Jean's Birthday Trip

Day One - Saturday 4th February 2006

We arrived at Ciampino Airport after a three hour flight from Glasgow Prestwick.

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We were met by a pre-arranged driver (recommended for ease and comfort). A forty minute transfer into Rome and it later became clear that the pre and in-flight drinks had dulled us to the motoring experiences we were to enjoy on subsequent days!

Leaving our cases at the apartment - Casa Strozzi - we ventured out for a late evening walk and to pick up some essentials (like Italian chocolate) at the nearby 24 hour supermarket, a nice and easy 5 minute stroll.  We wouldn't have said Joanne was under the influence ........ BUT ........ we took an hour to find the apartment again following her 1am directions!  Complete disorientation - even with the map.

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Day Two - Sunday 5th February 2006

The apartment.

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Early start to stroll down to St Peter's Square. Beautiful morning only hampered by my already sore right foot, which I couldn't understand because I had comfy flat shoes on - until I looked at the shoe and found it had basically fallen apart .... I must have been more or less scraping my toes along the pavement the night before!  As a light packer I only had those shoes (silly) and had to borrow from Jean - one size too big and I still have the heel blisters to evidence my flip-flopping around. As it was Sunday it took most of the rest of the day to find a shoe shop open.

Anyway, 15 minutes and we were in St Peter's Square. I had read in travel reports that it's impossible to realise the sheer scale until you are physically there - and it's true!

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Photo taken from one of the 2 points where the 4 rows of pillars in the Colonnade look as if they are only one, a deliberate illusion created by Bernini.

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I added a small surprise to this photo of Agnes - look at the top right hand window of the Pope's apartments!

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The Pope wasn't scheduled to make an appearance so after a wander around we moved off towards the next stop on our itinerary. In a

side street we came across a crowd and found out the Pope was doing a private mass for Italian nuns and priests inside a small chapel. We propped Joanne on a small ledge above us and gave her instructions to get a photo of him leaving. We all saw him but unfortunately we moved when we did and Joanne fell off her ledge! She claims to be able to see his gloved hands in this photo but I think it's wishful thinking on her part.

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I do think he could have stood a little longer to wave but perhaps that's the atheist in me not recognising how important his time is!

We set off down Via dei Corridori then over the bridge close to Castel d'Angelo.

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Stopped for the first of many cappucinos!  Italian cakes and pastries are like Spanish ones - look spectular and taste like cardboard.  

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Over to Piazza Navona where we wanted to meet up with the namesake of oor Agnes.  

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The Sacra Testa (sacred head) of Agnes is in this chapel.  Agnes was sacrificed as a 12 year old in the 4rth century.  The legend goes that when she was stripped she sprouted body hair everywhere to protect her dignity!  Her bones are in another church.  We didn't see it because there was a mass going on at the time and it seemed rude to interrrupt!   Outside the chapel the Piazza Navone is very pretty but you need a mortgage for a coffee.  There are also street artists selling original watercolours and oils - many of which are apparently prints you can get round the corner for a 10th of the price.  

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This should be entitled "Carry On Walking" because that's what we seemed to do for 4 days!   Headed to the Pantheon.  I was mighty impressed.  Crawling with pretend gladiators outside but much more beautiful inside than I was expecting.  

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I sat down on the floor to get a good pic (unsuccessfully) of the cupolla.  The guards don't like you doing this and there are signs to show people shouldn't lie down.  I think it's seen as disrespectful to the Italian royals buried below!  Raphael is also buried here.  

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However, for a woman of a certain age and shape, photos from above are always a good bet!  

Off to the nearest gelaterie for vanilla, mango and strawberry cones.  Five-a-day fruit and veg!  

Then round the corner to the Trevi Fountain, squashed it seemed into a tiny wee square which it overwhelmed.  Lovely scene, only needed Cary Grant to be completely perfect!  And at last an open shoe shop.  The best of service from an  Italian guy who I was happy to let caress my aching sweaty feet, and I was all set with superbly comfortable new shoes.  

