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Rome (22nd April to 25th April)

By Nick Hodge | February 28, 2004

Rome Gallery

[1884] Constantine's Bronze Statue (head), Capitoline Museum
Constantine's Bronze Statue (h...
[1883] Colloseo at Night
Colloseo at Night...
[1870] Ruins of Gladiator training camp, near the Colloseo, Roma
Ruins of Gladiator training ca...
[1869] Colloseo, Roma.
Colloseo, Roma....
[1868] Avril and Liam looking at a marble column in the Palatine
Avril and Liam looking at a ma...
[1867] In the Palatine
In the Palatine...
[1866] Strange eight breasted goddess in the Palatine
Strange eight breasted goddess...
[1865] From the Palatine to the Forum
From the Palatine to the Forum...
[1864] Nick throws a coin into the fountain, Fontana de Trevi
Nick throws a coin into the fo...
[1863] Avril looking for shops at the Fontana de Trevi
Avril looking for shops at the...

Sunday, 25th April, 2004

It's a holiday in Italy/Rome. And a Sunday, so the population is a little sleepy. We jump in a taxi and head to Rome Ciampino Airport. Seat belts are optional, even as Police pass us by on the way. However, when we reach the airport, seat beats become compulsory as the Carabiniari are armed here.

The Brits stock up on booze (the taxes are lower in Europe than in the UK)

We are flying Ryanair from Rome to London, Stanstead (not Heathrow). Ryanair is one of these new no-frills airlines. Subsequently, its a mad scramble to grab seats on the plane. There is one class of seat: economy. The plane is new, a 737-800: much newer than most of the Qantas planes I have flown on recently.

However, there is a special traveller on this flight. The first two rows of seats have been marked as "reserved". I thought it might be the Queen, but this is unlikely as Ryanair is an Republic of Ireland based airline, and Stanstead is just too far away from Buckingham Palace.

A single person sits in the first row, with the other 11 seats in the first two rows left empty. There is a clear buffer between him and the rest of the plane. So much for a single class. We assume he is someone important from the airline, as he is introduced to the crew.

We leave 15 minutes early from Rome, and arrive in London 30 minutes early.

Arrevaderci Roma!

Saturday, 24th April, 2004

Liam and I go off to re-invade the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. In Rome, everything including the Met.ro (what the Romans have called their 2 underground lines.) has graffiti all over. The Vatican, including the outside walls are untouched. It seems that some things are still sacred in Rome.

The Met.ro has two lines: Linea A and Linea B. The last time I looked, this was also the names given to the two forms of Minoan Script that we have yet to decipher. The Met.ro is as quick as the London Underground, although the drivers seems to think they are Fangio as they accelerate/decelelarate as if they are in Formula 1 cars.

At the Vatican Museum, which to me seems like a long slowly progressing line to the holy-of-holies: Sistine Chapel. As one of the Pope's didn't like 'dangly bits' on their artwork, someone made a killing in Marble Fig Leaf Attachments.

Its a downer that the Etruscian Museum at the Vatican is closed. In fact, the church has attempted to cover over the Roman part of Rome's history during the last 1700 years. I think I saw more in London's "Museum of London"

Before we get to the Sistine, there is an impressive gallery called the Geographia. The artwork here is impressive.

After fighting platoons of Japanese Tourists and Tourguides, we arrive at the Sistine Chapel. It is impressive. No photos. No video. Silencio. In the chapel, there are 2000 people looking upwards and 20 guards reminding people of the three rules. Even after hearing in 5 languages "No photos. No Video. Silencio", people break the rules. The chapel is like that famous scene in Hitchcock's "The Birds" -- where the birds are in the street, quite quiet just walking around with a low "murmur" of bird sounds. The Sistine was just like this!

Liam and I branch off to the Capitoline Museums and see the famous "She Wolf Romulus Remus" statue, along with many other things that are famous that we ignoramusi pass by/photograph quickly.

On the return, we hear an Australian tourguide, Michael, who works for a guided tour company called 'Roman Odyssey', give an outstanding free tour inside the Roman Forum. Seems like a character.

Before we hit the Colloseo, it starts to rain. Liam and I are "hailed" at the Colloseo (hail from the sky) before we hit the hotel.

In the evening, we visit Avril's friend. See a Roman Acqueduct. Yes, "What have the Roman's done for us?"

Friday, 23rd April, 2004

Today we decide to take the tourist "cheats" way out, and jump onto two of those organised tours. Mainly to assist with transport aspects, and also to squeeze as much in as possible in the short few days we have in Roma.

