When in Rome

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Hi

me again, well more then anything I'm writing this blog to remind myself of the time I had in ROme in many years in the future because as times go it was quite a good one.

Anyway we (me and Emma) had an early morning flight to Rome and then train ride from the airport to the city centre where we dropped our bags off (at the train station) and then headed straight for the Colleseum and were there by about 12.

As soon as you come out of the metro station by the Colleseum theColleseum is there right in front of you and is quite impressive although the amount of people milling about there is also quite impressive. Within a minute of leaving the station we were approached by someone trying to seel us a tour and then after crossing the road we were approached by another person which is the tour we decided to take. So we followed this guy past the que (very long into the colesseum) and ended up inside (as you do) and now inside it was even more impressive then on the outside, the whole scale of the place is staggering and to be honest I was actually getting quite into all the history we were being told about it, by our little old Italian tour guide. After this part of the tour we had a little look around and got some good pics of the place then went outside, got the worlds most expensive Cola and foudnd the second part of our tour which was to take us round the Roman Forum. Our guide for this (Fi) was excellent) She was obviously very passionate about what she was talking about and it did infect the whole group. Her whole attitude was a little like she was talking to kids but in a way that was good for adults (so hard to explain). and it was great looking at the structures in the Forum, which are very impressive and again learning about the history of the Roman Empire. We then took afew more pics and headed down to the Forum to have a look around closer, so were some modern weird statues in the middle of the Forum as well which looked quite odd and out of place, but there were some good churchs and ruins.

We then headed to the hotel which was a bit of a trek and quite a way out of the main city, we had to get a metro (to the second to last stop) then a bus and then about a 10 minute walk, to find out it wasnt even that great a hotel (it claimed it was a 4 star but we think closer to 2). After we sorted ourselves out we went to get some dinner (Pizza) in a little Resturant by the Vatican and then after dinner headed down for our first look at the Vatican. We went mainly around St Peters sq, looked at the BAscillica and then took some cheesey pictures and found bits we recognised from Angels and Demons. And then it was abck to the hotel.

First thing in the morning it was abck to the Vatican to do our tour round there. It was done by the same company as Fi was in the day beore but unfortunitly it wasnt her doing out tour, it was Anton - who was good just not as good. We were told a bit about St Peters Sq and then we went round to the Vatican Museum we had to queue about 30 minutes ot get into the Museum, but the Museum was again very impressive -Like everything in Rome Even some of the exhibits had extremely impressive ceilings and walls,. We then got to the Sistine chapel. Which has one aboslutly incredible wall and the ceiling is so sridculously impressive, its hard to believe someone spent so much of there life just doign one building. We also discovered that if you get caugfht taking pictures in there they make you delet them if you get caught- hmmmph.

It was then lunchtime and then after that we wondered down to the Tibur stopping at Mont Saint Angeleo (the bit in Angels and Demons where Robert finds the secret passgeway) and we had a quick look round there, with some great views from the roof, then it was accross the bridge of ANgels and through the historic centre till we got a random builing with people going in and out, so we thought we would join the people going in and we found another impressive church (really Rome has too manY) which we still dont know what it was called but it was impressive chapels, ceiling walls etc - you know the usual. Then it was on to the Pantheon. Now we weren't actually too sure we were at the pantheon from the outside as there was no big sign telling us so, but on the inside there was so we decidded we were. It was again impressive and has a whole in the celing to let the light in. There was apheonomen amount of people there and just milling about the outside. After the Pantheon we wondered accross to the Treevi Fountain where we sat with the hordes of others and watched the fountained for a while talked and posed for some pictures. Then it was a bit more of a wonder to the Spainish steps. And then a walk up them and into another church at the top. Emma then had the idea to head back to the Vatican and get into St Peters Bascillica. It was a bit of a queue to get into but not anywhere near as bad as earlier in the day. Inside it was very impressive (though strictly its not a Bascillica) and the scale of it again is staggering (I really can not explain how much more impressive everything is in Rome then you thinksits going to be). We also went down stairs to look the popes tombs, which was ok but a little awkard really, and there seems to be a lot of regulations in the Vatican about what you can't do.

That evening we headed to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner which was a slight trek but was very good food. and good fun. Then we went to look at the sights by night and had a wonder to look at the Spainish steps, the Treevi Fountain and the Colleseum, (although we aimmed fo the Pantheon and kinda missed. we also saw a random impressive builing on the walk down to the Coleseum (we later foudn out the locals don't like it) and more random ruins as well. (they seem to be everywhere). It was then the long trek back to the hotel.

It was aslightly later rise on the Sunday morning and we first had to head to the train station to drop our luggage off. We then went to this random building we had seen last night (very wet and misserable day) and had a look round there with some galleries etc. It first looks like a parliment type of building, but I dont think it was, though Im not to sure what it was still think it was called the Vanaicino or something. we then found the world worst waxwork museum which sounded good on the brochures but took all of 15 minutes to go round slowly. We then found one fo the National museums of Rome to look around which has lots of Roman ruins. We were then unsure what to do next really so we just asked at the toursit information and they recomended going to an area called Trasvette and have a walk around there and there was another impressive chucrch to look at which many new and impressive chapels and ceiling to look at. Trasvette seems to be a bit of the travellers ghetto in Rome as well. So it was a bit of time killing there before we headed back to the station had a look round another National museum of ROme (there are four apparently) which was quite similar to the previous one if im honest then it was back to the train station then airport then home.

I did really love Rome and it is right up there on my favouriate cities as there is soo much character to it that you just don't get in other cities.

Things I learned about Rome

1) They have an unhealthy obsession with columns
2) Just because you have found the entrance to the metro station does not mean you are near to where the train stops.
3) Signs are good at the beginning of walks to sights but then seem to disapeer
4)When tourist signs to sights disapeer use signs to McDonalds.
5) To cross a road wait till the next vehihcle has just enough room to stop before where you are crossing and go for it - they always stop.

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