So when my parents decided to come over for a visit, my dad's destination of choice was Rome, hands-down. He had been there about 40 years ago when he and a friend went backpacking through Europe after high school, but I could totally understand why he wanted to go back... it definitely lives up to its name as the Eternal City. In addition to seeing Rome, when planning the trip, I also included a jaunt down to Naples, so we could check out Capri and Pompeii as well. Needless to say, we were all looking forward to spending time in Italy.
Just a couple days after my parents arrived here in Germany, on Thursday, April 23rd to be exact, we were on a plane heading south towards Rome. Once there, we had to take a train into the city, followed by a pretty crazy taxi ride to our hotel. It was quite a long day of traveling, so we were famished by dinner time. Unfortunately, it seems that we found the only bad restaurant in Rome! Up until that point, I had only ever experienced amazing food while in Italy, so it was quite shocking when our food wasn't that great. Oh well, we survived the meal and then rested up because we knew the next day would be a busy one.
Friday was jam-packed with sightseeing, so it was a good thing we had our walking shoes on! Not surprisingly, our first stop was the Colosseum. As you walk out of the Metro station across the street, you can't help but be overwhelmed by the sight of this ancient stadium. Even today, it is still very impressive. We soon found out that it was "cultural week" in Rome so all the historic sights were free, which was a very pleasant surprise. Anytime you can enjoy sights that like for free makes it an even sweeter deal :)
We headed into the Flavian Amphitheater (the Colosseum's real name) to check out the interior. As we walked around, we tried to imagine what it would have been like in its "days of glory"... the gigantic arena filled with 50,000 Romans cheering loudly as the gladiators fought it out below... it is really quite barbaric, if you think about it! So instead we just marveled at what a feat of engineering it is. I especially love all the Roman arches.
After taking in the Colosseum, of course we had to take the requisite photo in front of it. And then it was time to head toward Palatine Hill. As you walk toward the entrance, you pass the Arch of Constantine, which is decorated with carvings of different Roman emperors, such as Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, Trajan, and Augustus. A short distance away, you find yourself on top of Palatine Hill, which is littered with the ruins of the emperors' palaces. In fact, the word "palace" is derived from this hill. It also provides a view down toward where the Circus Maximus once stood as well as a view of St. Peter's Basilica off in the distance.
As if this part of Rome didn't already contain a vast amount of history, the Roman Forum lies just below Palatine Hill. While walking from one to the other, there is an excellent view of the Colosseum and down into the Forum as well. Walking into the Forum, we passed the remains of the Basilica of Constantine, with its huge arches, and of Caligula's palace. Then we found ourselves in the main square, which was surrounded by temples, courts, government buildings, and grand arches back in its heyday. Now the ruins just hint at the splendor of ancient Rome.
Following a quick lunch, we soon passed by Trajan's Market and Column, which tells the story of the emperor's triumphs in battle. Just across the street is the Victor Emmanuel II monument, built in honor of Italy's first king. In addition to having a pretty decent view, it is also home to the world's largest equestrian statute.
Next on our list was the incredible Pantheon. It is the best preserved temple from ancient Rome, built to honor all the gods, hence the name. Its most striking feature is its ingenious ceiling, a perfect hemisphere with an oculus that allows natural light to flood the building. It's a display of astounding engineering... the concrete gets thinner and lighter with height, culminating with volcanic pumice around the oculus... and to think that it was built about 2,000 years ago! The Pantheon has served as a Catholic church since the 7th century, so it has become the only building continuously used since ancient Roman times. In addition, it is also the final resting place of the artist, Raphael, and Italy's first two kings. I really don't think pictures do this place justice... it is amazing!
While enjoying some yummy gelato, we walked on over to the Trevi Fountain, another favorite tourist spot... and there were a ton of tourists there! I guess everyone was there to toss a coin into the fountain to ensure a return trip to Rome, as legend would have it. Of course, I had to partake in the fun too... and Mom and Dad seemed to be enjoying themselves as well.
Just up the hill is the Quirinal Palace, which was once the summer home for popes and the official residence of the king. Since 1947, it has been the "White House of Italy," serving as the home of the President of the Republic. We decided to grab some dinner at a nearby Chinese restaurant, largely since we were so unlucky with Italian the night before... and it turned out to be quite good. As night was falling, we swung back by the Trevi Fountain... with the illumination, I think it is even prettier in the evening.
