Have you ever seen the film, Roman Holiday? (Love it and highly recommend if you enjoy old romantic movies and/or Audrey Hepburn.) Well, we had our own Roman Holiday a few weeks ago and fell in love with the city, the food, and the people.
Our flight to Rome was on February 7th at 10:30 a.m. We had planned to get up that morning around 6 a.m. to be sure we had enough time to leave the house by 8 a.m. So, when Greg and I happened to wake up around 7:10, we were a little stressed to say the least. (Normally, Ben wakes up around 6:30 - but why does that never happen on mornings when we need him to get up early?) Amazingly, we showered, had breakfast, and still managed to leave the house at 8:10. We were pretty impressed with ourselves at this point. We made it to Central Station to catch the train to Schipol, when Greg realized that he had left his wallet at home. Ugh! So, he made a mad dash for home. After some frantic searching, he finally found it ...under the bed. ?? Apparently, he had laid it on the bed at some point, and our little helper had decided it didn't belong ON the bed, but under it. Kids, gotta love them! Greg made it back to the train station, and we caught the next train to the airport. We got all checked in without any problems and made it to our gate just as we were supposed to start boarding. Whew! Notice that I said "supposed to". We didn't board for another 30 minutes due to a delay, go figure...but it was nice having a few minutes to sit and collect ourselves from such a crazy morning. I never have to fear for not having a story for the blog, huh?
We made it to Rome safely and without any other excitement, and we took a cab to our rental apartment near the Vatican. Marina, a very sweet Italian woman, met us for "check-in". This was our first time renting an apartment for our travels; we had received a recommendation from friends who had stayed here before. It was fabulous!! Clean, lots of room, great location, nice neighborhood. Marina made us feel right at home. She had milk and bananas for Ben, and she taught us how to make Italian coffee right away (that is some pretty strong stuff...but so tasty!). Then, she gave us a lesson on all things "Rome". She had a map already marked with sights, restaurants, public transportation, and grocery stores. So helpful! Ben made himself at home quickly, and he was sad when it was time for Marina to go. "Ciao Marina, grazie!", he said. (We'd been practicing.) During the rest of our stay, he talked about how we were staying at "Marina's house" and to be careful with "Marina's pretties" in the apartment.
After Marina left, we spent a short time getting settled. And then, it was time to go explore Rome! By now, it was 4:30 p.m., and Ben finally fell asleep as we walked to the Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace). We saw some beautiful churches and buildings along the way. The Ara Pacis was built around 9 B.C. (yes, B.C.!) and was used by emperors to host annual sacrifices. At some point, it was buried under silt and forgotten until the 16th century, when various parts were discovered. Then, in 1938, Mussolini gathered the altar's parts and reconstructed them. In 2006, the Ara Pacis reopened to the public in a new and modern building - the first new building allowed to be built in the old center of Rome since 1938.
From there, we walked to the Piazza di Spagna, with the famous Spanish Steps. Lots of expensive window-shopping on the walk, and at the foot of the Steps is the Sinking Boat Fountain, built by Bernini or his father, Pietro. It was drizzling a little, and Ben woke up to take in the damp sights. The Steps are quite impressive, and no, we didn't make the trek up. PS - the Piazza is named for the Spanish Embassy to the Vatican, which has been there for 300 years.
It was a short walk to Trevi Fountain, completed in 1762 by Nicola Salvi. The legend is that if you toss a coin over your shoulder into the fountain, it will assure a return to Rome. Well, if legend is correct, Ben is coming back to Rome about 20 more times! I think this fountain was his absolute favorite part of the city. I explained to him that we were going to throw a coin in the fountain. He threw his coin in, and then he says "more money"! Thankfully, I had a few more small coins (we were throwing in 5 and 10 cent pieces only, although he would have gladly tossed in euros). You can see below the reaction we got when we told him "no more money". So, Dad resorted to fishing our already thrown coins out of the fountain to toss in again. I'm sure that is some other legend...like if you take any coins out, you'll never see another European city ever again. Oh well, we didn't get arrested or anything, and Ben had a fabulous time! We ate pizza (of course!) near the fountain, then decided to call it a night and took the metro home.
A few more small excitements to our very long day...First, the fountain must have put Ben in a water "mood", because he had a great time swimming around in "Marina's tub". Then, during bathtime, I couldn't find the camera, thought I lost it, and was nearly sobbing by the time we finally located it, whew! Lastly, Ben starts jumping around on the bed and bangs his mouth on the footboard...bloody lip. All was well, but this day had started out stressful and apparently was going to end that way too, sheesh!
