From the moment we arrived in Rome one night a couple of weeks ago, we were awestruck. Although I had been there when I was sixteen, it was like visiting for the first time. We arrived at night and all of the monuments were lit up and we could see just from this first glimpse that there is ancient history in every nook and cranny of this place. As we passed the Piazza Venezia, I turned to Erich and said, "I want to live here."
We were in Rome for about a week before moving on to visit my family in Villa Latina. We had no idea if we would be coming back to Rome after visiting my family, or if so, for how long we would be coming back so we tried to see all of the sights hitting some of them on the last part of the Settimana Cultura, or Culture Week, when all of the national museums were free.
The Roman Forum (Foro Romano) was one of the coolest sights we saw despite the horribly constructed audio guide tour. We were running around from monument to monument, never quite sure of what we were looking at. If you ever go on a tour of the Forum, spring for the live guide. Despite our technical difficulties, it was amazing to see the grounds of public, private, and governing activities. It was a highlight for Erich, the college history major, who is loving all of the Roman history so far.
We also visited the Spanish steps (Trinita dei Monti) which were very pretty and fragrant. We got there just in time for the rain clouds to part and let in some sunlight on an otherwise dreary day. After sitting there for a good 15 minutes, we looked to the left and saw the building where the English poet John Keats died. It's now known as the Keats-Shelley memorial house. It made me wonder what else is just under our noses that we might be missing. Although the Spanish steps were lovely, I guess I don't really understand why they're such a hot spot. I mean, they're steps. Nice steps, beautifully decorated steps, but steps nonetheless. It could have something to do with the high end shopping located just beyond the steps at Via del Corso. Who knows?
Also cool was the Pantheon as one of the only pagan temples still standing in its almost entirely original form in Rome. Of course, this pagan style is not without contradiction as the Pantheon is now adorned with a Catholic altar and several other pieces of Christian paraphernalia. There's a big hole in the ceiling which lets in the outdoor elements, but there are also holes in the ground to let out water when it rains--these guys thought of everything. The Pantheon also holds the tomb of Raphael, the painter, not the ninja turtle.
And then there's this guy:
We also saw the classic sights like the Trevi Fountain and made sure not to leave before making our wishes.
The Monument to Victor Emmanual II in the Piazza Venezia seemed like it could be seen almost everywhere we went our first couple days in the city. It is a good central marking place. From there it is an easy walk or metro stop over to the Collosseum (Colosseo) or Flavian Amphitheater.
We also saw the Saint Angel Castle, which was to be Hadrian's tomb but is also known for its unique torture devices in its prisons but has also been a place of refuge for Popes during war times. From there we got to see the Vatican and Michelangelo's Pieta. And of course the Vatican Museums which culminates with the Sistine Chapel. I couldn't get very clear photos in the Sistine Chapel, but I guess we weren't supposed to be taking photos anyway. There were signs, but no one was adhering to them, and the guards, who were tsk, tsk-ing at the sight of a camera in some of the other rooms, just didn't seem to care. Maybe they realized that with such a large crowd, there was nothing to be done about it.
On this first visit we stayed in this awesome hostel called the Beehive. It offers great organic breakfasts each morning at a pretty moderate price. It's clean, it's cool, but it books REALLY FAST. When we came back to Rome we couldn't book even two nights in a row because it was so full. Looking back, it was great that we were able to see so many sights our first time in Rome, because when we returned there wasn't much time for any sightseeing, and now we are getting to know a different side of the city. More on that later! Next up: Villa Latina--my roots!
2 comments:
where us your apartment? i am very interested to know what part of the city you'll be living in!!
It's in the southern part of Trastevere. Definitely outside of the tourist traffic and seemingly far away from everything but work in the E.U.R. district. Where were you living when you were here?
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