The Romance of Roma

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I am currently travelling through some more of Italy. The Last time I was in this country was to travel along the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii. Previous to that I had been to Rome during an infamous Contiki tour so after such a brief visit I was determine to return and now, seven years later, here I am. The second time in Rome has definitely been worth it. I don't know if it's looking at the same thing with experienced eyes or I just have less money to spend in shops and as a result am finding all the free stuff really cool. But Rome was a great way to start this trip.
The day I arrived it was pouring rain so lugging my back pack was not the greatest. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy the train system was and made my way very easily to a great hotel. But more on that later. So everytime I say I am going to Rome the only advise anyone ever gives me is .......'oh be careful of those pick pockets on the trains...... they cram you in tight.... keep your bags where you can see them.' Well all I can say is I think times have changed. No one even looked at me. I experience more bodily contact on the tubes in London everyday I go to work. There wasn't even tight cramming however, they do not wait for you to get off the train at any stops so there is always a large bottleneck as you try to get off and others try to get on. One particular day I could see that Al and I were not going to make it off the train so as the doors began to close I shoved myself between them and they squashed me. But then the doors reopened and it gave us both time to get out. But other than that one act of heroism from my part, the trains are not as bad as everyone is lead to believe. Now I have said this, everyone else who goes to Rome will be mugged the moment they jump on a train LOL.
I arrived a day earlier than Al so it was really great to settle into the hotel and do some reminiscing. The hotel was really lovely. Basic, as most hotels in Italy are. But it was clean and the owners were friendly. We had to hike 3 levels of stairs which is a really great thing to help burn those extra calories you eat everyday. But our room had these beautiful large windows that didn't give us an exciting view but showed us some of the smaller roads that led to the Vatican. We were so close to the Vatican City that we could hear the bells morning, noon and night. There is something very romantic about the sounds of Rome and I felt like I was plucked straight out of the movie 'A Room With A View' and I was Lucy Honeychurch, repressed and searching for something but not knowing what..... mmmmmm this all sounds pretty korny, I am sure........ but as a young girl I would watch that movie over and over again and always wish to visit Rome one day. Anyway the rain settled as soon as I was settled in my room and I took myself on a journey or more like a mission; one of the main reasons I wanted to go back to Rome...... PIZZA! On my last visit I had stumbled across what I believe to be the best pizza I had ever tasted. For all this time I had visually remembered the location of the tiny take away pizza shop and now I had the opportunity to spend some time searching for it again. I spent about 2 hours searching around the edge of the Vatican City until I decided it was time for a rest so I went and sat in St Peters's Vatican Square. I sat for another 2 hours and observed lots of people passing by till I finally heard my stomach calling and headed back to the hotel. On the way home I settled for some mediocre pizza but a really cute looking pizza boy (!!!!) and then had an early night.
The next morning I went on my Pizza search again before Al arrived at midday but once more had no luck. Then I met Al which was really exciting and made me realise that the holiday was real. The poor guy was very jet lagged and wanting rest but I insisted that there was no time to waste and I dragged him to the Trevi Fountain. The weather was perfect so we sat for a while and made a wish as we threw money into the water. Although Al forgot to make a wish the first time so he had to do it again he he he he. MMMMMM just wondering now what happens to all that money????? Then we walked to the elaborate Pantheon which was originally built as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome and is now Romes oldest standing domed structure. This is also the place where the famous painter Raphael is buried. I have never really travelled with anyone else before so this trip to Italy was going to be a first for me. I was very quick to discover the benefits of travelling with another. Al is a super organised person who likes to do lots or research before he begins his travels. Lucky for me he has a magic love affair with North Americas answer to the Lonley Planet 'Rick Steves'. This guy has books on every location you can imagine and Al was even able to download some podcasts on many of the landmarks throughout Rome. So we enjoyed many guided tours on Al's ipod. We ended the day with a walk to the Colosseum but both of us had been inside the structure before so we just enjoyed another Rick Steve's guided tour of the outside then headed back to the Hotel. We planned to make an early start the following day and beat the crowds to the Vatican Museum.
So the next morning we were up at 6am, eating breakfast and on the line outside the Vatican Museum by 7.30 am. The pain of waking so early paid off because by opening at 8.15 the lines were long and we were able to walk straight into the museum. It was also great because there were no crowds. We headed to the Sistine Chapel and sat in there for almost 1 hour listening to another 'Rick Steves's epic' which was again, very informative but man my neck was hurting. I was amazed to learn about the process that Michaelangelo under went to paint the beautiful walls. Don't know how his neck handled the looking up for sooooooooo long. I was facsinated by the way he painted each part of the ceiling in segments. After completing the first two he realised that his figures were too detailed and lacked drama from the ground below so for the rest of the segments the paintings are larger and less detailed. We spent more than half a day exploring the Museum including viewing lots of rooms painted by Raphael and Botticelli. By the end we were exhausted and the crowds inside the Museum were unbelievable so we decided to start heading back to the hotel for an afternoon siesta. As we left the museum the uscita (exit) took us straight part Thr Basilica which we had wanted to do but were feeling to tired. We decided to bare the lethargic feelings we were both experiencing and tour the the Basilica. The thought of another early start and long lines was way less appealing.
I don't know how I missed the Basilica last time I was at the Vatican, but I did. This Church is incredible! I have seen some beautiful, large Mosques in Morocco but this place takes the cake. This church is the buriel site of St Peter, one of Jesus' 12 apostles. It has the Baldacchino, a pavilion-like structure 30 metres (98 ft) tall and claimed to be the largest piece of bronze in the world, which stands beneath the dome and above the altar and The Pieta, sculptured by Michelangelo. There is so much grandness and so much beauty I can not put what I saw into full words. Most of the design in and around the Basilica was designed and funded by Barberini. The Barberini was a family of the Italian nobility that rose to prominence in 17th century Rome. Their influence peaked with the election of Cardinal Maffeo Barberini to the papal throne in 1623, as Pope Urban VIII. The family intitials are found throughout the Vatican, including all the stautes that line St Peters Square. They are The families favourite saints. Even the Baldichino has images of a pregnant member of the Barberini family enduring the pain of labour.
On the third morning we headed back to the Vatican to climb to the top of the Dome and visit the Crypt where all the Popes are buried. Both were worth the visit and another major highlight of our time in Rome. But before I go on, that morning we decided to take a different route to the Vatican and I could not believe my eyes when we stumbled across my favourite PIZZA. There it was and as I bit into the first piece it was still as good. I could not get enough even though I had just had breakfast. I don't know what it is exactly that makes this pizza so great but I think it's a combination of the light and crunchy crust, the tomato base or the exact amount of fresh tomatoes, sliced mozzerella and the final touch of basil! My mouth still waters and craves that bloody pizza.
So back to the Crypt....... The crowds around Pope John Pauls Tomb are very large and that is clearly the main attraction but the tombs of all the other Popes are far more detailed and sculpted and soooooooo old. Our climb to the top of the Dome was breathtaking, inside and out. We were able to take great panoramic shots and could not believe how high that dome really was until we were at the top. Exactly 2 football fields high. INCREDIBLE!
So I have written heaps I know, but Rome was everything I expected and more. I really believe in doing a place well and Rome certainly set the scene for the rest of the trip.

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Photos

The Pieta
Inside the Basilica

Guards at the Vatican
Poor Blokes!

MMMMMM...
The best pizza in the world!