Saturday was our day to explore Vatican City, the smallest country in the world. When we arrived mid-morning, we were somewhat surprised to see such a long line to gain access to Saint Peter's Basilica. Thankfully, the line moved pretty quickly, and we enjoyed the sun and the square during the wait. Plus, I also snuck over to the area surrounding the obelisk in the center of the square, where the West Ponente relief is located, another marker on the "Path of Illumination," but unfortunately it was beyond the barricade set up for mass so I couldn't get a picture of it. Oh well!
Soon we found ourselves in the most massive church on Earth. As you enter, Michaelangelo's first masterpiece, the Pieta, is on the right... sorry it's so blurry, but this is the clearest picture that we took of it! Then we wandered through the enormous sanctuary, craning our necks to take in all of the ornate detail that stretched high above. There is also an extravagant altar in the center of the church, and below it supposedly lies the tomb of Saint Peter. Directly above the altar is the grand cupola, which is taller than a football field is long. In order to give our necks a break, we also admired the many statutes throughout the basilica... sadly, amidst all of the sculptures of popes and saints we only found one of Jesus, other than the Pieta. Despite this, I hope people remember why this place of worship was built....
After exploring the interior of Saint Peter's, my dad and I decided to head up to the top of the dome to see the view from there. About 200 stairs later, we were standing up close and personal with the interior of the cupola. In addition to being able to check out the intricate mosaics that line the walls, there is also an interesting view down into the sanctuary... there was actually a mass being held below, and the singing sounded pretty heavenly up there.
Next, we headed out onto the roof of the basilica, providing a closer view of the exterior of the main cupola plus some of the small ones. And then we had over 300 more stairs to climb to reach the top of the dome... but it was well worth it for the panoramic view of Rome. Since no Roman building is allowed to surpass the height of St. Peter's dome, you can see all of Rome sprawling out beyond the basilica's square. You can also see the rest of the Vatican City when looking the other direction. Like I said, my dad and I were quite happy that we made the trek up there to take in such a great view.
Our next stop was just a short walk away from the Vatican... Castel Sant' Angelo. It was originally built as a mausoleum for the emperor Hadrian. Then it became a place of refuge for popes when the Vatican came under attack. Today it serves a museum (but no pictures could be taken inside). The huge bronze angel found atop it is also another marker on the "Path of Illumination" and there was a nice view back toward the Vatican as well.
Since we had gotten a few of the sights along the "Path of Illumination" under our belts, my parents were kind enough to let me drag them to a couple more. The next one on the list was found just off Piazza del Popolo... a little church called Santa Maria del Popolo. Inside it is the Chigi Chapel... just like in the book, the chapel was under renovation when we visited so it was partially obstructed. If you look closely, you can see the statue of "Habbakuk and the Angel" in the back corner.
Heading a few blocks south, we found ourselves standing in front of another iconic spot in Rome, the Spanish Steps, which received their name because of the nearby Spanish Embassy. They were a quick climb up as compared to the ascent to the top of St. Peter's cupola, and then we were on our way to another church, Santa Maria della Vittoria. One of the statues there, "Saint Teresa in Ectasy" was the last of our markers to see along the "Path of Illumination." Now if you haven't seen "Angels and Demons," you should go just to see how these markers all fit together... or better yet, read the book. While the movie is very good, the book is one of my favorites. After another full day of sightseeing, we decided to give Italian another try for dinner, and thankfully we had much better luck that night.
Our main goal Sunday morning was to check out the Vatican Museum... to top off all the free sightseeing we had accomplished, it turns out that on the last Sunday of every month, the Vatican Museum is free... which also makes for some very long lines. After about two hours, we finally made it into the museum, where we saw many significant pieces of art and sculpture, including "The Transfiguration," the Laocoon group, and "The School of Athens." In the courtyard, there was even some modern art. As we made our way closer to the Sistine Chapel (which is at the last stop in the museum), we were walking through long hallways filled with old maps and tapestries... but I thought the hallways' ceilings were actually much more impressive.
Finally we made our way into the famous Sistine Chapel, which serves as the pope's private chapel and where enclave is held when electing a new pope. When Daniel and I visited last time, they were very strict about no photographs being taken inside the chapel... this time they definitely were not enforcing that rule as everyone was taking pictures, so I snapped a few of Michelangelo's famous ceiling and "The Last Judgement" behind the altar. As we headed out, we discovered that even the exit at the museum is artsy... pretty cool spiral staircase, huh?
