Tomorrow morning we’re up early and on a metro to the Vatican and Basilica San Pietro.

---

Photos

Fora Roma
My wife Lynda and I

My wife and Pinnochio
This was at the entrance to a quaint little wooden toy shop near the Pantheon