Rome

I arrived in Rome at 6.30pm - in the pouring rain!  Not what I was expecting :-(  I was debating walking to the hotel as on the map it really didn't look that far away but not when it was absolutely chucking it down!  I joined the taxi queue, fended off some dodgy taxi drivers offering to take me to the hotel for 20 euros (20 EUROS??  It was only down the road!!) caught a proper taxi to the hotel, (which in the end was less than 10 euros - that's more like it!) unpacked, had dinner in the restaurant then went to bed. 

On Thursday I was spending the whole day at Studio Emme - a facility house we use in Italy.  I caught the Metro there which is like our London Underground but it was only 1 euro for 75 minutes of travelling, or 4 euros for the whole day - bargain!!!  We went out for lunch to this amazing fish restaurant where I tried many different things - including things I wouldn't normally eat!!!  We washed it all down with some lovely wine and then a very strong liquor!!  (And they were going back to work!?)  Late afternoon I headed back to the hotel - I didn't have dinner that night - I was still so full up from breakfast and lunch again!!! 

On Friday morning I had a meeting and then a lunch at 1pm in the lovely Piazza del Popolo.  "This vast piazza was laid out in the early 16th century at the point of convergence of the three roads - Via di Ripetta, Via del Corso and Via dal Babuino - which form a trident at what was the main entrance to the city from the north."  I got there early so I relaxed with a latte macchiato in the sun...  Lunch was lovely - I had a carbonara with some rose wine and agreed to have a coffee afterwards.  I was all set to ask for a latte macchiato again when an expresso was placed in front of me.  AN EXPRESSO!!!  I couldn't say no, it would have been rude so after putting about 3 sugars in it I gingerly tried it.  Oh my word - never again!  I'm not a great lover of coffee in the first place (hence why I go for the 'milk with a spot of coffee' option!  Oh well, you live and learn.  After that I was very excited - I was meeting Martin!!!!!  He landed at about midday, went straight to the hotel and then we met at the Fontana di Trevi which was near to the Piazza del Popolo.  "This high-baroque fountain is one of Rome's most famous monuments.  Completely dominating a tiny piazza, it was designed by Nicola Salvi in 1732."  It was great to see him, I had missed him so much!  After taking a few photos and participating in the famous custom of throwing a coin into the fountain (over your shoulder while facing over) to ensure our return to Rome we headed over to Piazza di Spagna.  "The piazza, church and famous Spanish Steps have long provided a gathering place for foreigners.  The piazza was named after the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See, although the staircase, built with a legacy from the French in 1725, lead to the French church, Trinit dei Monti.  In the piazza is the boat-shaped fountain called Barcaccia, believed to be by Pietro Bernini, father of the famous Gian Lorenzo."  We climbed to the top of the Spanish Steps, then walked back down and headed back over to Piazza del Popolo where we both had a beer in the sun.  By this time it was getting late so we headed back to the hotel for the complimentary dinner and drinks (yes really!) and a fairly early night. 

On Saturday morning after a delicious breakfast we packed up and checked out of the hotel.  Unfortunately work would only cover the costs up to Saturday afternoon so we had made arrangements to stay in a hostel for the last night.  Once we found it we were not too impressed.  The cleaniness left much to be desired, as did the security...  But what could we do?  We had already paid a deposit and would only lose most of the day if we tried to find another hostel at this short notice.  Even though a dinner of pasta and salad was included in the price we both agreed that it was probably best if we went back to the hostel as late as possible that evening!!  We went to the Colosseum during the day which was absolutely amazing. 