That afternoon, we boarded a train heading south, and following a scenic ride, we arrived in Naples. Since it was getting late, we crashed for the night. The next day we decided to take a boat ride to island of Capri. During our walk to the port, we saw a less touristy side of Italy... if Rome represents Italy's celebrated history, then Naples represents its current reality. While it may be gritty and noisy, it was interesting to take in some authentic Italy.
Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating as well as it had in Rome, so the ride over to Capri was really, really choppy. Thankfully we survived, and after a 45 minute ride, the ferry docked at the island's Marina Grande. There are a few shops right along the water, but there's much more in the main town, also called Capri, so we took the quick funicular ride up there. The view looking down toward the harbor is a nice one, while the quaint town is largely made up of small shops and cafes.
Beyond the homes, the path opened up, allowing for wider views of the island below... and it also left us more exposed to the buffeting wind! Man, was it windy up there! Yet we continued and made it up to the ruins. While there wasn't much left of the buildings, it was easy to see why the emperor chose the spot... more great views of Capri. With the wind still furiously gusting, we didn't want to stay too long at the top, and so we hiked down all the way to the port in order to catch the ferry back to the mainland, relaxing at the pebble beach while waiting for the boat.
In addition to well-appointed homes, an abundance of advanced amenities existed... paved streets, aqueducts, public baths (they even had "lockers"), an open-air theater, and even fast food stands, with holes in the counters to hold pots of food! They were a very well-developed society... until Vesuvius blew! Well, I hope that, for the current residents in the area around Pompeii, history doesn't repeat itself anytime soon... but it was very interesting to learn what city life was like at the height of the Roman empire.
While it was a short but sweet trip to Capri, I think we would have enjoyed it that much more if the weather had been more pleasant... when I visited the island a few years ago, it seemed almost magical awash in warmth and sunlight. Even still, we had a memorable, worthwhile visit. And that evening back in Naples, we enjoyed some fabulous pizza at a very friendly pizzeria... what better place to consume the delicious pie than in the city where it was created!
On our final full day in Italy, our main objective was to explore Pompeii. I knew my dad especially was going to enjoying checking out the historic ruins... the last time I visited, I was shocked at how advanced their civilization was and at how expansive the remains of the city are as well.
Shortly after walking through the walls that surrounded the ancient city, you find yourself at the courthouse, which they called the basilica. Interestingly, its floorplan was later adopted by many Christian churches. Just beyond the basilica is Pompeii's forum, which is somewhat smaller than Rome's but was still bustling with activity at its peak. When standing in the forum, Vesuvius looms to the north... on the day we visited, the volcano never came out from hiding behind its cover of clouds, as if ashamed for devastating the town back on August 24, 79 AD, burying it under 30 feet of volcanic ash. The people of Pompeii didn't even know it was a volcano at the time since it hadn't erupted in over 1,200 years. No wonder it caught them so off guard... many people were buried alive during the overwhelming explosion. Archaeologists have been able to make casts of some of those caught in the blast.
With the pyroclastic flow covering the entire city, Pompeii became frozen in time, which today provides a pretty clear picture of how their society functioned. It is believed it was largely a middle-class community, but even still many of the homes were beautifully decorated with mosaics on the floors, frescoes on the walls, and fountains.
In addition to well-appointed homes, an abundance of advanced amenities existed... paved streets, aqueducts, public baths (they even had "lockers"), an open-air theater, and even fast food stands, with holes in the counters to hold pots of food! They were a very well-developed society... until Vesuvius blew! Well, I hope that, for the current residents in the area around Pompeii, history doesn't repeat itself anytime soon... but it was very interesting to learn what city life was like at the height of the Roman empire.
After checking out Pompeii, it was time to catch the a return train to Rome since we were flying back to Frankfurt the next morning. As you can see, we had a very full and fun trip down to Italy, and it was absolutely wonderful spending that time with my parents! Well, that wraps it up for this excursion, but no worries, I'll have plenty more to blog about in the next few weeks, including upcoming trips to Poland, Geneva, Scandinavia, and Spain... so please check back again soon to hear all about our summer fun! Until then....
1 comments:
h... how cool that your mom & dad can refer people to your blog to get a 'blow by blow' account of their fabulous European vaca!! I know that as they read thru & look at the pics they'll feel like they're back there all over again. What a wonderful thing.
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