Rome. What a wonderful wonderful city. I’ve just come back after 3 days from the Eternal City and I can’t get it out of my veins. I keep thinking of the magical images that I encountered as I strolled lazily around the ancient streets. Rome has always been high on my list of places to visit but for a combination of reasons I have decided not to until now. The prime reasons for not visiting have been:proximity and prioritising other places first. I now believe that this thinking was an error. I should have went earlier so I could have used it as yard stick to judge other cities architecture,food, fashion and overall spirit and personality.
I’ve always felt a special connection with Italy and now after this trip I know why. Ever since I worked in Zomax I was surrounded by Italians on a daily basis and we got on really well. People like the ever smiling Benedetta and constantly laughing Anna had infectious personalities. There stories about growing up, football, food and family were brilliant to listen to. If you collected all the stories through them in a meat dispenser they’d always come out with with strings of minced meat labeled: art, history, laziness, motor racing, cars and soccer, love, fashion, pasta, ice cream, giant sun glasses, furry coats and vespas. And pretty much I got a bit of all of that in the small amount of time I had there.
The trip started with a 120 euro flight (all in) with Ryanair to Campino airport which is about 25 minutes from the city center and a 30 euro taxi ride. I was going over to see the beautiful Camila as she journeys around Europe with her Mum. We all stayed in a small cosey 3 star hotel called Edera a 5 minutes walk away from the Coliseum.
I arrived 5pm on the first night and we quickly made our greetings and started a walking tour around the main sites in the city center. In the space of a few hours we saw the outstanding and unforgettable exterior of the outside of the Pantheon. Big and proud it stands formidable and commands attention. It must have been awesome in its prime laden with gold and bronze with all of it Corinthian columns in tact. When we visited it’s massive entrance doors were closed but I inquisitively went to them anyway and tried to peek though the small gap near the lock. Suprisingly it was a vent. A gentle cold breeze greeted me from within and tickled my right pupil. My natural reaction was to pull back immediately but i didn't. A strange but enjoyable sensation like someone blowing into your eye. I also was able to see the alter on the for side of the room which looked ornate and beautiful. The inner circular chamber seemed wide, vast and tall. We then made ou way past Largo de Torre Argentina and towards Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II. What I loved about this stop was there was a cacophony of noise overhead beside the monument where there was some very tall trees that housed thousands of small excited birds that looked like robin red breasts except they were brown and a little bit bigger. For 10 minutes we stood in amazement with a small crowd of smiling people watching the birds take turns darting from one tree to the other in small battalions of one or two hundred at a time. The distance between the trees was about 20 meters and the birds playfully chirped at each other as they flew from one tree to the other in a set of very skillful mesmerizing creative dives, ascents and curves. I really enjoyed it. They were definitely communicating and acting out some kind of ritual or exercise that the humans below couldn’t decode. I couldn’t help but try imagine what they were doing. Maybe it was a dance of appreciation for the joy of being allowed live in the eternal city. It was like to break dance groups meeting and egging each other on to out do each other with a new more creative and daring flight show. Brilliant entertainment. Just how I imagine birds play on some far away pond, doused with trees on the plains of Kenya or Tanzania when they sense the rain season upon them After that it was a glimpse of the lengthy Forum and a quick hello to Cesar’s statue on our way to the Coliseum. I never thought my introduction to Rome would be on a late Wednesday evening but it was and it was perfect. Hardly anyone in the city center! The weather a very pleasing 14 degrees for January and the buildings beautifully lit up by light with a beautiful purple and blue sky dotted by some straggling grey and white fluffy fast moving clouds whispering to the birds as they went on there way.
The next day was the tour bus. It cost 19 euros, included a guide book and a free headphones that you were allowed take with you after the tour. The idea was like most others in big cities. Get on and get off and set of preordained sites with buses coming every 30 minutes to whiz you away. The buses took off right beside the Coliseum right behind Constantine’s arch so we went there first and decided to have a look inside before we got on the bus. The history of the Coliseum is well know and is barbaric. It was fascinating how cruel the Romans were to Christians, criminals, deserters and prisoners of war. Very little mercy was dispensed to these poor soles that were quite often sreaded to little pieces by very hungry predators denied food except the flesh of man. A big cross is erect inside on the west side as a sign of respect for those slane. Next we went around the city on a winding sinuous route through mainly cobblestone streets with Smart cars and vespas roaring about us. Each street seems to have a spectacle in it. Either a fantastic old baroque building, a statue, a monument, a fountain, an obelisk or an arch. Churches abound. If people say Dublin is full of churches well then the same could be said for Rome in relation to churches. I wasn't prepared for the number of churches the city had. They are everywhere and there simply is too many to visit. My advice would be to take your chances and pop in to one or two randomly and take a little break in a urban oasis to contemplate life and the cornucopia of spectacles surrounding you.
Our destination was Peter’s Basilica and center piece of the Vatican. After about 45 minutes we got there and were presently surprised by the small number of tourists. Bernini was a magician when he designed the entrance to the Basilica and its almost complete circle of columns stretched out like welcoming arms given all those who come in and embrace Christianity a tender hug. The fist thing I noticed was the 140 saints that are all around the arch on the columns above then the huge statue of St Peter on the way to the basilica. After passing some Swiss guards and then going through the airport like security we were allowed in the church. It is massive. The biggest church in the world. Inside there is all kinds of beautiful art including masterpieces from Raphael, Bernini and Michael Angelo. We received a free tour by one of the studying priests in the Vatican and if you can do the same I would recommend it.
We spent a lot of time in the church and in the square itself and then went for some food in a restaurant on the main road to the Vatican which turned out to be a scam. 6 euros for a can of coke and 14 euros for a small plate of pasta. What ever you do no matter what religion you are go and marvel at the Saint Peter’s but do not eat in any of the nearby restaurants. Next stop was the Pantheon again this time to see its inside which wasn’t half as impressive as its outside and then we went to one of the more famous gelaterias or ice cream parlors beside the stunning Trevi fountain. I got a very nice scoop of coconut and vanilla and proceeded to toss some coins in the water ensuring that as the tradition goes I am guaranteed to visit the city again.
Rome. La dolce vita. For those who haven’t gone yet. On your bike and Go.