On Sunday morning, it was raining quite hard. Ugh. We decided to press on with our "agenda" of visiting Ostia Antica, similar to Pompeii, but a lot closer. It was a 45 minute combo metro/train ride. By the time we traveled there, the rain had stopped and it turned out to be a very pleasant day. Ostia was once a military base, then used as a commercial port. With the fall of Rome, the port was abandoned. Over time, the harbor silted up and mud buried the city. As we entered the gate, we passed by the cemetery and the warehouses. Ben was quite happy to be strolling with us, splashing in the puddles and picking wildflowers.
Further down the main street (Decumanus Maximus), we came to the Baths of Neptune. The baths were used as a sort of "fitness club" - people stretching, exercising, getting massages. Greg and I found the Neptune mosaics really impressive.
After the Baths were the Square of the Guilds and the Theater. The Square would have been where business took place, lots of offices for ship owners and traders. The Theater was for entertainment and would have been twice as high in ancient times, hard to imagine because it already seemed pretty high to me. The three rows of marble steps near the orchestra would have been for the VIP's. We planned to continue on to the Forum, Ostia's main square with the grand temple. But, little Ben was getting quite angry at not finding enough wildflowers to pick, which really meant that somebody was hungry and tired. Because the only way to leave was the way we came, and we had already been exploring for well over an hour, we figured it was time to retrace our steps and grab some lunch. I hated missing the Forum, but this is the life of the tourists traveling with a 2 year old...flexibility! I had to include a classic picture of my 2 men "studying"...one with Rick Steves, the other a wildflower...but both were very focused.
On our way back from Ostia (and now with a napping child), the train brings us to the Piramide metro stop. We decided to walk out and take a quick peek at the Pyramid that Gaius Cestius had built as his tomb. It is made of brick, then covered in marble - and much smaller than actual Egyptian pyramids - but still impressive!
After seeing the Pyramid, we rode the metro to the area near the Baths of Diocletian. Greg and I stopped for a late Italian lunch...splurged for dessert and lattes at the end of our meal as Mr. B was still snoozing. As we walked to visit a few churches nearby, I noticed that we were walking under orange trees, how fun! We did get to see the churches, but only from the outside as they are closed on Sunday. (Our original plan was to visit these another day, but decided to see them today because we had time...oops!) Santa Maria della Vittoria is the church that houses Bernini's statue St. Teresa in Ecstasy. Santa Susanna Church is the home of the American Catholic Church in Rome, holding Mass in English daily.
After snapping a few photos, we walked on to the Piazza Repubblica and the Baths of Diocletian, the largest baths in Rome. These baths were built around 300 A.D., covered over 10 acres, and would have accommodated 3,000 bathers at a time. The great central hall of the baths is now used as the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli - open to the public and very beautiful (and huge!). There is also an Octagonal Hall (once a gym) and a Museum, both were closed.
Ben woke up as we were leaving the Baths, and we were ready for some play time. So, we took the metro to Piazza del Popolo, had a quick peek at the square, then walked to nearby Villa Borghese Gardens. Ben was thrilled to have some green space to roam around and quickly found more wildflowers to pick. By now, he had moved on from just picking them, to removing all the petals, throwing them up in the air, and watching the petals fall to the ground. And, he managed to get dirty in the mud - and even found a pile of dog poo to step in. So, he was promptly cleaned up (as were the boots) when we got home (oh, and thank heavens for washer/dryer access) before heading out to a fabulous dinner near the apartment.
Monday started out beautiful, look at this view of the sunrise from our apartment window! We were ready for a sunny, dry day - and Monday was just that! We left around 9 a.m. for St. Peter-in-Chains church. This church was founded in 440, one of Rome's oldest churches. It was built to house Peter's chains (supposedly, see the box with lights under the altar) - one set from when Peter and Paul were held in Mamertine Prison in Rome, the other set from when Peter was held in Jerusalem (read Acts 12). Also in this church is Michaelangelo's famous statue, Moses, which was to be part of a grand tomb for Pope Julius II. After Michaelangelo started the work on the tomb, Julius changed his mind to have Michaelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel. Michaelangelo worked on and off on this tomb for 30 years, then Julius died, funding stopped, and so did work on the tomb monument. Even "unfinished", it was still a pretty impressive work of art.
Nearby is what Greg had been waiting for...the Colosseum! And, it did not disappoint. Except, that it was supposed to open at 9 a.m., we were there a little before 10 a.m., and it was closed. Greg saw a sign near the entrance...closed until 11:30 for a workers' meeting. And, because the nearby Forum and Palatine Hill are all part of the same entrance ticket, they were closed too. Remember folks, we're flexible!! So, we walked around for a bit and snapped some photos. We saw the Arch of Constantine, built in 312 A.D. when Emperor Constantine defeated his rival Maxentius. Constantine became sole emperor and legalized Christianity - making it the main religion of the Western World. The other photos are a view of the Forum through the gates, and Ben in exploring action mode.
