Category: Rome

We were up and out early this morning because we had a tour of the Vatican that began at 8:30.  It was about a 40 minute walk from our apartment and of course we got a little lost but eventually we found our way.  We located our guide and our group and entered the sea of people that is the Vatican.   

We started out in a courtyard.  Below are a couple of pictures from the courtyard.

While in the courtyard our guide talked to us about the Sistine Chapel.  They are strict about no talking in the chapel so she told us the history and what to look for ahead of time.  Then we went into the Vatican museum, which is overwhelming, and walked through the papal apartments. Here are a few pictures of the many treasures we saw.

Unfortunately we couldn’t take pictures in the Sistine Chapel but needless to say it is amazing.  We were in the chapel itself for about 15 minutes which really wasn’t enough time to absorb all there is to see because it’s visually overwhelming.  Another example of Michelangelo’s brilliance.

Then we went into St Peter’s Basilica which is the largest church in the world.  As with all the sights in the Vatican there were a lot of people and the tour felt a little rushed.  Here are some pictures of the Basilica and Michelangelo’s Pieta

Finally we ended the tour in the St Peter’s Square with its ring of columns, which symbolizes the arms of the church welcoming everyone—believers and nonbelievers—with its motherly embrace.

The tour concluded.  It was very good and really helped us understand what we were seeing.  

From there we walked over to the Spanish Steps.  

One thing I haven’t mentioned is that throughout the trip we have been very lucky and have had great weather.  It’s been much warmer than typical.  Today was another beautiful day.

After lunch at a restaurant that we ate at the last time we were in Rome, we walked to the Borghese Gardens, soaked up the sunshine and dozed in the grass.  

Refreshed we walked back to the apartment.  Here are pictures from our walk through Rome.  

That evening we went to a nice restaurant in Trastevere for our farewell dinner.  They even had a bike on the wall.  If you have been following our blog you know I like to include bike and door pictures.  I will close our time in a Rome with a bike picture from our farewell dinner.

 

It’s Nancy and Mike’s first full day I’m Rome so it’s time to get out there and explore. We started by walking to the Pantheon.  We went through the Jewish Ghetto on our way.  

When we arrived at the Pantheon we were greeted by a fellow trying to sell us a guided tour of the Pantheon. We had breakfast in the square and agreed that we wanted to take the tour.  

It turned out that 12 other people wanted to take the tour too. Our guide was very knowledgeable and her English was great.  We learned a lot about the history of the Pantheon and the buildings surrounding it.  Here are some pictures.  

After the tour we walked over to the Trevi Fountain.  Following tradition and to assure our return to Rome, we all threw a coin in over over our shoulders and made a wish (some of us more joyishly than others).  

It was time to walk toward to the Colosseum for our 2:55 entrance time.  On the way we had lunch at a little sideway cafe.  We arrived a little early so we had to wait to get into the Colosseum. Once inside we listened to Rick Steves’ audio tour and tried to imagine what it was like in it’s prime.  Hard not to think about all the people killed there in horrible ways.  Here are some pictures. 

Our Colosseum tickets also gave us access to the Forum which is right across the square so we went to the Forum. Rick and I had been to the Forum 5 years ago when we were last in Rome.  We didn’t have a guide so it was just a bunch of Roman ruins.  This time we had a Rick Steves’ audio guide and it made a lot more sense. It really helped us imagine what Rome was like 2,000 years ago.  Here are some pictures (sorry no audio guide). 

On our way back to the apartment we walked by Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II, a monument built in honor of Victor Emmanuel, the first king of a unified Italy, located in Rome, Italy. 

That evening we stopped in the main area of Trastevere for a drink and some people watching.  Then we did a little grocery shopping and went back to the apartment for pasta with pesto.  😋

We walked 22,430 steps or 12 miles.  Here’s the result.  😉

We left Florence this morning.  Next stop Rome!  On our way to Rome we decided to stop in Siena.  The ride from Florence to Siena was an easy one. 

We have found that the toll roads here are very expensive (similar to our experience in Spain).  Often you don’t pay when you get off one major road and onto another, rather you get a ticket when you get on the first major road and the pay when you get off the major road network.  

We had trouble finding a parking when we arrived in Siena but eventually found a spot.  After parking we headed into the old town.  We found Il Campo which is the main square in Siena and had some breakfast.  Many of the buildings are a orangish/brownish color, hence the origin of the color burnt siena. 

Twice a year they have horse races in the square. Here’s Rick Steves’ description of the race, “Ten of the 17 neighborhoods compete (chosen by rotation and lot), hurling themselves with medieval abandon into several days of trial races and traditional revelry. Jockeys—usually from out of town—are considered hired guns, no better than paid mercenaries. Bets are placed on which contrada [neighborhood] will win… and lose. Despite the shady behind-the-scenes dealing, on the big day the horses are taken into their contrada’s church to be blessed. (“Go and return victorious,” says the priest.) It’s considered a sign of luck if a horse leaves droppings in the church. On the evening of the race, Il Campo is stuffed to the brim with locals and tourists. Dirt is brought in and packed down to create the track’s surface, while mattresses pad the walls of surrounding buildings. The most treacherous spots are the sharp corners, where many a rider has bitten the dust. Picture the scene: Ten snorting horses and their nervous riders line up near the pharmacy (on the west side of the square) to await the starting signal. Then they race like crazy while spectators wave the scarves of their neighborhoods.  Every possible vantage point and perch is packed with people straining to see the action. One lap around the course is about a third of a mile (350 meters); three laps make a full circuit. In this no-holds-barred race—which lasts just over a minute—a horse can win even without its rider (jockeys ride precariously without saddles and often fall off the horses’ sweaty backs). When the winner crosses the line, 1/ 17th of Siena—the prevailing neighborhood—goes berserk. Winners receive a palio (banner), typically painted by a local artist and always featuring the Virgin Mary (the race is dedicated to her).“  It sounds like a crazy time.  

After our breakfast we went up to the Duomo, Siena’s 13th-century striped cathedral and bell tower, enjoying the medieval streets along the way. 

Every inch of the facade was decorated.  To me I  looked like a religious wedding cake.  Here are some pictures.  

Inside it was cavernous, filled with stripes columns and gorgeous art. The marble floor was paved with scenes from the Old Testament, allegories, and intricate patterns. One of the altars contained a statue by Michelangelo and a chapel contained two Bernini statues.  There were beautiful never-restored frescos painted by Pinturicchio in the library.

After leaving the Duomo we slowly made our way back to the car and got on the road to Rome. We drove to the airport and dropped off the car.  Our Airbnb host had arranged a taxi to pick us up at the car return office. The taxi whisked us into Rome and to our apartment which is very comfortable. 

After getting settled, we went out for a walk.  We went to Campo de’ Fiori and Piazzo Novana.  In Piazzo Novano we showed Nancy and Mike one of our favorite fountains, Bernini’s Four Rivers.  Here are some pictures.

We walked back to Trastevere, the neighborhood where our apartment is located.  We ended up eating in a restaurant that we had eaten in twice when we visited Rome in 2013.  We had a very nice dinner in the private courtyard.  

A long but wonderful day in Italy!