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Published: July 17th 2008
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We slept in and woke up nice and bright. Peeping out the window and seeing the narrow alleys and ruins, I realized that I was in Rome, where the ancient and the modern truly lived side by side. What I loved about Rome is the shift from Renaissance ruins to Baroque architecture to modern Rome and the fact that, all of that is visible in its entirety in the city.
The hotel served us complimentary continental breakfast. They had a big spread but all cold food, except for the croissants and coffee. We checked out and the lady in the reception offered to hold our luggage in their locker room. I learnt that all hotels did that for the guests before check in or after check out. It was pretty convenient and an excellent option, as were the lockers in train stations. We had another historic site visit covered by the Roma Pass and Rajesh suggested we check out the Castel Sant Angelo, which was at a short walk from our hotel. I love castles and would love to live in one, maybe at the Windsor castle with the Queen. Wishful thinking!
The Tiber was boring when compared to
the lively Seine in Paris. We were walking along the riverside looking at bridges, homes, Romans and anything else of interest when we saw the imposing Castle on the other side of the river. It was beautiful and stood out against the landscape along the Tiber River. Initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family, the castle was later used as a fortress and castle by the Popes, and is now a museum. The castle is approximately 2000 years old.
We walked into the castle and up the winding 400 feet long ramp that seemed endless, passing the Hall of Urns, which looked very picturesque and fit for a postcard. It was very interesting to walk through some of the old rooms and exhibitions of paintings and weapons. The second floor had horrible cells called historical prisons and torture chambers. Executions were made in the small interior square.There were big spacious courtyards, a restaurant and several nooks to sit and brood. The rooms used by the Popes were painted charmingly by Raphael. Upon reaching the top and stepping onto the big terrace, dominated by an Archangel in bronze, we were rewarded with
magnificent views of Roma.
Exiting the castle, I was determined to sample some local life. We walked across the Ponte Sant' Angelo, stopping for a few minutes on the bridge to admire the 10 Bernini baroque statutes of angels. Map in hand, we walked over to Campo de Fiori, a large local-feeling square in the heart of Rome. On the way, in a quirky little ally, I stumbled upon fabindia and was totally zapped! So fabindia aah gayi Rome!
Campo de Fiori is ringed by cafes and bars and is home to a fabulous flower and veggie market in the mornings, and is a happening place for nightlife in the evenings. This is the most original square which still has its lively and old atmosphere hanging around. The statue with the cape in the middle of the square, surrounded by all the market stalls, is an image of the philosopher Giordano Bruno, who was thrown on the stake here in 1600. The statue is to remember all of those executed on this square. Rome has something morbid to offer in every corner, even in a cheerful and lively place as this.
I felt it was an ideal
place to pull up a chair, sip a cappuccino and do some serious people watching. It was a hot day and so we bought gelato; I got the yummy Tiramisu flavor. Sitting on a wooden bench we mingled with the locals, feeling at home and found lovely moving scenes of typical Roman life - a father and son trying out the water fountain in the square, old ladies sitting on benches chatting, home-makers doing their grocery purchase, vagabonds drinking wine from bottles. We saw the musician who played his instrument at the Piazza Navona the previous evening walk by. We watched a guy walk past with Gold Nike shoes that looked funky.
Rome had a culture all its own, immortalized in architecture and art. It offered the best cup of cappuccino, the perfect slice of pizza, the ideal bottle of wine and state of the art pickpockets. Everywhere, a board read “Beware of pickpockets”. I heard they were in plenty, coming from all over Europe to steal from tourists. I was glad that I had convinced Rajesh to buckle the leather pouch carrying our passports, green cards and euros to his hip at all times. There were many pubs,
discos, clubs, and people hanging out in the street, just waiting to meet new people, and have fun. I tried my best to spot a pickpocket, but in vain!
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