Rome

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The ferry ride was largely uneventful. Thanks to the very few people who were taking the one seater passenger option I was able to spread out over a few seats and therefore get a pretty good sleep all things considered. I got a burger and a beer for dinner as we made our way out of Barcelona. It was a pretty sight, looking back at the glowing lights of the city. I soon realised that going up on deck was not as relaxing/comfortable as it looks in film. The wind whips over the front and causes all manner of troubles. The hair is flying, the pages of the book turn when you don’t want them to. It certainly was a bit of a surprise. Being able to sleep until 10 the next day meant that the majority of the ride had already passed. After foolishly forgetting to buy some groceries before I boarded I had to resort to eating the left over canned food from my ride. That meant ratatouille and sardines for the day. It certainly took me back. I spent the rest of the day reading, dozing, watching Spanish TV and looking out on the beautiful Mediterranean. It was really interesting as we passed through the narrow gap between Sardinia and Corsica. They were both extremely mountainous. The port that is used by Rome is actually 70km away. Civitavecchia is where the ships dock. Although 70km away, it’s been effectively set up to get people into Rome. There is a free shuttle bus to the train station and trains that depart every 20 minutes. I got in to Civitavecchia at around 7:30, so by the time I had reached the hostel it was almost 10:00. I was pretty beat, but my urges for Italian pizza could not be subdued. I headed out in search of some. I found that it didn’t take long. So after devouring some incredible stuff it was time to rest.



My first morning in Rome brought some excitement. As I was walking towards the city I stumbled on a few protests. It almost seemed like a football crowd, singing and dancing. I googled it, and apparently they were protesting some kind of new legislation to do with worker’s rights. So after watching that for a little while it was onwards towards the city. I hadn’t anything planned for the morning but when I caught glimpse of the Colosseum down a side street I thought it would be a good a place as any to start. So instead of trying to get straight into the Colosseum itself I went to the Roman Forum. The line is much shorter and the ticket gets you entry into both venues. The Roman Forum was both fascinating and incredibly huge. Again I was fortunate enough to take advantage of my European citizenship, saving 8 euros on the ticket. The Roman Forum displays the remains of the ruins left from the centre of the historic city. It’s full of mythological names and ones that are synonymous with not only Roman history but history in a broader sense. It had grown a little worn by the end as all ruins look relatively similar, but the plaques situated next to the various ruins were still interesting. So I made my way down off Palatine hill and back towards the Colosseum. It’s an incredible structure. I wasn’t able to get the picture of the MCG out of my head. All the people of Rome pouring onto the streets after a day of thrilling blood sport sounds just the same to the people of Melbourne making their way back to the city after huge Saturday afternoon clash. The history of the place was riveting. How it fell out of favour due to the lack of quality fighting on offer, how it was left disused for many years. The intricate construction of the underground section was a true marvel. There was also a really interesting exhibition on the history of books, reading and literature. It focussed on the ancient times and how books and reading were seen as an absolute luxury, something that we all now take for granted. After having spent the best part of four and a half hours on my feet it was time to take a break. I walked back towards where I though the city was. I walked through some extremely busy backstreets, filled to the brim with street vendors. I stopped at the supermarket to grab a bite to eat for the trip back to the hostel. In the last two weeks the days have certainly been getting shorter. Even when I was in Spain the sun would only be properly set by around 7:30, but here the sun has dipped below the horizon by 5:30 at the latest. I’ve had to readjust to earlier nights. I don’t fancy walking around the city after dark. Especially by myself. So I was back at the hostel cooking up a mega feed of pasta or dinner. 500 grams of Penne did the trick well and truly. It’s a lot of fun cooking again, it’s one thing I’ve really missed while travelling on the bike. So after consuming that hunk of pasta I spent the rest of the evening trying to figure out when to make my way back to Australia, with very little success.



The weather in Rome has been absolutely stunning. Walking to the Vatican during the morning was in no way uncomfortable. It was a pleasant walk along the busy streets of this great city. I’ve already come to the conclusion that Rome is by far a better and more interesting city than Barcelona. The history alone is enough, add that with the vibrant nature of the bustling streets and it’s a no brainer. On my way to the Vatican I stopped at the Pantheon, which is interesting in that it was a pagan temple that has been converted into a Church. It’s not something you see every day. The condition that it has been kept in is unreal. had prepared myself for a huge wait in line to get into St. Peter’s Basilica, I’d downloaded a few podcasts to listen to while in line, but the intervening time went relatively swiftly. I wouldn’t have been in line for more than 45 minutes. And one is always willing to wait a little extra time when the activity is free. The Vatican is unbelievable, an absolute pleasure and treasure of this world. The work that must have gone into creating such a masterpiece is unfathomable. To be in a place that has held such a unique and important place in history is something I’ll cherish. Whether you agree or disagree about the nature of the work of the Catholic Church, you cannot deny the beauty and spirituality that is encapsulated in that place. After spending a while in the basilica itself it was time to head to the museum. And what a collection they have there. One of the highlights of my trip. I really thought that all the hype would cause me to feel somewhat of a letdown, it was not the case. It was an absolute pleasure to spend a few leisurely hours browsing the unbelievable number of artefacts/artworks and displays. I was particularly impressed at the collection of more contemporary art they had on display. I had wrongly assumed that it was just classical works that were housed in the Vatican, but people like Van Gough and Dali were also on display. Of course the Sistine Chapel is incredible, but that is nothing new. It’s such a shame that some people are so fixated on getting there that they miss all the other incredible things to see. To be in the presence of such works of art is something I’ll never forget. Just as I was about to leave the museum I saw there was a section on world cultures, and amazingly there were the Australian Aboriginals. There was a quote from the Pope which was attributed to when he visited Alice Springs. It was a real blast from the past to see some dot paintings and traditional art, a real pleasant surprise. After finishing my time at the museum it was already starting to get dark, and by the time I was back to the hostel and cooking dinner it was well and truly dark. I treated myself to a nice Merlot with dinner, which was pasta once again. Cheap, easy and tasty. I met some people in the hostel and we decided to head out for an after dinner drink. Bars in Rome are fearfully expensive and so we decided that it wasn’t worth staying out for very long. We headed back to the hostel and it was time for a sleep.



This morning has been filled with menial and some would say boring tasks. I haven’t been able to do washing for a while so I headed to the nearest Laundromat to get some done. I fear my clothes had that ‘haven’t been washed in a while smell’ which is fine for a while but it has certainly become more noticeable. Waiting for my clothes to wash, I’ve had the chance to catch up on my blog. I’ve supplemented the boring tasks with some ones that have been more enjoyable. I watched Adelaide United knock off Melbourne City in David Villa’s last game. Was a really entertaining match to watch. I haven’t planned anything for the rest of the day, we shall see what comes of it. Whatever it is I’m sure it will be fantastic. This city has been incredible. I hope everyone is well.



Cheers,



Tikka

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