Three days in Rome

---

Geo: 41.9091, 12.4899

Just finished three days in Rome absolutely shattered, what a city!

We arrived in Citavecchia and waited outside in the hot sun for the transfer we had organised, just starting to feel they had forgotten us when he showed up. Very unusual gentleman who Garry nicknamed mr bobble head because the whole time he was driving he nodded up and down up and down. He was ok when he wasn't driving it was just a driving nod! He was also the most disorganised man who had no change for the toll booths he must of known he was going to have to go through. At one he pulled up then realised he couldn't find his change and tried to tell all the cars behind him to back up and let him out....of course not happening....we ended up spotting him the money for the toll and when he eventually found his money he paid us back.

Eventually arrived safely in Rome and found our hotel. Staff extremely friendly and helpful and hotel nothing flash but very clean and tidy and within walking distance of most things.....as long as you are expecting a hike not a stroll.

Dumped our bags got settled and headed off to find the Vatican and sort out our Omnia cards which gave us front of line entry for a number of attractions including St Peters basilica, Vatican museum and Sistine chapel, colosseum and others. On our way we found the Spanish steps so stopped for pix, a few other photo opportunities along the way before arriving at Vatican square where we sorted out cards and booked our St Peters stuff for Saturday then set off to do some more exploring.

Hopped on the hop on hop off bus as it was part of our Omnia card. Got iff at the stop try indicated for the Trevi fountain uhuh .....according to the map its miles away.

Did our best to follow the map to find the fountain, again plenty of other sights to see on the way churches, statues, the Forum etc and they kept putting monuments where the map said streets should be so a bit of a circular route but eventually found our way to the little square which holds the fountain......absolutely packed with people but did manage to make our way to the front to toss a coin in and take a photo or two.

Already shattered seem to have walked most of the central streets if Rome so a very very long walk to the hotel for a half hour lay down, shower and short walk half a block away to a tiny little family run restaurant, the food was amazing, simple food but so delicious, Stephen said he has never had such good Tiramisu ever, has ruined it for him forever, he won't be able to eat it again without comparing it.

Day 2

Our intention today was to do the colosseum as it was on the must do list. Again got a bit distracted on the way and found a church around the corner from the hotel which as well as many other interesting art works etc houses a crypt where some crazy monks have made art work out of the bones of their brethren who have died over the centuries. Extremely macabre and somehow grossly beautiful. Our theory is someone went a bit mad and started it then everyone else got on the band wagon as a number of 'artists' were represented. No photos allowed but I have taken a pic of a couple of postcards to give you the general gist ...or try googling it.

Eventually found a bus which went to the colosseum so hopped on and it took us right outside the gates, saved our poor already aching feet. Tourists for miles of course but our Omnia cards got us in very quickly, managed to get yelled at by some security dude who we couldn't understand going through security, I managed a bit of a disagreement with some pushy poms who wanted to push in front of Andrea and I in the toilet queue, before climbing the zillions of steep steps to the top of the colosseum. It's such an awesome place, those Roman architects were quite clever really. Took heaps of pix, then went down to the next level and did the same. Once outside we could see another queue of people, so thought we would go see what They were trying to get into, waited in the reasonably long line for about ten/fifteen minutes, still unsure where we were going, eventually through the other side and we were surrounded by the ruins at the centre of old Rome. Up and down stairs and hills, lots of photos, lots of walking, eventually had to give in as our stomachs were empty our feet were threatening rebellion and we were very hot and very thirsty.

First place we sat down at Stephen went in came out fairly quickly to say probably we didn't want to eat here, grubby little pub. So we moved round the corner to another restaurant where the boys enjoyed 1 litre glasses of beer and we all filled our very empty bellies.

Back on our self guided walking tour on a search for the pantheon, on our way stopped at a clothes shop, Andrea found a top she wanted and whilst waiting in line a lady tried to steal her purse out of her handbag! Fortunately some sixth sense made her look down and managed to stop it happening, before the lady disappeared quickly out of the shop ....very close call!

We found another church to poke our heads inside, then found the pantheon just around the corner, looked like a massive line but it moved very quickly and we were inside before we knew it. Very impressive inside, not sure what I expected but from the outside didn't expect to see the light, large space and awesome domed ceiling.

Our next stop Piazza Navona, a square surrounded by restaurants, ice cream shops, bars etc, with lots of street performers. We found ourselves an ice cream restaurant/coffee shop/bar with a good view of a clown. He was very good and had most of us laughing in no time as he made fun of the tourists as they walked past. Our ice creams were very nice but at 10 euro each they really needed to be!

