Although the pictures don't show it I should have called today's post :Rome wasn't built in a day" because everywhere we turned there was a building in scaffolding or barricades preventing entry. Mind you, watching a couple of workers repair the cobble stones somewhere on our walk today it take them a millennium to build Rome.
Today's title is from that power ballad band Toto, best know for Africa. It appears that they also visited Rome, although with significantly less impact.
Aside from being so brain addled with tiredness last evening and not remembering how to attach pictures to the blog, we received a very unhappy phone call just before I fell into bed. Our hosts from Dark Rome Tours called to tell us our guide was unable to meet us the next day for our private tour of the Vatican and Museums. Not happy news. Our itinerary is pretty full and we have only one day available for a replacement tour and ... no dice. She was very apologetic and offered a group tour which I sleepily declined. Something I will probably regret, but it is "peak season" she informed me. And so now dear reader I am putting these first thoughts down after 10 hours of sleep. Jayne of course is still asleep and I begin my search for a replacement tour and re-organise what was to be an organised day.
While I was consulting Dr Google an email popped up for EuroRail which reminded me that ItaliaRail had sent me a lot of possible add ons to our trip. So it was back to my email lists and a search of the trash to find a private 4 hour tour of the Vatican and Museums - now booked for Friday, curiously through a company based in Massachusetts. I don't get it either, the phone call cancelling this morning's tour actually came from Ireland.
That means today is a walking tour of Rome conducted by Jayne's faultless navigation skills. We left at 10am and returned about 3:30pm having covered over 13km. But first things first, the day must begin with coffee.
Literally just around the corner from the apartment is a cafe/restaurant. We stopped there for coffee this morning. Jayne was convinced she had mastered the Italian words for a long black despite me telling her they don't do that sort of coffee. It would have to be an Americano. Anyway, she ordered and two double espressos appeared not long after, with separate glasses of water. We could have combined them as we had to in America, but the water was cold. The coffee was superb. That has now become our destination for breakfast and we will be having dinner there tonight.
It was a pleasant way to begin our day, sitting in the shade watching the trucks and cars attempting to negotiate the bend in the little street which was made narrower by cars parked on the corner and others double parked in the street. Horns blared constantly until the owner appeared and moved the offending vehicle. Generally they were staff from the cafe so I assume that's just where they park.
Around the next corner was a produce market. Clearly today was going to be a meandering orientation of the eternal city. Everywhere we looked we espied something that diverted our attention from the original task.
The first scheduled stop was the Piazza del Popolo. What is with the Romans and water? They build the city on the River Tiber, they love a good aquaduct and everywhere you look there is a fountain, either for decorative purposes or practical ones so you can fill your water bottle on hot day. The statues above the fountains are quite impressive and this one of Neptune is no different. There is something not quite right about the statue. Without getting into a Greek vs Roman situation, I cannot imagine a Greek statue of a god wearing a cod piece. That's right gentle reader, they carved Neptune with a cod piece to protect his dignity. Yes, I understand water and it's impact and shrinkage, but really ... he must have a remarkably little dick.
We climbed the hill behind the piazza and followed Viale Gabriele d'Annunzio to the Spanish Steps. It was a relatively easy walk and provided some great vistas of the city. At one point we stopped to purchase hats and water lest we follow in the ill-fated footsteps of Burke and Wills. There were some lovely cafes and restaurants along the ridge line that will be investigated tomorrow once we have completed our guided tour of the Borghese Gallery and Gardens.
The Spanish Steps provided another great vista of Rome. Despite it being peak season it wasn't overly crowded, although I imagine the heat kept some people away. It was a pretty constant 33° and places in the shade were in hot demand (see what I did there?). At the bottom of the steps and away a little bit was another obelisk, this time with Mary atop enjoying the view. With map in hand, Jayne navigated the cobble-stoned streets to our next destination, the Trevi Fountain, via every designer name shop. Well it seemed that way, we had stumbled upon the designer section of town. Very narrow, busy streets with expensive outfits and empty stores.
The Trevi Fountain, the guide book warned, is very crowded during the middle of the day and is best visited in the morning or late afternoon. Correct. It was packed. Tour groups with lanyards, tour groups with caps, tour groups with flags, randoms like us - we all descended on the fountain. A couple of quick photos, which I will manipulate later, and it was time to move again. Sadly, my penchant for photos devoid of humanity will not be possible this trip.
Jayne deftly guided us through backstreets towards the Pantheon. Although I grabbed some photos of the outside we did not venture in because I wasn't sure what was included in some of the tours we are doing over the next couple of days. As it turns out it is not a part of anything I had booked so, like the Terminator, we will be back. Away from the hustle and bustle of the Pantheon. We found a little cafe that served draught beer and settled in for a re-hydration session, amusing ourselves by watching the passing traffic. It must said that the cobble stones of Rome do not lend themselves to high heels or platform shoes. That however, does not deter the locals.
