Roma Roma Roma!!!

apparently, the night before i was so tired i was in bed before johnn and while he was still up and doing something at the desk i got up, out of bed, tip-toed over to the door, looked out, mumbled something, mumbled something else when johnny asked me what i was doing and if i needed anything, and then trotted back tot he bed and got in again. i have no recollection of this. dammit! that's ok, johnny woke me up later that night talking in his sleep. i can't remember what the hell he said, but it was humorous nonetheless. :o)

after getting dressed and doing my hair (ha ha) and all that good stuff we gathered our crap and off we went! it was a beautiful morning and we started off much where we left off the night before. we went back to the piazza della repubblica and at teh back of the basilica there we found a great sculpture garden and ancient cemetery. we walked around and took pictures, then i asked the woman at the information desk, in my best spanigese (spanish + portuguese) where we were on the map i had and how to get to other places. ha ha ha ha ha, she went on and on and on about where we were, what was around there, how to get to these other places, etc. i only caught about 60 percent of it, but it was helpful enough and as i closed the book and we walked off i was quite proud of myself that my crappy language skills might actually come in handy afterall! :o)

we walked around the building to the piazza and the fountain in the middle of it, took a bunch of pictures, high, low, here, there, left, right, etc. and then crossed into the middle of the traffic circle to go play in the water of the fountain. actually, we were amazed at the doors to the basilica in the plaza - they had abstract human figures coming out of the door, half in and half out, and it was really cool the way they just seemed to be melting into.out of the door.

crossing the traffic circle, now that was an experience. omg - the italians are nuts. there's supposed to be a zebra cross walk (black and white stripes) which means they have to stop and let pedestrians cross, but you just kind of have to wait until there are fewer cars coming and then run for your life! the water in the fountain was very clean and the statues were of maidens wrestling various animals in the water while the central fountain was a male wrestling something. (see pictures, there are plenty of them i'm sure :op )

we ran for our life to get out of the traffic circle on the other side of the fountain, and when we to the sidewalk we were nothing but smiles as we looked down the via stazione and saw a beautiful, bright, old city waiting for us as it sloped down a gentle hill. again - WOW - we were in rome! we just smiled at each other and agreed that it was really cool.

as we walked along we noticed the people - again, a much better gene pool than we are used to, lol. the fashion was also good - people actually wear clothes taht fit them here and it's so nice. no big, baggy jeans or crappy oversized t-shirts that look like night gowns. instead, fitted t-shirts or collared shirts, dresses and skirts, heels or nice flats and boots for the men. *ugh* i love europe.

we came upon a tourist information desk and stopped in where i stood in line for a few minutes and listened to the assistants talk to the other people, i figured it was useless having them repeat it all over again, right? good idea, the woman ahead of me bought something called the roma pass and i asked what it was when i got to the front of the queue since she knew what she was buying and didn't get an explanation. it was 23 euros and included two passes for three days - one was a transport pass valid on all forms of public transport in the city and the other was a card to get us into the first two attractions of our choice (museums or archeological sites) for free and a discount at all others afterwards. wow - free transport and discounts into all the major attractions! kick ass!

we packed up and walked on - headed down the hill with our newly obtained map in hand. (we love the tourist info centers, we bug them continually throughout our stay anywhere we find) as we got to a sharp turn in the road we could see some more ruins and what looked like a good view if we went down some steps in a pedestrianized zone across the street. we crossed, again running for our lives, and got to the other side to follow the steps downwards. as we cam out of the alley before us spread out massive ruins and monuments of all sorts - behind which you could see palatine hill and the coliseum. we were in piazza venezia witht eh massive building dedicated to the tomb of the unknown soldier and a few other things - some nationalistic stuff, all very beautiful. directly in front of us were ruins of buildings and markets, to the right was a medium-sized church, and in front of us was the piazza. we walked to the right after taking pictures of just about everything we could from every angle, and then crossed into the median so we could get pictures of the building face-on. no biggie. when we crossed to the other side we stopped for water and a consultation of our map. johnny got the water and came back horrified - the water was 4 euros for two 20 oz bottles (or less). the water in athens was faaaaar cheaper - one euro for a 2 liter bottle.

