Rome Day 2

Rome Day 2

Again, we both slept like the dead!

We checked out of our hotel and caught a bus to the first visit of the day – The Pantheon.  It opened at 09.00 – we joined the queue at 8.30 and got in at 9.00.  Chatted to a lovely Canadian couple in the queue.  They have at least 6 months of snow, and winter goes down to -50 degrees.  A warm winter’s day is -20!  Rather them than me!

The Pantheon was spectacular – and to think that it was built in about 125AD!  A Mass was starting about an hour later, but how one could worship in that noise – I am not sure.  Perhaps they would be able to get the crowds to quieten down….

We then walked to the Castel Sant’Angelo.  The queue was LONG but moved quite quickly.  It was interesting to see the castle. It was originally built to be an imperial mausoleum, but it served to be a portion of the city wall and also as a fortress for some time. Later it was converted into a prison and also a place of refuge. We climbed MANY steps, but the view from the top was amazing!

I have to stop converting, but when 2 bottles of Coke Zero cost nearly R 300 – it is hard!

We then went to see the remains of a stadium, which is now underground.  Not great at all.  The numbers for the audio we were given, were at the wrong exhibits.

We found a bus to take us to Capitoline Hill as I had read that the views of Rome from here are amazing.  Up the stairs we went – yes these old toppies are hoofing it! – and the view of Rome was fantastic!

The weather has been hot – about 25 degrees each day, and clear.

We then caught a bus to the Rome National Museum – we wanted to see the ancient baths, but it was pretty run down.

We then had lunch and sat down for a while.  We needed it!

Before boarding our train to Florence – which is where I am typing this – we caught another metro to see the Spanish steps and Trevi Fountain by day.  The crowds were massive, but it was interesting to see how different they look in the daylight.  Our final bus trip in Rome was to take us back to our hotel to collect our luggage.

Everything I read about Rome said that there would be crowds everywhere, all the time!  How true this was.  Every train and bus was jammed packed full – and you are packed in like sardines.

There have been many occasions when we looked at each other and said: “when in Rome, do as the Romans do!”  A saying that we often use, but somehow it felt more real now.

William has become a whizz kid at navigating our way around with various apps.

Bye bye Rome – we have enjoyed being here, but will probably never see you again!

The scenery from the train is beautiful and green.  A number of long tunnels.  We are travelling at more than 200km.

We arrived in Florence just after 18.00.  And then we started walking to our apartment.  We walked and walked and walked.  The roads are very narrow – and the pavements are even more narrow.  We could not walk on most of the pavements with our suitcase next to us, let alone walking side by side.  Some roads are so narrow that when a car came we had to stand on the tiny pavement with our suitcases next to us until they had passed.  There were no cars parked on either side.

Anyhow, we eventually got here – the apartment is basic, but fine.  The only issue was that that I could not find the washing machine.  I did find it – eventually – in a cupboard under the window!

Tomorrow we are going to walk around Florence……

Rome Day 1

We woke up to our alarm at 7.15. We were both still asleep!

We had an 8.40 timeslot at the Colosseum so needed to get going. We grabbed a croissant for breakfast and headed for a train. And guess what…..I got us onto the wrong train going in the wrong direction! Oops! So again, we had to hop off and catch a train back and get the correct train. Again, so pleased that we had unlimited travel. So, we arrived at the Colosseum at the last minute, but we were there.  It looks very different by day.

We enjoyed walking around it. To think that it is just over 2000 years old is mind boggling. In fact it is 2100 years old.

Understanding how the animals used to come out, where the dead bodies were taken out and that the base was sand, to absorb the blood and sweat was interesting to say the least!

Pictures of the Colosseum don’t do justice to it’s size.

There were a lot more people around when we came out of the Colosseum. We crossed over the road to the Roma Forum and Palatine Hill. We walked around here for about 2 hours. Very interesting and again, huge! Towards the end of the morning, the crowds were getting bigger by the minute!  I would hate to think of what it will be like tomorrow as there is free entrance on the first Sunday of the month!

We bought a Gelato (yes, another one) and caught a bus back to our hotel.

After grabbing a quite bite to eat, we headed off for the Vatican City by bus.

We walked to see St Peters Basilica and St Peters Square. The queue was too long to enter the Basilica, as we had a booked timeslot for Vatican City.

Vatican City was a great experience. We are becoming cultural connoisseurs fast!  The art was beautiful, particularly the ceilings.  You walk looking up all the time.  We were disappointed with the Sistine Chapel, as we were herded through like cattle, and told to be quiet as it is a sacred place.  However the staff yelled all the time, sending us through at the rate of knots. We were also told no photos, but William and I had already each taken 1. Oh well….sorry…..

It is unbelievable how many people visit Rome daily!

We then went back to St Paul’s but it was closed.  Off to the metro we went, and caught the correct metro back to Termini.  We ordered some pasta for supper which was lovely and then headed ‘home”.  We have walked 20.96 kms and we are buggered!  Our feet and backs are reminding us that we are in our fifties!

Until tomorrow!

Cape Town to Rome

Thursday and Friday – Cape Town to Rome

We left CT on Thursday and arrived in Dubai at about 6.30 Dubai time on Friday morning.  The airport is huge!!!!!

We walked and walked and walked – and we didn’t leave our terminal!

We sat on the plane in Dubai for 3 hours waiting for passenger from connecting flights.  Even the staff thought it was bizarre!  So we only arrived in Rome at 15.50.  Our luggage was about the last to come out – a little stressful!

We found the bus which we had booked quite easily and headed into Rome.  Our hotel is very central – across the street from the Roma Termini – main train station.

After a shower and freshen up, most people would have climbed into bed, but not the Travelling Taylors – we ventured out to see Rome.  We bought ourselves 48 hour public transport tickets – which can be used on all trains, busses and trams – and decided we would go looking for the Trevi Fountain.  Well….. we got onto the wrong train line and so had to hop off at the next station and catch a train back, and then start again – this time on the correct line.   Just as well we had unlimited travel!

We found the Trevi Fountain – along with a million others, then bought a Gelato – there is an ice cream shop on every corner and one in between too.  From there, eating our ice creams we walked to the Spanish Steps.  Fortunately we had finished our ice creams as you are not allowed to eat on the steps!  We climbed all the way up – and had a great view from there. 

As if this was not enough for 1 evening, I persuaded William to take the train back to Termini (main station) and hop on the other line (the one we had gone on earlier in error) to see the Colosseum by night. The man is a saint, but he agreed that seeing the Colosseum by night was worth it.  All I can say is wow, wow and wow!  The size is mind boggling – you will see little me standing there. 

By now, our batteries were flat, so we headed back, picking up a pizza slice for supper.  I thought that I had a Hawaiin Pizza Slice – but the pineapple turned out to be ….. potato.  It tasted as weird as it sounds!

When we got into bed, we crashed!