"Construction of the Colosseum was started by Emperor Vespasian in 72 AD in the grounds of Nero's private Domus Aurea.  Originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre after the family name of Vespasian, it was inaugurated by his son Titus in 80 AD.  The massive structure could seat more than 80,000 and the bloody gladiator combat and wild beast shows held there give some insight into the attitudes of the day.  The games held to mark the inauguration of the Colosseum lasted for 100 days and nights, during which some 5000 animals were slaughtered.  The Emperor Trajan once held games which lasted for 117 days, during which some 9000 gladiators fought to the death.  However, with the fall of the Roman Empire, the Colosseum was abandoned and gradually became overgrown.  In the Middle Ages the Colosseum became a fortress, occupied by two of the city's warrior families, the Frangipani and the Annibaldi.  Its reputation as a symbol of Rome, the Eternal City, also dates from the Middle Ages, when Christian pilgrims are said to have predicted that when the Colosseum fell, Rome would also fall.  Damaged several times by earthquake, it was later used as a quarry for travertine and marble to be used in the Palazo Venezia and other buildings.  Pollution and the vibrations caused by traffic and the Metro have also taken their toll."

We paid for a tour inside the Colosseum and it was well worth it.  It's not until you're there and actually standing inside that you appreciate just how huge it is, and how magnificent it must have been in its day.  The tour also included the Roman Forum which Martin was really pleased about as he wanted to look over there too so after spending a few hours inside the Colosseum we headed over to join the rest of the tour group again for the Roman Forum tour.

"The ancient Roman commercial, political and religious centre stands in a valley between the Capitoline and Palatino hills.  The forum was constructed over 900 years, with later emperors erecting  buildings next to those from the Republican era.  Its importance declined along with the Roman Empire after the 4th century AD, and the temples, monuments and buildings constructed by successive emperors, consuls and senators fell into ruin, eventually leading to the site being used as pasture land.  In the Middle Ages the area was known as the Campo Vaccino (literally 'cow field') - ironic, since the valley in which the forum stood has been used as pasture land in the earliest days of the city's development.  During medieval times the area was extensively plundered for its stone and precious marbles.  Many temples and buildings were converted to other uses, while other monuments lay half revealed.  The physical destruction of Rome's ancient city can be blamed not on invaders or natural disasters, but on the Roman's themselves.  Over the centuries, in the name of what they called progress, the Roman's dismantled the city brick by brick and marble block by marble block in order to build their new palaces, churches and monuments."

After the tour we spent some time walking around by ourselves and then decided to go and find some dinner somewhere.  We had read good things about Campo De Fiori, "a lively piazza with a flower and vegetable market every morning" so off we went to try and find it.  "The piazza was a place of execution during the Inquisition.  In 1600 the monk Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake here for heresy and his statue now stands at the piazza's centre."

However when we reached it the market was just being dismantled and the smell and rubbish was pretty unpleasant so we continued on to Piazza Navona.  "Lined with baroque palaces, this vast and beautiful piazza was laid out on the ruins of Domitian's stadium and contains three fountains, including Bernini's masterpiece, the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers) , in the centre, depicting the Nile, Ganges, Danube and the Rio Plata.  Facing the piazza is the Chiesa di Sant'Agnese in Argone, its facade designed by Bernini's bitter rival, Borromini.  It's traditionally held that the statues of Bernini's Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi are shielding their eyes in disgust from Borromini's church, but actually Bernini completed the fountain two years before his contemporary started work on the facade."

The atmosphere at Piazza Navona was a lot nicer so we sat down in practically the first restaurant we came across, had a lovely beer and then started looking at all the other restaurants, comparing prices and types of pizza.  It didn't take us long to decide upon one and the pizzas were divine.  Even Martin enjoyed his and he doesn't often eat pizzas!  But hey, you can't go to Italy and not have a pizza.

After dinner we decided to go and see some of the sights by night.  First stop was the Vatican City which were also planning on visiting tomorrow.  "After unification, the Papal States of central Italy became part of the new Kingdom of Italy, causing a considerable rift between Church and State.  In 1929 Mussolini, under the Lateran Treaty, gave the pope full sovereignty over what is now the Vatican City.  The city has its own postal service, currency, newspaper, radio station, train station and army of Swiss Guards, responsible for security."