we looked at the map and there before us was the tiber, the coliseum, the romand forum, the palatine hill - all things i had heard about in history class or seen in movies or television. WOW. :o)

we decided to take a winding path through the ruins and make out way over tot he coliseum. we started down the right side of the piazza and then found a very large, very old building which had sides covered in plants and a hill-like park that went around the side. we walked in and found that immediately the noise from the cars and traffic had been dampened 80 percent. what a difference greenery makes in a city. yikes.

we took some pirctures of flowers, paths, the trees, and the walls then mozied down another path tot he street again. as we crossed the street we could see a large clearing and figured it was the river. sure enough - as we cross the street and then walked half a block we could see the river tiber and all of the wonderful trees around its bank.

we walked to one of the downwards staircases and were able to go down tot he river's "edge" - the raised part by the river at least 50 feet down from street level but 10-15 feet above the water level. irt was gorgeous, really. the curve of the river was evident as it passed through the city and at street level there were trees lining the river continuously. the river itself was a sea green color and did not appear to be dirty or polluted for the most part. now, that doesn't mean i would go swimming in it or drink from it, but it looked clean.

we were actually across from the tiberian island, an island in the middle of the tiber connected by bridges to the mainland, and as we walked down stream we could see more of it in relation to the bridges. a few meters after the end of the island and after watching a crazy duck float the wrong way around a rock from the way it obviously wanted to go, we found another staircase that ascended back to street level. we took it and landed up only about a black from where we went down because of the way the river is bent.

we cross again, this time they stopped for us - and wandered down around some more old buildings, ruins, a sculpture or two, all ancient, and then crossed the street and went another half a block and encountered the circo massimo - circus maximus. this was where the y had chariot races and it was shaped like a 6 football fields put together with earthen bleachers. at the moment they had the european cup for beach soccer. weird. we walked down to the other end and then walked down into the pit of it. as we're going johnny says - hey, it's like their version of nascar! lol. yes, yes it is. there was also an older guy running laps in it and i thought - how cool is that, to run laps in an ancient chariot race course. ha!

climbing back up the other side we found the coliseum within shouting distance. as we walked closer we could see it and palatine hill next to each other and we got more excited at the thought of going to the place where gladiators fought for their lives or those condemned to death were thrown to the lions and other animals.

we took a few people's pictures, common by this point - we had ben doing it since athens - and had ours taken a few times with our cameras. my friend candice once told me a very wise travel tip - always give your camera to someone who is pretty imobile when you want a picture of yourself. kids, wheelchairs, old people, etc. people who aren't going to run away with it once you turn to pose for your picture. so smart she is. :o)

with the roma pass we bought earlier in the day we jumped the queue and went straight to the front without waiting - yay! after we got in we walked around the outside of the arena and then went up the stairs onto the first level - amazing view of the arena! we could look up and see the height of the stadium seating and below the lower portion of the sub-arena maze where the gladiators would have gotten ready and the wild animals would have been kept. on top of that maze of walls would have been a stage on which the fighting or executions occurred. we learned about how free citizens were condemned to a more noble death by method of beheading while slaves, traitors, and others were killed ad bestia - by beast. later, crucifixion was used as punishment but when constantine became emperor he converted to christianity and banned the used of crucifixion as punishment. instead the burnt people, lovely. the condemned would were tunica molestre - inflammable garments designed to burn easily once lit. apparently, the whole thing involved stage sets and a pantomime routine that culminated in the person being lit on fire, at which point the actors around them would writhe and contort mimicking them as they burnt alive.

after reading all that happiness we walked over to the outer portion of the stadium to overlook palatine hill, took a few panoramics, and then went back to the inner circle to get more pictures of the stage area. you could actually see in some places where the seats had been covered in marble and could imagine the whole building covered in a gleaming shell of white marble. it would have been an outstanding sight to behold i'm sure. as we tried to get out of the place we kept walking in circles around the outside and found a museum section discussing the various emperors and their legacies. we learned the origin of the modern meaning of propaganda - as it originally meant something completely different. it used to mean a political thank you from the senate and the peple to the emperor for his accomplishments or works of importance, but one emperor decided to have these thank yous (in the form of statues, monuments, and other publicly visible displays of power and achievement) commissioned by himself but still "given to him" by the senate. everyone knew what was going on though - that he was commissioning them instead of the senate, so when he died they found every instance of his likeness and defaced it, every instance of his name and scratched it out. ha, they must have reeeeeaaallly not liked him. eak.