Piazza Navona was next on our itinerary, another open space with a massive fountain in the middle, surrounded by restaurants. Again, the cod piece seemed to be in fashion. It seems Catholic fear of naked skin and sexuality was born before the religion itself. Our next destination was Trastevere but along the way, I found a bottle shop that was selling Limoncello in a variety of different shaped bottles. As tempted as I was by the penis and testicles shaped bottle, I opted for the standard version. It is now resting quietly in the freezer waiting to be summoned to the table on the terrace sometime after dinner this evening. I'm not sure how I reconcile the 'dick and balls' bottle with the cod piece and the overly oppressive coverings required for visiting a church. Incongruous. Whatever that means.
Trastevere, I know you will be surprised to read, has a Basilica and this one is dedicated to Santa Maria. It is a minor Basilica dating from the 4th century AD and it has the most exquisite mosaics from the 12th century on the ceilings. The entry requirements here are the same as other churches we have visited in Rome, no bare shoulders or knees. Knees? Really? Wow, I wore shorts in - how disrespectful to God. It's worse than the Qantas Lounge and the no thongs (footwear, out of the gutter people) rule.
From Trastevere we turned for home via the gardens of baby Jesus; well, we skirted the edge and looked for shade to walk in. A quick stop at the supermarket for wine and olives and a rest at home as I blog and Jayne researches the coming days.
Recommendations of places to visit are warmly received. We followed two suggestions today and both proved to be gems we would not have experienced otherwise. The next suggestion is from Darlene, she proposes we visit the Basilica di San Clemente al Laterano. Given it's proximity to the Colosseum, we will check it out the day after tomorrow after our tour of the old arena.
An international perspective - political statement
As we walked the streets of Rome this morning we began discussing the cities we have visited and how we would describe them. This came about because Jayne was concerned that she wouldn't like Rome. My response was, "It's not Paris, but you'll love it." She does.
Comparing cities is an interesting task because Australia, read Sydney and Melbourne, consider themselves to be big, international cities. They're not. At least in our view. They are like the perennial little brother or sister tagging along wanting to hang out with the big kids. Australian media with its obsession on real estate and comparing everything we do with other countries is not helping.
Paris is chic and charming. Every corner reveals a vista that could have been painted by an artist.
Rome is more laid back and less organised. You can still turn a corner and see a magnificent old building but it is likely to be in a poor state of repair.
London is grey, stitched up and passive aggressive (yup, and that's after three attempts to like it).
New York is loud and in your face 24/7, but underneath is welcoming and friendly.
Tokyo is crowded, manic and plastic.
As much as I love Sydney, it is young and brash and yet to find itself. It wants to be New York but with a level sophistication it has yet to develop.
Melbourne is old money, calm, respected and genteel. Hey Melbourne, live a little.
To wrap up the day will be dinner, but you don't need to read about that now. If you've made it thus far my dedicated reader you deserve a break and possibly another drink. The restaurant review will be a part of the next post.
fino a domani
Today's title is from that power ballad band Toto, best know for Africa. It appears that they also visited Rome, although with significantly less impact.
Aside from being so brain addled with tiredness last evening and not remembering how to attach pictures to the blog, we received a very unhappy phone call just before I fell into bed. Our hosts from Dark Rome Tours called to tell us our guide was unable to meet us the next day for our private tour of the Vatican and Museums. Not happy news. Our itinerary is pretty full and we have only one day available for a replacement tour and ... no dice. She was very apologetic and offered a group tour which I sleepily declined. Something I will probably regret, but it is "peak season" she informed me. And so now dear reader I am putting these first thoughts down after 10 hours of sleep. Jayne of course is still asleep and I begin my search for a replacement tour and re-organise what was to be an organised day.
While I was consulting Dr Google an email popped up for EuroRail which reminded me that ItaliaRail had sent me a lot of possible add ons to our trip. So it was back to my email lists and a search of the trash to find a private 4 hour tour of the Vatican and Museums - now booked for Friday, curiously through a company based in Massachusetts. I don't get it either, the phone call cancelling this morning's tour actually came from Ireland.
That means today is a walking tour of Rome conducted by Jayne's faultless navigation skills. We left at 10am and returned about 3:30pm having covered over 13km. But first things first, the day must begin with coffee.
Literally just around the corner from the apartment is a cafe/restaurant. We stopped there for coffee this morning. Jayne was convinced she had mastered the Italian words for a long black despite me telling her they don't do that sort of coffee. It would have to be an Americano. Anyway, she ordered and two double espressos appeared not long after, with separate glasses of water. We could have combined them as we had to in America, but the water was cold. The coffee was superb. That has now become our destination for breakfast and we will be having dinner there tonight.
 |
| St Peter's is visible everywhere |
Around the next corner was a produce market. Clearly today was going to be a meandering orientation of the eternal city. Everywhere we looked we espied something that diverted our attention from the original task.