Piazza San Pietro was beautifully lit up and is considered a masterpiece.  "Laid out in the 17th century as a place for the Christians of the world to gather, the immense square is bounded by two semicircular colonnades, each of which is made up of four rows of Doric columns.  In the centre of the piazza is an obelisk bought to Rome by Caligula from Heliopolis in ancient Egypt."

After the Vatican City it was back to the Colosseum which looked even more amazing by night.  We took photos on our mobiles as well as using the camera but it was just as well because the only ones that really came out were the ones taken with our phones...

Determined not to get back to the hostel too early we took in one last sight - the Fontana di Trevi.  We had hoped by getting there late at night it would be less busy but no such luck, it was possibly even busier than before!  Oh well, never mind.  After a walk back to the hostel as the Metro had closed down for the evening we gingerly got into our beds and prayed for the morning to come fast.

Thankfully it did, or was that because we had to get up so early!?  All the literature we had read advised getting to the Vatican City really early - at least by 8am and so with relief we left the hostel and made our way back.  When we got there we thought we had made a mistake and that St Peter's Basilica was closed after all because there was just nobody about but after making our way hesitatingly up the steps we soon found our way inside!  Amazing.  It is usually closed on a Sunday - except for the last Sunday of the month when not only is it open - but it is also free admission, and yes today was the last Sunday of the month!!

After we had looked around we paid 4 or 5 euros and walked up the 300 or so steps to the roof.  The view was amazing and definitely worth it.  However we couldn't help but notice the absolutely huge queue that had built up since we had been inside.  And bearing in mind we still wanted to go to the Sistine Chapel which most likely had just as big a queue we headed back down.  Unfortunately we had reason to worry - the queue was huge and not at all orderly!  People were pushing in left, right and centre and really winding us up and it seemed to take forever to get inside.

"The private papal chapel, the Sistine Chapel, was completed in 1484 for Pope Sixtus IV and is now used for some papal functions and for the conclave which elects the popes.  However it is best known for two of the most famous works of art in the world: Michelangelo's wonderful frescoes of the Creation on the barrel-vaulted ceiling, and the Last Judgment on the end wall.  Both were restored during the 1980s and 90s and the rich, vibrant colours used by Michelangelo have been bought to the surface."

Once inside we have to admit we wasn't too impressed and we were pleased it also was free entry!  We left after a few hours and searched for a place to feed our hungry tummy's!  As we had not yet seen the Pantheon on the Piazza della Rotonda we thought that was as good a place as any to start!  We found a lovely restaurant there and had a delicious spaghetti carbonara - again!  Once our tummy's were full we went over to look inside the Pantheon.  "This is the best-preserved building of ancient Rome.  The original temple was built by Marcus Agrippa, son-in-law of Augustus, in 27 BC and dedicated to the planetary gods.  Although the temple was rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian around 120 AD, Agrippa's name remained inscribed over the entrance, leading historians to believe it was the original building until excavations in the early 19th century revealed traces of the earlier temple.

After being abandoned under the first Christian emperors, the temple was given to the Church by the Eastern emperor, Phocus, in 608 AD and dedicated to the Madonna and all martyrs.  Over the centuries the temple was consistently plundered and damaged.  The guiled bronze roof tiles were removed by an emperor of the Eastern empire and, in the 17th century, the Barberini pope, Urban VIII, had the bronze ceiling of the portico melted down to make the canopy over the main altar in San Pietro and 80 cannons for Castel Sant'Angelo.  The height and diameter of the building's interior both measure 43.3m and the extraordinary dome is considered the most achievement of ancient Roman architecture.  The Italian kings Vittorio Emanuele II and Umberto I and the artist Raphael are buried here."

Finally we could put it off no longer - we had to go back to the hell-hole that was the hostel.  Thankfully we just had to pick up our bags and then catch our bus to the airport...