eh, we finished with that and ran downstairs where we found the exit and started to walk around the building to get to another great street. we turned to walk up the other side of the palatine hill and as we progressed we actually found the entrance! we used our roma pass again and got in free! as we entered down a gentle slope we could see the roman forum and the buildings of the palatine up ahead. the forum spread out before us on the bottom of this archeological basin, while the HUGE buildings of the hill loomed above us. we started by walk to the left, up the hill towards a panoramic viewpoint and as we hiked up we passed giant marble churches, huge earthen urns, columns as big around as i am tall, and blocks of rock that had once been part of great walls.

we walked up to a steeper cliff which had steps carved into it and at the base a fish pond with spring water flowing freely from the mound of moss that hung over it. there were a few fish in the crystal clear water and as we walked around we came to a little enclave with three further recessions that housed mosaics, statues, and fountains, all flowing with ancient water that had deformed the statues through erosion and deposition of minerals in the form of stalactites and stalagmites.

we continued to climb and eventually wound our way up the side of the cliff to the top of the hill where we could see the whole of the roman forum spread out below us. the giant blocks we had just passed a little while ago now looked like toys, but when you compared the people standing next to them it was evident they were not.

little red poppies and other wild flowers grew in between all this ancient mess and gave life to the otherwise sterile remains of this civilization. we turned and went through an area that had been planted with roses and other plants and when we crossed the hill top came to the view of the river tiber and the the aventine hill in the distance. this was augustus' house and livia's house along with the romulean huts. the massive complex was only slightly accessible due to some filming that was going on, but we got to see a little.

time to stop for an orange and some water. as we sat on top of the hill and overlooked rome it was entirely understandable why the emperor wold choose to put his villa on top of this great hill. (rome was founded on seven of them in total) he could see all of rome and had the most important parts below him.

as we finished our snack and moved on we came up to the bathrooms and all along the way we had noticed these little fountains that were all over the city with free-flowing water. we had found one before and decided that since we had seen everyone drinking from them it must be safe - in fact, when we were coming to this conclusion out loud someone else who spoke english said yes, they were potable and that it was the best water in italy. well, free is always best.... anyway, they came in all shapes and sizes - some were simple spigots and others were elaborate fountains with granite or marble basins. this one we found had a nice statue and a basin and was surrounded by some creeping fig.

that's another thing that i had noticed even from greece - the amount of herbs that just grow like weeds here. in athens it was rosemary and lavender (which i know is not edible, but it smells lovely) and here i found more of the same as well as anise seed. gross.

we wandered back down the hill to the forum and went into one of the only buildings which people were allowed to go into. its roof had been reconstructed and inside her was a huge mosaic floor with more statues perfectly carved to such detail it was amazing.

again, trying to find our way out was a little tricky, but after wandering around for a few more minutes here and there we found the path leading out and wandered away down the road leaving the roman forum and the palatine hill behind us, thoroughly amazed at the sheer size of these buildings and the amount of skill and labor it took to erect them.

we bactracked a little since the piazza venezia was right by the forum and made our way back up to the via stazione. on our way back we stopped at the tourist information booth again and enquired about the vatican city tours and how much it would cost, etc. we talked to a woman who was very lively and very italian, but decided to come back later after making the decision.

we walked bak up the via stazione and back to termini station to the room. ooooooh, what a hike. we plugged cameras in and downloaded pictures and while all that was happening we took showers so we would feel human again after sweating profusely all day long.

