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Published: August 14th 2008
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Amalfi and Rome
Arriving in the big old Italian boot from Greece proved to be a long day. It started with walk, bus, ferry, bus, walk, train, walk, train, train, collapse! And arriving at Naples (Naplio) late at night with no booked accommodation is pretty much a don’t in the guidebooks. If Naples is home to the mafia, guns and drugs then the train station is like the cesspool in the middle. Getting off the train we walked through drunks, homeless, drug addicts, prostitutes, etc and that was still in the train station! Finding out that there is no way to the Amalfi Coast at that hour we found a budget ‘hotel’ and crashed, waking to the beautiful smell of pizza (supposedly invented in Naples - maybe it’s only constructive claim to fame).
The next morning we trained it to Sorrento where we stayed in possibly the biggest campsite we have ever seen (over 1000 people) where we stayed in tents and avoided the 2.50 Euro swimming pool. After trying to cross one of the roads we realized the Amalfi Coast is not a foot pedestrian’s friend, so we hired a car for one day. The three days we
were meant to spend on the coast was shortened with Jane getting some form of food poisoning for three days, so a trip up the coast was a shotgun event. The coast was beautiful, crazy sunny, hazy, picturesque, sparkling and windy! Buses got stuck on corners, while vespas spun out of driveways, and we were racing against the clock to get the car back in time. The tourists were out in full force covering the small beaches with umbrellas and towels, and crowding the markets at Positano.
For the second half of our short day, we caught a train to Pompeii - the awesomely preserved Roman town buried under Vesuvius’ ash and pyroclasts in 79AD. Late afternoon proved a good time to visit, with not so many tourists and a (slightly) cooler sun over the town (still 35C). With Vesuvius looming over, we walked around the excavated streets, houses, forums, theatres and other Roman ruins with their beautiful frescoes, mosaics and sculptures wonderfully preserved. The creepiest part of the trip is the casts of the victim’s in their ‘death positions.’ We were shown these pictures when we started our studies in volcanology, and have always been fascinated by the
power of a single volcano on an estimated 20,000 residents. When the pyroclastic flow and debris swept over the town without warning, the villagers were struck sleeping, cowering and holding their children. Scary stuff.
Travelling to Rome (via the ‘awesome’ Naples again) we realized how much we are looking forward to our leased car (another combo of bus, train, walk, train, walk, train, bus, walk is enough!). But arriving in Camping Roma was wonderful; electricity and aircon has never been so good! We managed a few hours of rest before we attempted the city that surely wasn’t built in a day. Everyone has a suggestion as to how long you need in Rome; three days, five days, one week or a lifetime are many variants. The first is our forced conclusion, which is probably just as well for our feet’s sake.
First day in the city of Roma, we decided to visit the Vatican City and St Peter’s Basilica, before walking along the Tiber River. The Vatican City means many things to people; The Da Vinci Code, Popes, Swiss Guards, etc, but the first thing it meant to us was a queue. Quite a long one actually. Far
longer than any we have lined in at Eden Park, Ericsson Stadium or Bluechip (and a pretty different crowd too)! But after realizing that we would still make it in before closing we stuck it out in the 38C heat and finally got inside. The Vatican Museum’s and the Sistine Chapel are really amazing for our Kiwi eyes. With Jane trying to remember her Art History lectures and Matt trying to remember his Classics notes, a modest attempt at understanding all the masterpieces and ruins was made. Visualising the Biblical events is a new concept to us and takes your imagination to a new level, although the various works of the modern saints were of less interest to us. The Last Judgment by Michelangelo at the Sistine Chapel was beautiful, although sore necks are guaranteed after looking at the ceiling for far too long. Angry guards hushing everyone constantly is slightly distracting (especially when a mother dropped her baby onto the tiled floor and his screams were also hushed) but the uniforms of the Swiss Guards is so so cute!
After completing the museums, we headed to St Peter’s Basilica, a few minutes away. The church has been built
on the tomb of ‘St’ Peter, with the dome being designed by Michelangelo. Inside Catholic pilgrims come and kneel before Peter, giving offerings and prayers; although perhaps we think Peter would have told them the same thing he told the Sadducees in Acts 5:29. The excess and distraction of the papacy in the Roman church was frustrating, although the artistic feats can be appreciated for hours. We descended into the papal tombs beneath the church, where the past Popes are buried (including Pope John Paul II) which is slightly eerie.
Day two in Rome we caught the metro to the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps, which are very busy and touristy centres of town. In the middle of the jostling for a photo, a drunk European ran up the statues and dove into the (shallow) water of the Trevi Fountain, surfacing to a line of cops and some cheers from the public. How he is uninjured is a mystery. Walking through town we stopped at the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and other countless churches, piazzas and ruins. We really needed a tour guide at this stage (or Robert) but had fun looking around anyway. We walked to the Colosseum for
sunset, and metro’d home to our restful campsite. Picking up our leased car (for 43 days) was a huge highlight - we had been looking forward to it for weeks. A brand new Citroen with the most comfortable seats and mp3 player seems to good for the price we paid.
After our third day in Rome was spent walking the Colosseum, Trastevere and other central areas we packed up for our venture into the Tuscan countryside, very excitedly hoping for a bit of rest and country air.
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Kaumosi
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Wow!
Such beautiful photos! Jane, you're looking really good. Sorry to hear you were sick for three days. Glad you're much better now. You're both looking quite thin! Hope you're eating lots of nutritious food. xxx K