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Moving on to Piazza de Spagna.  The square itself amd the church above are being renovated so it somewhat took away from the anticipated image.  We were all a little disappointed.  I think the Spanish Steps are probably best seen either at night or in the spring/ summer when they are covered in flowers.  

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The street leading down from Piazza de Spagna is Via Condotti - home to the poshest of designer shops.  The shop assistants looked scary.  

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At last - dinner.  And great pizza in a Trattoria in Campo de' Fiori.  

And so the long walk home.  A supermarket stop for some wine - 5 litres for 8 euros.  Just as well it was in a box rather than bottles because I fell in what I called a pothole  (and the others called a very tiny dip) and dropped it, splitting the box open.  The wine was fine!  And it turned out to be very pleasant.  Agnes and I misjudged the time and stayed up with the decreasing wine box until 4am - not very clever when you are getting up early for more walking, but fun at the time nevertheless!  

Day Three - Monday 6th February 2006

Hungover and tired - a fact Joanne totally ignored when she came into our rooms early to open the windows and shutters wide!   This was the day I walked more than on any other day in my life!  We tackled "Ancient Rome".   The walking didn't start too well though.  Barely ten minutes after leaving the house I fell again!  My full length.  Strained my ankle (alternative one to the night before!) and grazed my knees and hand.  After their initial concern all my so-called friends could do was laugh and tell me they had heard me going "splat".  Unclear why I was unable to stay vertical, tho as I fell I remember feeling pleased that I could lie down again!  

We made for Piazza Venezia.  There is a building here called 'Il Vittoriano' and the locals apparently despise it, calling it the "typewriter" and the "wedding cake".  As we turned the corner I was neverthess impressed by the view. 

It's an enormous white marble monument built as a tribute to the first King of a united Italy, Victor Emmanuel II, between 1885 and 1911 - obviously very recent by Roman standards.  The monument consists of a large flight of stairs leading to the Altar of the Nation, dominated by a colossal 12m long equestrian statue of the King.  It is on the northern slope of the capitoline hill and Roman ruins and medieval churches were destroyed to make space for it.  

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And just up the road from the Colosseum - see on the left.  

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Below the king's statue is the tomb of the unknown soldier, guarded 24 hours a day by two sentries of honor and two eternal flames.  

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At the back is a long corridor with 15m/50ft high columns. On top of the corridor are two bronze quadrigae, each with a winged Victory.  We climbed to the top, up high steps made for folk with long legs.  There was no sitting down though - as soon as someone did the guards blew a whistle.  At the top it was so cold and windy it was actually scary - you wouldn't need any facial exfoliator if you were willing to make that climb occasionally.  The views of Rome were great, including the Piazza to the front and the Colosseum to the back, but I was glad to go back down!  

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The top of the Il Vittoriano is connected to the campidoglio, meant to save another climb of the capitoline hill.  Except, we then had to climb a billion more steps.  I swear I heard my friends crying, no mean feat because I couldn't actually breathe!  Thankfully there was lovely cafe at the top.  By that time we were willing to pay 100 euros for a seat and a glass of water!  

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Slightly restored we made our way from the cafe to the Campidoglio.  On the City Hall building a huge poster is hung of Jill Carroll, the American journalist being held hostage in Baghdad.  Apparently, over the last months, posters of other men and women kidnapped in Iraq or elsewhere have been hung from the same spot and Rome's Mayor Walter Veltroni has said the poster will remain until Jill Carroll is released.  

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The reason we had decided to go to the Roman Forum from this direction rather than from the Colosseum is that by going beneath the medieval arch on the right of the Campidoglio we gained an outstanding view of the Forum.   

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We then took a road up to the right and entered the Forum.  My first impression was of the size of the cobble stones!  

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We then took the cobbled (smaller ones!) road - Via Sacra - to the Colosseum.   

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By now we were really really tired and if any of us had any sense we should have jumped onto the Metro and made our way homewards.  But no!  We walked on down to the Circo Massimo.  Not much to tell tale of the chariot races and other shows once held there.  It's a public park now, filled in with dirt and an unremarkable looking area for walking dogs.  

