When in Rome...part 2
Trip Start
Aug 19, 2008
1
21
39
Trip End
Jul 04, 2009
Rome,
Italy
Saturday, December 6, 2008
1st stop was at the Colosseum, paid 12.50 Euros and opted out of guided tour mainly because it was so pricey. Really glad that we went early, we didn't have to face the crowds and tour groups as we walked around the Colosseum. Truthfully it was smaller then what I imagined it to be and had difficulties trying to understand how they managed to get boats in there to fight. But when you factor in when the Colosseum was built, it's an amazing feat and impressive that what they have still standing is still well preserved. We quickly took our gladiator fighting pose pictures before heading out when the big tour groups started coming in.
Next stop was at the Arch of Constantine and we walked up Palatine Hill and then walked towards the Monumento Vittorio Emanuele II
at the Colosseo aka. Colosseum
. Impressive building but Brenda, Dan and I didn't know who Vittorio Emanuele was, or what he did to get such a huge building named after him. All the walking made us hungry so we quickly exchanged some money and found a small cafe and had my first piece of Italian pizza and a suppli. They didn't have many options so I stayed with the safest option they had, crust and pizza sauce, it was okay, but I fell in love with the suppli. A suppli, delicious goodness of rice in tomato sauce with some mozzarella cheese and deep fried. Yum, writing about it makes me want another one. From there we walked to the Metro to get to the Vatican City. Paid another 14 Euros to get into the Vatican museums and walked and hurt my neck from looking at the paintings on the ceilings in the different rooms. Honestly I can't remember half of the different exhibits that they had in the museums but the amount of paintings and the amount of detail on them was a lot to take in. I think the greatest part was going to the Sistine Chapel and seeing the paintings that Michaelangelo did...and the fact that I was able to take some pictures inside..ssshhh! Throughout the museums it said that photos were okay as long as you had no flash. In the Sistine Chapel, it said "No photos, no flash, and be quiet". Well there was photos, definetly flash and it wasn't quiet. So I figured, I'll take the photos with no flash and I'll definetly be quiet
Me in the Colosseum
. I think they turned out alright, but compared to Dan's fancy 10.0 MP I'm sure his turned out better then mine, oh well, another excuse to get a better camera :)Walked out of the Vatican museums and walked our merry way to St Peter's Square where our eyes were first drawn to the long line where we later found out it was to get into the Basilica atrium. Decided against the long line up and headed to get some Italian gelato. Yum it was amazing and even better then home. I want some now just typing this up. Took the metro to see the Spanish steps, where there was a ton of people and clowns for some reason. We never did find out why they were there, but there was a few crying children among the clowns. Walked to the Trevi fountain and marveled at the huge fountain and tried to get a decent picture of the fountain without any other tourists in it. Later headed over to the Pantheon where it was unfortunately closed to the public because of mass, so I got to see part of the whole in the roof from the entrance.
Headed over to the Piazza Navona where they had a small carnival complete with the carni games and cotton candy stands.
We then grabbed dinner at a small Italian restaurant where again I enjoyed more supplis and good Italian pasta, yum. I tried to get a picture of it, but the food was quickly inhaled before the camera was taken out of its case. After dinner we walked around before it started to rain, so we quickly headed back to the Metro and headed to our hostel and rested before the next leg of our trip, Morocco.
Comments
Crossing Paths
I just saw your posting, I am headed to Cairo today and I stayed at the Pop Inn Hostel part of the time while I was in Rome. I will read your posts on Egypt for some good nuggets!
Mark