[31] Roma Roma

The Roman Forum
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We were five days in Rome which is like saying, "You have 35 minutes, go see as much of the city as you can." Rome is colossal and her sights are colossal, spread out over seven good-sized hills. Besides we had to have a laundry day. We were way past wearing the "cleanest dirty shirt."

Because Rome is so vast, we decided to take a bus tour of the city. We’d done this once before in Berlin and although the sound didn’t always work, it did give us an idea of where things were and what we wanted to see. The idea is that you buy a ticket from a specific bus company - they usually have brightly colored, double-decker buses with open tops - and you can take the full ride through the city listening to a commentary on headsets or personal earphones. There is a plug in at each seat and a tuner to select a language. The bus makes several stops at local sights and the ticket holder can get on and off as many times as he or she wants for a 24-hour period. In theory, it’s a great way to see the town and get some insight to the history and significance of the monuments. In theory. In reality, it’s a bone crushing ride either on top where you will be fried by the sun or drenched, or inside where it’s impossible to see the top of a three-story building let alone a cathedral. You are very lucky if the plug in at your seat works and luckier still if the Arab woman with three screaming kids has missed the bus. Somehow the commentary I heard was always talking about what was on the other side of the bus or in a location that would have required a full 180 degree head turn. There are several different bus companies in most large cities, each with a slightly different angle to their presentation. We approached the Information Station to inquire and were bowled over by a man, "You want to see Rome Madame, this is the way. You see everything Madame. Eighteen Euros, Madame, you see whole city. Thirty-six Euro, you take the young man with you. Is this your boyfriend, Madame? Your husband? Well, okay, you take him anyway. Thirty-six Euro, the whole city, Madame."

Temple of the Vestal Virgins
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Since the name of the company was Christian Rome, I asked if the tour highlighted only Christian sights. "No, no, Madame. That’s just the name on the bus. We see everything here Thirty-six Euro, the whole city Madame. Take your boyfriend for a ride." We took the deal and hopped on. Sometimes it’s easier to just pay and be done with it. The tour was okay, it gave us an idea of the breadth of the city and the depth of the history (even if it was only the Christian history). There were times when the audio didn’t work and there was one time when we sat outside St Peter’s square with the sun bleaching our brains while the driver had a cigarette break, but we thought it was worth it.

Palatine Hill
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One day was for the ruins. The line to get into the Colosseum was quite long in the morning so we headed across the street into the ancient section of Rome It’s nice that they have these things so conveniently located. It’s like Romanville at Disneyland. After about an hour and a half of walking through the Palatine (where the wealthier Romans and Emperors lived), looking down on the Roman Forum and the temple of the Vestal Virgins, REB says to me, "Is this is it? There’s nothing here. It’s all in ruins." So we went back across the street to the Colosseum which was only partially in ruin. Seriously, we did enjoy it and it really is impossible to make a meaningful comment. You’re standing in a spot that was in use 2,000 years ago. You can see the work and the craftsmanship that built the structure. People walked here, they climbed the steps, they cheered their favorite gladiators. Then they walked home and maybe stopped into one of the shops in the Forum. They walked these same stone passageways and looked at these very frescos. What is there to say about that?

Detail from the ruins
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We have been unbelievably fortunate with the weather throughout this entire trip. Sometimes we are amazed that we have yet another beautiful day. We went to the Vatican on a day like that. The sky was so blue it hurt to look at it and there was not a single wisp of cloud. What we do see here a lot are the vapor trails from the military jets on constant vigil. Anyway, the Vatican. What I’ve been struck by the most on this trip are the masses of people everywhere we go. There is no such thing as "off season" anymore. The hotel prices might go down a bit, but the crowds don’t seem to thin. We got the St Peter’s square at 9:30 in the morning and found a huge crowd divided into two major lines. One was to get into the basilica and we nosed our way into that one about a third of the way down. The hold up of course, were the airport-type security machines. Once pass the security we edged to the right and went into the copula first. This is the "basement" of St Peters and the crypt for the popes. It’s unlike any other crypt I’ve seen. It’s completely marble: floors, walls, ceiling. Some of the popes’ effigies are enormous and elaborate. It’s difficult to distinguish each one because the nameplates and inscriptions are all in Latin. The one of most interest, naturally, was John Paul II and his was the simplest grave of all. People filed by slowly, some placing flowers or other objects on the stone. Most took a quick picture, a guard urging softly, "Avanti, Avanti - keep moving." A few people were on their knees on the cold marble, their rosaries making a slow passage through their fingers. Their soft mumbling gave an underlying hum to the recorded Gregorian chants.

Stadium in the Palatine
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After that we went into St Peter’s Basilica. Ralph and I have said many times throughout the trip that each time we go into a church or cathedral, we find a place like no other. They each have a character and a beauty of their own. Some have struck us at the moment we come in out of the sunlight, others pull us in and reveal their beauties slowly. Walking into St Peter’s in Rome I am stunned by the vastness of it. It’s more than that because the Cologne Cathedral is vast. St Peter’s is opulent, and it has a massive strength. That may come from the many, many statues of saints and popes. Michelangelo’s Pieta is nearly tiny by comparison. We took our time and wandered into each area we were allowed, trying to take in the art and craftsmanship. Some of the chapels were in use as were some confessionals, each with a sign listing the language spoken by the priest inside. Back out in the sunshine we tried to find the line for the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael rooms. For some reason there were masses of chairs set out in the square and it wasn’t a simple matter to cross it. The Vatican guards were curt in their instructions and one of the Swiss Guard became very angry when a woman took his picture after he’d asked her not to. "Do you speak English?" he said "I told you no pictures." Unfortunately, when we found the line for the Sistine it was much too long for us to stand in the sun and we left. I was really disappointed because when I was here in 1980 they’d just begun to clean the ceiling and I was looking forward to the bright colors hidden underneath the centuries of grit. Well, we tossed a coin in Trevi Fountain so we’ll see it next time, right?

I love these trees
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We didn’t see all of Rome, but what we did experience made us very glad we came. Next time you get a chance to go to Rome, do it.

Baby Bulletin: Great-granddaughter Emma Boverhuis made her first appearance October 17^th at 5:30 pm, central time. (18 ½"; 8.5#) Emma and her parents, Nicky and Ronny are all doing well. Congrats!

Our love to you all,

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