Rome, Italy (May 2-4, 2012)

Rome was the first stop in our long anticipated trip to Europe.  This was Diane's first visit to Italy and it's been 42 years since Hal was last in Rome.

Our neighbors told us of their experience in getting off the plane and going on a Vatican tour that afternoon - it was hard to stay awake.  They recommended an outdoor tour which worked out really well.  By the time we finished the tour, returned to Rome and had dinner, it was after 9 pm and time for bed.  We had a good nights sleep and never felt the effect of jet lag!

Our first stop was the ruins of Ostia Antica - which was the seaport for Rome from about 200 BC to 300 AD.  It once had over 300,000 inhabitants.  Diane is pictured with our Guide, Sara.




The picture below is of a restaurant - it had inside seating and also outside on the patio where we took this picture.

The ruins of the city go on and on - it's really incredible.  This was all covered by sand for centuries before being rediscovered and excavated.

Hal sitting in one of the many communal baths.  They didn't have restrooms in those days so they used public bath houses.

Our second day in Rome began with a 7 hour cultural tour with our guides Alexa and Job.  Job is from Philadelphia, and he has lived in Rome for 14 years.  Alexa's family is from Italy, but she grew up in Maryland and returned to Rome after high school.   (You can double click any picture to enlarge it for better viewing.)

We started at a familiar site - the Colosseum.

We learned how to drink out of Rome's public drinking fountains - Diane wasn't too sure about this.  You cover up the hole where the water was coming out at the bottom and then the water would spray up like a drinking fountain.  You can see (barely) the stream of water in the picture showing Hal's attempt.  Rome is known for having a very good public water system.

A view of Rome from a hillside.  Rome doesn't have a traditional big city skyline (skyscrapers) because nothing can be built taller than St. Peter's Basilica which is seen in the background.

  

 For lunch we took a train to a small town, Moreno, outside of Rome.  The town sits atop a hill - we had a few stairs to climb!  We had a very good Italian meal.

After our 7 hour guided tour we began our own 6 hour self-guided tour of Rome at the Pantheon.

Diane's first shopping in Rome.  She lost her jacket on the train from the airport into Rome so she needed to find a replacement as well as some gifts for our grandchildren.  We walked a lot of narrow streets to get a feel for the flavor of Rome.  This picture is in the Trastevere section of Rome - once considered the other side of the tracks (actually the other side of the Tiber River.)

This picture gives you a flavor of Rome - lots of buildings that are 3-4 stories high that are side to side, each with a different architecure.  Also, flower boxes on the balconies and windows are very common.

Because the streets are so narrow a different type of police car is needed - here's a Mercedes Smart Car.  We also saw small garbage trucks that could make it up the narrow streets.  There are also areas that only allow small electric buses.  Before we left home some people told us the Rome was a very dirty city.  We found the opposite to be true - it was all very clean.

While on our walking tour we discovered the Campo de Fiori square where many vendors were selling their wares.  The whole area turns into a pedestrian mall at night.  The fountain in the middle of the square is shown above.  Diane is with the artist from whom we purchased an original painting for our home.

We ended the night at the Trevi Fountain - a Rome favorite and a nice place to finish a 13 hour day of touring!

Our last day in Rome began with a tour of the Vatican - the dome of St. Peter's is in the background.

We toured through many museums with sculptures, paintings, and tapestries.  Even the ceilings like the picture above were very ornate.  At the end of the museums we were admitted to the Sistine Chapel (no pictures were allowed in it.)  I was anxious to see it because when I saw it in 1970 I was disappointed because the colors were old and faded.  I was not disappointed this time as it has been refurbished and the colors are very vibrant - it is incredible!

Looking over the main square in the Vatican.  We are about to enter St. Peter's Basilica.

It's hard to capture the enormity of St. Peters - a camera doesn't do it justice.  St. Peters is the largest cathedral in the world.  I've been in many of the other large cathedrals, but this one is the most impressive.

The Swiss guards who provide protection for the Vatican.  They wear the traditional uniforms that were designed for the Vatican Guards.

We started our Rome visit with Sara, our guide, at Ostia Antica, and she was also our guide for the Vatican to end our visit in Rome, the Eternal City.  From here we caught a mid-afternoon train to Pisa, our next stop.