in reality, we could have gone on longer but we realized that our cameras hadn't been charged from the night before and mine died then johnny's died and we didn't want to go anywhere we would want pictures of only to have to go back the next day, so we decided we'd just go charge the cameras and use the time for other things. we got a few postcards on the way back and after we were done showering we grabbed the computer and went down to look for a wifi spot, but to no avail. instead we just got what we thought were two cafe lattes, but apparently when i said cafe she said bianco and i said si - then she asked if i wanted it hot, i said yes --- what we got were two glasses of hot milk. ha ha ha ha ha. i had to ask the waiter again and point o the menu where it said cafe latte to order the right thing. again - those false cognates will get you. :op

after writing a little bit and finishing our coffee and milk, and the little free pastry the waiter brought out to us as a way of saying sorry for the confusion, we decided to go back to the tourist stand and actually buy the tickets for the vatican city. we got over there about 18:45 and bought the tickets before they closed at 19:00, and the same woman was very helpful in giving us a map with the wifi spots circled on them. encouraged, we went-a-walking in search of one of these wifi spots and came to a smaller piazza where she had circled. we went into a cafe and sat down to order something (cause it would be rude not to) and look for a wifi signal. sure enough, there was one - but it was locked and not free from the city. dammit! oh well. we used the time to write more postcards anyway.

at a certain point in time it looked like they were packing up or changing shifts, or something was going on and we decided to hit the road. as we walked through the streets, wandering through this street and that street, this alley and that alley, we came upon the fontana di trevi - trevi fountain. we walked through the square and didn't stay long, but on the road near it we stopped and got gelatto for the second time on this trip! yay for gelatto! the first was in athens when we went out after waiting a while for fotis to get back to his apt. we tasted a bunch of different things there and this time we pretty much settled on what we wanted rather quickly. i got cherry and johnny got aftereight (like mint chocolate chip) mmmmmmmmm

as we walked we ate our gelatto and talked about the day. we also decided, since it was friday night, that we were going to go out. when we got back to the room we changed clothes again and got all spiffed up. now, there were a few places listed in our guide book, but i had cut out a few articles about bars in rome from work and wanted to go to a few of those. johnny, to my surprise, said he didn't mind and would be a good sport and go along. LOL -- i was kind of impressed that he didn't opt out, although he kept asking me "what do i do if someone hits one me?!?!" i laughed and just said use me as your excuse. ha ha ha.

anyway, we're wandering around the streets looking for this place and, like most places in europe, it didn't have a great exterior that draws a lot of attention. we actually walked by the place the first time and had to turn around and walk back. when we got there the doorman asked us how long we were going to be in rome and we said 4 days - he opened the door and told the ticket guy we were to get in free! actually, the ticket guy turned out to be the owner and spoke english! not only was he american, he was from alexandria, louisiana and had been to my bar! wow, what a small world. we sat and talked to him for a little bit, he was very friendly. afterwards we went in and walked around, got a drink, and sat down at the bar for a little bit. i ordered campari and orange because that's what i like to drink, but johnny didn't really know what to get so he ordered the same. ha ha ha ha ----- the look on his face when he got it! campari is an italian liqueur that is bitter and is bright red. the red color is actually from beetles and is the same pigment found in some paints. i drink it with orange juice because it cuts the bitterness and makes it taste like ocean spray ruby red grapefruit juice, but johnny didn't think much of it. oh well. lol.

we just sat and chatted - it was early. after a bit i took out the map and looked for another place to go. we found the closest one on the map and then decided to head out for it. let me tell you - this ain't nola. from one bar to the next was a hike in and of itself. we should have gotten public transport or a taxi or something... i mean, we hadn't worked up a sweat by the time we got to the other place, but it certainly was warm. on the way we had to stop and ask for directions in a hotel and the guy was really friendly about it, but when we got there it was kind of crap and they weren't nearly as nice so we didn't pay cover to get in and walked back to the first place for another drink. johnny got bourbon and ginger ale this time, lol. i got another campari.

there was definitely more of a crowd this time, but nothing really going on and so we had our drinks, talked about all the people in the place, and then when that got old we just left for the room cause we had an early-ish day the next day.

we actually got turned around and it took us longer than it should have to get back to the room, but eventually we got there and once again passed out from exhaustion. another great day completed. :o)

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