Rome - Days 1-2

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First off, I don't think I'll want to take an overnight train for a while. The cramped quarters didn't bother me (and there was a cute French girl in the same cabin), but the swaying of the train back and forth did. I felt quite uneasy before getting a 3-4 hours of sleep and the next morning, my head was still spinning. Fortunately, I was able to find my way out of Stazione Termini (the central hub of Rome) without any incidents.

After checking into my hostel, taking a shower, and scarfing down a mediocre panini that I bought at a supermarket, I decided to take a walk around town. I walked down Via del Corso, which is Rome's main drag and while nice (half of the street is a pedestrian mall), it certainly doesn't command the elegance as St. Michel, St. Germain des Pres, or even the Champs-Elysees in Paris. From V. del Corso, I headed to the Spanish steps and chilled there for about a half-hour. There were lots of tourists, but lots of locals too who were just taking a break from the sun and having a beer (yes, you can drink alcohol in public in most parts of Europe). After the Spanish steps, I decided to stroll down to the Trevi Fountain. The fountain is quite a sight, but like most of the other attractions in Europe, it was full of tourists. I spent enough time to snap a few pictures and I headed back to the hostel to do some trip planning.

After having a pasta dinner at a local restaurant, which was probably the best pasta I've had in a long time, I had a long conversation with a roomate. Her name is Brita and she's from Hamburg, but she will be studying in Rome for the next 6 months. She's an Economics and Social Sciences students so naturally our conversation turned towards those subjects after the usual subjects had been covered (where are you from, what you're doing here, etc.) We talked about the power of labour movements in Europe and the shortcomings of economic theories in the context of rational-choice theory (only other social scientists will understand, sorry). Anyway, after gabbing on for an hour about this stuff, I decided to get some sleep.

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In the morning, Brita and I took a stroll to the Pantheon. From the outside, the structure looks very underwhelming, but once you step inside, it really blows you away. The dome itself is an achievement in construction considering that it was constructed a few thousand years ago. Originally, it was a pagan monument, but the Christians took it over and it's now a place of worship.

I took the Metro to the Colliseum and paid 11 Euros to walk inside. Over half of the building is gone, but what remains is still quite amazing. The underground passages have been uncovered so you can see how the animals and gladiators were held until they had to perform and ultimately die in front of crowds of up to 60000 people. I ran into an American tourist who ended up talking about taxes and corrupt politicians; about the only thing I could do was nod my head several times, but fortunately he ended his rant in 2 minutes and was off with his wife.

I walked about 20 minutes east of the Colliseum to this quaint restaurant recommended by my travel guide. It was definitely an authentic Italian establishment with middle-aged men having 3 courses, spirits, and wine. All I had was spaghetti with clams, but it was nevertheless delicious. My Italian is extremely limited, but the men beside me offered me some of the alcohol they ordered. I politely declined, but it's just reflective of how Italians seem to enjoy life more than say the French.

After lunch, I walked back to the ancient city and decided to walk around the Roman Forum. I walked up to the summit and the view was absolutely stunning. There's no other way to really describe it in words; you just have to see it for yourself. I took some pictures so hopefully they'll give you a sense of what I saw.

The heat during the day really got to me so I hiked east to a gelato shop recommended by my guide book, Il Gelatone. It's tucked away in the narrow alleys, just west of the Republica Metro station. I had a cone and two huge scoops and it only cost me 2 Euros. Gelato is really good here in Rome and I don't think that I can ever appreciate the stuff in Vancouver again.

I decided to work up my appetite by heading to the Travastere, which is supposed to be the Soho of Rome. After walking around the narrow streets, it is quite dingy, but I can see why the comparisons have been made. There are some up and coming clothing stores and some chic restaurants. I had dinner at this pizza place and it's probably one of the best deals in Rome. For 7 Euros, you can get a 14-16 inch pizza. Unlike North American pizza, Italian pizza is made with a thin crust and is light on the cheese, but it is nevertheless very filling. I could not finish mine.

I will end this entry with a few general impressions about Rome:
- cars do not stop for pedestrians - you're putting your life on the line everytime you cross a street
- traffic here is crazy as there are no real rules of the road
- mopeds and scooters are everywhere and all types of people drive them
- English is spoken and appears at Metro stations. You will also not be looked down upon if you speak English, unlike in Paris.
- it's hot right now - I can only imagine what it's like in the summer
- Italian women know how to dress

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Comments

[verny bravo!]

seems foolish to me that you are comparing shops in rome with shops in paris.