Friday:
Woke up at about 8:30am this morning…I couldn’t figure out how to turn on the hot water for the life of me! Afterwards everyone went to the reception desk and lobby and we had the “free” breakfast that they provided, which consisted of a jelly-filled croissant and your choice of coffee, cappuccino/espresso and tea…guess which one I had!?
We then ventured out into the city of Rome! It was very chilly in the morning about 35 degrees and raining, so at first it was a bit uncomfortable but we quickly found the nearest METRO and took it to the Vatican City station. I purchased an unlimited use ticket that was good for a full day for 4 euros. After we got out of the METRO and started walking towards the Vatican we were intercepted by a “friend”. This “friend” was an “American” tour guide representative for tours of the Vatican; he gave us a standard sales pitch on why we should buy the ticket for the tour. He began with “hey are you guys American, would you mind if I could borrow only 5 minutes of your time….” Long story short his “great deal” did not sound enticing enough for me to buy it. So we continued our walk towards the Vatican City…
Inside St. Peters Square was amazing…seeing the all too familiar circular plaza and Swiss guards was a great feeling. Even though there was a constant light drizzle the beauty of the space was not ruined. We stood and admired the ambiance of the square for quite some time…in the rain, something about standing in the center of the Christian world held too strong of a grip for me to leave. We finally walked toward the line to get inside of St. Peters Basilica which surprisingly was not that long (probably because of the cold and rain).
The inside of the Basilica is even more amazing than the square….it was phenomenal, in the blog post from Sagrada Familia I stated that I would compare all architecture to that new standard…well St. Peter’s Basilica was not as impressive architecturally, however the amount of ornamentation and detail that went into every single square inch of the interior was incredible and in my opinion greater than Sagrada Familia. There were many confession booths inside of the Basilica along with separate smaller prayer rooms; I went inside one of these rooms and prayed/pondered in silence…I got chills! I got to see the famous Pieta sculpture by Michelangelo…yes the Michelangelo from the 15th century! By the time we finished gazing in the wonder of the Basilica it was snowing, heavily, outside. The snow added even more of a magical and holy feel to the area, it was literally and figuratively the “icing” on the cake! From St. Peters Square we walked, in the snow, back outside the city walls and around toward the back entrance to get inside of the Sistine Chapel. The actual “Chapel” is not that large but the multiple galleries, apartment rooms, and vestibules that lead to it make up for its size, all together they create the Apostolic Palace. Once again every single square inch of wall, floor, and door was covered in wondrous paintings and frescos. Words cannot describe the “sensory overload” that I experienced inside of the museum that leads to the chapel; multiple paintings by many great artists lead the way (Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, and Pinturicchio just to name a few). This is where the Pope’s residence is…somewhere beneath in the tunnels of the Apostolic Palace…very cool to think that the Pope was “walking around” beneath my feet today! The inside of the actual chapel is just as astonishing as everything else…it was covered in paintings by Michelangelo, I recognized so many of the paintings and it was surreal to actually see them in person. Unfortunately no photography was allowed inside the actual chapel (there were multiple guards inside who stopped anyone who attempted to take a picture) so I don’t have any physical pictures to show.
The snow had slowed down a little bit, but there was at least 2 inches already on the ground so we trudged through and found a “hole in the wall” Pizzeria to eat at for lunch. This was probably the best decision that we made during the entire trip; the authentic Italian pizza was so good that I can’t ever look at Papa Johns, Pizza Hut, or even Andolini’s pizza the same ever again. I had two “huge” slices of Pizza one was sausage and the other one was similar to a supreme pizza.
After our extremely satisfying lunch in Rome we ventured to the Spanish Steps; this was a huge spectacle and challenge in the snowy conditions. It was almost impossible to walk up the 150+ steps without slipping! After seeing a snowy panoramic of the city at the top of the steps we walked to our last destination of the evening the Trevi Fountain! The fountain was very ornate and by the time we arrived the snow had stopped and the air was clean, crisp, and cold. I believe the saying of the Trevi Fountain is that if you throw two coins into the fountain you will find love in Rome on your next visit; if you throw one coin into the fountain then you will have a quick return to the city. I threw one cone in...so I guess I’ll go back sometime soon?!
Saturday:Woke up at the same time and had the same free breakfast at the hostel.
It was beyond cold outside, I think the actual temperature was in the 20's somewhere (by far the coldest weather I think I have ever been in)…the snow was so picturesque and fluffy at first. As the day went on and people walked around it became more compact, hard, and icy…some areas were slushy. I was warm do to layering, and shout out to Aunt Sandra for the rain/snow boots…they kept my feet warm, and dry!
We took the METRO to the Coliseum and Roman Forum, the stop is in such close proximity to the Coliseum that it made walking up the stairs of the METRO a climatic event. (I think I am starting to run out of words on how to explain the awe of all the things I saw…haha). The Coliseum is stunning, it was crazy to be standing around it; just to think that I was standing in the same spot as so many famous Roman Emperors and other historical figures. The snow caused the authorities to block access inside of the Coliseum off to the public, they did not want the combination of heavy snow and people causing any potential damage to the structure…I was a tad bit disappointed by this, but I quickly got over it.
Despite the weather, both the Coliseum and Roman Forum were still crowed and everyone was walking in the middle of the street to get from them back into the “new” city. We had lunch at a nice and inexpensive restaurant within one of the meandering streets within the “new” city. I gave spaghetti another shot and I was much more satisfied and pleased with the meal I had…it was definitely authentic and “homemade”, the pasta was very thick, and ununiformed! I tried the espresso shot that was included in the price of the meal…I will never have one of those again; I did not like it at all!
After lunch we walked to Roman Pantheon (which again was closed due to the snow) but it there was plenty to take in from the outside of the structure. Afterwards we walked around and explored a snow filled Rome, discovering more “treasures” of the city. For dinner I ate at McDonalds for the first time in Europe; it was more expensive than what I am used to paying in the states but it was still just as tasty. This particular McDonald’s, however, had nicer desserts for example Tiramisu and some cream and fruit dish.
Sunday:
This morning was an interesting journey on the way back to Barcelona….
First I had to wake up at 4:30am to be on time for the bus shuttle that took us to the airport. Once in the airport I experienced my first delayed flight and the chaos of frustrated travelers and cancelled flights. The airport was complete madness…multiple flights were cancelled within Europe due to the torrential snowfall across the region. Our flight was delayed because the runway had to be constantly “de-iced”, pushing flights ahead of us back; we were supposed to leave at 8:25am but did not board our plane until about 11:18am. So I can say I experienced a delayed flight…not one I have to endure again. After the commotion settled we had a safe and successful flight back to Barcelona, thank the lord for that.
In conclusion of my three nights in Rome I can say the following: I experienced a Rome that not even the Romans get to experience that often much less tourists. The snowfall was the biggest Rome has seen in many years. I had real pizza, pasta, and wine; I stood in the center of the ancient Roman Empire and experienced architecture and sights older than Jesus. I still can’t tell you what “exactly” the Romans do, but when I was in Rome….
Trevi Fountain
A quick return to Rome....
All great pictures. Now I am getting jealous:)You probably already mentioned in a previous entry but how long of a Metro ride is it from your studio to Rome?
ReplyDeleteDid you mean the room (dorm)? The studio is about a 10 minute walk from the room.
DeleteI am so glad that you got to experience that (whatever it is that the Romans do)in Rome. The snow was beautiful, and I'm glad that the boots I bought kept your feet warm and dry. And stay away from the prostitutes! (lol)
ReplyDeleteI am, they keep coming to me!!!
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