The thought of walking home was way too much so found a bus stop, asked the driver of the first bus which stopped, what bus we should take home, he reluctantly answered and we waited patiently for the number 62 bus, we saw half a dozen 40 buses, some 64 buses in fact lots and lots of different number buses but it took forever for one lonely little number 62 bus to come along....by the time it left the stop it was full, we were standing in the aisle, then at the next stop 10 more people got on, then 10 more at the next stop, then a couple got off and 29 more got on, sardine tin! Hot, uncomfortable, bumpy as hell, Stuck in Italian traffic jams which have a flavour all of their own due to the lack of road rules. Finally saw our stop ahead, pushed the button and tried to make my way to near the door just as the bus lurched and I smacked into a poor Italian lady who would have gone flying had there been any room to do so. Never been so happy to get out of a bus in my life what a nightmare!

Dragged our poor tired bodies up the hill to the hotel for a quick shower and change and down the road for dinner. Food was good but not nearly as good as the night before, Garry ate and ran as there was a parade of cars down the road from the hotel he wanted to see, the three of us enjoyed dessert and coffee/tea then back to the hotel before collapsing into our respective beds, exhausted.

Woke in the night to a very impressive thunder and lightening show and buckets of rain.

Our last day in Rome - we needed to be at the entrance to St Peters at 10am decided to walk made it on time but then had to wait 10 minutes for them to let us in. Started to rain as we waited but fortunately we were under cover. Made our way inside the basilica, Garry went to get himself and Andrea the electronic guides as they had no success with downloading the app onto their phones.

There were so many tour groups inside at times you had skip looking at things as there was just no room to move. There was a service going on at the front of the church, the singing was beautiful and created a fantastic atmosphere. I was very very brave and even went downstairs into the crypt that houses the dead popes! We spent a good hour an a half inside the church and managed to lose Garry in the process. After waiting for him beside the exit for ten minutes we left Stephen there with Andrea's headset which needed returning while Andrea and I found the loo and told Stephen to find us at the meeting point for our museum and Sistine chapel visit no later than 12.50 with or without Garry.

Garry found us at the meeting point before Stephen, not sure how he got out without us spotting each other but he did and Stephen also showed on time ...... Both of them with the headsets which needed returning in order for Garry to claim back his drivers license, no time now but certainly something we needed to work out later.

A reasonable hike to the museum, an awful hot cramped wait for the guide to sort out our tickets and we were in. Decided the Sistine was the must see so would do that first. Took the scenic route and not the short route.....what a massive rabbit warren of a place, some absolutely beautiful and awesome artefacts and artworks from round the world but so many people and such a crush it was very hard to appreciate them all.

We walked and walked and walked, Stephen and I got separated from Andrea and Garry in the crush, I held tightly to Stephens hand as all the people made me very claustrophobic, up and down narrow stairs, down gorgeous hallways with amazing ceilings, even an outside corridor at least 4 stories up at one stage just seemed to walk forever before arriving at a little room chock full of people and completely covered in beautiful artwork. Security everywhere barking at you to move into the centre of the rooms and no photos, no photos, saw Andrea and Garry enter and heard one guard yell very loudly NO PHOTOS sure enough Garry was in trouble and was made to delete the photo he had taken. Lots and lots of people were taking photos but most of them were slightly more subtle about it!

After walking so far for so long it was hard not to feel a little cheated at the bare 10 minutes required to look around. I'm sure you could have spent hours in there if you were a true art buff but for us plebs ten minutes was more than sufficient and the crush of bodies was a good inducement to move on.

The walk out was less crowded but still quite a walk and by this stage it was nearly three o'clock and our stomachs were again rumbling. Grabbed some very average food at the very slow and badly serviced Vatican food hall, before making our way out of the museum and back to the Basilica for Garry to try and find a way to return his headsets and retrieve his licence. Fortunately he found some helpful officials who let him back in to do what he needed to do and we were soon in a taxi on our way back to the hotel ......no sardine tin bus today just couldn't bear the thought of it!

Had a decent nap before wandering the streets to find a restaurant, we eventually agreed on somewhere and sat ourselves down. The waiter was a pretty hard case and was great fun. Food was pretty good as well, had a fun evening on our last night in Rome. Back to the hotel to pack all ready for the train tomorrow to Venice.

Loved Rome could do it again....might need a motorised wheelchair next time though!

---

Photos

Photo of postcard the 'bone art' in the crypt
Couldn't take actual photos so the best I could do