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Published: March 10th 2010
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After only having two days of class, I headed off to Roma for a week on February 4th. (No no, I didn't just ditch for a week. There was a random break in my class schedule. I have no idea why. Spain is okay with ambiguities so they decided to never tell me.)
Of course, most of my knowledge of Rome comes from the cinemas: Roman Holidays, Angels and Demons...and who can really blame me for that? Even Lonely Planet makes references to Joe and Ann from Roman Holidays.
After breezing through the airport (there's no border guards b/t the EU), I head straight into the city with Laura (my travel buddy from Boston). I speak no Italian, but I love it already. Old men in circles chatting heatedly with exaggerated hand gestures, fabulous old ladies with fur coats and heels on the cobblestone roads, and of course, the stereotypical "ciao bella" echoed through the streets is an image that comes to life on the streets of Roma.
Being the well-prepared travelers we are, neither Laura nor I knew the address of our hostel. (Although at least I knew the name, which is more than I can say
for Laura.) We encountered our first dose of the friendliness that is Roma. Walking into a cell phone store, we asked for directions. They not only gave us directions, but even printed out a Google map for us!
After dropping off our bags, we headed off into the sunny streets. Just in the first day, we had hit up many of the famous sights in Rome. The Spanish Steps, Templo Adriana, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Colona, San Carlo Quatro Fontanes, Piazza Repubblica, Teatro dell Opera y Palazzo delle Esposizoni (please excuse any spelling mistakes).
Even seeing it first hand felt like I was seeing it on TV. The scenes were identical. From the top of the Spanish steps, I saw the horizon of Rome, with the Vatican off in the distance. Random fact, but John Keats died next to the Spanish Steps, and there's a memorial museum for him there. Enough has been said by guide books about these sights, and hopefully my pictures will do them justice!
The next day we headed to Vatican city and met up with Nick. Tip about the Vatican museum, you don't choose where you go...it's all just fate. The first time
I went through, it seems like every arrow pointed towards the Sistine Chapel. After many twists and turns, I finally reached the Sistine Chapel. The ENTIRE room is painted. Even the curtains. It's astounding to think that so many masters came together to create this. However, it seems that in my one-tracked mind to reach the Sistine Chapel, I had missed the Raphael rooms. I had to go back to the beginning, and go all the way through again; but this time, they must have changed where some areas were roped off...and I spent another hour circling through just to find the exit. But, it was worth it.
That night, we went to a restaurant (Trattoria della Stampa) near the Trevi Fountain recommended to us by a local. A hole-in-the-wall joint that we nearly passed, its a family run restaurant, and about as Italian as you are going to get in a city as touristy as Roma. Somehow, between our broken Spanish and the old Italian owners' authentic Italian, we managed to order and have an amazing dinner!
Having watched Angels and Demons in our hostel, we decided to spend the third day going reenacting the movie. I
know, very cliche, but a great walking tour around Roma. Piazza Popolo, Castel Sant Angelo, Palazzo di Guistizia, Ponte Umberto I, Ponte Sant Angelo, Piazza Navona. Check. Between the sightseeing, we even saw a parade for carnevale on via Corsa!
Of course being in Rome, I had to try some gelato. Near Palazzo Montecitorio, my friend had recommended Giolitti's. Not only did one cone have THREE flavours, they generously slabbed on "nata", or the most yummy freshly homemade whipped cream, on the top. It was so good I went back on the last day and got another one 😊
No trip to Rome is complete with out the Colosseum. Over the next two days, we went through the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. From one side, the Colosseum seems as magnificent as it was thousands of years ago...but from the inside...the corrosion of time is evident. At one time, it was even a garden containing rare species that could not be found anywhere else in Italy. For another step back in time, take a walk through the Roman Forum. Many of the temples and arches are still very well preserved, and I caught a glimpse of
what it might have been like.
I decidedly to be adventurous and take a day trip to Tivoli (about an hour outside of Rome by bus and metro) to see Hadrian's Villa. Hadrian's Villa is an impressive 5km complex that for being nearly 2000 years old, is very well preserved. However, it was a dreary and cloudy day, and I was one of the few tourists walking through the vast grounds. It was a little bit creepy to walk through some of the dark corridors to say the least.
Since it rained on the last day, I visited the Capitoline museum. Resting beside the immense (and some say out of place) monument to King Vittorio Emmanuelle II, I reached the museum by taking a set of stairs created by Michelangelo! (Better than any red carpets I'd say!) It's one of the world's oldest national museums, and it houses the infamous sculpture of the she-wolf and Remus and Romulus, the latter who killed his brother and founded Rome.
Before I could really finish my trip though, I had to have another slice of fold-over pizza (which almost seems like a panini sandwich) and gelato. I will dearly miss
the carbs. Arrive derci Roma!
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