Rome is historic, bustling, cultural, extensive and confounding.
The view of Rome from the top of The Vittoriano building.
Visiting one of the great cities of the world is an interesting experience. When a place is written about, spoken about and committed to celluloid you suddenly have expectations of how it will be. Rome is more than that. It is more than Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck riding around on scooters. It is more than people using the saying “when in Rome…” incorrectly. It is more than ‘La Dolce Vita’. It is more than gladiators. It is much more than a pile of ruins. I, like many others, had an impression of Rome before I got off the train here. What I have learned is that it is hard to capture what Rome truly is; it is many parts to a puzzle. We have been in Rome for 6 and a half days and have still felt rushed. There is so much to see and do. My appetites for history, archaeology, art, culture, mythology, food and drink have all been sated, but I know I have barely scratched the surface of what ‘The Eternal City’ has to offer. The city of Rome is actually a big open-air museum. Ruins from ancient times slot in easily next to medieval churches, baroque fountains and Renaissance palazzos. Being here is like being in a living timeline and you step in and out of eras with the greatest of ease.
Around The Forum, all the eras are covered.
After failing to get into the Colosseum on our first day in Rome (Apparently some guy named ‘Obama’ was having a private tour at the time), we woke up bright and early and visited The Colosseum with a guide. He was a local with some good gags, and a real passion for both the era and defending the reputation of the Roman people. He also reminded me of Australian acting great, Anthony LaPaglia, so that’s not a bad thing. The building itself is momentous and awe-inspiring. Considering the state of some of the other ruins in the area it is also pretty well preserved. The roof collapsed and took a fair chunk of the floor and seating with it, leaving the space a shell of what it was. Also included in the ticket to the Colosseum is entry into Palatine Hill where the Emperors of the Roman empire lived in huge palaces with lush gardens and The Forum, a handful of ruins that were once the empire’s economic and political heart. All were extremely interesting, however, I’m not the world’s greatest visualiser and trying to imagine the ruins not being ruins was a little tough for me in parts. Nevertheless, the area itself and our guides made it a very interesting history lesson. In fact, the lesson was so interesting we went back to The Colosseum to explore the underground levels, and to The Forum to get a better look around, a couple of days later. We’ve also been museum-hopping, checking out artifacts and artwork from the Roman empire. We saw a great temporary exhibition called ‘Monsters’ about how mythological beings like the Minotaur, Sirens and Gorgons are represented in art. History is in abundance here and even the museums themselves are historical locations, like the national museum that specializes in ancient artifacts that happens to be in an old Roman bath house itself.
Inside the Colosseum.
Our trip to the Vatican was an interesting one to say the least. I have to say I didn’t love it; the place just didn’t sit well with me. This has very little to do with my status as a reformed catholic or my religious beliefs, but more to do with respect and the almighty dollar. We entered the Basilica and of course, I was awestruck by the gold, the marble, the artwork (including the more famous of Michelangelo’s Pietas), most of it stolen from the disbanded remains of the former Roman empire. Buildings like the Colosseum, the palaces and the forum helped build St. Peter’s and helped Roman people forget their past. Once inside it was hard to enjoy the moment. People were everywhere, jostling for position, pushing in and generally being rude to each other. Irregardless of the religion, any holy site is worthy of respect because it means something to people. Although practising religion is not something I do, I believe in people’s right to do it freely. So when I got shoved out of the way for a man to take a better picture of the embalmed body of a former Pope; when people who actually going to mass while we were there were being blocked by people taking selfies; and when I saw people hocking rosary beads for a euro and I Heart Papa Francesco tote bags for 20, I thought it was a bit too much. It ceased to be a special place, it was just an attraction. Maybe I’m a bit too sensitive (I have been accused of being too politically correct more than once), but I think a lack of respect really cheapened the experience. We also went to the Vatican museum. For me, it was purely to see the Sistine Chapel. To get to the chapel you must walk through the many Vatican art galleries and museum rooms, all curated and opened by different Popes for different reasons. The Vatican’s collection of art was extensive, impressive and considering similar works we have seen so far, very well preserved. The collection was a reminder of the power and influence of the church over centuries. I cannot fathom a figure that is even close to what the collection is worth. It housed everything from Etruscan antiquities to Pope-commissioned work by Dali. My neck hurt from looking up at the ornate ceilings painted with devotional art works and gilded (of course) in gold. That was probably another thing that didn’t sit so well, the extreme wealth of the church and the decadence of the space. The Sistine Chapel was amazing, no words I write here can do it justice. It must be seen to be fully appreciated. After missing seeing Pope Francis on Sunday (we were in the museum when he came out onto his balcony for a wave) we ventured back past the Vatican on Wednesday to see him address his flock of Pilgrims on our way to Italian film-maker Dario Argento’s little shop of horrors. We only stayed for a short amount of time. The crowd was immense and the atmosphere was much more positive.
