Adventures in Roma

After settling into a routine in Florence, it was nice to get back out and do some solo traveling again. I already missed the excitement of putting on my pack, maneuvering the train station, and arriving in a new city with only a vague idea of how to get to my destination and all of the experiences I would have.
Once in Rome, Luke and I headed (in the wrong direction at times) to the B&B we would be staying at for the weekend. We stopped along the way in a charming little park to eat the sandwiches we had picked up at the grocery store. The park was a mix of old and new, with modern community vegetable gardens situated right next to a beautiful ancient marble building. This park was a perfect indication of what we would experience in Rome: a delightful mix of the old and new.
When we arrived at the address listed on our hostelworld booking, we were confused. Instead of standing outside a small hotel, we were standing outside a little yellow apartment building, and the only way to get in was to ring the buzzer for a specific resident. We searched the list of resident names, just in case, and found what we were looking for: Maison de Didi Bed and Breakfast. Confused, we climbed the stairs and hoped for the best. We were greeted at a little door on the third floor by a stout reddish-haired woman with an Italian accent. She informed us that we were in the right place, albeit a few hours early (okay, four) for our reservation. The place was a cute, multi-roomed apartment and it was clear that she had converted it into a very, very small B&B. She let us leave our heavy packs, and we agreed to come back a few hours later when the current guests left.
So, with the map she gave us in hand, we set out to explore Rome. Our home for the weekend was only a stone's throw from the Coloseum. We walked through a small park and were greeted with a magnificent view.

However, the Colosseum was not on our agenda for the day. Instead, we walked around it and found ourselves at Capitoline Hill. The Piazza was designed by none other than, you guessed it, Michelangelo! Though the piazza was beautiful we were really taken by the church on top of the hill, the Santa Maria in Aracoeli Bascilica. It contained a hodgepodge of styles, but was decidedly ornate. I think we agreed that it was our favorite church so far (though we haven't actually been inside Florence's grand cathedral, so we'll hold off on making final judgements until then). We saw other important sights on our walk as well.

Inside Santa Maria in Aracoeli Bascilica

So amazing that the Pantheon is still in such great shape

 Inside the Pantheon

 The Trevi fountain was under construction : (

We stopped at an Irish Pub along the way, and got really really excited for our upcoming trip to the Emerald Isle (over a pint, of course)

After all the exploring, we headed back to our accommodations ready for a nap. When we arrived, our host Didi was ready to show us the ropes, so we put resting on hold for a bit. She informed us that we would be staying in the 'purple' room (so named because the decorations were all purple), and then promptly got out a map and started outlining all the things we would be doing while in Rome, whether we liked it or not. Just kidding, kind of. She gave us recommendations for restaurants to eat at and places to see, and they were all so useful. She was friendly and funny, too.

After a good nap and a rest for our sore feet, we headed for the metro. We had booked a night tour of the Vatican museums, but still had some time to kill. So on our walk we grabbed foccacia pizzas and drinks, and enjoyed them on a bench in yet another quaint park.
The Metro in Rome was dirtier than the Milan Metro, but our feet were so sore from the morning that we didn't care. Riding across town in the grimy, ill-lit subway car was well worth it.
We arrived at the Vatican Museum just in time for our reservation, and once again had the experience of waiting in an 'Italian' line. Rather than lining up single-file, people in Italy cram at the front and pass through the entrance from all angles. We watched a humorous cartoon about this, and other seemingly strange Italian habits, in class one day last week. So instead of being frustrated by people cutting us in line, we simply laughed it off.
The Vatican Museum is a confusing labyrinth of galleries, each of which boasts a sign promising to direct you to the Sistine Chapel. Not that this was the only reason we were there, far from it, but seeing the Sistine Chapel was definitely what we were looking forward to most. As we made our way from room to room, hoping we wouldn't accidentally pass the path that would actually take us to the main event, we witnessed many impressive sights. I saw my first real mummy, and many beautiful frescos, paintings, and sculptures.

These statues were all uncovered in excavations of ancient roman ruins

The Boot

 As much of the Sistine Chapel as I could get in my hasty shot

 Adam and Eve

God creates Adam

Spiral staircase designed by Giuseppe Momo

 St. Peter's Square

After exploring the museums we headed over to admire St. Peter's Basilica. It was nearly 9 p.m. by then, so it was closed, but we were still able to admire the square and the exterior of the Basilica. From there, we walked to a restaurant that Didi had recommended. We reflected on our visit to the museum over vino bianco della casa, spinach and ricotta stuffed ravioli for me, and a classic plate of spaghetti and meatballs for Luke. Our first day in Rome was deemed a success, and we tipsily walked back to the metro.

Rome: Day 2

Now, at Maison de Didi (which basically translates to Didi's house in Italian) breakfast was not supplied as it would be at a regular Bed and Breakfast. Instead, we were given little cards good for free coffee and croissants at a little caffe around the corner. So on day two of our Roman adventure we woke up bright and early and Luke went down to the Colosseum right at opening to buy our tickets while I showered and got ready for the day. He came back a little disappointed because tours to see the newly opened underground were sold out, but fear not, because he was still able to purchase two tickets to see the regular old boring Colosseum ; )

We had what were probably the best cappuccinos and chocolate croissants I've ever encountered (seriously) before setting off for the epic Roman landmark. It was still early, and because we had our tickets in hand we got to skip the already horrendously long line. When viewing photos of the Colosseum I am always a bit confused, as I try to reconcile the image of the modern day structure with the epic stadium presented in movies. But after seeing it in person I had a much easier time imagining what a grand sight it must have been, especially since they were building what looked to be a new arena floor. We walked around the amphitheater for a while before finding some steps to sit on up on the second level. I read for almost an hour while Luke wrote in his notebook. It was a really nice way to spend the morning.

Afterward, we explored Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum until our feet were too sore to continue.

That night we toured Castel Sant'Angelo, which was a somewhat small castle on the banks of the tiber river. There was only a small collection of art inside but the castle was still impressive. The rooftop had great views of the city as well.

This view reminded me of Indiana Jones! 

The Tiber River

After exploring the castle we walked across the river to Piazza del Popolo to see the Hard Rock Live Roma concert. We had purchased snacks at the grocery store earlier in the day so we sat on a wall high up on a hill overlooking the concert and ate brie, crackers, chocolate croissants, and beer. Kind of an odd mix, but it was exactly perfect at the time. The first band was from Glasgow, and it was really up-beat music sung in English. The next was an Italian rock band, and while I didn't have high hopes for them I was definitely proved wrong. Even though I didn't understand any of the lyrics I was really moved by the emotion in the music. I almost think I liked it more because of that. It was a really great way to end our time in Roma!

Even the ancients enjoyed the show