 |
| Neptune and cod piece |
 |
| Looking back down the Piazza del Popolo |
We climbed the hill behind the piazza and followed Viale Gabriele d'Annunzio to the Spanish Steps. It was a relatively easy walk and provided some great vistas of the city. At one point we stopped to purchase hats and water lest we follow in the ill-fated footsteps of Burke and Wills. There were some lovely cafes and restaurants along the ridge line that will be investigated tomorrow once we have completed our guided tour of the Borghese Gallery and Gardens.
 |
| Looking uphill, away from the crowds |
The Spanish Steps provided another great vista of Rome. Despite it being peak season it wasn't overly crowded, although I imagine the heat kept some people away. It was a pretty constant 33° and places in the shade were in hot demand (see what I did there?). At the bottom of the steps and away a little bit was another obelisk, this time with Mary atop enjoying the view. With map in hand, Jayne navigated the cobble-stoned streets to our next destination, the Trevi Fountain, via every designer name shop. Well it seemed that way, we had stumbled upon the designer section of town. Very narrow, busy streets with expensive outfits and empty stores.
 |
| Trevi Fountain |
The Trevi Fountain, the guide book warned, is very crowded during the middle of the day and is best visited in the morning or late afternoon. Correct. It was packed. Tour groups with lanyards, tour groups with caps, tour groups with flags, randoms like us - we all descended on the fountain. A couple of quick photos, which I will manipulate later, and it was time to move again. Sadly, my penchant for photos devoid of humanity will not be possible this trip.
 |
| Pantheon with crowd |
Jayne deftly guided us through backstreets towards the Pantheon. Although I grabbed some photos of the outside we did not venture in because I wasn't sure what was included in some of the tours we are doing over the next couple of days. As it turns out it is not a part of anything I had booked so, like the Terminator, we will be back. Away from the hustle and bustle of the Pantheon. We found a little cafe that served draught beer and settled in for a re-hydration session, amusing ourselves by watching the passing traffic. It must said that the cobble stones of Rome do not lend themselves to high heels or platform shoes. That however, does not deter the locals.
 |
| Cod piece. Enough said. |
Piazza Navona was next on our itinerary, another open space with a massive fountain in the middle, surrounded by restaurants. Again, the cod piece seemed to be in fashion. It seems Catholic fear of naked skin and sexuality was born before the religion itself. Our next destination was Trastevere but along the way, I found a bottle shop that was selling Limoncello in a variety of different shaped bottles. As tempted as I was by the penis and testicles shaped bottle, I opted for the standard version. It is now resting quietly in the freezer waiting to be summoned to the table on the terrace sometime after dinner this evening. I'm not sure how I reconcile the 'dick and balls' bottle with the cod piece and the overly oppressive coverings required for visiting a church. Incongruous. Whatever that means.
 |
| Piazza Navona main fountain. |
Trastevere, I know you will be surprised to read, has a Basilica and this one is dedicated to Santa Maria. It is a minor Basilica dating from the 4th century AD and it has the most exquisite mosaics from the 12th century on the ceilings. The entry requirements here are the same as other churches we have visited in Rome, no bare shoulders or knees. Knees? Really? Wow, I wore shorts in - how disrespectful to God. It's worse than the Qantas Lounge and the no thongs (footwear, out of the gutter people) rule.From Trastevere we turned for home via the gardens of baby Jesus; well, we skirted the edge and looked for shade to walk in. A quick stop at the supermarket for wine and olives and a rest at home as I blog and Jayne researches the coming days.
Recommendations of places to visit are warmly received. We followed two suggestions today and both proved to be gems we would not have experienced otherwise. The next suggestion is from Darlene, she proposes we visit the Basilica di San Clemente al Laterano. Given it's proximity to the Colosseum, we will check it out the day after tomorrow after our tour of the old arena.
An international perspective - political statement
As we walked the streets of Rome this morning we began discussing the cities we have visited and how we would describe them. This came about because Jayne was concerned that she wouldn't like Rome. My response was, "It's not Paris, but you'll love it." She does.
Comparing cities is an interesting task because Australia, read Sydney and Melbourne, consider themselves to be big, international cities. They're not. At least in our view. They are like the perennial little brother or sister tagging along wanting to hang out with the big kids. Australian media with its obsession on real estate and comparing everything we do with other countries is not helping.
Paris is chic and charming. Every corner reveals a vista that could have been painted by an artist.
Rome is more laid back and less organised. You can still turn a corner and see a magnificent old building but it is likely to be in a poor state of repair.
London is grey, stitched up and passive aggressive (yup, and that's after three attempts to like it).
New York is loud and in your face 24/7, but underneath is welcoming and friendly.
Tokyo is crowded, manic and plastic.
As much as I love Sydney, it is young and brash and yet to find itself. It wants to be New York but with a level sophistication it has yet to develop.
Melbourne is old money, calm, respected and genteel. Hey Melbourne, live a little.
To wrap up the day will be dinner, but you don't need to read about that now. If you've made it thus far my dedicated reader you deserve a break and possibly another drink. The restaurant review will be a part of the next post.
fino a domani
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