The roof of one of the Vatican galleries.
Please disregard any previous comments I have made about how busy places have been. Florence, Cinque Terre and Venice have had nothing on Rome. There are people everywhere. In fact, I don’t think I have seen so many people than I have around the attractions here. Our obligatory coin toss into the Trevi fountain was completed with hundreds of others, we fought phenomenal crowds to walk down The Spanish Steps, we shuffled through The Vatican museum with people boxing us in from all directions and we lined up – for everything. Even eating a gelato or grabbing pizza at our favourite pizzeria (Pizzeria della Secolo) was done with large groups of other people. But, this is to be expected. Rome is one of the great cities of the world and it turns it wasn’t just on my bucket list. It would be fabulous if it were some sort of ghost town, but then it wouldn’t be Rome!
The Trevi Fountain.
Actually, speaking of gelati I ate the best one I’ve ever had on our last lunch here. From a shop called ‘Romana’. They’ve been making gelati since the 1940s. I have never tasted better and I don’t know how one could possibly taste better. I’m getting dreamy just thinking about it again.
Practising my Italian has fallen by the wayside too. Everyone speaks amazing English. Before the trip began I was warned about some Italians’ annoyance at having to speak English to tourists, but besides our airport shuttle driver in Venice (who threw his hands in the air in disgust when he spoke to a woman in Italian and she looked at him with confusion), this has not been the case. I’m trying to speak Italian where I can, but the fact that people actually say “hello” before “buongiorno” to us here is not helping my studies. I shouldn’t complain, based on an extremely half-arsed effort in my 4 years of study at school I really only know how to say hello, please, my numbers to 13, thank you, sorry and a few other choice phrases and helpful ingredients, so it is oh-so convenient when I don’t know the Italian word.
Statue of Castor and Pollux in Piazza del Quirinale.
One of the days here we were lucky enough to visit the Abruzzo village of Celano, where my paternal grandmother was born before her family emigrated. They migrated to Australia when she was a girl. Celano is a small town built into the side of a mountain. Up the top, a small castle looks down over the town of classic Italian villas. It is a beautiful place. Being in the place she was born was a wonderful experience. We walked around the town and ate some of the best food we have had on the trip in a small restaurant that served us homemade pasta and bread (and whose proprietors didn’t speak a word of English! Yay!). On this day, I felt connected to her and her memory in a way I haven’t for many years. Sadly, I was only 7 years old when she died, so although many of my memories of her have faded, she had such a larger-than-life personality that I can still vividly recall those aspects of her character that made her who she was. I still remember her kindness, her generosity of spirit, her ferocious love for her boys, The Carlton Football Club, her no-nonsense attitude and her warm smile. I hope I have inherited some of those qualities that made her so loved, especially by my Dad. Well, I know I definitely inherited her love for the Blues.
Celano, Abruzzo.
I don’t think this blog can sum up Rome, there is too much too it. Past and present Rome do not clash, they comfortably sit side by side and even compliment each other. We’ve seen ancient artifacts, horror museums, beautiful art, ruins, a pope, a US president, icons of history, film and literature all within the city boundaries. So, with my coin sitting in the bottom of the Trevi, hopefully I can return for another round and discover more on another ‘Roman Holiday’ one day.
Ali's adventure 