Rome If You Want To

Rome Around the world

18/03/2011

It's hard to describe an entire day in Rome in one blog. I'll try my best, but sadly I might have to skip some things.....it's too much!

My first task was to see the Colosseum while it was early and less crowded. I got there and waited about 5-minutes in line. I didn't need to pay since I had a Roma Pass. Sweet! I walked around the bottom level and was amazed by it's sheer size! This place is enormous! There was a lot to soak in and I really was never have been a big Roman Empire buff so I really don't know a whole lot about the place. I decided that it would be in my best interest to do an audio tour. It was worth it. I wish I could sit here and explain everything I learned, but if you are not too up on it's history then it's worth looking into. There are a couple of things that really struck me though. First, they would have over 10,000 gladiators and over 10,000 exotic animals fight each other at one time. Crazy! Secondly, they would fill the Colosseum with water and do ship battles. Awesome!

Colosseum

I made my way over to the Roman Forum and did some walking around. While it's all ruins the landscape allows you imagine the size and scale of the place. Incredible!

Foro Romano

I pretty much Roamed the rest of Rome. I pointed myself in the direction of all the sights and just kept walking. There really is so much to see in Rome that you could never see it all. I pretty much stuck to the major sights: Colosseo, Arcodi Costantino, Foro Romano, Vittoriale, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Trinia Deimonti & Plaza Di Spagna, and I walked around Villa Borghese. Honestly isn't hard to explain any particular site in detail other than "amazement". Other than the Colosseum (or Colosseo), I really enjoyed the Pantheon. On the outside the building looks old, but well preserved compared to many of the ruins. When you walk in you are under a vast dome filled with marble. The detail in the place is amazing!

Pantheon

I bought my lunch in Campo Di Fiori and took it to Piazza Navona where I could sit by the fountains and people-watch. Also, when I was at the Plaza Di Spagna (Spanish Steps) I really enjoyed just sitting there and watching all the commotion around place. From Piazza Del Popolo I could see people standing on look-out point so I decided to climb the hill next to this massive fountain and have a look. Right along the edge of the Villa Borghese you have a great vantage point for seeing much of Rome. It was very nice.

Trinia Deimonti & Plaza Di Spagna

Trinia Deimonti

Piazza Del Popolo

I arrived back at the hostel in the late afternoon to rest before I met with Andrea and Erica. They are friends of my sister's old roommate Heather. At 9:30pm I met Andrea and Erica at the Colosseum and we headed to a local wine bar to chat. Andrea was born in Italy and has lived most of his life in Rome. Erica met him while she was out here on a study program. Now, they run a cooking school here in Rome. If they didn't book up with reservations over 2 months in advance I would have taken one with them. Erica explained to me that Andrea runs the classes and that she helps. I said, "That's just like me in the kitchen with my mom. I shake it and she bakes it".

We had great fun chatting about our travels and about Italian everything. They gave me some recommendations about what I can do tomorrow. They said if I was around on Sunday morning that there was a market I could go to, but keep a close eye on my wallet because of pickpockets. I then explained that while I'm in Europe I have devised a plan that will ensure that I will NEVER have my wallet stolen while I'm in Europe. See, you can't get your wallet stolen if you don't have one. Now, I might get money or my passport stolen, but my wallet is safe at home. Ha!

I mentioned to them that my tour of the Colosseum made me think of reality shows and how we are slowing putting people back in similar situations for entertainment. Erica turns to me and says, "History repeats it's self." Ha Ha! Well said! Well, I really enjoyed our conversations and it was a great to hear all of their Rome advice. It was crazy, before any of us knew it, it was already 1am. Boy time flies! Andrea was super nice enough to buy the two bottles of wine we drank. Thanks Andrea! While we were walking out I asked Andrea if he would give me a ride on his scooter. He most graciously agreed. I was overjoyed! I put on the helmet, jumped on the scooter, and held onto Andrea as tight as I could. I think he went extra fast....just for me! Ha! It was so much fun and the highlight of my day. I had never been on one before. I think I need to rent me one of these while I'm here in Europe. So, I had to say goodbye to Andrea and Erica. So sad! They did give me their address of the restaurant and said I could stop by if I was in the area. Sweet, I just might do that!

Well, it was after 1am, the metro was shut down for the night, I've had several glasses of wine, and I'm on the other side of town from the hostel. I decide to walk. I got as far as the train station (about a 15-20 minute walk) and then hailed a cab. Glad I did too. It would have been another 15-20 minutes and also, I'd be looking at the map half the time. Well worth the 10 Euros!