We had an early lunch to wait out the meeting, then made our way back to the Colosseum. Built in 80 A.D. when the Roman Empire was at its peak, the theater was an arena for gladiator contests and public spectacles - making killing a spectator sport. It could accommodate 50,000 people! It was a very odd feeling to be looking at a structure so grand and almost 'beautiful' in the sunlight, but one that was used for such violence. But, nothing can lighten a mood quite like an energetic toddler. Ben had a fabulous time running around, climbing the stairs, and exploring the nooks and crannies. The weather was even so nice, we had our coats off for a bit! (We are so ready for Spring, who's with me?)
Next, we walked to the Forum, which was the political, religious, and commercial center of the city. Now, it's a lot of big rocks. Really, it was hard to grasp how huge some of these buildings and temples must have been with only pieces of them still standing today. And, to grasp how long these structures have been here. For instance, the Temple of Saturn (photo below with 6 columns and clouds behind) is the Forum's oldest temple, built in 497 B.C.!! I feel like a broken record here, but Ben really digs that these sights are not stroller-friendly - he found a place to camp out and play with rocks (small and unimportant ones) while Greg and I took turns oohing and aahing. PS, the last photo of this section is a drinking fountain - funny, huh?
We were pretty wiped after so much history, and once Ben was strapped in his stroller, he was out cold! We made our way to the apartment, stopping for groceries along the way. Greg had a quick call for work while Ben and I relaxed, and then we found another great restaurant close by to have dinner. We finally saved enough room for what Rome is all about - gelato!! Mine was Nutella, gigantic, and incredible!! I love this picture - do you see Ben at the bottom keeping both eyes firmly fixed on the ice cream cone? Hee hee, this photo must have been torture for him!
Our plan for the day was to visit St. Peter's around lunch time, so that Ben would fall asleep on our walk to the Vatican Museum. Well, we had a little time to kill before lunch, so we walked up a really steep hill to find Gianicolo park for some play time. I don't think we ever really found the park itself, but we did find some space for Ben to roam. And, it so happened that the work to get up the hill was worth it - we had some great, although gray, views of the city!
We made our way back down the hill around 11 a.m. and headed towards Vatican City and St. Peter's Square. Vatican City is actually a tiny independent country - with its own postal system, armed guards, and radio station. We walked up Via Conciliazone to St. Peter's Square - and wow! Simply stunning. And, as with the rest of Rome, so much history!! Peter was crucified here around 65 A.D. and was later recognized as the first "pope". The ring of columns in the square are supposed to symbolize the arms of the church welcoming everyone. We found a spot on one of the "arms" to sit, eat our little picnic, and just take it all in. We were directly across from the Pope! Well, at least his apartment, anyways (no official Pope sightings on our visit). We read that the last window on the right of the top floor is his bedroom, so it looks like he was either sleeping or not home. ;)
After lunch, we made our way through security to the Basilica. Greg and I traded off getting to see inside - no strollers allowed, and besides, we did not trust Ben to keep from hearing himself echo inside what is probably considered the greatest church in the world. The first photo shows the balcony that the pope uses for formal occasions, above the main door. Once inside, I could not believe my eyes - it is HUGE! There is a capacity for 60,000 worshippers. And it's so beautiful, the pictures - sadly - do not do it justice. The main altar (under which Peter is said to be buried) is only used when the pope himself says Mass, and the bronze canopy surrounding it is seven stories high. I could go on and on about the amazing details of this holy place, but I'll finish with Michaelangelo's famous Pieta (meaning 'pity') - a sculpture of Mary with the dead body of Christ, created for Holy Year 1500.
After Greg had his turn in the Basilica, we walked to the Vatican Museum. As predicted, and with much gratitude from us, Ben fell asleep on the way. It was fabulous...we spent 2 hours viewing paintings, sculptures, tapestries, and last, but not least, the Sistine Chapel. No photos are allowed in the Chapel, so you are just going to have to make it to Rome someday for yourself to see how unbelievable it is. Michaelangelo spent 4 years painting 5,900 square feet of ceiling. My good friend, Rick Steves, tells me that many art scholars contend that the Sistine ceiling is the single greatest work of art by any one human being. I'm no art scholar, but I'll have to agree. Michaelangelo returned to the Chapel 23 years later to paint the altar, his work The Last Judgment. Also amazing. After 2 hours in the museum, we figured that we had better be on our way before our little man woke up - and our necks were hurting from staring at the ceiling. :)
That night, after some rest time at the apartment, we walked to Campo de' Fiori. I got this great evening shot of the Castel Sant'Angelo on the way. Campo de' Fiori is a square, known for its free spirit and occasional demonstrations. Funny, because there was a demonstration going on that evening. So, we checked out the square for about 10 minutes, then we went on our way. We found a quieter place to have dinner, then headed back home - but not without a stop at the gelato shop about 50 steps from our apartment. I could get used to this!