On police matters first. There are Municipal Police. There is the Polizia. There is also the Carabinieri. Evidently, they all have the same powers of arrest. Certainly the Polizia I saw carried weapons. Why don't any of them arrest people who triple park their cars? Or park their cars across pedestrian walk ways? Protection seems to be over done, yet there is underpolicing!

We first land near the Fontana di Trevi. This is a tourist construct that has the biggest guilt trip attached: if you throw a coin into this fountain, you will one day return to Rome. Everyone wants to live a long time, so of course we expect to come back one day. In goes many euro cents. Thankfully, the money goes to the Catholic Caritas Agency.

The Pantheon: one of the only original Roman era buildings in the centre of the city is amazing. Considering the size of the dome, and the quality of the artwork - it's the highlight of the visit to Rome so far. The church has decided that worshipping the Pagan gods isn't right, so its now a church with a Papal blessing. Just like the Colloseo, it has saved the building from deconstruction.

Avril notices that the air is cleaner now than 20 years ago, and the streets are less congested. Evidently the "Residents only" rule for cars, and the newer and cleaner burning cars have created a much cleaner environment.

Many things have SPQR written over them. I saw this in the many, many Asterix comics I read as a younger person. SPQR stands for "Senate and People of Rome" Cool. Now I know.

One the travels through the streets of Rome, we see a poster for a movie "Luther" starring Joseph Fiennes. Martin Luther began the serious part of the Reformation and splitting of Protestants from the Catholic Church in the early 16th Century. Luther visited Rome whilst still a Catholic priest, and his questioning of the faith he belonged to (amongst many other transgressions of the then Catholic Church) resulted in a return to a much more basic Christian faith. Seeing this movie poster spotted around Rome is rather ironic.

The tour guide takes time out to plug something called the "Peace Cross". Not to spoil the trip for the faithful, I keep quiet. The tour stops at a store, we get off and are accosted by sales staff attempting to sell us this "Peace Cross" that is "blessed by the Catholic Church". Avril found in the Vatican Souvenir shop (run by Nuns) a little sign that stated that is is "not the Church's policy to sell blessed souvenirs". This whole "Peace Cross" is an attempt to fleece naive faithful tourists. Being going on for centuries here.

We head into the Vatican, after strict x-rays, and view St. Peter's. Inside it's amazing to see the wealth of the church plastered onto the walls in enough gold leaf to pay off third world debt. We see Michelangelo's first Pieta, but make a bee-line to underneath where the crypt containing all the dead Popes (including the 33-day John Paul I). The first Pope, Peter the Apostle, is buried here too evidently.

According to the tour guide, sending a postcard from the Vatican is "a done thing". We conviently forget to do this.

I feel really sad for those who come to Rome for a Pilgrimage. You just wouldn't feel special coming to Rome with all these tourists.

After a great lunch, and viewing the world go by for 30 minutes or so (watching the cars, the Ford Ka is big!) Liam and I rejoin the afternoon tour.

A visit to the Capatoline Hill, then off to the biggest rip-off: St Pauls. This is a big church (again) where Paul is buried; and is outside the walls of Rome. Not much to see here.

We pass by what is left of the Circus Maximus. Now very much Circus Minimus as that all is left is the space, not the bricks or marble.

Liam and I split off from the main tour and head back to the hotel. Liam and Avril reconnect and go off for dinner.

During the day, we count 40 MINIs, including 3 MINI Cooper S's on the streets of Rome. Double what we counted in London!

Thursday, 22nd April, 2004

Arrive at Roma Termini at 11.30am. Quick 9 euro taxi ride from the terminal to the Mecure Hotel. The Colloseo looms in view only 150m away.

After checking in, we amble off to visit the Colloseo. Sadly, up until one of the Pope's decided to dedicate the whole Flavian Stadium (it's real name) to St. Peter, the locals had decided to use 50% of the place as a source of cheap marble. With the Papal/Church blessing, noone touched a brick - and it still stands for us to gave at in awe. In fact, much of the Roman part of Rome is now built over, and built with as the materials were recycled. On the walk to the Colloseo, we see an excavation showing where the Gladiators trained. History is everywhere.

40,000 slaves died in the 8 years it took to build the Colloseo/Stadium. Once opened in 80AD, 50,000 Romans could sit/stand and watch Gladiators fight to the death.

Nearby there is the Roman Forum and the Palatine. We walk through the Palatine and get great views of Rome. Partly remodeled in the 16th Century, the gardens offer respite in the 23 degree weather Rome is experiencing.

Avril and Liam catch up with some friends from the Korat world in the evening. Nick does work.

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