Since my trip was last minute I couldn't do the usual budget airline and hostel route because that was actually more expensive. Instead, I found a great deal through lastminute.com and ended up flying with British Airways and staying in a 4 star hotel. How's that for a change in holiday style? Not only did my flight have a preassigned seat, a luxury I have not experienced since moving to London (thank you Ryanair for herding us in like cattle), but they also offered breakfast and coffee! It was brilliant! The hotel was just as awesome. It was modern, clean, had a jacuzzi tub on the top terrace, and a wicked free breakfast.
The hotel was located only a couple blocks from the main train station which was a great location. I had only walked for a few minutes outside of the station when an Italian man in a nice car gave me a wave and nod of approval. Oh those Italians! The hotel provided a city map and Martin and I quickly chose which sights we wanted to see and planned out the weekend. Since we only had a couple days we weren't going to waste any time and got right out there.
Friday we managed to see the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, and the Pantheon. We did sooo much walking but it was completely worth it. You really don't even notice how much you're walking because there is so much to see. Rome is absolutely beautiful with amazing architectural details on every single building. Everything was so grand and looked important. It's a shame I didn't know the purpose of half of the buildings but they were stunning to look at nonetheless. As I walked throughout the city I thought I was going to melt away because the heat was quite intense. I know Toronto summers are quite hot and humid but this was just a blistering constant heat. I'm just lucky that I covered myself with SPF 50 sunscreen before leaving the hotel. I would've been a lobster otherwise.
Woke up a little late on the Saturday and almost missed the free breakfast. I couldn't understand why the room was so dark. I went to investigate the window and realized there was a blackout blind right on the window. It must have an automatic timer because I did not put it on there (both nights). I went to take it off and it snapped open really quickly which completely caught me off guard and I ended up jumping away from the window in less than a second. I wasn't about to give the streets of Rome a free show.
After the amazing free breakfast we headed down to the Colosseum. Had to navigate the many tiny streets on the way there. After what seemed like forever and just as I felt we might be lost we turned a corner and there it was. One minute you're walking down these quaint streets in Rome and the next you're seeing this massive historical building. It was VERY impressive. I had a view from atop a hill and I could already see the massive queue to get in. I was forewarned about this but you never truly understand the magnitude until you see it for yourself. Once down there with the other masses of people we were approached by a lady selling guided tour tickets which cost more than the entrance fee but you got to skip the line. Time was clearly more important than money because we snapped up that offer within a minute of considering. The inside of the Colosseum was spectacular. It's just so surreal to stand in these ancient ruins and know that so much history has taken place there. I tried to imagine what it would have looked like when it was originally built and used and I can only wonder how people felt about it then. The fact that it still stands today in rather good condition, given the pollution that destroys the outside and the massive traffic it sees every day, is a testament to the great craftsmanship of the ancient Roman people. If only we could them to teach our builders a thing or two about quality.
***Side note about the Colosseum. That is actually a nickname for it. It's proper name is the Amphitheatrum Flavium. Outside of the theatre is a the Colossol statue of Nero, Colossol for short. People would say to meet there and eventually the amphitheatre acquired the name and people forgot about the statue. Another interesting historical fact that we learned is where the word Arena comes from. In Latin arena means sand. This is what was put down on the floor of Colosseum and the gladiators were called out to fight on the arena. The word caught on and now our sports stadiums are referred to as arenas despite their lack of sand.
Following the tour of the Colosseum and a little bit of free time to explore it, the tour continued to Palentine Hill and many other ruins. It became slightly overwhelming as we explored these ruins and learned of their history. No matter where you go in Rome there are random ruins strewn about. There is still so much to be discovered. The city keeps trying to create a third Metro line but every time they start digging or get any progress they run into more ruins.
Between the intense amount of walking and the blistering sun I was pretty beat by the end of the tour. We headed back to the hotel to have a little relaxing time before dinner. On the rooftop terrace there was a jacuzzi tub which was so lovely to go in after a long day in the sun. After a nice rest we went back to the Colosseum to get some night shots and have dinner. Dinner was disgusting and overpriced (as everything is in Rome) but was in a prime location and I was starving so I can't complain much.
The last day in Rome meant heading to the Vatican. Quite possibly one of the most hilarious parts of the trip was when we got out of the Metro and were headed up the stairs to the street. We were in a pretty packed crowd (it's Sunday at the Vatican!) and as we went up there was an old Italian lady coming down who upon seeing the crowd exclaimed "Mamma Mia!" It was absolutely priceless and we almost doubled over in laughter. When we actually got to the Vatican the queue to get into St. Peter's wrapped around almost the entire perimeter of the square. However, it moved rather quickly which was impressive. That wasn't the case for the cupola which we opted not to see since there just wasn't enough time. The inside of St. Peter's Basilica was just as impressive as everyone said it would be. After looking at my pictures I noticed they really do not do it any justice. It is something you not only need to see but experience for yourself. I could have spent hours in there just looking at all of the many extravagant details.
With a little bit of prodding Martin agreed to sit through mass with me. I had gone to mass at Sacre Coeur last year in Paris and felt it was an extraordinary experience so could not pass up mass at the Vatican. That would just be sacrilegious. Although the entire thing was in Italian and my knowledge of the language extends to saying hello and good-bye, I really felt a part of the service. I was trying hard to understand the homily and I think I recognized a few of the words. As many know, I'm not terribly religious but being there and taking part in this mass felt like a special experience. It amazes me to be part of something that has the same customs and process across the globe and has spanned centuries. Regardless of people's opinions on religion, when you break it down to the simple basics of attending mass it seems quite incredible.
Time was ticking away quickly and we had to rush back to the hotel so that we could get our bags and head to the airport. We left the Vatican, had an expensive lunch nearby and then carried on down the road to see the Castel Sant'Angelo. I only took exterior shots as there was just not enough time. Some people might remember this fortress from the movie Angels and Demons. It is said to have a secret passageway to the Vatican. The next time I am back in Rome, which I really hope to do someday, I will explore this place.
Although it was a very quick trip I did get to see and do most of what I had wanted to in Rome and consider the trip a success. Next mini trip: Berlin.
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