Wednesday was our last day in Rome, and we had more rain. But, that doesn't stop the Zabikows! In fact, the dark skies made our walk by St. Peter's even more fantastic! From there, we walked to the Piazza Navona - another square with some pretty cool fountains and an obelisk (Rome has 13 obelisks, more than any other city in the world). No joke, it started hailing at this point. Didn't we have our coats off as we were playing in the sun just 2 days ago?
Just a short walk from Piazza Navona is Piazza della Rotunda - with the Pantheon, which was a temple dedicated to all (pan) of the gods (theos). It was originally built in 27 B.C., but after a couple of fires, the structure was completely rebuilt in 120 A.D. The oculus (hole in the ceiling) is the building's only light source - and on our visit, it was also it's rain source.
In the same square as the Pantheon is McDonald's (see Greg longingly eye the Golden Arches below). That right folks, we taste-tested the Roman cheeseburgers, not too bad. :) Greg was happy, and now time to make Steph happy. Right around the corner was a coffee house that I had read about - serving the best coffee in Rome. It was fun to be very "Italian" - walking in, drinking a tiny cup of espresso, and walking out. We fit right in, except for the 20 pictures that we took. :)
Next on the list was Piazza Venezia to see the Victor Emmanuel monument. On the walk there, in the midst of some souvenir shops, we saw a store selling all kinds of "pope" gear...robes, hats, etc. Are we allowed to just buy these things from a clothing store? Seemed silly. Not so silly was the thunder that we heard about 10 steps later. So, we hurried to find a place inside to sit - and have more coffee - while the rain poured (and while Ben slept).
Once the skies cleared, we walked to see the monument, which Romans call "the wedding cake". It was built to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Italy's unification in 1870. On the steps of the monument is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Past the monument is a winding road up to Capitol Hill. Capitol Hill is a main square that was used in ancient Rome as a religious center to the gods, but now has 2 museums and awesome views of the Forum. We wandered around a bit on the Hill, then made our way back down and walked toward the Colosseum metro stop.
On the way to the metro, we walked by Trajan's Column, Forum, and Market. Rome peaked under Emperor Trajan (ruled 98-117 A.D.), and he extended the Forum by building his own commercial, political, and religious center nearby. The column is 140 feet high and used to have a bronze statue of Trajan on top (now, it is St. Peter). The Forum is basically rubble now, except for the crescent-shaped Market.
A travel day with the Zabikows would not be complete without some kind of "how are we going to be flexible today?" fun. We made it to the metro stop, and ugh...the metro was closed. We have no idea why, just that no trains were running. Um, ok. So, what do we do now - as we are a 45 minute walk from the apartment and have a 2 year old about to wake up hungry any second? This is where we can say, we love you Marina!! She had given us some bus routes, one of which ran right behind the Colosseum. So, we just needed to find the stop. Ben wakes up a few minutes later while I'm snapping a few photos - we hadn't seen this side of the Colosseum yet! We found the stop and hopped on the bus. It was crowded and I was holding Ben - an older Italian woman gave up her seat for me. So sweet - but I felt so guilty. Thankfully, Ben kept her 'occupied' as she stood. He asked me to sing Jingle Bells (don't ask me why), so I started to sing. The woman (who spoke no English) heard me, and she started humming along. Apparently, Jingle Bells is universal!! Ben was tickled pink (or maybe red and green?) that she knew the song too! Another seat opened up shortly, and our international karaoke was over.
We spent a bit of time at the apartment that afternoon playing, packing, and picking up. We headed back out to the Spanish Steps/Trevi Fountain area to find some artwork that we could buy and to have dinner. We easily found some water color paintings that we loved, and the artist is a sucker for children, so she threw in one for Ben for free. It pays to have kids! Had a great meal, and the waiter was kind enough to make some small change for us, as we knew we were headed back to the Fountain for some coin-tossing. Lots of giggles and shouts for "more money". Thankfully, we were able to "bribe" Ben with some gelato to get him away from the Fountain. Greg was kind enough to share his with Ben so that I could get the flavor I really wanted...lemon. I shared with Ben too though - and he made a sour face every time he took a lick. But, he kept coming back for more, so I think it was growing on him. :)
Our cab came early on Thursday morning, February 12th. It was sad to say goodbye to "Marina's house"; we had such a fabulous holiday in Rome!! No real "adventures" on our travel back home, just that we were all pretty exhausted by the end of the day!
