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Published: April 10th 2017
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Yes I have been reading Mary Beard and swotting up before I got here, however I only got to 63 BC and the e-book had to go back to the library .
SPQR is dotted about the city, even on the drain covers 'The Senate and People of Rome ' and there it is all the history laid out in this magnificent grand city. This is my first visit and I am awed at the grandeur and that's just in these first few hours on the HOHO bus loop around. everything is so much bigger and there is so much of it ... I really don't know what to do next!!
Getting here was easy on the train from Le Marche (15 € for 2 h 30 min journey ) .. the train carriages were modern and clean with plugs for your phones and there were screens with all the information you need and also in English and some announcements were also made in English.
I had heard about possible rip offs with taxis arriving at the main station so I swotted up what to do ... so here's the TIP ... go straight to main entrance and
taxi rank is ahead ... these officials taxis are white with Rome Capitale signs on the side ...ignore any touts who are trying to guide you to another taxi. Piece of cake ... nice taxi driver talked about footie he was telling me Brighton and Newcastle are going up to Champions league or something. 13€ for the taxi.
So I am staying in an Air BnB apartment and it's really lovley with all amenities and sparkling clean ...2 bedrooms 2 bathrooms, well equipped kitchen even a dishwasher , and nice balcony to sit out on . Colleen and Peter from Albany , Western Australia will be jopining me in a couple of days. Bus stop outside the building , supermarket over the road and lots of cafes etc
2nd TIP How to get bus tickets ... well you are supposed to be able to buy them in a newspaper kiosk and there are two just outside the apartment... and I ask in my best Italian ? But they say they are finished ...well I think that's what they said, "Domani " the man said , so I am assuming that means they have sold all the ones they
had and they will have some tomorrow ...I think !!! well I knew it was about 20 mins walk to the Vatican from here and straight down the road so I walked . By this time it's 4 pm and plan was to buy a 48 hr Hop On Hop Off bus ticket and do a loop around to get my bearings. I was stunned with the sight when I arrived at St Peter's Basilica ...it is so much more grander ( is that a word ?) than I imagined from seeing it on TV and films.
There are several bus companies but again I had swotted it up ... and had decided to take Roma Cristiano bus, its run by the Vatican or Christian churches or something and they had an office in the piazza to get the tickets. So I had my first loop of the city and time rolled past my eyes with baroque, renaissance and Roman builidngs and architecture. I can see it is going to be a fabulous five days here.
Of course the traffic is crazy ! Scooters zooming in and out and police car sirens, horns tooting but then that seems
to be part of the essence of Roma, and I am glad I am on a bus not driving!!
As the sun was setting I was walking along the banks of the Tiber by Castel Angelo ... doesn't that sound amazing !!! And then up into St Peters and sat by an enormus pillar to see the sun go down behind the basilica.... not so many people around then either.
Walked back and got some supplies and came home to make a quick pasta.... what else ?
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Dancing Dave
David Hooper
When in Rome
Do what the Romans do!!!