We had planned to go the Trastevere area for dinner but decided it was too far and so made our way back towards the Vatican area.  Except we got very lost and spent a couple of hours in the Trastevere area after all! 

When we finally made it back nearer home for dinner the waiter, distressed I think by our pained expressions of relief as we sat down, asked if it had been some time since we had seen a chair.   Do you think we had just walked around most of Rome?   Topped up the wine supplies on the way home but were all in bed by just after 10pm!  

Sadly an hour later we heard the events surrounding the tourist bus crash which happened 2 streets behind the apartment, and the next day when we realised what had happened we counted our blessings just to have blistered feet.  

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Day Four - Tuesday 7 th February 2006  

Last day and we were spending it around the Vatican City.  One of the good things about that was there would be less traffic dodging!  Strange road rules it seems.  Drivers don't stop for you on crossings even if their lights are red and the green man is on.  Cars, mopeds and buses continue to drive on and don't stick to any lanes.  We decided the easiest way to get across was to simply go for it!  However it turns out that is exactly what you should do - drivers will only stop if you walk into the road and raise your hand, otherwsie they will assume you don't want to cross.  And they don't exactly stop, just weave round you.  The most dangerous thing you can do is change your mind and retreat to the safety of the pavement, because they will just mow you down on your way back.  There is a constant sound of police and ambulance sirens and we were amazed that traffic didn't get out of the way for them.  It seems this is because they routinely put on their sirens just for the hell of it - how they express there really is an emeregency is unclear!  Having said all that, I still think Amsterdam is worse!  And the traffic pollution is much less than in Glasgow - efforts have been made to reduce it, although it's probably not quite as fresh during the summer humidity.  

Getting ready to go out - this is the back of the apartments.  Would have been a nicer photo without the protrusion!  

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Another beautiful morning.  

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The Swiss Guards - guards of the Vatican and the pope in particular since 1506. All entrants to the army must be Swiss, catholic, male virgins aged 19 to 30 and they must take the oath of loyalty to the pope.  

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Going in.  

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Inside St Peter's Basilica and oddly 99% of the photos were blurred, from 3 different cameras.  Need to work that one out!  

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Probably my favourite sculpture - Michelangelo's Pieta.  It shows Mary cradling her lifeless son after he has been dragged down from the cross. I think it's amazing Michelangelo was only 24 years old when he completed it and it's a very emotive sculpture.  It now sits behind bullet proof glass because on Christmas morning a few years ago a madman decided to start hacking at it with a hammer.  The second pic is from a postcard.

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And so down into the crypt.  Used for burials of Popes for 12 centuries.  The crypts vary in their style, some are very decorative and others very simple.  I enjoyed the longevity of it all but clearly it means very much more to followers.  There were lots of people crying and praying around the crypt of John Paul II.

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I found it odd to see the cheapness of the plant pots to each side of the marble slab, amid all the opulence around!

And that was us, feet aching, hungry and tired.  We didn't make it to the top of the basilica or to the Sistine Chapel.  After going round museums within the basilica we were arted-out!  

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Went for lunch nearby.  Nice family restaurant.  A group of German tourists at the next table questioned their bill and the sweet wee Italian momma turned into a frenzied bundle of energy.  "Mama Mia" she kept saying, and then told the woman she was arguing with to go into the kitchen.  At that point I would have paid up and been glad for my survival!  The problem in Rome is that they often add a restaurant tax and then a service charge.  It's marked on the menu but if you don't realise you are in for a surprise!  In this case it was 10 euros for the resturant and then 15% service charge.  The meal was still very good value but I don't suppose that matters when it feels like you are being ripped off!  

Did a bit of shopping and then had a final espresso before heading home.  

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Interesting journey back to the airport.  Agnes sat in the front seat and immediately regretted it because she could see the traffic shenanigans while the driver ignored any normal road etiquette and made love to his wife on the phone!  Most of the cars in Rome have bumps out of them and it's no wonder.  

Great trip, would recommend it to anyone, and keen to return to see what we missed.  

The End!